Phew. What a ride this series is! 
 Although it is still often a bit slow for my liking - I generally prefer faster-paced and lighter fantasy series that keep flowing, rather than dragging on a bit like the A Song Of Ice And Fire books tend to do, in my opinion - the story is, of course, fascinating and I can't stop reading. The characters are well-developed, deep, and interesting. There are always plot twists that the reader cannot see coming (and of course there are also deaths, because this is George Martin we're talking about). 
 I'm not going to reveal anything about the plot itself. I'm just going to say that this series is definitely worth reading (even though the TV show is great, too) and that I'm looking forward to the next book coming out.