I've only covered 1/4 of the book.
I know I was not the one to judge this book and this series (since I haven't finished it).
Yet I still wanna say sth. bout the The Imp.
He is not the adorable figure here. No good-looking, nor cute, and the words came from him sometimes even disgusting. However, he is now the hand of Joffery the King and run the business with Cersie(Oh I can never spell their real name, forgive me). He is sly, but able to work with Varys and try every means to bend others' will to his own. He is the one should be King.
Let's see what will make a good king. Cruel (u just have to do it at times), Smart(of how to use people), Considerate (of ever subtle detail) and so on and so forth.
A good man like Lord Edward Stark will never be able to live among the wolves. He stood there like a lamb, so venerable and so innocent, and beheaded. That's what a real world is like.
Back at The Imp, he knows when to provoke his enemy and be done with them, when to withdraw from a perilous situation, and even enjoy his life in everyway he can.
I do love this book, cause it brings out the real world, not playing us with some kind of revivification and hollow words of all good men will make good end.