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A review by ruthsic
A Game of Thrones #10 by Tommy Patterson, George R.R. Martin, Daniel Abraham
5.0
This book was lying on my TBR for so long, and I finally got around to reading it. Before I start with the review, I'd like to mention that though this is for the ebook version, I mostly read this via audiobook (Whispersync rocks!) and that made the whole journey a bit easier. If you find yourself intimidated by the length of this mammoth, ignore the hour count on the audiobook and get started, because Roy Doytrice is a wonderful narrator. He does some spectacular work in bringing these voices alive, though at times his bass makes it difficult to judge the age of the character. Nevertheless, with the amount of characters in the book and the range of characters he has to portray, he does a commendable job in it.
As for the main story, as this is an epic novel I thought it would be slow-paced. But imagine my surprise when the author pulls you right in this world of dragons and wight walkers, and medieval politics, and a complex religious system. However, even with all the world-building, nowhere did I feel there was a info dump going on, because the world of A Song of Ice and Fire is constructed slowly, character by character, backstory by backstory and myth by myth. It can feel drawn out at times, but since I had the knowledge of the plot from the show, I knew almost every plot arc was leading up to something. It makes for a very involved and complex plotline, one that involves many regions, languages, and belief systems.
A slight problem I had with the book was the overabundance of characters. Especially the endless parade of knights and houses and lords being mentioned, when I had no idea who would be significant. And considering how much plot happens, even if a character is called back later on in a subsequent book, I wouldn't even realize. Another is the misogyny, and subtle racism in the book - for this book only, the lone explicitly POC race (the Dothraki) is depicted as barbaric and monstrous. And no, even if Dany loved Khal Drogo, I cannot condone a character who proudly vows to rape the women of his enemies (amongst all the killing and plundering) in his conquest of the Seven Kingdoms. Granted it is made to be realistically fantasy, it still irks me how sexual violence is often a plot device in books.
Content warning for sexual abuse, violence, coarse language, incest (gods, this is a long list).
As for the main story, as this is an epic novel I thought it would be slow-paced. But imagine my surprise when the author pulls you right in this world of dragons and wight walkers, and medieval politics, and a complex religious system. However, even with all the world-building, nowhere did I feel there was a info dump going on, because the world of A Song of Ice and Fire is constructed slowly, character by character, backstory by backstory and myth by myth. It can feel drawn out at times, but since I had the knowledge of the plot from the show, I knew almost every plot arc was leading up to something. It makes for a very involved and complex plotline, one that involves many regions, languages, and belief systems.
A slight problem I had with the book was the overabundance of characters. Especially the endless parade of knights and houses and lords being mentioned, when I had no idea who would be significant. And considering how much plot happens, even if a character is called back later on in a subsequent book, I wouldn't even realize. Another is the misogyny, and subtle racism in the book - for this book only, the lone explicitly POC race (the Dothraki) is depicted as barbaric and monstrous. And no, even if Dany loved Khal Drogo, I cannot condone a character who proudly vows to rape the women of his enemies (amongst all the killing and plundering) in his conquest of the Seven Kingdoms. Granted it is made to be realistically fantasy, it still irks me how sexual violence is often a plot device in books.
Content warning for sexual abuse, violence, coarse language, incest (gods, this is a long list).