l-lol... after perusing the above comments, I feel out of place for saying that I absolutely love Song of Ice and Fire. XD;; I'm about halfway through the third book, and yes, it is sad, but idk... I think there's enough sporadic good things (or what I deem to be good >>) to balance out the things that make me sadface. I know for a fact that both of my favourite characters are alive in the latest book because one of my friends spoiled a couple things for me. :/ But. Hmm. I say go for it if you're considering watching the HBO series, because it's pretty much perfect in regards to following the first book's events, and Sean Bean is a dilf~