Book Review: A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin

Title: A Dance with Dragons
Series: A Song of Ice and Fire Book 5

Author: George R.R. Martin

Published: Bantam, 2012

Now that's more like it! The feels in this book were so incredibly overwhelming that I almost turned into the Incredible Hulk and ripped the book into pieces but I was ejoying it too much to sacrifice it to my feels. 

A Dance with Dragons is the fifth and most recent book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R Martin. You may know it better by the name of the HBO series Game of Thrones that is based on these books. If you haven't read by reviews of Book 3 and Book 4 check  them out first. Now, on with the show...

First things first, I was incredibly pleased by the fact that everything lacking in A Feast for Crows was back in A Dance with Dragons, and I don't just mean the characters. But yes, some of my favorite characters were back in A Dance with Dragons. Tyrion is back and being sarcastic and witty, Daenerys is back with her dragons trying to be a queen, Jon Snow is back and trying to be a leader, and Bran is back searching for the magic beyond the wall. At the beginning of this book it was like catching up with old friends. I'd say that the first few chapters were GRRM's way of apologizing for making us go that long without some of our favorite characters but he doesn't care that much about our feelings. 

But what I had missed more than the characters in A Feast for Crows was the magic. In this book it is back and taken to a whole new level. The dragons are almost full grown and wreaking havoc, Bran is learning from and about some of the mythical elements of Westeros which makes his chapters incredibly compelling, and the red priestess Melisandre is back and using her fires to predict the future of this land and this series. We even get a Melisandre chapter that made my head spin with excitement and theories about how the series will end. This book is full of mystery and so many questions that every chapter made me think and feel something different. And unlike A Feast for Crows, none of the best elements of the story were missing. We had the magic back but we also have the action and political intrigue. There were enough battles, death, and destruction in this book to satisfy my urge for violence and there was also enough sex and tawdry moments to satisfy that aspect of the series.

But the best part for me is the political intrigue. We of course get a few new and interesting characters who are playing the game including Quentyn Martell (you know I love the Martells) who is trying to marry Dany to help her take back her kingdom and a character whose story added an incredible wrinkle and twist in the plot.Then there are our old favorites, many of whom are playing the "game of thrones" and were plotting how they or the person they support could take control of Westeros. But a lot of this book was these characters trying to prove that they deserve their power. Daenerys is struggling to learn how tobe a  queen and is honestly not very good at it. Jon is learning to be a leader and is developing into this strong and swoonworthy character that I am loving more and more as time goes on. He and many of the other characters continue their interesting and redemptive character arcs and things are really progressing in this book both with character development and plot development. This book is similar to A Feast for Crows where it seems like things are leading towards that thrilling conclusion of this epic series.

A Dance with Dragons is part 2 of what was supposed to be one book and this fact lead to a few problems with the pacing. It's not a perfect timeline and in this book we actually have to rehash some events and experiences that happened in A Feast for Crows but from different characters perspectives. It was very odd. The other problem that persisted from the previous books is that some of the storylines take a little too long to get interesting and these are the ones that we get tons of chapters from. I could have used a lot less of Tyrion who spent most of his time on a boat traveling around the free cities. I also could have done with a lot less Daenerys whose inability to rule was incredibly frustrating, but her story got interesting towards the end. I would have liked more Bran who has my favorite character development and storyline but only had three chapters. 

But the great thing about A Dance with Dragons is that we also were able to catch back up with some of our favorite characters. About two-thirds of the way through the book it arrives to a place in the timeline where we get a few chapters and get to learn what's happening to some favorite storylines including Jamie, Cersei, and Arya. I was so glad I didnt have to go a whole book without knowing what happened to them but it only delayed the inevitable and left me yearning for more of them. 

But this book was full of yearning. And by that I mean yearning for The Winds of Winter or book 6 on the series. There was so many twists and cliffhangers and so much excitement that I need the next book so bad and I need it ASAP! I need to know what happens to these characters and I need to know how this series will end because it is so good! 

