I've never found any of George R.R. Martin's fiction to be to my taste (too contrived and over-written). I tried the first chapter of the first book in this series and thought that it was just like every other 'doorstep' fantasy that I had ever read or tried to read. I'm sick to death of doorstep fantasies - why does no-one write books any more? Tolkein has a lot to answer for!

To my mind there have been only two decent fantasies written in the last 30 - 40 years: Jack Vance's 'Lyonesse' trilogy (yes, it's a bit of a doorstep - but it is brilliant and I would read Vance's shopping lists) and Walter Jon William's 'Metropolitan' and 'City on Fire'; these are nothing like the usual 'Sword 'n' Sorcery' rubbish. The two WJW books are two thirds of a projected trilogy - which he has yet to finish.