[John Farson]

Any chance Danaerys is going to die, horribly and permanently, in the first chapter?

I wish! Danaerys is probably my least favorite POV character. Martin has said the 5 year period covered in AFFC will be a "growing period" for a lot of the characters.

The story was originally going to be told via flashbacks in A Dance With Dragons... but he wrote himself into a corner and had to start over -- which is one reason for the delay. This middle book is probably the most difficult to write.

[JenB]

Danaerys is dreadful. I skip her chapters on rereads. She just annoys me. She's the least real of Martin's POV characters, IMHO. I also skip most of Tyrion's because I hate the sex scenes. Makes me feel like I need a shower.

It's too bad: Song of Ice and Fire is probably the best fantasy series in the last fifteen years. But I can't give it to my 16 year old sister to read. Oh well; his books, his choice. But... wish we could have good fantasy without bad sex...