** spoiler alert ** 
 I have mixed feelings about this book. I finally read it because I wanted to form my own opinion about it after hearing so much about this series and the TV show. Let's start with the good first. 
 I enjoyed the story; the plot was intriguing and most of the characters were complex and interesting. The world was carefully crafted, with a long history and detailed lands. I enjoyed getting to know the Stark family and I mourned for them as they all got separated. I was invested in each of the Starks' storylines, even Jon Snow's, and I appreciated how the story is written from the different characters' viewpoints. Ned's death surprised me and haunted me, but it did add a lot of conflict and movement to the story. I read this book in about a week because I wanted to know what would happen next. 
 Yet I was also bored by some parts. I found myself skimming certain sections, which is something I NEVER do in a fiction novel. 
 But I guess my main issue with it is the treatment of female characters. Females are either treated as objects only to be used for sex or they are conniving and manipulative. The one exception to this is little Arya, who spends her days fighting with swords, shirking traditional female responsibilities, and basically acting like a little boy. (Though I will admit she's probably my favorite character because of her spunky attitude and love for her family; I just think it's interesting that the one exception to what I stated earlier is an exception because she acts more like a boy.) There could be hope for Sansa, who is at first annoying and falls into category A, but who seems to finally understand reality after her father is executed. 
 Catelyn is both likeable and hateable. Her character always seemed a little off to me. She's seen as kind and loving, but her treatment of Jon Snow is anything but that. She loves Bran most, yet she leaves him to go on this unnecessary venture that she could've sent someone else to do. And then she arrests Tyrion Lannister even though she knows it'll put her family's lives in danger. So I'm putting her in category B--she's conniving and the rest of her character is just confusing. 
 And then there's Dany. Dany, who I thought I would like most, and so desperately wanted to. She starts out innocent but is sold into a marriage by her brother, who is selfish and creepy. Dany is only thirteen. Yet before she turns fourteen, she is pregnant and in love with her husband. I understand why she would think that she loves him--he does protect and take care of her to a certain extent, and he kills her evil brother--but it just felt so wrong. Everyone seems to accept it and forget the fact that she's barely fourteen years old and has never been truly loved in her life so has NO IDEA what love looks like. And then she gets weird, and I don't think I understood everything that happened at the end, though it was pretty obvious the dragon eggs would be hatching at some point. 
 I'm going to keep reading the series because I am interested to see what happens, and I'm holding onto the hope that there will be at least one redeeming female character. I could definitely do without all the sex descriptions and vulgar terms though. 
 So like I said. Mixed feelings.