The writing is strong, but the pace of the story is at once somehow quick, drawing the ear to the next page, and painfully slow.
Martin's series is grand and ambitious in its scope, and that is simultaneously its blessing and its curse. What did you like best about A Clash of Kings? What did you like least? I'm excited about the series and will be more than ready to move on after book 3. Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting? Then he snaps you out of it like being awakened from a sleep by a power saw in your bedroom. You find yourself lost in the story till it comes time to narrate a female part. His voice is excellent for reading the back story.
That said Roy has the perfect amount of drama. It's getting quite old and it's very disappointing. The remainder of male characters sound like grumpy Leprechauns. But! his females all sound like toothless old crones in pirate movies. Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Roy Dotrice? Will he stay humble? It seems like a question Tyrion would ask himeself. He's coming up in the world and doing big things. Obvious underdog, bullied his whole life. Would you listen to A Clash of Kings again? Why?
