I have seen the first two seasons of "Game of Thrones" on TV, so that colored my reading of this book. One thing that is probably bad is that now I can only visualize the main characters with the appearances of the actors who play them. I was surprised by how much I still enjoyed reading the book, even though I knew the major plot points. Having watched the TV show, reading the book became a means of getting background on the characters. There was more time for backstory, and events that took place on the show were fleshed out.

I don't know if I can offer a useful review, because I'm not sure how much I would have liked the book without seeing the show. I do enjoy fantasy novels and stories that include a lot of history. But since I read a variety of books, I'm generally not up on the latest and greatest in the fantasy genre. I know this book has been out for many years, but I didn't know of it until the TV show came about. I suppose the real test for me will be when I read far enough in the series to go beyond the events of the show.