A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

This book is amazing in terms of its complexity and vivid action. The main characters are very well developed and the action scenes are captivating, even if somewhat incredible at times. As the first of a series, it builds up a huge cast of players in multiple locations, the relationships between which become quite a challenge to unravel. And, of course, many subplots remain unfinished; actually, all of them do. I was shocked by the callous cruelty and unashamed sex; in fact, the general lack of any kind of morality is disappointing. The one noble character – like so many others – gets snuffed out rather ignominiously, after we had set high hopes on him. The occasional elements of fantasy – supernatural beings like zombies and dragons and the warped flow of time – seem almost superfluous, as do the hints of some religiosity among some of the characters. Although the story line is so enthralling that I would be tempted to read the subsequent books of the series or watch the apparently even more brazen films, I choose not to, because a) it would take too long, and b) they would have a negative moral influence on me.