Took a while for me to get sucked into this world, but once I was in, there was no turning back. Martin's writing creates a world full of ruthless royalty, vicious blood baths, and whole-bodied characters who grab your attention and don't let go. While there are definite hills and valleys to the action, it's still fascinating enough to be called page-turner, and though it's long you'll be committed to finish. With the HBO series starting next month, I'm glad this is a book I have on my bookshelf. Not sure when I'll get into the next one, but its definitely on my to read list.