A Feast for Crows

A Feast for Crows is likely the most divisive part of the ongoing A Song of Ice and Fire series of books. In developing the sequel to the widely loved A Storm of Swords, George R.R. Martin realized that he wouldn't be able to do the five-year time skip he originally envisioned because there was just too much plot in this deep series. However, because he wanted the fourth book to be shorter than A Storm of Swords (which was the longest book yet, an accomplishment of its own given the door-stopper length of these books), the fourth book in the series would need to be split into two more: A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons. Each needed its own complete story, though, so George R.R. Martin decided to split the plot of the books on geographic location: A Feast for Crows would follow King's Landing and the Riverlands, while A Dance with Dragons would follow the North and across the sea in Essos. This meant that each book would have different point of view characters, and many of the fan favorites ended up in A Dance with Dragons, such as Tyrion, Danaerys, and Jon. However, although some of the fan favorite characters are missing, A Feast for Crows is still definitely an entry in this amazing series, and a worthy one at that. A Feast for Crows follows directly from the end of A Storm of Swords and follows many point of view characters on the south end of Westeros as the War of the Five Kings winds down. Cersei and Jaime are dealing with the loss of their father and taking care of the kingdom, Brienne is sent through the Riverlands to search for Sansa Stark, the Iron Islands lose their king and must find a new one, and Prince Doran in Dorne is also dealing with the loss of his brother in the events of the prior book while other machinations are occurring under his nose. With the expansion to Dorne and more detail in the Iron Islands, a large amount of new point of view characters are brought into play in those areas, though most take up only one or two chapters. Other recurring characters like Cersei and Brienne are now given their own chapters as well, further developing their characters. The plot moves forward in its own way, though it is apparent that this is a middle book. There are no big twists like previous books (the big death of the first book or the Red Wedding of the third), and the plot does often feel like build-up. However, those who enjoy the characters of the series will still enjoy their arcs over the course of the book, while the latter act of the book does build up to some thrilling final chapters that set up the forward progression of the series nicely. Where A Feast for Crow proves that it is still a worthy member of the series, even if not the best, is its characters: they are still deep and wonderfully written. A vast amount of characters exist in this book, but all of them are rich and believable, from point of view characters to side characters like Robert Arryn, Genna Lannister, or Septon Meribald. The point of view characters are well-developed, often in ways that give us new insight into their characters. For example, we get a better idea of Brienne's upbringing and life back home, and we finally learn what goes on in Cersei's head as she rules the kingdom. Cersei is a highlight of the book, not just because she has the most chapters, but because we learn a new perspective on her and learn why she is the way she is, but in a way that still takes care to keep her as unlikable as ever, if not more so. Character interactions and relationships are also still strong, especially the growth of Jaime and the way his relationship with Cersei develops, or breaks, over the course of the book. The deep characters are one of the series' greatest strengths, and that doesn't change here. Another of the series' strengths is strong writing and excellent world building, and both are here. A Feast for Crows continues to have well-written dialogue. Martin is a master at crafting wonderful monologues that hit hard and scenes that close out a chapter leaving us wanting more (only to have to wait until the next chapter from that character). The prose is great as well, whether it is describing drool-inducing meals, gorgeous fashion, or imaginative locations. The world of A Song of Ice and Fire is rich in a way that takes the best cues from Tolkien, but understands what it was that made Middle-earth such a beautiful setting without just cloning Middle-earth. We get new developments about Westerosi culture, from Dorne to the Iron Islands, and even a little bit across the Narrow Sea. This cultural development also continues the intelligent themes and motifs of the series while focusing on some new ones. A Feast for Crows delves into how a medieval society treats women and the roles it puts them, religion, the mystery of magic, and the ever-present politics in ruling a kingdom ("the game of thrones"). This is a hard book to rate and review, because many may still have different feelings. Mechanically, the pieces are still there, the characters and the world are still well developed in a truly Martin way. However, the absence of characters like Tyrion, Jon, and Danaerys and lack of or minimal progression on some of the overarching story lines of the series (such as the Wall or Danaerys' journey back to Westeros) may leave this book as "that one you have to get through" for some readers. However, those willing to wait for those characters, and take in this book as it is, will still find a book that is definitely a part of the series and well worth a read.

