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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
Honestly it's my fault it got such a low rating. I audiobooked this, and listening to the sex-ish scenes/weirdly in-depth descriptions of people's bodies really took the fun out of it all. Probably would've been a 4/5 if I actually read the thing because then my ears wouldn't have been bleeding.
I started reading the "Song of Ice and Fire" books about three years ago, so I don't have quite the same amount of angst as other readers over the delay, but I definitely cursed Martin a fair amount. I've been waiting for this book (originally due out in the early 2000s) for a while.
And I was somewhat disappointed. Let me elaborate before you assume this is a bad review (it's not). This novel seemed...tamer than the others. Although it had some of the most graphic, horrible chapters in any of the series (Hello, Reek? Your life is effed up in a serious way.), it seemed much more about threats and talking than previous novels.
Sure, maybe it's because all the characters who took action rather than scheme are, well, dead.
However, two of my favorite characters, Danaerys and Jon Snow, spend vast quantities of the novel talking to their councils. It's like having to watch the most boring parts of any political/war movie on loop as several people sit around a room trying to win an argument. I have to deal with it in law school classes, when the teacher doesn't shut sh*t down on the more verbose of my classmates. I didn't enjoy it then and I didn't enjoy it now.
BUT, I understood the necessity of it. Jon and Danaerys are people trying to be good leaders. They're trying to do what they think is the best for the largest amount of people, and I respected that -- even when I missed my bloodthirsty, vengeful Daeny.
The writing was just as wonderful and the story as complex as in the prior novels, but I couldn't help but feel that Martin tried to slip in some nerd jokes for his fanbase. This would be fine if he was writing a Pratchett or Gaiman style humorous novel, but the jokes took me out of the reading experience. For example, in one chapter two sellswords (mercenaries) are making fun of an army and one says that the army runs away, "If you fart in their general direction." I don't think you have to be a huge Monty Python fan to know that this is one of their more quoted jokes. I remember car trips when my brother would lift up a cheek and taunt us with it. I can't believe that this was an accident, and it made me angry (as in, I hope he asked permission from John Cleese and Michael Palin).
A running joke in the novel was calling something "about as useful as nipples on a breastplate." This one is a little more vague, except for the fact it's one of the most highly criticized costume decisions in nerd history. When the costume designer of George Clooney's Batman decided to put nipples on the costumes, it sparked a nerd-fury the likes of which are still spoken of in hushed tones.
Do you see why I don't like this little "nerd-asides?" I mean, I get it. I'm very much your target audience with these jokes, but they don't belong in this particular story. I love you, George. I'm awaiting the rest of the novels with bated breath. But don't do this to me. Don't interrupt the intrigue, death, and suspense with references to 20th century nerd-dom, because you're better than that.
And I was somewhat disappointed. Let me elaborate before you assume this is a bad review (it's not). This novel seemed...tamer than the others. Although it had some of the most graphic, horrible chapters in any of the series (Hello, Reek? Your life is effed up in a serious way.), it seemed much more about threats and talking than previous novels.
Sure, maybe it's because all the characters who took action rather than scheme are, well, dead.
However, two of my favorite characters, Danaerys and Jon Snow, spend vast quantities of the novel talking to their councils. It's like having to watch the most boring parts of any political/war movie on loop as several people sit around a room trying to win an argument. I have to deal with it in law school classes, when the teacher doesn't shut sh*t down on the more verbose of my classmates. I didn't enjoy it then and I didn't enjoy it now.
BUT, I understood the necessity of it. Jon and Danaerys are people trying to be good leaders. They're trying to do what they think is the best for the largest amount of people, and I respected that -- even when I missed my bloodthirsty, vengeful Daeny.
The writing was just as wonderful and the story as complex as in the prior novels, but I couldn't help but feel that Martin tried to slip in some nerd jokes for his fanbase. This would be fine if he was writing a Pratchett or Gaiman style humorous novel, but the jokes took me out of the reading experience. For example, in one chapter two sellswords (mercenaries) are making fun of an army and one says that the army runs away, "If you fart in their general direction." I don't think you have to be a huge Monty Python fan to know that this is one of their more quoted jokes. I remember car trips when my brother would lift up a cheek and taunt us with it. I can't believe that this was an accident, and it made me angry (as in, I hope he asked permission from John Cleese and Michael Palin).
A running joke in the novel was calling something "about as useful as nipples on a breastplate." This one is a little more vague, except for the fact it's one of the most highly criticized costume decisions in nerd history. When the costume designer of George Clooney's Batman decided to put nipples on the costumes, it sparked a nerd-fury the likes of which are still spoken of in hushed tones.
Do you see why I don't like this little "nerd-asides?" I mean, I get it. I'm very much your target audience with these jokes, but they don't belong in this particular story. I love you, George. I'm awaiting the rest of the novels with bated breath. But don't do this to me. Don't interrupt the intrigue, death, and suspense with references to 20th century nerd-dom, because you're better than that.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i’m gonna think more on this cuz i’ve been reading it for 9 months but…. MY GOD
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It’s an incomplete series. This book was flipping published in 2011 and there is yet no word on when to expect the next book. Very frustrating
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've now finished all of ASOIAF (that's been released so far), and I'm flummoxed. What am I supposed to do with my life now that I'm not reading ASOIAF? Where do I go from here?
It seems to me like many people don't like A Dance With Dragons -- it's duller for them, somehow, or missing characters they love -- but I've been thoroughly excited with it. It's a beautiful and fantastic book, and kept me smiling and wanting to know more, more, more.
It seems to me like many people don't like A Dance With Dragons -- it's duller for them, somehow, or missing characters they love -- but I've been thoroughly excited with it. It's a beautiful and fantastic book, and kept me smiling and wanting to know more, more, more.
*babbling in the half-speech of a baby, red faced, hands clutching at the air*
M-more... More....
M-more... More....
Not quite as good as the others but I still enjoyed it. The Bran bits were good, the Theon bits horrifying, Tyrion stressful, and Dany...screwed around too much in Mereen and needs to get on with it.
and now, I wait.
and now, I wait.
This was a beast of a book. I'm not sure how big a fan I am of the way the last two books were laid out (in terms of the chronology). I'm glad all of the stories are back to the present now. I felt at times this book moved ve-e-e-ry slowly. There was a lot of talk of battle, but no battle, a lot of talk of deception and planning, but no deception or plans carried out. For me, it finally picked up in the second half of the book. Things seemed to actually start to happen. Without giving anything away, one of the events at the end of the book broke my heart in two!!!! Hard to believe there is only one book left...we've come a long way with these crazy people!