I just finished the third book in the Game of Thrones series, reading inspired by the new HBO show. After watching the pilot episode, I decided to read the first book before watching the rest of season 1 (each season follows one of the books) to help me understand what was happening and keep track of the characters. After finishing the first book (7/10) and watching the first season, I continued on to the second (6/10) and now the third books. What Tao told me about this series before I began to read it is that the author tends to kill of characters just as you start to like them, and I'd say it's a fair assessment. There are lots of different plots to follow - each chapter is told from the point of view of a different character (thankfully you know which character it is, it doesn't make you figure it out as you read). I almost wish I were reading hard copies of the books rather than on the Kindle so that I could look at the maps more easily from time to time, but it's not a big deal.
Basic premise: Seven Kingdoms are united under one ruler, and this is about the fight to be in control. There are various families contending for the throne, lots of interesting subplots, and some really interesting and cool characters. I'm really enjoying the series so far (though I've been warned that the fourth book focuses on minor characters), and am happy to be reading a series where the end is in sight (the author needs to finish the series so that the TV series can also be completed). The fifth book was just released this month.
I strongly recommend watching the series after (or as) you read the first book, especially if you have difficulty keeping characters straight. I found that after watching the series I was much more successful at knowing who was who while reading the second book because I had mental images of most of the main characters and that made it easier for me to keep track. Also the series is just plain fun (if racy - it IS HBO). One other thing I love about this series - I have *no idea* who's going to win in the end, totally opposite of most fantasy books/series. There's always an unexpected twist.
To sum up - enjoyable series so far, I definitely recommend it if it's your kind of story (fantasy). Book 3: 7/10
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