Winter is Coming

Winter is coming. This is mentioned in the first book, in the 2nd chapter. Is it though? I get the feeling it's years away. 

I'm only on Chapter 4, and I already need a list of characters, in order of appearance, with a short description of each person. And maybe not include their death—assuming they die of course. I hear that a lot of people do end up dying in this series. So it's a valid concern. 

And to add to that list, an interactive map would also be super helpful. I'm looking at the maps, and can't find a damn town. I need to be able to Google the Isle of Faces.

One last thought before I go run (I guess I have to get out of bed and stop reading), Viserys is a total asshole. I hope he's on the list of people who end up dying. But since he sounds like such a terrible person, he'll probably live to the last book.