Book: A Clash of Kings, George R.R. Martin

More disconnected and "bridging" than A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings may have been better for that as it served to open up more of the world the saga is set in. The number of protagonists, locations and arcs have all increased, setting up an even larger story than the detail alone would have indicated. The characters managed to gain even more depth as they flip between being good and bad, and it's hard to remain neutral as the reader is forced to take sides in the story.

All that, and it's not even a chore to read. Great stuff.