ATTENTION! Much book and little action

How many I have come through the HBO TV series on those books.
However, I did not (my fault), these four books are just the beginning of an unfinished series of 1000 pages. In addition, the quality of the books decreases with time. A new book comes only every 3-5 years.

Positives:
Positive is especially the price. The box is OK and it's much book for little money.
The basic ideas and storylines are exciting and new. Many (if unfortunately not all) characters are ambivalent and not unilaterally as good or evil that is normally in this genre of case.

Negatives:
Now that I have finished reading the fourth book, I have to say that one could summarize the whole narrative and major events to about 40 pages. Often the story is artificially extended over several pages with descriptions of banners, seals and food. The cliffhanger is partly only two books later (if at all) dissolved. It gives me no more fun and I want to have just read the books ready. Voltage is good, but they also need somewhere to be rewarded by a continuation or resolution. Even after four books remains the feeling that one is reading an introduction to a fantasy epic.