Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While I've absolutely adored the rest of the series, 'Dreams and Dust', the first volume of 'A Dance with Dragons', is the first time that I've found one of these to be a bit tedious. I still loved the characters and the world, but something about this one didn't fully connect with me. Perhaps because a lot of my favourite characters (largely the King's Landing and surrounding areas) were in 'A Feast for Crows', a lot of it wasn't too exciting. There's also so many POVs that it just feels slightly unfocused.
Nevertheless, I largely enjoyed it. The Reek chapters are fantastic! I'm excited to read the second volume and share my full thoughts on that review.
Nevertheless, I largely enjoyed it. The Reek chapters are fantastic! I'm excited to read the second volume and share my full thoughts on that review.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m giving this one a three because I’m feeling generous.
As usual, it’s well written, interesting as each chapter progresses, and moves the story forward. But barely. This book definitely feels like a lot of nothing. It’s all travel, someone going somewhere before going somewhere else, and there are very very few overlapping narratives (if any, right now I can’t even think of one).
It’s setting up things, thats for sure, and there is a sense that things will happen in the future. But why not now, why not give me a crumb of excitement in this book?
Ah well. On to the next.
As usual, it’s well written, interesting as each chapter progresses, and moves the story forward. But barely. This book definitely feels like a lot of nothing. It’s all travel, someone going somewhere before going somewhere else, and there are very very few overlapping narratives (if any, right now I can’t even think of one).
It’s setting up things, thats for sure, and there is a sense that things will happen in the future. But why not now, why not give me a crumb of excitement in this book?
Ah well. On to the next.
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am so glad I reread this. I remember Crows being such a disappointment that I couldn't concentrate on Dance at all. Add the simplified story line of the series and I wasn't expecting much. But even Bran's slow journey becomes interesting again in this one. Splitting the team must have been difficult, and part of the problem with Crows, probably. Perhaps the characters are just more interesting here (although I did miss Sansa), but the book works so much better. I also loved the fact that Daenerys' story gets 'stuck' with daily problems of ruling--something not often seen in a genre, which still mostly follows the quest example set by Tolkien. Anyway, looking forward to the second part and thirsty again for Winds of Winter.
Although in "A Dance with Dragons: Part I" we witness a return of our favorite characters, I found some of the storylines to be quite dull in this novel. At least on this first part of "A Dance with Dragons", not much happens. And there was a much more complex character development in "A Feast of Crows", which contrasts with the present book.
Having said that, if you are reading this book it is because you are a fan of George R. R. Martin, so you know what to expect: scheming and treachery, blood and death, sex and despair. There are some interesting turning points for the stories of some of the characters, though, mainly two that were very unexpected.
"A Dance with Dragons: Part I" is a great book, and I cannot give it five stars because that would be putting in on the same pedestal as "A Storm of Swords" - and to me, that is the best book written by George R. R. Martin until now.
Having said that, if you are reading this book it is because you are a fan of George R. R. Martin, so you know what to expect: scheming and treachery, blood and death, sex and despair. There are some interesting turning points for the stories of some of the characters, though, mainly two that were very unexpected.
"A Dance with Dragons: Part I" is a great book, and I cannot give it five stars because that would be putting in on the same pedestal as "A Storm of Swords" - and to me, that is the best book written by George R. R. Martin until now.
It was about half way through A Feast For Crows that I realised Tyrion seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth, and Jon, and Daenerys but I needn’t have worried, Martin didn’t forget about them, he just didn’t have room.
So we kick off here, Tyrion is being put up by Illyrio Mopatis, the same Illyrio who took in Viserys and Daenerys back in book one (remember that one?), he seems a very charitable chap. Soon though Illyrio sends him on his way, meeting up with none other than a young Prince Aegon! Who has appeared out of absolutely nowhere. However he’s not with Aegon long before he’s bundled off by none other than Jorah Mormont, who intends to take him to the Queen. They are joined on their trip by Penny, whose antics on the back of a dog Tyrion remembers from Joffrey’s wedding.
Back at the wall, Jon Man’s up, holds his ground against the niggardly old Stannis and executes Janos Slynt (bravo!). He’s determined to hold the wall for the extremely slow in coming winter, as well as keep an eye on his back for the Wildlings who have been allowed to settle on The Gift. Lucky for him Stannis’s Lady in Red is hanging around to help him, as is Mance Ryder. Yep, Mance, who Stannis ordered burned alive is in fact, still alive, and not burnt, but disguised cleverly as Rattleshirt.
