Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I was introduced to the ASOIAF series by a friend at work. He got me to read the first book (Game Of Thrones) and I was hooked. As has been stated ad nauseum, the first three books in the series are simply amazing. I won't go into details as I would like to keep the review concise and most who are reading this already know what I'm talking about anyway as evidenced by the ratings. ADWD is nothing like the first three books; none of the original magic that made the first three so addictive is present in the last two books of the series. I disagree with some of the assertions that the problem with the book is that there is too much detail. Rich detail is fine and the first three books had it in spades. The difference with those stories though is that along with the vivid descriptions you got loads of plot development and closure to the storylines. But now, not only does the story stagnate, but the author also introduces several new characters that most fans of the series are not invested in. What most readers crave is some sort of resolution for the original characters - especially after six years of waiting! Another thing I've noticed is that it almost seems as if when GRRM can't think of anything new for his characters to do he simply sends them on a journey that never ends. It's gotten pathetic. It is a real shame the way things turned out with this series. As stated, I was enthralled with the first three books; as was the friend who originally turned me on to the series; but when I asked him over lunch the other day how far along he had gotten in ADWD? He confessed that he was having a very hard time maintaining focus on the story - And this from the same guy that couldn't stop talking about the first three books. Right after we had both finished A Feast For Crows, I told him how disapointed I was with the story and he remarked " Don't worry, ADWD will pick everything up again!" . . . Well, no. . . Not really. I used to think about the characters and worry about where the storyline was going next but after the last two books I'm at the point where I no longer really care. It's a real shame that it turned out this way for a series that showed so much promise at the begining.