An absolutely fantastic book! I cannot wait to read the next one! This book has everything - adventure, betrayal (lots and lots of betrayal), romance, and the characterization is excellent! I didn't feel like this book read like fantasy either. Aside from talk of dragons and The Others, it felt more like I was reading historical fiction. My favorite thing about the book is the way that each chapter is told from the viewpoint of a different character. It gave so much more insight into the characters and their way of thinking. Characterization is a very important part of a book for me. Also, no matter what I thought was coming, I was surprised! Sometimes, not pleasantly. It appears that Mr. Martin doesn't have a problem with letting you get attached to a character and then killing them off. That's okay though. It made for a very interesting read. 

Question: How is people's opinion about the book?
Answer: An absolutely fantastic book