UPDATE: Finished the book. Definitely better than the previous book A Feast for Crows. As intended, while the previous book focuses on the south, this book focuses on the north (and across the narrow sea). Although there’s an overlap in narrative (notably the POVs of Cersei and Jaime), it simply brings together the two separate threads into one book as teaser for the next. The book itself got all the elements that was missing in the previous one, i.e. big things happen, and when it ends, I’m left satisfied and yet looking forward for more. Looks like it’s going to be a long wait.