A Game of Thrones discussion

I am pondering over whether to give this collection a go, although hestitate slightly because it is not my usual genre. What are people's general opinions on this collection? Do you need to be a fantasy genre lover to enjoy it?

Honestly don't think about it, just read it. You don't have to be a fan of fantasy to enjoy this. It definitely helps though. The story will keep you on edge, and keep you wanting more. Give it a shot. You won't be disappointed!

I guess it depends on why you're thinking about reading it. Have you watched the series? If you've watched the series and enjoyed it, then yes, should read the books.

But, in general, I have to agree with Joe. You don't have to love fantasy to enjoy this series. It's got lots of suspense and drama. What other books have you enjoyed?

The fantasy elements don't take over the story like they do in Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia. They just kinda pop up and cause trouble once in a while. You can easily relate most of the setting to Medieval Europe; some of the themes are taken straight out of history (the wall in the north and Hadrian's Wall in Northern England, for one example).

This series could fall into many different genres, in addition to fantasy.

I love this series and- from comparing our books- it looks like our tastes are really pretty similar...if that helps at all.

Remember it is going to be a long read, if you are ok with that you can start.. after book 3 things slow down a lot and lots of new characters get added. So things can get a bit boring. Having said that it is still a great book and fantasy is minimal, most of the times it will council politics, war, treachery, back stabbing.. those kind of stuff.. Yes, there are dragons too!