This made me laugh - so it's good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKXrWazptvo

And why is the OP "low rated"?

^This. I found Feast for Crows dull and barely readable. Martin should have finished book 3, dropped the mic and walked away. Instead he started believing the hype. Now it's all just a big video game cosplay jerkoff for 16 year old Lord of the Rings fans.

Totally agree with this, although I can understand people stopping reading the fifth because IIRC the best chapters were at the end of the book.

Good luck with that. Look at the exponential progression of publication dates and expect something more like 2030. And I don't even want to start the topic of the guy's age, health, etc, because it can turn quickly into disrespect, but well, since he started publishing books 5-6 years apart the possibility that the series will never be finished (by him) has been there.

Still, if you haven't watched the show, I'd still recommend reading the first 3 books irrespective of the saga being finished or not.

You don't like the bad pussy?

I tried the books, knowing nothing about the TV show. I'm afraid to say that I only got as far as halfway through a clash of kings, I sort of let it go after.

The biggest problem was that the books kind of portray that medieval setting rather appropriately gruesomely with rape, torture and horribleness all round, which really isn't my cup of tea at all, me being the emphatic softy I am ;)

That said, dialogue is rather witty in many places, and while I think that all the plotting and intrigue stuff was a bit overcalled, considering what I actually read in the books, it was very coherent and thought out (or, enough for me). The story switches perspective many times and gives a good view of the different things going on at the same time for different protagonists. and incidentally, yes, there is a lot of sexual communion going on. But it's rather dry really, if you want a cynical fantastic/surrealist novel filled with tits and whateverelsenot I'd rather recommend a Rushdie

I guess it would be best to just try, really.

I'm currently trying gormenghast and I like it a great deal more, the writing is a bit more juicy and evocative, the characters are great and the intrigue engine is slowly becoming active in the part of the book I'm currently at. It might be a good alternative.

If you prefer lighter court intrigue and medieval stuff, than James Clavell has some jewels set in medieval Japan (Shogun). Might not be relevant, but I'm just (already) shoving a few comparisons and alternatives your way...

I agree with you. People don't take too kindly to those who would just kill their lord and take over. But if I remember correctly, the Iron Born are an exception because their culture and laws are okay with people just killing each other. They are really just a bunch of pirates, after all. And IMO, the Faceless Man/Arya parts in Bravos was insanely boring. They stretched it out too long.