As most people reading this review are probably aware, there is a lot of controversy surrounding this book. While the first three volumes of Martin's saga are almost universally praised, this latest (ha! Latest, and released now five years ago) volume is treated as Martin's bastard child, many wishing it had never existed, or that it had more of what they wanted, or wishing they had never read the series to begin with. It's easy to understand where this frustration comes from. For one thing, the direction of the story completely veers off, and the cast of characters is radically different. If one had picked up the story without expecting that, I could see how it would be frustrating. Compound that with the fact that Martin said he would give us the rest of the story FOUR YEARS AGO, and still hasn't, and it's easy to see why many fans would be frustrated. But the reality is that both of these circumstances are tangential, they have nothing to do with the merits of this book. And when I try to be objective, I find the plot and the characters still interesting and worthy of acclaim. Having said that though, I would still say this is the worst of the four books in the series. This isn't a criticism of the book itself, but more of a realistic recognition of what it is and where it is. It's often looked on as a continuation of the first three, but I think it is more properly considered as the epilogue to the first three book series, and the introduction to whatever is coming now. Storm of Swords was the best of the series so far, but that's because it was climactic, and climax is riveting. Many of the conflicts introduced in the early series were resolved in that volume, and new ones were only just set up for Feast for Crows. As such, FfC is an introductory volume, and is best compared to Game of Thrones, to which it is only slightly inferior. Many of the storylines of Feast for Crows are interesting and compelling. Of foremost interest to me is Sansa and Littlefinger, the latter of which has revealed himself to be a true master schemer, who now is a great source of anticipation, and will doubtlessly be a majorly interesting plot mover. Samwell Tarly and Arya Stark are also characters whose circumstances have changed, and whose stories are of great interest. And most importantly, there are two new storylines which I find fascinating, about settings with rich backgrounds, which so far in the series we've heard little about. These are Dorne and the Iron Islands. Dorne is especially enchanting. The primary character of the book, though, is Cersei Lannister. That Martin made her such a central figure in this volume is a real break with the earlier series, in that she's the first point of view character to be eminently loatheable. All of the other point of view characters have been loveable, likeable, or at the very least, sympathetic. When Martin made Jaime a POV character in Storm of Swords, I was skeptical for the same reason, but he made Jaime a great character, and he grows even more in this volume. He's now one of my favorites. But Cersei is none of that. She may be Jaime's twin, but of course, they're not identical. I hated her with every word I read of her. She's pure evil. The only way to enjoy her story was to hope that she eventually would destroy herself, and it would be oh so sweet. In that vein, it's enjoyable. Having said all that praise, though, there are points of the book that are less satisfying. There are characters who carry on pointless, rambling quests with no satisfying end. There are intriguing introductory scenes that are not stoked into interesting plot points. The prologue comes to mind in that regard. But these negatives don't render the book deserving of all the maligns it has received. One last word about the whole Martin situation, to anybody who's interested in the my opinion. I say be patient with Martin. This has been a great series. The only unforgiveable sin would be for him to publish A Dance With Dragons, and it not to live up to the series. That would be terrible. Think of Harry Potter, an inferior literary series, but still an epic. The first volumes, were good, but in the end, it was clear that the product suffered for the sake of the deadline. The result? That series won't stand the test of time as well as if they were written to perfection and it had taken longer. Think of Tolkien. To his credit, he published The Return of the King within a year of The Two Towers, and it was great. But ponder two hypotheticals. What if he had published it in that timeframe, and it was lackluster? What if he had published what he had, but 5 years later? Which would be worse? That was now 55 years ago, and while a delay may have annoyed his fans at the time, it would now be just a footnote to the literary historian. His legacy would be the books, and they would be just as great, just as Martin's will be. So take as much time as you need George, just so long as your next volumes are as great as your first four. We'll be waiting.

