If A Game of Thrones was all about introducing characters and their relationships (both personal and political), this sequel is all about war. And this isn't the kind of war Sansa dreams of with her songs. Any dirty trick you can imagine, someone is going to try it to make a grab for the upper hand. 
 In the first book I was impressed by Martin's ability to give us so many point-of-view characters with conflicting loyalties, and manage to make me sympathise with and root for ALL of them. This time we continue to follow the same characters, but with a couple of new viewpoints. Unfortunately, I don't think there's anything that could make Theon seem sympathetic, even if he is struggling with his childhood and his family. 
 As with the last book, there isn't really an ending to speak of... the next book will doubtless pick up the same characters in the same places. This is, really, one very long book. I just hope the ending will eventually bring all the threads together.