I'm a big fan of Martin's books, myself. I wasn't overly impressed with his most recent book, but he's a great writer. Last book I read was The Black Company chronicles. They're told in the first person point of view, but they're pretty damned interesting (considering I usually get bored with first person). The late Robert Jordan's series finale written by his brother-in-law (based on Jordan's notes) is something I look forward to as well. I haven't been able to find many appealing fantasy novels when I browse through Barnes and Noble lately. So good recommendations are always something I pay attention to.