I remember asking my dad to get me these books for Christmas or my birthday last year. There was a lot of hype to them, and I thought I'd get in on it. Then I tried to watch the series, got two episodes in, and thought oh no, I fucked up with my present this year. And it did take me a couple of tries to get into it! I'm glad I felt bad for my dad buying me these and tried to persevere. 
 The beginning, not going to lie, I did not get into. There were so many characters, and I didn't know any of them, and couldn't feel anything for any of them. This actually continued for most of the book, with a few exceptions: I liked Dany until later (view spoiler)[when her reaction to Drogo announcing his colonial and rape intentions was basically nothing, even internally. I liked her a bit more when she claimed the women as slaves to save them from rape, but I still dislike her because, well she claimed people as slaves, whatever her intention. (hide spoiler)]. I didn't like Sansa, as she was annoying and whiny, but I did feel sorry for her quite a lot. Same with Arya, though I probably like her a little bit more. I liked Jon, he was okay. I thought Cersei was interesting, and I liked Tyrion (is that his name? I'm not too good with names). 
 I hated Catelyn, and her sister Lysa, and Lysa's son. Whenever her point of view happened I would sigh. Especially Catelyn's attitude to bastards. It was not Jon's fault for being born, and why was she not more angry with bloody Mr Oh So Honourable Eddark Stark (who I also disliked) for cheating on her? Her reference to the girl Mya as "the bastard girl" was also really annoying. Whatever. Lysa was scary, and unstable, and her son was worse! (view spoiler)[I can see why people wanted to take him away from his mother! Surely even a Lannister would be better!? (hide spoiler)] 
 A lot of people died! I am glad, in the sense that nobody is safe. I'm bored of reading books where all the characters are safe, (Maggie Stiefvater is promising the death of a main character in her series The Raven Cycle and I hope, hope, hope it is true. But I digress.) And even though I hated some of the characters, I did enjoy this, and it makes a nice change for me to hate a character for a reason in their personality rather than the fact that they have no personality, am I right? Yes, I am right. 
 There were perhaps too many characters, as when someone was mentioned to have died I was sometimes confused as to if they were important, if they had been mentioned before, or if this was the first time they in particular were mentioned but their brother had the same name and therefore I should have recognised them, or something. 
 Also, I thought personally that the action itself started slightly abruptly. One minute all was well, and I turned the page to a different point of view and suddenly everything had gone to Major Shit. But, I guess that is many a time the way in life, and I did probably miss something, knowing me. 
 It also took me a while to get into, as I mentioned before. As a long book, and owning all five (seven in the case of my copies) books, I was determined to try at least, but at some points it was wearing. Actually, before the halfway mark it was my cousins reassurance that "the second book is much better, a lot more shit goes down!" that made me carry on all the way through, but by the time I reached the end I did not need her reassurances, and after a short break in between, maybe a couple of books, I am actually excited to begin reading the second!