I give A Dance with Dragons a 9 out 10 

If you've read this series let me know your thoughts. No seriously! I desperately want to talk to someone about their thoughts on this book and this series. Find me on twitter, send me an email, leave me a comment. Whatever it takes I really want to talk to someone about this series, share my theories, and hear yours! If you're looking for an epic fantast series check a Song of Ice and Fire out! Happy Reading!

Book Review: A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin

After the trills of A Storm of Swords I really was not sure what to expect for A Feast for Crows, the fourth installment in the epic A Song of Ice and Fire series. I have heard people refer to this one as a colossal disappointment and the least exiting of the series. I had also been warned, which was very helpful, that this book only contains half the characters. In A Feast for Crows we catch up with the characters that are (mostly) in and around Kings Landing.

In every book in the series we are introduced to more characters and locations in a gigantic world. What started out as a the story of a few families and the power struggles in Westeros now spans continents and has way too many characters to keep track of. No seriously, there are way too many people to keep track of, and many of them have very similar names. Often I had to look them up online to remember who they were, what they had done, and why they were important. And because there are so many people to keep track I found it kind of nice that there were fewer characters in this book. Each chapter is told from a different characters point-of-view and this way you don’t have to wait too long to learn what happens to them. And yes, I did miss a handful of my favorites like Danearys, Tyrion, and Bran but there were also a bunch of new characters and perspectives in this book to keep things interesting. In this book we got to explore more of the southern part of Westeros and visit Dorne where we were introduced to more of House Martell (who I like) and spent a lot more time on the Iron Islands with House Greyjoy (who I don’t like). And while I was glad to be able to focus on a few characters there was still some issues with balancing out these storylines. There was a very heavy focus on a couple characters (Jamie, Cersei, and Brienne) and some of the most compelling characters and storylines (Arya and Sansa) had very small parts, leaving me wanting more.

Some of my other favorite things of the series were also missing in this book. There was almost no magic this time. While A Song of Ice and Fire is not a High Fantasy series that relies a lot on magical elements (it’s more of the epic adventure sort of story) it does have magic and throughout the series the magic has been growing with every passing book. In this book however there were no dragons, no warging, no greendreams, and no red priests. And for me I was longing for the magic to return. It also didn’t really have much violence. If Storm of Swords was a bloodbath then A Feast for Crows was a paper cut. The war seems to be over and I really missed the battle scenes. Often times the book felt like it was a step backwards to the tone of book one in the series.


But what it did have in spades, which I loved, is the political intrigue. After the events of the last book, and the previously mentioned war being over, there is still an epic power struggle in Westeros and more than one region has a new leader that is desperately trying to create or cling to power. The characters are trying desperately to carve up their own personal slice of the spoils of victory or defeat so that they can better themselves. The characters in this series all walk the line between good and evil. They are selfish, conniving, and incredibly complex. They are trying to raise themselves to power by whatever means necessary including bringing about the downfall of others. One character in particular is completely losing their grip on reality as they try to cling to their power and it is making them so much more interesting even though with every passing chapter I hated them more. Many of the characters that appeared to be simple archetypes have these amazing character arcs throughout the series and they continue to develop in this book into complex and interesting characters. The characters are the best part of this series. They are full of surprises and just when you think you have them all figured out George R.R. Martin reminds you that he is the one who holds the power and completely changes your opinion of this person. And while some of them changed completely out of left field, others continued the trajectories of redemption they have been on for a few books and my love of them grew deeper.

Surprisingly the plot and characters were able to redeem the book from some pacing issues. As previously stated there was a heavy focus on some characters and not on others. There was also a lot of focus on a few storylines that were not really all that interesting. In the first half of the book I found myself waiting for things to start picking up and thinking “I get it, they’re scheming against that character” and there was just way too much build up to plot points that didn’t occur until much later in the book. There were also some whole chapters and storylines that I felt like didn’t serve much of a purpose at all. But despite these issues when things did finally pick up, about two-thirds of the way through the book, it was incredibly engrossing and gripping. I read the last 150 pages way quicker that I expected and I couldn’t put it down.

As the book went on my opinion of it got better and better and when it was all over I was incredibly pleased and entertained by A Feast for Crows. The A Song of Ice and Fire series is an incredibly fantastic series and I love the way that is developing with every passing book. It’s now at a place where I can see everything moving towards this huge and epic conclusion and I cannot wait for that moment to arrive and I hope it comes sooner rather than later.

