[Florian the Fool]

Werthead's summary is unimprovable (in fact, I'm not yet convinced that Wert isn't actually GRRM in disguise, except that if he is, then I'm not sure who Raven could be...) but I would add two small caveats.

One, A Game Of Thrones (the first volume of ASoIaF) is as long as all three volumes of Lord Of The Rings put together, so you may feel you need to work on your reading stamina before embarking on it.

Two, it's not finished yet. Some people (like me) enjoy the delicious sense of anticipation this creates. Others find it more stressful. At this time, no-one seems quite sure how long it will be before the series is complete, so make sure you're ready for a long wait.

In the meantime, I would reccomend Guy Gavriel Kay's early Fionavar tapestry trilogy, or if you fancy something longer, Tad Williams Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. They're both authors that GRRM himself admires, so they would help give you taste of what awaits you.

I envy anybody reading ASoIaF for the first time...