My colleague loaned me his first book from the series. I told him I have not been able to relax with fiction (the last one was Set In Stone by Robert Goddard, a mystery-thriller. I had to put it down because while I was attracted to the scenery I disliked that at every turn you would meet a foreboding character and your suspicions of their ill-will always turned out to be correct)

I have not seen the Game of Thrones TV series yet so I am looking forward to picturing the characters and their regions based on their book descriptions
George R.R. Martin's writing draws me in already

…and resting on top, nestled in the soft cloth, three huge eggs. Dany gasped. They were the most beautiful things she had ever seen, each different than the others, patterned in such rich colors that at first she thought they were crusted with jewels, and so large it took both of her hands to hold one. She lifted it delicately, expecting that it would be made of some fine porcelain or delicate enamel, or even blown glass, but it was much heavier than that, as if it were all of solid stone. The surface of the shell was covered with tiny scales, and as she turned the egg between her fingers, they shimmered like polished metal in the light of the setting sun. One egg was a deep green, with burnished bronze flecks that came and went depending on how Dany turned it. Another was pale cream streaked with gold. The last was black, as black as a midnight sea, yet alive with scarlet ripples and swirls.
When I finish this book I will return with typings and compare them to Northstar's detailed list.