It took me longer than I expected to finish the first part of “A Storm of Swords“, but it was definitely worth the effort. And I say effort because after thousands of pages that I mostly read through the night, the multitude of names starts makes it hard to follow the chain of events and alliances without taking notes and running back to consult them. And that is why I am thankful for the Wiki of Ice and Fire.
A Storm of Swords – Book 1
Published
Managing organized complexity 
The Wiki is a priceless resource, but watch out for major spoilers. Some bits of information, which may be mentioned near the beginning of a character’s page at the Wiki, are only revealed after a long time in the book(s).
I have fallen victim of such spoilers, but fortunately without much harm yet.