After finishing Book 3, Storm of Swords, I was emotionally drained. So much happens in such a short time to characters you care about. When I flipped through Book 4 to browse the chapter headings, I was worried. No Tyrion, no Danaerys, no Jon Snow, no Bran. That was troubling. But there are a number of reasons I ended up loving this installment. To start, I think the pace needed to slow down from the first three books. This is the lull before the storm that is clearly coming when Danaerys makes her way to Westeros. I think what Martin is trying to do is to show us the entire world he's created. Not just House Stark and Lannister and Targaeryon. I wouldn't want the story to come to completion without understanding as much of the world as I could. Of course, that only works if you find the characters he creates interesting and compelling. Obviously, a lot of reviewers (amateur and professional) didn't. But I did. I loved learning more about Dorne, getting to know Arianne and Prince Doran, getting more of the Iron Islanders, those sick, Drowned-God-loving lunatics. I was captivated by Arya's journey in Braavos, as well as Sam's odyssey and Brienne's. For some reason, I just enjoy the characters Martin creates--and he creates a lot of them. But each time I think, "Oh, no, not another new character," I become enthralled with their story. The thing about the people Martin creates is they don't always do what you'd like them to do, but they always do what their character demands. Some grow, and some don't. And I found the chapters from Cersei's point of view fantastic. I mean, holy cow, she's got some issues. And her comeuppance is sweet (although I keep suspecting, of course, that the Frog's prophesy is really about Danaerys and not Margaery). If you didn't enjoy reading the Cersei chapters, I don't know what to tell you. At the same time, I found Jaime's growth--and growing disaffection from Cersei--to be just as compelling. One other thing that I think Martin is trying to do in Book 4 is to show, after the vicarious thrills of battle depicted in the first three books, the true cost of war. The author was (I believe) a conscientious objector during Vietnam, and I think he's trying to sober us up a little bit to the realities of what this conflict has wrought throughout the realm. The slaughter of innocents during wartime is not a 20th-century innovation. Anyone who's read anything about the 100 Years' War can't help but pick up on the similarities (the rape, pillage, and burning; the roving bands of brigands threatening anyone in their path, even entire towns; the complete descent into lawlessness; the common people resorting to religious fanaticism, etc.). Some of Brienne's experiences on the road and the people she meets along the way beautifully illustrate that. Having said that, I can understand why so many people have dismissed this book. (If you look at the Amazon reviews for Books 1-3, they're about 95% five stars. Books 4 and 5 are split evenly between one, two, three, four, and five stars.) All I can say is that, if your expectation for Book 4 is another installment just like Book 3, this will disappoint you. As for me, even though some of my favorite characters from the first three books were absent, I still loved this book. I know we'll get back to Tyrion and Danaerys, etc., so I wasn't worried and just enjoyed the journey. Also, I appreciated the slowing down of the pace and learning a lot more about the history and mythology of Westeros and the east. As for the complaints that much of the narrative is unnecessary, I'm a little perplexed. If you didn't get that Dorne is going to play a huge role in the coming conflict, you need to reread those chapters. Same goes for Victarion Greyjoy. And no doubt Brienne and Jaime's relationship will play a crucial role as their paths are bound to intersect again. If you don't like reading all that detail, I guess you could just wait for season 4 of the HBO series. I plan on enjoying both, because even a TV series as great as Game of Thrones can't convey what the books can (and do). For me, I thoroughly enjoyed A Feast for Crows and can't wait to start A Dance with Dragons.

