George R.R. Martins Song of Ice and Fire has a quick paced setting as well as scope unlike any other fantasy series yet. He doesnt just have main characters, he has heroes who die and are plentiful to match the scope of his world. He also does not cornily motivate his charcters by saying the evil wizard was just driven by evil he gives all of his characters the development that they should have. And Martin is a genius as far as developing the sub-main characters so that they seem real but dont become simply side kicks or main characters.
