It can sometimes get tricky, but I can keep them pretty straight in my head. I reshuffle the chapters 90 times to try and get the optimum sequence. But, hopefully I make sense of it all at the end. I've got to admit I kind of like Tyrion Lannister. He's the villain of course, but hey, there's nothing like a good villain.
Magic plays a more prominent role in A Clash of Kings than it did in A Game of Thrones .
I did think I should put some magic into it. But I wanted to handle the magic very carefully. This is one of the aspects where Tolkien had a good influence. We have this sense of Lord of the Rings being a very magical kind of novel, and it is. It's imbued with a sense of magic and mystery and wonder.