First off, I must mention that 'A Feast For Crows' is the fourth book in the 'Song Of Ice And Fire' series, and this series is not one you can read out of order. If you haven't read the first three, you will not have a clue as to what is going on. In order, read 'A Game Of Thrones', 'A Clash Of Kings', and 'A Storm Of Swords' first. Then you will be ready for 'A Feast For Crows'. Also, of the four books out in the 'Song Of Ice And Fire' series, 'A Feast For Crows' is by far the slowest moving. Whereas the previous three books could not be put down, I was able to walk away from 'Feast' several times. Briefly, for those curious fans of Martin's writing and those anxiously awaiting this book, I will try to summarize a bit without giving too much away. The old and accustomed POV character chapters you will find inside 'A Feast For Crows' are Jaime, Samwell, Sansa (now called Alayne as she poses as Littlefinger's [...] daughter), and Arya (also calling herself Cat Of The Canals). The new POV chapters are Queen Cercei, Brienne, Arys Oakheart (chapter: The Soiled Knight), Aeron Greyjoy (known as The Damphair, chapters: The Prophet, The Drowned Man), crippled Prince Doran Martell (chapter: The Captain Of Guards), Asha Greyjoy (chapter: The Kraken's Daughter) Victarian Greyjoy (chapters: The Iron Captain, The Reaver), and Arianne Martell (chapters: The Queenmaker, The Princess In The Tower). Missing, of course, as most reviewers are noting, are Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, Tyrion Lannister (the Imp), Stannis Baratheon, Davos, and Bran and Rickon Stark. In 'A Feast For Crows', some characters change and grow, some deteriorate, and some stay the same. Really, not a lot happens as far as big events or timeline passing until the very end (sorry, I'm not saying what it is!). It just seems that 684 pages, no matter how much I enjoy Martin's writing, is a bit of a long spell for such little development in the bigger story. It felt a bit like an intermission between books 3 and 5. The additional information on the Greyjoy family was great, along with the addition of Cercei as a POV, but many of the others, including Brienne who is in the book a lot, were uninteresting at best. So why five stars? Because Martin's prose is in top form. He can still, simply with words, suck my into a magical time and place where I can breathe the air and smell the corpses hanging from the trees. Although it is so very well written, making it worthy of five stars, it did fail to leave that burning sensation deep in my belly that makes me scream in frustration for the next book to come out. This time, the wait for the next in the series will be much easier, because I am not left with that fiery urge to know more. It seems that publisher and author should have sought for that type of urgency in this book, trimming down the story to a tighter line, and leaving out Brienne, instead of splitting apart the "Whole Story". In my humble opinion, that would have been a wiser and more monetarily intelligent decision. If you are a diehard fan, yes, it's worth the money. If you are a lukewarm fan, wait for the paperback. If you are not very excited about the series, then wait for a used paperback. Enjoy!

Wow, after reading some of the negative reviews of this book (let's call it book number 4A), I was a bit worried. But a needless worry, there is little discernable lettup of quality in this book from the first 3. To be sure, there are not quite the number of seismic events within the timeframe (I'm guessing about 8 months) written about in "A Feast for Crows", but rest assured, there are NOT very many new characters introduced (other than the obligitory references to scores of relationships and relatives!); and the plot is not meandering at all. A Feast for Crows largely tells tales of minor skirmishes and political intrigue that follow the extensive wars that comprised the second and third books. Perhaps the nay-sayers simply are not impressed when there isn't a steady diet of death and destruction or nonstop action? Martin keeps the focus over the story's timeframe to 6 major characters: Brienne, Jaime, Cersie, Sansa, Arya and Samwell; introduces a few characters to flesh out the political climate of the southern land of Dorne (curious about the Red Viper's home?) and describes the ongoing saga of the Ironborn as they seek to infiltrate their way into the mainland. It seems to me that this is a plenty big, but scarcely new, canvas of storylines to keep track of. I appreciated the limited scope of the book to these storylines; many times as I read the first three books, I would skip several story lines to follow the evolution of one or two of the characters before going back again. This is a perfectly logical approach to the story telling as there is very little physical interaction between the characters in this book versus those to come in the next. Martin's choice to segregate the 4th book into books 4A and 4B isn't the least bit distracting if you can put the other characters on hold in your mind (which you have to do in any book, just for not quite as long a period of time). Within the six major characters storylines, we get (amoungst other things): - An update on the doings of the Westro's most clever (and extremely honorable, in his own way) player, Littlefinger as Sansa's "father". As with most of Martin's characters, Petyr Baelish comes in various shades of grey; readers are afforded a chance to draw their own conclusions as to just how grey... - A momentary look at Catelyn revived (for better or worse!) in Brienne's story - A momentary look at Jon who sends Sam and Maester Aemon on a mission - The releationship of Cersei's son and daughter-in-law; and the administration for the Iron Throne done Cersei's way Several storylines are making a direct beeline for Dany, and it's too early to tell where Brienne will end, so I think it pre-mature to criticize the editing until more has played out. Thus far, I haven't seen any storyline drift into irrelevance so I have no reason to not be optimistic... As for those who liken this release to the crumbled messes that became Jordan's WOT (somewhat revived in KoD), or to a lesser degree Goodkind's SOT, give it a rest! Complain all you want about the lack of action, but the details