George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series:
Book 1- A Game of Thrones
Book 2- A Clash of Kings
Book 3- A Storm of Swords
Book 4- A Feast for Crows
Book 5- A Dance of Dragons (not yet released; supposed release date is sometime in 2007, but as of Feb. 15 '07, the book has yet to be finished)
Book 6- The Winds of Winter (not yet released)
Book 7- A Dream of Spring (not yet released)

Basic summary: 15 years a go, a war shook across the continent of Westeros, destroying the 300-year reign of the Targaryen household. Now, after a long reign of uncertain peace, the king is dead, and all of Westeros has erupted into a war, with most every noble household, be they major or minor, vying for the iron throne. Meanwhile, Daenerys Targaryen, last of the rightful royal family, slowly amasses a force to reclaim the throne that is hers by rights. But she also has what th rest of the world wants: three dragons, creatures thought to have been extinct for more than a century...

Sounds boring? HAH. As if. The war in this is not one fought all across in battlefields and with swords. Well, okay, there ARE battles. But truth be told, we actually see very little of the action on the battlefield. What the story focuses on is the internal politics of the matter, and of how the characters react and handle things. It has twists, turns, and all sorts of amazing "WTF?!" moments, many good, some bad.

The story is told in the POV (Point of View) style of several characters, usually about 8-9 people, all spread through the various regions and sides. You don't see one side of the war; you see it all. It ranges from the struggle in the north to the capital city of King's Landing; from Danerys' army across the sea to the plight of Arya as she flees and fights across Westeros. All the characters provide their own unique insights and opinions to the turmoil, both nationwide and the immediate personal turmoil that they must face. Martin almost always ends the chapters on some vicious cliffhanger or another, so you want to skip ahead and read the next time that certain character appears. Yet lo and behold! The next chapter is just as fascinating and unique as the last.

Now here's my rundown and take on it all....

THE PROS:
+Characterization. Martin throws at us a vast array of characters, and each one is a vibrant, unique, and deep individual. Yes, even the obscure people you see for only three chapters is unique in some way. There are no rank-and-file stereoytpes to be found in this. The characters are all given a sense of depth I have yet to find in any other fantasy series. And even if you hate a specific character, most of the time you can't help but be interested in them and what they add to the story.
+The World. Westeros and the lands beyond the narrow sea, and all aspects have been given a rich flavor and texture that make every civilization, region, and nation unique.
+History and Culture. Oh. My. GOD. You would not believe how much thought Martin has put into the history and culture of Westeros and the other lands. The various religions are clearly defined, the family trees are intricate and long-reaching, and just... AUGH. I can't tell you how much book-scouring and heated internet discussions I've done to piece together the histories of several of the houses and the major events. of Westeros.
+Plot Twists. To be honest, you can never quite expect what this guy will throw at you next. Everyone has their own agenda, and they can reveal it in a flash to throw things all into a mess. A sunny situation can turn hopeless within the span of three sentences, and the exact opposite can happen in just as little time. Best of all, he can do it in a way that doesn't seem hokey or random. It all fits seamlessly. nd then of course it makes you want to skip ahead just to see how it's resolved, but the next chapter proves to be just as interesting.
+Realism. Okay, this one's a double-edged sword, to be honest. Life isn't all happy and cherry-picking in Westeros. There's murder, there's death, there's grief, there are a million unsavory things about war and backstabbing politics. Yet the characters bend and fold and go with the flow as best as they can adapt to, either be it seamlessly or not at all. Just like real people. Aside from the few fantasy elements thrown into the story, the book is almost a pure look at what war and politics and the people were like in the Middle Ages. There's no mage or wizard to make everything right here. Just because you win the battles doesn't mean you win the war. You either win the game of thrones, or you die.

Yes, how lovely. But like every piece of work, there are some flaws. Let's take a look, shall we?

THE CONS:
-Realism. Like I said, double-edged sword. While Martin's eye for detail are lovely, he does also show a lot of unsavory behavior that make the more timid cringe. Rape, murder, brutality... Such things are present in war and battle, and he does NOT turn a blind eye to it. In fact, he often seems to put an emphasis on the more unsavory aspects of reality. I personally have no problem with such things, but I know there are people who go squeamish at the thought of sex, let alone rape and murder. And with some characters, there's quite a bit of sex going on with them. I just stuck it here for good measure.
-Character Death. Martin is a man who has no problem killing off or maiming his characters. While I personally find it awesome, there are many who dislike the notion that he likes to kill off prominent figures, or maims them in a way that they have no choice but to retreat into the background. He also seems to enjoy killing off the good guys.... or my favorite characters. ;_;
-Repetition. Yeah, yeah, everyone likes to repeat themselves. Martin is no exception, but sometimes he repeats a fact or line so often that it makes me cringe. If I hear the line "You know nothing, Jon Snow," one more time, I swear I'm going to stab that person in the face.
-When it's filler, you KNOW it's filler. To be honest, this is mostly the publisher's fault. Originally, the series was supposed to be only 3 books in length. However, when they looked it all over, they realized that there would be so many flashbacks and references to the past that it would be a mess. So what do they do? Yup. Filler. However, as pissingly annoying as filler can be, Martin actually manages to keep most of his filler quite badass and seamlessly integrated into everything. The worst issue of this is in A Feast For Crows, and most likely as well as in A Dance of Dragons when it comes out. Why? Originally the two books were going to be released as one book, but it was going to be quite long. 1500 pages or so, if my sources are correct. Naturally, the publishing company threw a fit and split the book. The result? Martin had to pull a lot of filler out of his arse and chuck it into the book. And it's obvious. Like, REALLY obvious. Yes, there's unglodly amounts of badassery (particularly near the end), but there are some chunks where it's just... UGH. I expect Dance of Dragons to be plagued with a similar result. But Theon Greyjoy will be in book 5, and that will make everything better. =D

... wow. I ranted a bit on that filler bit, didn't I? NO MATTER. The books are excellent, the characters as rich and deep as any real person can hope to be, and there has just been a STUNNING amount of detail put into this series. And the unexpected twists...! Oh, the twists...!