I've been reading the series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin aka the Game of Thrones books. I got tired of being out of the loop with all the pop culture references to it and my boyfriend happened to own them. I only caught the TV show once and didn't watch long for fear of spoilers so my opinion only relates to the books. I am on A Dance with Dragons currently so I'm nearly through with the series.

Personally, I think these books are worth a read. I really like how much depth is given to the characters. There are a lot more main characters than most books have. I think the series gives a nice sense of seeing the same events through a variety of perspectives. It is primarily about noble families, but they have many differences in how their families came into power and how each character relates to their position and the world around them. There are some very ugly facets to the world they live in - some use the ugliness to their advantage while others try to make a better world and cleanse the area around them of that ugliness. Each and every person is flawed and imperfect (in a good, relatable way) and many points in the story amount to one step forward followed by two steps backwards.

These stories carry a lot of grey areas. If you like a black and white world they aren't for you, but if you like to contemplate moral quandaries and you enjoy stories from personal perspectives about the human condition and the strains of war I think this is a worthy collection to read.