and pace (reasonably fast for my tastes) of the story are well justified for those readers who are curious about characters and cultures of all of the major kingdoms and how they are reacting to the events of their time. There are no endless fussings over fashions, no endless repetitions of mannerisms, no 200 pages to cover the day in the life of one character (apparently there are those who actually like such ramblings in the WOT world?), no endlessly immature characterizations, no repetative philisophical oratories; the focus remains mainly on the fully adult characters or the evolution of the younger characters that we already know and how they are coping with the aftermath of the preceding books. The few new characters introduced by Martin are reasonably described according to the depth of their impact on the story. My only minor quibble with the book is that for the first time we end with a couple of cliffhangers of an immediate kind; prior to this book, Martin did a pretty good job of leaving off at places that were intriguing, but not in the middle of a life and death situation. Hopefully, these will be resolved as part of Book 4B -- I think it's a bit unreasonable to have to wait for more than a year to see whether or not a couple of the specific main characters live or die. In summary, if you enjoy the way Martin has richly developed his characters and story, and don't mind the reality that most people DON'T change that much (except, of course, for the younger characters who are evolving in ways that might surprise), and don't mind that you'll have to wait until next year to read about Danys, Jon, Tyrion and Stannis, amoungst others, you'll find much to deeply appreciate in this effort.

I have to say this book was a disappointment. The first three books in this series were unquestionably 5-star reading. A Feast for Crows, however, truly was -- as one reviewer described it -- a chore to get through. I wondered often as I read it whether Martin would have fared better to collapse this book and the sequel, A Dance with Dragons, into one volume after all. The argument that the book would have then been too long doesn't wash with me since many of the chapters here -- far too many -- felt like "packing material", the popcorn and bubblewrap that you have to dig through to get to the good stuff that you really wanted and paid for. A Feast for Crows would have been a far better book if the dross chapters had been eliminated and the pure gold chapters from the next book added in. Ah, well. Too late for that now. Sadly, in this book, I just got bored. Not only once, but again and again. And I am astounded to say that because Martin is a magnificent writer and storyteller. But I was seriously bored with much of this book. I did not like Martin's departure from the style of previous books of adding so many nameless ("The Prophet", "The Kraken's Daughter", etc.) point-of-view (POV) chapters. Sheesh. Why not just say their names? "Aeron" ... "Asha" ... Worse still, most of these "secondary" POV chapters were quite dull. I did not like these characters and I did not want to invest my time in them because it is not THEIR story I am interested in in this series. Many of these secondary characters are repellent, dull, and/or unpleasant, and each new character's chapter(s) carried the baggage of (seemingly) 50 to 60 new names and characters apiece. Even the primary POVs in this volume, including Brienne, Jaime, and Cersei, are not particularly likable or interesting. That leaves about 20% of the book that really held my interest. Only the Samwell, Arya, and Sansa chapters held my attention here, and the latter two characters appear very little in this particular volume. The one good thing about this overall structure was that at least I knew before reading a chapter that I probably wasn't going to enjoy it: "Brienne", "Cersei", "Jaime", "Unnamed" = Not Terribly Interesting. Best not be sleepy if you want to get through any of these chapters in one sitting. To the author's credit, the pace of Feast for Crows does pick up toward the end of the book, which, alas, once again leaves us hanging for heaven knows how long until the next book is published -- longer still if these particular "King's Landing" POV plot threads are not to be picked back up until Book 6. Patience, more than any other quality, is required of readers of this series. Even so, I am committed to this series for the long haul. Martin at his worst is better than most writers in this genre at their very best. He is a most gifted and talented writer, and I trust he can get back on course for the next book in this series. I am keeping my fingers crossed that there is someone in this process that can effectively tell Martin, for future volumes in this series, "Yo, dude. This chapter is well written, surely, but it really ought to be cut..." EDIT, June 10, 2011-- In anticipation of the publication of Book 5, A Dance with Dragons, next month, I have been rereading this series. The first three books were a joy (yet again), but this one, not so much. If you are tackling Book 4, A Feast for Crows, either for the first time or if you're rereading the series, and you find yourself struggling with this particular volume, I recommend the following: (1) Read the Prologue. (2) Then skip to chapter 5, the first Samwell chapter, and read it. (3) Thereafter, read ONLY the Jaime, Sansa/"Alayne", Arya/"Cat of the Canals", and Samwell chapters. Skip all of the Cersei, Brienne, and remaining "Unnamed" chapters -- all of them. (4) Finally, after that, check the A Feast for Crows Wikipedia entry for brief plot synopses of the portions you skipped past. This cuts the book by more than half, I know, but trust me. It's better this way. The Prologue and final Samwell chapter give the book a satisfying sense of completion and closure, and the story overall moves along at a much brisker clip. Of the two Lannisters represented here (how I missed Tyrion in this book!), Jaime is definitely more interesting than Cersei, and he lets you know all you really need to know about Cersei (and Brienne, too) from his point of view. And, of course, the skipped chapters will always be there, waiting for you, just like the La Brea Tar Pits, should you ever feel inclined to wade through them.

