***SOME SPOILERS AHEAD***

I’m still quite taken with the Song of Ice and Fire. I’ve come to care about the characters quite a lot and their adventures matter to me. And I also look forward to see how this all will be put into TV, especially given that this one is so long.

Again, as in #2, there was too little of Daenerys for my taste. I hope he’s keeping her for more interesting moments in the later volumes. However, I was glad to meet new characters like Brienne and get to know a little more about the mysteriously loyal Davros. Seeing Stannis through his eyes was interesting.

I’m not sure if I believe Jaime’s transformation yet, but I feel like it’s going to make a big difference in the future. I can see how such a trip across the country and the loss of a hand could change the proud Lannister into a more thoughtful man.

A lot of people complain that this series isn’t especially well-written or original. I honestly haven’t read that much fantasy, so I don’t really know. All I can say is that I’ve been swept away in the world and that I’m enjoying the ride quite a lot.

I love how Martin slowly unveils different facets of his world without explaining everything. We still don’t know much about the Faith or about the maesters. These are cultural elements that are an integral part of the world, and yet he expects us to assume them as the inhabitants of Westeros do. It’s a good move, I think.

So I’m moving on to #4, which I heard slows down a lot. But still, I look forward to it.