I've read the first book of the series and it was quite alright. There were too many main characters for my taste with the narrator switching back and forth.
I read books mostly for the characters and not for the story (which is why I love many of Orson Scott Card's books), but A Song of Ice and Fire focuses on too many characters, giving none of them the main focus.
And by the way, I never liked Lord of the Rings -- please don't kill me now
