[Galadriel55]

I do not hate or even dislike ASOIAF - I loved the irst three books, but was not very impressed with the fourth and fifth. One reason: all my favourite characters are gone. #1: Arya - reduced to obscurity. #2: Jon and Bran - reduced to obscurity and whining. #3: the Hound* - dead. Unless it's one of the typical Martinesque plot twists where he says everything to lead the reader to assume the character's dead, and then shatter that assumption. Anyways, instead of bringing in and developing more interesting characters (not that they aren't interesting, but they're much more tedius) he dissolves the story among too many POVs that are very stagnant and whiny. Second reason: the plot got too whiny and stagnant. While every plot detail does carry its significance, just about the only truly important part of ADWD was the last chapter where Dany finally understands the mysterious message of going back to go forwards. The rest was just too drawn out.

I, personally, don't mind that much the disillusionment part or the lack of rolemodels. It just got a bit boring towards the end.

*Just a note here: Sandor is such a character that he needs the realism bordering on cynicism that is not found in LOTR to develop, so while I adove his character in GOT he would not be able to exist in Tolkien's world.