I give A Feast for Crows an 8 out of 10

If you have read A Feast for Crows and have thoughts about it please leave me a comment. If you haven't read my post yesterday about A Storm of Swords check it out. It has a lot more details and my thoughts on the series as a whole. If you haven't read A Song of Ice and Fire and like fantasy then check it and Happy Reading!

Throwback Thursday: Before I Blogged I Read... A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

This review will be about the A Song of Ice and Fire series (which the HBO series Game of Thrones is based on) by George R.R. Martin but mostly the third book on the series, A Storm of Swords. This is going to be a long one, so...

 

This book, this book right here, ruined me! It seriously ruined me. Every single human emotion that is possible I felt in this book. I was angry, happy, sad, scared, and confused. Sometimes all at the same time. The book was so good that when I was finished it left me so emotionally scarred that I went to a meeting an hour early because I couldn't focus on reality. But then when I read this book there was no reality, only Westeros. 

And in the land called Westeros there is a power struggle for control after the previous ruling family (House Targaeryn) was overthrown and exiled in a rebellion lead by some of our heroes. There's been about fifteen years of relative peace but in Book 1 in the series, A Game of Thones, all hell breaks loose and the power struggle becomes the main plot point. It's not your typical high fantasy world where magic is incredibly important to not only the story but power, in this world you derive your power from military strength and your connections. That being said, the world-building is amazing. The land as well as each character has an incredible mythology and detailed back stories that really immerse you into this world and make it feel so real. For me when I'm reading these books the world of Westeros is all I can think about. I relate it to things I see or hear in my every day like and I make references to it constantly. I haven't felt this obsessed with a world since Harry Potter, but it's that engrossing.  

As the series goes on we meet more and more inhabitants of this world. When the series begins the book focuses on a few key players in this world who are members of important families but as time goes on the world build to gigantic proportions. In this book we meet a host of new, mostly secondary, characters that are interesting and compelling. Among my favorite new characters are Oberyn Martell known as the Red Viper who is in Kings Landing to sit on the small council but also to seek revenge for the death of his sister Elia and her children when  they overthrew the Targaryens, I also really like Margaery Tyrell and her grandmother Olenna who is known as the Queen of Thorns they're both playing the game but in a more sneaky way plus Olenna is a grumpy and sarcastic old woman and she's fabulous. And as the characters part ways and go on separate adventures we also get a bunch of new point-of-view characters (each chapter is told from a different characters perspective).

But in addition to some new characters our old favorites are back as well. The best part about these characters is that they pretty much all of them change drastically throughout the series. Many of them experience these terrible life-changing events and have intense character arcs because of what they experience. Throughout the series your opinion of them changes more often than they do. To express this point I offer up three of my favorite characters as examples. First is Daenarys, the last surviving member of House Targaryean. When we first meet her she is exiled to the Free Cities in Essos and being sold to a terrifying Horse Lord for his army of soldiers. She is scared and meek and the idea of her taking back Westeros is hard to believe but as the series goes on she becomes this hardened leader who conquers cities, plus the fact that she rehatched some dragons doesn't hurt to make her more of a badass. Then there is Sansa Stark. She is the daughter of the ruler of the North and is your typical girly girl obsessed with pretty things, stories about knights, and marrying a prince. But she has a harsh reality check and learns that those are just make-believe. She sort of becomes the scapegoat for a lot of people and is very harshly treated but she has this quiet strength about it all. In this book she really takes matters into her own hands and ends up getting what she wants on her own terms (there's some debate about this but if you want I will debate you). Finally we have Jamie Lannister. When we first meet him he is a cocky knight who is best known for breaking his oath and killing the previous king (everyone calls him Kingslayer as a sneering nickname) who is in love with his twin sister (the queen) and is kind of a jerk. But in this book he has a life-altering experience and he kind of finds his honor and keeps his snark which makes me totally love him. And those are just a few of the characters and their redemptive arcs.

