It's fantasy series. Set in another world that's sort of medieval-like? You know, sword fights and knights and kings and different families fighting for control of the land. And dragons. And a mysterious threat no one really takes seriously. There's a lot more of politics than magic sometimes, which is different than a lot of other fantasy stories, where magic is really at the forefront, so it feels more like historical fiction sometimes. Particularly since the author got inspiration for Westeros and the warring families from historical events. He tells the story from a bunch of different viewpoints. And few people are completely good or completely evil, a lot of people fall somewhere in between. The only downside is that he wasn't finished with the books yet, last I knew, so I have no idea if anyone has the last books in the series. :(