I haven't read the wildly popular books, but I've found the new HBO television series, Game of Thrones to be quite entertaining. So far, two episodes have aired, and I think I'm hooked. There are more than a few interesting characters, both good, bad and in between.
My wife has read the books, so I will ask her questions about certain details, to help understand the motivations/back stories, etc. She's careful not to spoil anything for me, however, which I appreciate.
Please discuss.
NOTE: Please be kind and give spoiler alerts if you're going to discuss plot points.