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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
Although I love this series of books I found this one harder to read than ones before. There isn't a great deal of action and I missed certain characters. Looking forward to the next one so I can catch up with Tyrion and Bran!
Not as good as the others-too many new characters and no updates on some of the old ones who are still alive.
Another great entry in the series--but one disappointment was that this volume didn't focus on my favorite characters (Jon Snow, Tyrion and Denaris) but Martin promises he'll get to them in the next one. Can't wait!
I'd heard this was one of the weaker entries in the series and I'm inclined to agree. There wasn't much page-turning action until towards the end and most of the most interesting character arcs are absent. Still immensely enjoyable and immersive though.
For the fourth part in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, Martin split the story in two: A Feast for Crows follows the war at King's Landing and A Dance with Dragons, covers everyone else. This seems to be fans' biggest complaint, but I appreciated the decision. While A Feast for Crows doesn't have the action of the previous three books, it does have the intrigue, such as a closer view of Littlefinger's plots, first-hand accounts from Cersei, and Jaime's struggle to atone. We also get a better understanding of how the war is affecting Westeros and a foreshadowing of how this could incite an uprising controlled by the Faith of the Seven.
It's also nice to have made it through an entire book without being deceived about a character's death or re-reading an action sequence because I can't follow what's happening.
I wouldn't call Martin's prose superb, but his characters are wonderful. There are the expected favorites - Arya and Tyrian, for example - who began the story with more depth than others, and there are those who've grown over the course of the story. For a man that was introduced to us by pushing an eight-year-old boy out of a tower window, Jaime has joined the ranks of my favorite characters as he battles his fate as Kingslayer. Sam began as a fat coward exiled by his lord father, and now he's Sam the Slayer, killer of undead. Even Sansa and Bran, who whined their way through the first few books, have become necessary - not because they were forced on us but because of the roads they've taken.
The characters make these books, and I think that's why I see so many readers complaining in their reviews. We have a sincere connection to them, and, when something goes awry or we don't hear from them in a while, we get upset. Along these lines, if new characters are forced on us instead of those we've been with, which is my biggest complaint, we're not interested and easily become distracted. I can't say I agree that the fourth book in a series is a good place to introduce characters from two families that have barely been mentioned elsewise. I read the Dorne and Kraken chapters, but a few lines during one of Cersei's small-council meetings would have been enough. Unless those characters are going to develop in the same manner as Stark and Co., they were an unnecessary 300 pages.
It's also nice to have made it through an entire book without being deceived about a character's death or re-reading an action sequence because I can't follow what's happening.
I wouldn't call Martin's prose superb, but his characters are wonderful. There are the expected favorites - Arya and Tyrian, for example - who began the story with more depth than others, and there are those who've grown over the course of the story. For a man that was introduced to us by pushing an eight-year-old boy out of a tower window, Jaime has joined the ranks of my favorite characters as he battles his fate as Kingslayer. Sam began as a fat coward exiled by his lord father, and now he's Sam the Slayer, killer of undead. Even Sansa and Bran, who whined their way through the first few books, have become necessary - not because they were forced on us but because of the roads they've taken.
The characters make these books, and I think that's why I see so many readers complaining in their reviews. We have a sincere connection to them, and, when something goes awry or we don't hear from them in a while, we get upset. Along these lines, if new characters are forced on us instead of those we've been with, which is my biggest complaint, we're not interested and easily become distracted. I can't say I agree that the fourth book in a series is a good place to introduce characters from two families that have barely been mentioned elsewise. I read the Dorne and Kraken chapters, but a few lines during one of Cersei's small-council meetings would have been enough. Unless those characters are going to develop in the same manner as Stark and Co., they were an unnecessary 300 pages.
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
976 pages and it ended in a cliffhanger! And there's going to be a longer book 5 (and maybe 6). George R Martin is correct, the characters in these book are characters you love to hate. None of them have any redeeming characteristics. The characters that are potentially redeeming (John Snow, Sansa, Arry and Tyrion) are conflicted at best. This book and series may be an allegory for our modern world where the priveledged few are obscenely wealthy and spend their time trying to get the upper hand for the game's sake not worrying about the effects on the small people. Very depressing.
Intriguing decision to split into two books but as always, George just knows best
More of a 3.5 I think... I was so conflicted on what to rate this because there were REALLY EXCITING PARTS but also not so exciting parts.
I loved the addition of Cersei and Brienne chapters but I also really missed Dany and Tyrion but I do love all the POV characters in this book (but I wanted more Sansa and Arya). There were also chapters set in Dorne and the Iron Islands. I enjoyed the Dorne chapters but the Iron Islands ones were personally a chore to read.
At points it seemed like the plot was moving really slowly but near the end all of the chapters were so dramatic and interesting AND THERE ARE SO MANY CLIFFHANGERS I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
THESE BOOKS ARE TOO COMPLEX TO RATE AND REVIEW I'M TELLING YOU.
I loved the addition of Cersei and Brienne chapters but I also really missed Dany and Tyrion but I do love all the POV characters in this book (but I wanted more Sansa and Arya). There were also chapters set in Dorne and the Iron Islands. I enjoyed the Dorne chapters but the Iron Islands ones were personally a chore to read.
At points it seemed like the plot was moving really slowly but near the end all of the chapters were so dramatic and interesting AND THERE ARE SO MANY CLIFFHANGERS I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
THESE BOOKS ARE TOO COMPLEX TO RATE AND REVIEW I'M TELLING YOU.