A Clash of Kings, George R. R. Martin

This is the second installment of the Song of Ice and Fire series, and, like the first, it does not disappoint. There's a bit less of the "horrible people doing horrible things" vibe, or perhaps I'm just becoming used to it. As the kingdom crumbles, so do various character's senses of righteousness, and the line between good and evil is starting to blur. We don't get quite enough of the best characters, Jon and Arya, but this is understandable since their stories are more liminal to the action. I must admit to being more interested in the strangeness occurring north of the Wall, but it's clear the Martin is saving up something spectacular to really throw a monkey wrench into things. Again, his writing is fantastic, though heavy on description (as has been noted by many others), and I look forward to continuing the journey.