My very first taste of fantasy was Game of Thrones and I have been searching for something similar, I have found it - in quality if not in exact style.
A riveting if expected hero story, combined with a quite shocking (so fun) academic story wonderfully padded out with powerful and novel story of honour. Nestled within these three major arcs there are many super interesting viginettes and secondary arcs. We visit many corners of this new world, and at multiple time points. Brilliantly filled up with strange flora and fauna. Bold, complex, confident writing. I am fully invested.
I must credit this book for finally showing me why fantasy is so often lumped together with sci-fi, this baffled me in the past, but now I see how elements such as original world building, new religious, social, or philosophical structures, combined with novel geography and biology sync so well - one uses magic the other technology.
The magic here is well thought out, complex but coherent (so far at least). Some elements, especially those revealed at the end have the scope to go way off piste in later books, but I'm in for the whole slope now come what may.
The story is brutal, realistic, violent. It was this aspect of GOT that so hooked me, it bridges the divide to the fantasy realm and to the actual past.
There are sections that jump off the page, some of the battles are so well done, reminds me of Tolstoy. Visceral. Some wonderful philosophical asides too, not just at the library but also when visiting the island.
A lot of work goes into payoffs at the end, so prepare to make that investment. There is much for the following works too. Earlier in the book it did seem to drag a little, but it's a down payment for later.