I'll admit, I'm still a novice when it comes to the fantasy genre, but this one has me hooked. Without giving out any spoilers, the story never takes the turns you think it will. When you think that you see something coming, it usually means that the story will make a 180. I highly recommend and I am staying optimistic about the following seasons. It's nice to see how they stayed true to the first novel. I would suggest reading the first book when watching season 1 of a game of thrones.