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jtobin 's review for:
A Feast for Crows
by George R.R. Martin
This is where the series went wrong. Martin has stated that he had originally planned for books 4 and 5 to be a single book, but they turned out to be longer than expected and needed to be split in two. However, most of this is just bloat.
Iron Islands, Dorne, and Brienne should have been reduced to two chapters each. Jamie, Sam, and Sansa should have each lost at least two chapters. Even Cersei could have lost one. If I remember correctly, then the next book is full of similar problems.
The bloat falls into two categories: either repeating (plot/character/world) information we should’ve had already, or building out new information that moves away from the main plot.
Brienne’s chapters are a perfect example of the former. We revisit the Riverlands again, which we had just spent two books following Arya wander through aimlessly. These chapters do not add to the plot (most is covered in Jamie), or the worldbuilding (Arya already showed us their destruction in the war), or themes (Arya and Jamie again). The only thing they do is elaborate on Brienne’s character, which while sympathetic does not change our view of any other character or introduce any other information. The same value could have happened in two short chapters, one of her starting out on the journey and one of her getting captured by the Brotherhood. Everything else could have been summarized and really slowed the whole book down.
The other bloat is from new intricate politics of Dorne and the Iron Islands being introduced. Almost all of this could have been handled off-screen, and Martin did exactly that in his Oldtown setting. One chapter of Prince of Dorne arguing with his daughter, then one of her captive after the fact of her plot. The Iron Islands could’ve done something similar, even putting the kingsmoot in the previous book. Instead both introduce a dozen or more named characters and at least three sub-factions. Instead they should’ve been like Marwin: two chapters, two factions, two to three characters that matter.
Martin has three central problems for the series going forward: 1. Keep conflict going in Westeros 2. Bring Dany over the sea 3. Set up the Others’ invasion.
This book only really touches #1 in Cersei’s chapters, with the other two more or less ignored. #1 needs Tyrell-Lannister conflict (done), Northern conflict (next book), plus Iron Islands, the Vale, and Dorne as fresh combatants (over-complicated and long for little payoff). Nothing is done about Dany - the Dorne plot fails in the next book, the Iron Island plot STILL hasn’t reached her, and she hasn’t extracted herself from the Slave Cities. Almost nothing is done about the Others (beyond a couple hints) and the next book won’t set it up concretely either.
Ideally Martin will also have 4. a Stark reunion, but even at the end of the next book all of them are still in their separate training montages with no plan to return home. I personally think Martin will never finish the seventh and last book, but the long awaited book six will have to use all of its 1500 pages to bring problems 1-4 to a head for that final volume, even if it adds no new characters or plot lines.
Iron Islands, Dorne, and Brienne should have been reduced to two chapters each. Jamie, Sam, and Sansa should have each lost at least two chapters. Even Cersei could have lost one. If I remember correctly, then the next book is full of similar problems.
The bloat falls into two categories: either repeating (plot/character/world) information we should’ve had already, or building out new information that moves away from the main plot.
Brienne’s chapters are a perfect example of the former. We revisit the Riverlands again, which we had just spent two books following Arya wander through aimlessly. These chapters do not add to the plot (most is covered in Jamie), or the worldbuilding (Arya already showed us their destruction in the war), or themes (Arya and Jamie again). The only thing they do is elaborate on Brienne’s character, which while sympathetic does not change our view of any other character or introduce any other information. The same value could have happened in two short chapters, one of her starting out on the journey and one of her getting captured by the Brotherhood. Everything else could have been summarized and really slowed the whole book down.
The other bloat is from new intricate politics of Dorne and the Iron Islands being introduced. Almost all of this could have been handled off-screen, and Martin did exactly that in his Oldtown setting. One chapter of Prince of Dorne arguing with his daughter, then one of her captive after the fact of her plot. The Iron Islands could’ve done something similar, even putting the kingsmoot in the previous book. Instead both introduce a dozen or more named characters and at least three sub-factions. Instead they should’ve been like Marwin: two chapters, two factions, two to three characters that matter.
Martin has three central problems for the series going forward: 1. Keep conflict going in Westeros 2. Bring Dany over the sea 3. Set up the Others’ invasion.
This book only really touches #1 in Cersei’s chapters, with the other two more or less ignored. #1 needs Tyrell-Lannister conflict (done), Northern conflict (next book), plus Iron Islands, the Vale, and Dorne as fresh combatants (over-complicated and long for little payoff). Nothing is done about Dany - the Dorne plot fails in the next book, the Iron Island plot STILL hasn’t reached her, and she hasn’t extracted herself from the Slave Cities. Almost nothing is done about the Others (beyond a couple hints) and the next book won’t set it up concretely either.
Ideally Martin will also have 4. a Stark reunion, but even at the end of the next book all of them are still in their separate training montages with no plan to return home. I personally think Martin will never finish the seventh and last book, but the long awaited book six will have to use all of its 1500 pages to bring problems 1-4 to a head for that final volume, even if it adds no new characters or plot lines.