A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) by George R.R. Martin: When I first read about this universe in the Legends Anthology, I assumed I'd never read anything by Martin before. I was wrong, as I found out when I went searching for this book. I read Tuf Voyaging, back in college at the recommendation of a boyfriend. I liked it a lot, and in fact only a month or so ago I was thinking about how nice it would be to hunt that book down and read it again. Another strange case of synchronicity in my life.
Anyway, I got this one from the library so I could read more about the world that The Hedge Knight lived in. I was not disappointed. This is a great book, although tough to slog through because of its length. The point-of-view jumps from character to character, and there are enough twists and shocks to keep the reader on the edge of the blade. There is no conclusion, this is definitely the first book in a longer series. In fact, I'm kind of annoyed at the cliffhanger for my favorite character in the book. But that's ok, the library already has the second book on the way... 
A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 2) and A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3) by George R.R. Martin: I wasn't very far into the first book when I realized this was going to be a long series. But it was the kind of series that draws you in and makes you want to read more. I found myself trying to guess what would happen to certain characters, and getting slightly impatient when their chapters ended without resolutions. Then I would get into the next chapter and get interested in another character, and the whole thing would start all over again. I'm reviewing the second two books together because I read them together and I honestly don't think I could remember where one book ended and the next began, because the series fits together seamlessly. I would call these a tough read, in that the hardcover edition of Storm of Swords is 924 pages long, and that's about typical. The story is fine, the length should make many readers think twice before trying to tackle the series.
Also, according to the author's website, the series will be at least six books long, with the next book due out later this year. Keep that in mind before digging in. But overall, it's a good series. Worth a look, but only if you like long fantasy epics.
