Look, if you've made it this far in this sprawling saga, A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, you're either all in (4 to 5 stars per book) or you're just wasting your time.
If you haven't read the series and you want to jump in now, then a word of caution: before you start with A Game of Thrones (book 1), be aware you're embarking on an epic journey that takes time and effort. It's too big to review. It's too vast to summarize. It's excellent writing and powerful story telling. It's violent and vulgar. It's not your grandpa's LOTR sit by the fire and tell me a tale before I go to sleep kind of series.
And if, once you get started and you feel the books are a bit too intense for your taste, then skip the HBO series completely. The novels stand on their own (obviously!) and mostly avoid the raw titillation of the on screen adaption. Mostly. Now I enjoy both the books and the television series, but they are different 'things' so be forewarned. I'm definitely waiting for book 6 and the promise of "The Winds of Winter" to see how the marshaling forces of truth and treachery come together before the final showdown. You probably are too!
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