I've got about 300 pages left to go in A Clash of Kings, and I've gotta say that while I thoroughly enjoyed Game of Thrones, the second book has left me cold. I doubt I'll continue with the series right away.
These books (especially book two) could seriously be half their length and not lose any impact. I find myself reading and getting impatient for something to happen. These books are all plot plot plot, which is fine, but they move so damned slowly. If these were rich interesting characters we were following, or if the prose was better than workmanlike, I wouldn't mind all the tangents and digressions. But when it's plot plot plot, move the damned plot along. I swear 90 percent of Clash of Kings is characters plotting and planning. Ugh.
It pains me to bring this up, since everyone seems to love these books. GAFers and friends with great taste rave about them, and I was with them for a while. But reading book two has turned into a chore.