After being a die-hard fan of the show, I finally started reading the series. Wow. This was amazing. While the majority of the content actually made it to the show, I enjoyed the pieces that didn't. For instance, I like book-Sansa better than show-Sansa due to the fact that I get to see her perspective in the book. I also LOVE the Hound. I love him on the show too, but I really like the book version of him. This book was overwhelming with knowledge. I actually set it aside for awhile because I was reluctant to read about a few deaths that I knew were coming. I'm looking forward to starting the next book soon.