Reading Book4 currently...  1/4 into it...
found it a bit hard to swallow after the magnificent Book3
the introduction of many minor characters POV and lack of few major characters also contribute to the factor...

Seems like it's the only book so far I'm forcing myself to finish compared to previous 3 which is always "one more chapter before I close the book".

lets hope the plot gets better soon
Btw... i flipped to the last page and read about GRRM explains the reason behind the lack of major characters, and initially planned to release book5 a year after book4
and that was in 2004, took him almost 7 years to come out with book5

Will it be another 7 years wait for Book6?
and more for the concluding saga for Book7?
just hope he won't pull a Robert Jordan stunt