Just finished, and all I can say is, Why?Why was it so necessary to split the original book in two?-- Wouldn't a good bit of editing have served to condense things?Martin is a brilliant writer-- all the characters have texture and edges, and each has unique qualities. I find I like parts of them and dislike parts. But are they all necessary?I found myself skimming over the heraldries ("bob was the [...] of joe, a landless lord whose family were distant cousins of house jehosephat...."), and searching for those few bits that advanced the plot.I had not realized there were six books planned-- I only hope that Mr. Martin (or his editor) can get his verbal diarrhea under control before six turns into 12 or more.