Nevertheless, I found it quite hard to like the book at first and struggled with a number of issues. – Why is the world so full of fifteen years old wenches and swordsmen? This may be historically accurate but not exactly appealing, especially given the graphic nature of violent and sexual scenes in the book (eg. the semi-rape of Daenerys, aged 13). I mentally added three years to the age of every character in the book and it came out all right. – It is hard to care about the Starks! Ned Stark is a colossal fool and a walking corpse the moment he sets foot in King’s Landing. His lady wife is only marginally better, shifting between paralysis and rash action that will obviously plunge the kingdom into war. Sansa is bland – the best the reader can feel for her is pity, given Martin’s fondness for doing ugly things to little girls, you have to wonder who’s going to rape her first and when. Robb’s alright, but the way things are moving, he will probably end up on a Lannister spear in the beginning of book 2… – Then there is the sheer implausibility of certain critical events: — The king is a worthless bum and considering the level of treachery of the court it is no small wonder he is still alive.
