[Nicholas Andrews]

As a writer, I wonder why authors make some of the choices they do: In this case Martin has included unnecessarily graphic depictions of sexual situations, limiting the appeal of this book (and, I presume, its successors) to a narrower audience.

The books of the series so far have sold over 15 million copies combined and the most recent episode of the TV series was seen by over 4 million viewers just at its original airing. You can say any number of things about the books, but "limited appeal" is not one of them.