Across Slavers bay Daenerys is having problems of her own. She’s horny, she’s had to lock up her dragons (well two of them, the other one cleared off) and her city is in the midst of a bloody guerilla war from rebellious subjects. Apparently she needs to take a husband, and not just for the her first problem, apparently this will also help with the second one as well. And, what do you know, she has two hopefuls on their way! The aforementioned Prince Aegon, who luckily doesn’t have to worry about being related to her because that’s all good if you have dragon blood. But he’s not the only one, Quentyn Martell, the Dornish prince betrothed in secret by others to Daenerys, only he ends up marching to her in an army that is against her. A lack of planning is what that is. Let’s see how it goes, they could both be in luck, the dragon has three heads.
Bran meanwhile is still with Cold Hands and his Elk, until the Elk collapses with cold but he does finally meet the Three Eyed Crow who promises to teach him how to fly, which seemingly involves being underground having a tree grow through you.
We are introduced to Reek, who in fact we have met before, he is now a pet of Ramsay Bolton and helps deliver Moat Cailin from the Iron Men, his own people, before giving away Arya in marriage to Ramsay.
Davos, the Hand without a full hand, fares even less well, when his work as an Envoy ends up costing him his life. The blunt and honest ex smuggler was one of the few genuinely good characters in the book, it makes sense that he had to be killed off at some point, see Ned Stark. But wait, no it doesn’t! Wyman Manderly knows that Bran and Rickon are still alive! He knows where they have gone and wants Davos to find them, I expect we’ll see Davos again in book forty one.
At the end Tyrion’s ship is rescued by a slaver, we can hazard a guess at what happens there, but then again Martin is not one for a straightforward plot line. The series is now an epic, vast in terms of the world it inhabits, with a spaghetti jumble of plot lines and intrigues that Martin weaves with an adept skill. Just when you think he has forgotten about something that started a few books ago, it reappears. When I started I thought the whole series had finished, it’s only as I’ve been reading and paying more attention to it that I realised it’s no where near finished, so I should probably take my time with the last one, while I wait for book six.
(blog review here)
So we kick off here, Tyrion is being put up by Illyrio Mopatis, the same Illyrio who took in Viserys and Daenerys back in book one (remember that one?), he seems a very charitable chap. Soon though Illyrio sends him on his way, meeting up with none other than a young Prince Aegon! Who has appeared out of absolutely nowhere. However he’s not with Aegon long before he’s bundled off by none other than Jorah Mormont, who intends to take him to the Queen. They are joined on their trip by Penny, whose antics on the back of a dog Tyrion remembers from Joffrey’s wedding.
Back at the wall, Jon Man’s up, holds his ground against the niggardly old Stannis and executes Janos Slynt (bravo!). He’s determined to hold the wall for the extremely slow in coming winter, as well as keep an eye on his back for the Wildlings who have been allowed to settle on The Gift. Lucky for him Stannis’s Lady in Red is hanging around to help him, as is Mance Ryder. Yep, Mance, who Stannis ordered burned alive is in fact, still alive, and not burnt, but disguised cleverly as Rattleshirt.
Across Slavers bay Daenerys is having problems of her own. She’s horny, she’s had to lock up her dragons (well two of them, the other one cleared off) and her city is in the midst of a bloody guerilla war from rebellious subjects. Apparently she needs to take a husband, and not just for the her first problem, apparently this will also help with the second one as well. And, what do you know, she has two hopefuls on their way! The aforementioned Prince Aegon, who luckily doesn’t have to worry about being related to her because that’s all good if you have dragon blood. But he’s not the only one, Quentyn Martell, the Dornish prince betrothed in secret by others to Daenerys, only he ends up marching to her in an army that is against her. A lack of planning is what that is. Let’s see how it goes, they could both be in luck, the dragon has three heads.
Bran meanwhile is still with Cold Hands and his Elk, until the Elk collapses with cold but he does finally meet the Three Eyed Crow who promises to teach him how to fly, which seemingly involves being underground having a tree grow through you.
We are introduced to Reek, who in fact we have met before, he is now a pet of Ramsay Bolton and helps deliver Moat Cailin from the Iron Men, his own people, before giving away Arya in marriage to Ramsay.
Davos, the Hand without a full hand, fares even less well, when his work as an Envoy ends up costing him his life. The blunt and honest ex smuggler was one of the few genuinely good characters in the book, it makes sense that he had to be killed off at some point, see Ned Stark. But wait, no it doesn’t! Wyman Manderly knows that Bran and Rickon are still alive! He knows where they have gone and wants Davos to find them, I expect we’ll see Davos again in book forty one.
At the end Tyrion’s ship is rescued by a slaver, we can hazard a guess at what happens there, but then again Martin is not one for a straightforward plot line. The series is now an epic, vast in terms of the world it inhabits, with a spaghetti jumble of plot lines and intrigues that Martin weaves with an adept skill. Just when you think he has forgotten about something that started a few books ago, it reappears. When I started I thought the whole series had finished, it’s only as I’ve been reading and paying more attention to it that I realised it’s no where near finished, so I should probably take my time with the last one, while I wait for book six.
(blog review here)
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated