The harrowing saga continues as Robb Stark (or as I like to call him, Pouty Lips) embraces the title of King in the North, Stannis continues to sink into the mire of his cult, Daenerys plays with dragons, and Joffrey continues to be a total shitlord. Even beyond the incredible complexity and devotion to detail, Martin's story is so remarkable in that each line has so much weight, and he has so many beautifully crafted sentences that I couldn't take the book anywhere without bringing a highlighter along. The story is well-plotted and fast-paced.