As good as the first time. The first time though I mostly read to know WHAT HAPPENED NEXT whilst this time I actually absorbed the details a lot more, and enjoyed being able to look for foreshadowing and theories-related stuff. There are so many characters, places and events, that the first time you read it you can't actually deduce things or keep track of them so much. Knowing what was gonna happen helped me not to be distracted by the plot, and focus on the essence a lot more--not as a book, but as a series. Also, now I can confirm my favourite chapter is Sansa's last one (cause it's perfect) and that the tv show has done a disservice to her.