A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (2002, Paperback, Reprint)

I have always had a soft spot for fantasy, and up until reading this and its sequels I would have cited "Lord of the Rings" as my favourite, many other fantasy novels being highly derivative. In fact over the last few years I had grown tired of trying to find stimulating new fantasy fiction, and believe me I've been through the majority of authors in this genre. There are standouts (Raymond Feist's "Magician" for example) but precious few that are a genuine breath of fresh air. So when someone recommended this series to me in a second hand bookshop I was sceptical but picked up a secondhand copy anyway. Within an hour I was hooked, and friends who I've subsequently recommended the books to have all become hooked as well.
I don't want to go into a synopsis, so I'll just say that when George R R Martin writes about knights and maesters, castles and medieval warfare, tournaments and kings he knows what he's talking about. This is a tale of the corruptive influence of battling for and maintaining supreme power and the frequently fatal risks involved in playing the game of thrones. And incidentally the tale of an outcast princess intent on returning to her father's throne. Oh, and a 800foot high wall built across the North of the kingdom. Now why would someone build that, I wonder?
A Guardian review states "...characters so venomous they could eat the Borgias". You'd BETTER believe it. Utterly compelling.