I found that A Clash of Kings was every bit as good as its predecessor and better. Once again I found myself at the mercy of Martin's manipulation: characters I loved in A Game of Thrones became loathsome and characters that I hated became beloved as this 900+ page epic unfolded. Despite the absurd number of characters that he works with, I find that Martin does an excellent job of reminding his readers just who is who. Even if you can't remember a character's name, you remember the character. I can also see where the intricacies of the plot could put some people off, but I for one love the intrigue and continual games of cross and double cross. Here's hoping Martin keeps me guessing until the very end.