Why in the world would you subject your readers to this?  You have a writing style that can even make borderline nothing mildly interesting (as proven in this book and book 5).  But trying to say that this is advancing the story is a joke.  The is the book equivalent of an every day soap opera NOT an epic saga.  Unless it is an epic saga dealing with who is having sex with who, arya as the Karate kid...I was waiting for Mr Miaggi to show up, and Sansa as the most clueless kid on the block.  Perhaps the most hilarious part of the "saga's" development was Brienne as the wandering Knight without a clue.  I was about 350 pages in when I realized the most interesting thing to happen was two prison guards getting killed.  Or maybe Pia the toothless laundry girl is going to save the realm?  Wait, I got it, Podrick Payne is going to rise up and slay...well who knows, slay something important.  If so it's sheer genius you circle back to flesh out those characters.

Why introduce more characters when you can't move the ones you have forward?  As near as I can tell the sum total of Jaime's development in this book is to practice his swordplay with his left hand (getting only marginally better) and for some bizarre reason continue his transition away from the selfish, honor less, and flamboyant person he was.  Hey I'm fine with characters developing and changing, but don't give me a guy who is willing to kill a child (sure Bran didn't die, but Jaime thought he would), lives for incest,  and consort with murders to suddenly start developing honor, and a conscious.  Or was all the bad in him contained in his right hand and once that was removed he was slowly cured of his wicked ways?

I guess the joke is on the reader again.  I love the part where you indicated book 5 will be out in a year since you've written so many of the chapters already.  One year, five years...same difference right?  At the day to day pace Martin is going at this should wrap up sometime in the 23rd century.
Why in the world would you subject your readers to this? You have a writing style that can even make borderline nothing mildly interesting (as proven in this book and book 5). But trying to say that this is advancing the story is a joke. The is the book equivalent of an every day soap opera NOT an epic saga. Unless it is an epic saga dealing with who is having sex with who, arya as the Karate kid... I was waiting for Mr Miaggi to show up, and Sansa as the most clueless kid on the block. Perhaps the most hilarious part of the "saga's" development was Brienne as the wandering Knight without a clue. I was about 350 pages in when I realized the most interesting thing to happen was two prison guards getting killed. Or maybe Pia the toothless laundry girl is going to save the realm? Wait, I got it, Podrick Payne is going to rise up and slay... well who knows, slay something important. If so it's sheer genius you circle back to flesh out those characters. Why introduce more characters when you can't move the ones you have forward? As near as I can tell the sum total of Jaime's development in this book is to practice his swordplay with his left hand (getting only marginally better) and for some bizarre reason continue his transition away from the selfish, honor less, and flamboyant person he was. Hey I'm fine with characters developing and changing, but don't give me a guy who is willing to kill a child (sure Bran didn't die, but Jaime thought he would), lives for incest,  and consort with murders to suddenly start developing honor, and a conscious. Or was all the bad in him contained in his right hand and once that was removed he was slowly cured of his wicked ways? I guess the joke is on the reader again. I love the part where you indicated book 5 will be out in a year since you've written so many of the chapters already. One year, five years... same difference right? At the day to day pace Martin is going at this should wrap up sometime in the 23rd century.