Don't worry. I'll keep this brief as there is nothing I can say about this unflinching fantasy that hasn't been said by the millions of ratings it's always received.

Put simply, it is fantastic in an occasionally disheartening sort of way. GRRM plugs in a hefty amount of realism for good and ill. That means no one is safe. Villians often prevail. Heroism is usually tainted in some way, and the story is unpredictable, so long as you haven't seen the show or perused the thousands of fan forums or theory forums.

What I love is just how different the book feels from, say, the first season of the show. All the events still happen but with greater subtlety, nuance, and self-control on the part of the author, which I found surprising.

So yeah, I loved the book, and over the next few years, I plan to complete the series, assuming the series is complete.