<claps>
I thought the penultimate one was the worst, but both recent novels were written to fill in a time gap Martin originally meant to skip over, and it shows.
I feel like I need to read this just so I can get the joke! 
I had it checked out from the library for 4 weeks, renewed it once, then had to return it and request it again. And I’ve now had it for another 2 weeks, and I’m still only about 2/3 through. 
lisiate, sorry to call your baby ugly, but it’s not the high magic that turned me off (took some getting used to because it’s been a while since I’ve read high magic, but that’s ok. Back in the saddle pretty quickly). It’s the writing style, which I find inexplicably hard to follow, and the characters, which I find it really difficult to form any attachment to. When it took me 200+ pages to have any character endear or intrigue me at all (I’m sorta curious about Quick Ben now), it was a bad sign. I know there are people who love these books, but I think it’s clear I won’t be one of them.
Just so as not to be a total downer, I’ll hesitantly make a controversial suggestion: The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. It has some of the same problems ASoIaF has been accused of (overly long, sagging in the middle), albeit even moreso, but I still like it a lot. There’s quite a bit of plotting and scheming, though until the final book is out (hoping for January…) I can’t say if it all comes to fruition properly. Again, I don’t really know whether to recommend this or not. I love it, but many don’t. Take that as you will.
I love the Malazan books but the first one is by far the worst. The second is one of the best though.
[QUOTE=gonzoron;15627
lisiate, sorry to call your baby ugly, but it’s not the high magic that turned me off (took some getting used to because it’s been a while since I’ve read high magic, but that’s ok. Back in the saddle pretty quickly). It’s the writing style, which I find inexplicably hard to follow, and the characters, which I find it really difficult to form any attachment to. When it took me 200+ pages to have any character endear or intrigue me at all (I’m sorta curious about Quick Ben now), it was a bad sign. I know there are people who love these books, but I think it’s clear I won’t be one of them.
[/QUOTE]
I had the same problems you did, *plus *the magic. Not the high magic aspects - I’m cool with high magic - but with the system’s sheer impenetrability. I’ve been reading fantasy for 30 years, I’ve played (or at least read the rulebooks of) almost every tabletop roleplaying game that has come out since 1984… and I *still *couldn’t make heads or tails of the book’s magic system and cosmology. Something about tunnels?
Plus, the naming sucked.
I’m critical about some aspects of the Malazan books myself. However the magic system may be my favorite part. But I’ll admit while it isn’t impenetrable, it does take a pretty damn long time to penetrate. You’re definitely not going to take it in in the first book ( which is notorious for contradicting the mechanics in later books anyway ), maybe not the first few. Heck 15 books in and I’m still unclear on a few things.
If it’s gritty you want, I’ll recommend Joe Abercrombie and his First Law series. Very gritty indeed. 
Another vote for Ken Follet. In addition to the Pillars of the Earth and it’s follow up “World Without End” which are both excellent, he has other books with less action and even more intrigue. Check out “A Dangerous Fortune” which is about a family of rich bankers in London around the turn of the century. It’s loaded with scheming with whole chapters devoted to the subtle power plays at a cocktail party or dinner.
It’s delicious.
So, no love for Dune?
I’m not Steven Erikson or Ian Esslemont so it’s not my baby. Gardens of the Moon was Erikson’s first book and his style improves as you go on. If you still want to give the series a try why not go straight to Deadhouse Gates? It’s not a direct sequel to Gardens
The magic system/s (there are a few more which you don’t see until later books) are difficult to understand but I pretty much ignored the mechanics and just rolled with the story. And some of the names are pretty awful (major misuse of the apostrophe/'okina throughout).
There are lots of things I don’t really understand - one of these days I’ll try and do a reread, time permitting. If you’re interested in finicky details the ongoing Tor.com reread (and Q&A’s with the author) are pretty good.
Sorry about the hijack. I also like McCulloch’s Masters of Rome series, but prefer the earlier books (beofre her hero Caesar takes over). Oh and House of Cards and First Among Equals were made into excellent TV series.
I loved it in post 10, but apparently that post was walking without rhythm.
How about Julian May’s two series?
I actually got “A Dangerous Fortune” signed by Mr. Follett at an event in San Francisco many years ago!
I agree it’s terrific, and probably just what the OP is looking for.
Corporate battle? Well, if nonfiction is okay, try DisneyWar. I am a huge fan of all things Disney and I couldn’t put it down.
You could try some spy intrigue and plotting with John LeCarre’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
My second time recommending this today, Sailing to Sarantium, by Guy Gavriel Kay.
I only read the first book in the series, but Ricardo Pinto’s The Chosen is all about intrigue and plotting and mysterious doings in a strange fantasy world.
OMG… wormsign!
Ian Banks. Use of Weapons has a very twisty plot and a fascinating main character. Consider Phlebas is also very twisty.
Try the Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski
Most people I know who haven’t finished the first book say it was because they couldn’t get past the ‘boring’ political intrigue in the first few hundred pages.
That’s my favourite part of the whole series! 
A candidate that just occurred to me (because I started re-reading it: the Sten series by Chris Bunch and Allan Cole. Plenty of intrigue, lots of sneaking and backstabbing and so forth.