In general these characters are so different and so complex that is hard to downright hate them. Besides the fact that they often redeem themselves as the series goes on, even the most evil and villainous characters in the series you love to hate. Plus pretty much all of them are vicious, nasty, and manipulative jerks that are trying to take seize or keep their power. Most people are only out for their own interests and are playing the "game of thrones" for their personal gain even when it seems like they're doing it for someone else. And because every character seems to be playing the game you spend a lot of time trying to suss out their motivations and what their actions will lead to down the road. Remember this is a world where the main plot point is the constant struggle to take control of this country, at one point there are five people claiming to be the kings and three of them stating they are the rightful kings of Westeros. Because of this the book is full of political intrigue. There is tons of plotting, scheming, backstabbing, backdoor deals, and offers to scratch each other's back for their own personal gain. It's an over-exaggerated  example of what really does happen in politics. 

However this power struggle doesn't only take place within the politics of the capital. This is a world of death and destruction. There are rebels trying to take control and battles being fought all over the country. This is definitely the most action-packed of the series. It's full of sword-fights, one-on-one battles to the death, castle sieges, and murder. So much murder! This is not a series for the faint of heart. More than one main characters does not make it out of A Storm of Swords. The expression "kill your darlings" is an understatement when it comes to George R.R. Martin. He really likes to remind his readers that absolutely no one is safe in this world and there is no such thing as a happy ending. 

But fear not fans of tradition fantasy this is also a land of magic and wonder. As the series goes on more magic seeps back into the world. Part of the mythology of this world deals with magical elements like dragons, frozen zombies, people with the ability to dream that they are inside the body of animals and even invade their bodies. There is even a religious orders with the ability to bring people back to life, see into the future through flames, and kill people with shadows. These magical elements make some of the most entertaining chapters and make characters that were slightly dull to begin with or on their own way more cool because of the magic they are able to witness and perform. Some of my favorite characters have associations with the magic of this world. But the magic is as much a part of the plot as the violence. There are a host of prophecies and stories that have been foretold that directly relate to some of the characters and as a reader you cannot help but speculate about who they are referring to and where the story is going.

And boy things are really going somewhere in this book. A Storm of Swords is the most action-packed of the series. The book is over 1100 words long and by far the longest book that I have read to date but nothing in this book was dull. What tends to happen in this series is that it takes awhile for the book to get rolling but not A Storm of Swords. It was non-stop energy and excitement and I couldn't stop reading. Just when I thought things were slowing down for a character or I thought I had figured out where the characters was going George R.R. Martin reminded me that he is completely in control of this story and would throw a plot twist or surprise out of absolutely nowhere. I spent the last third of the book in complete shock about what was happening. If you've seen season 3 of Game of Thrones, you only know the half of it, and I don't mean that just because they only used half of the book. 

But as fabulous as this book was, it was not entirely perfect. Many people criticize GRRM for the fact that he takes way too much time explaining things like banquets, clothing, locations, and people making it repetitive and feel longer than it is, but in my opinion this leads to the sweeping epic feel of the story. My criticism is that are some issues with the pacing because all the stories move at different speeds. It is not a perfect timeline of events and there is not an even amount of chapters from each point of view or location. So some characters will be the narrator for a lot of chapters and be involved in the chapters of others while some characters only appear in the few chapters that they narrate. In  A Storm of Swords there are so many people and so much going on that things get very muddled. You'll get a chapter for someone you haven't heard from in awhile like Arya or Theon and find yourself thinking, "where are they and what are they doing?" It gets hard to keep track of the insane amount of characters that populate this world. 

But I can forgive these pacing problems because the story is so entertaining and thrilling. This is by far my favorite book in what is quickly becoming one of my favorite series. It is a detailed and interesting world full of magic, complex and complicated characters and compelling themes, plot points, and mysteries. 

I give A Storm of Swords a 9 out of 10

I definitely recommend this series who is a fan of fantasy, adventure stories, book with complicated characters, or action-packed violence.  If you have read this series or plan to read this series please leave me a comment. I love talking about this series and speculating about how it will end. This series is very complex and I love talking about my theories and hearing other peoples. SO, please let's chat. If you haven't read this series, you definitely should.