George R.R. Martin
I am now an official fan of Game of Thrones - in book form and the HBO series. While I am a bit ashamed that I watched the series before I read the books, I am not ashamed that I like both. I'm nearly done now with Clash of Kings , and I am really impressed with Martin's writing. I think the characters are really well-rounded even though there are so many of them, and that the wealth of individual stories weave together into such a rich and vibrant tapestry that I can't put it down. I think the world of Westeros and The Free Cities is well wrought, and I like that Martin didn't rely on a lot of exposition at the beginning to familiarize readers with the world - we were simply placed in the world and got to know it's differences as we got to know the characters. At the point that I am, I have to say I'm rooting for Daenerys to come back to Westeros and win her throne back to stop all the infighting amongst The Seven Kingdoms, but I also really like all the Stark