Just read book #1, enjoyed it enough to continue with book #2

The second book in the Game of Thrones series was almost as enjoyable as the first. There were some minor parts I skimmed, but for the most part the action, storylines, and characters were intriguing and kept me turning pages until the end. The author definitely has a way of writing that draws you into his world. Being a watcher of the HBO series definitely helps, for me, as otherwise it would be too confusing to keep up with the massive amount of characters and the complex plot. Whereas book 1 followed the HBO series almost to the letter, there were some deviations in the series from the way this second book was written. I could actually see why they condensed some parts or completely omitted them for the show. Overall, an enjoyable read, despite how hefty the book is. I'm going to take a break before reading the next in the series.