A Game of Fathers

i am fully hooked on George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. done with A Game of Thrones, reading: A Clash of Kings. Do you like the lord of the rings? arthurian legends? merlin? dragons? 300? LOST? if you answered yes to any/all of these questions. this is the book for you.

how a game of thrones is like:

1. the lord of the rings: features words like 'westron' and 'lordling', mysterious creatures in the woods that sound a bit like ringwraiths
2. discworld: there's a Night's Watch
3. star wars: the brothers of the Night's Watch take no wives much like the Jedi*
4. 300: the dothraki and khal drogo remind me of xerxes
5. arthur/merlin: knights, dragons, etc
6. lost: daddy issues floating about everywhere, also the mysterious creatures are called 'the others' 

but ultimately it is itself. what makes it so good:

1. realism: lots of death, danger, strategy, betrayal, plots, lies...anyone can die. it's probably as unflinching as whedon that way. 
2. really talks about cowardice, desertion and treason and war. is it cowardice to admit that you're no good at fighting or a lack of denial? is it desertion when you're running away from one thing to go help somewhere else? is it treason when the lives of your children are at stake? is it murder when you kill women and children in wartime?
3. the daddy issues! 
4. the characters. so well written. so many sides to every situation.
5. and finally: direwolves. BEST. PET. EVER. 

*i don't think that was an issue in the original trilogy tho. it's not like luke didn't have a thing for leia before he found out she was SPOILER ALERT his sister.