It goes without saying that A Feast for Crows is possibly the most controversial book in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. Five years in the making, it followed A Storm of Swords, arguably the best book in the series and certainly the most eventful. Absent are fan-favorite characters Dany, Jon and Tyrion (well, almost absent - Jon Snow does put in an appearance early in the book, and Tyrion does appear as a monster in a dream). Absent too are the huge earth-shattering events of the previous three volumes. When Martin finished A Storm of Swords, he intended there to be a five year gap in the story before the opening of what was then considered to be the next volume, A Dance with Dragons. However, after writing a big chunk of the next novel, Martin found that the five year gap was untenable from a storytelling perspective. He discovered that he had to recount many of the events from the gap in flashback, which was slowing the main story thrust of the novel. He decided to step back and write a book that covered that five year gap. However, the book soon grew out of control, and ultimately he decided to split the book in two volumes -- A Feast for Crows and a new incarnation of A Dance With Dragons. At the heart of Martin's problem was something he came to call the "Mereneese Knot." I won't get into the story specifics (although I will say that I interviewed him about the knot, among other things, in episode 149 of Television Zombies), but that huge writing problem meant that certain characters could not appear in volume four of the novel until it was resolved. So he took all of the events that took place in the south and wrapped them into A Feast for Crows, and took all the events in the North and across the Narrow Sea and put them into A Dance With Dragons. The problem is, and this is pure conjecture on my part, that the POV chapters set in the south were originally intended to be supporting stories - not at all the main plot of the novel. And my guess is that since there wasn't enough there, he padded the book out with POV's taking place in Dorne and the Iron Islands, POV's that likely wouldn't have happened if the split had not occurred. This is not to say that the non-named POV chapters don't have merit, or important things don't happen in them, it's just that they could have been explained in brief exposition and not taken up half a book. A Feast for Crows, I believe, was a stopgap intended to placate readers while he wrestled with A Dance With Dragons. However, that said, A Feast for Crows is still a damned good book. It centers on the Lannister twins -- Jamie and Cersei -- and the different paths they take. Jaime, determined to write his own story in the Kingsguard's White Book the way that he would want to be remembered struggles to find honor and redemption, while Cersei desperately tries to retain her grasp on power in Kings Landing. Both arcs are surprisingly satisfying -- I thought Jaime was one of the most compelling characters in A Storm of Swords, and he really stands out as the hero of A Feast for Crows. Is Jaime a bad man trying to be good, or a good man who did bad things? It's hard to say, but I very much like where his journey takes him. Cersei, on the other hand, finally plays her cards -- the audience has never been aligned with her POV, and once we are, her take on events becomes, maybe not surprising, but not necessarily as expected. Unintended consequences have long been a theme of A Song of Ice and Fire, and nowhere is that more apparent than in Cersei's arc in Kings Landing. Supporting the Jaime and Cersei POV chapters are chapters featuring Brienne, Sam, Arya and Sansa. All interesting -- particularly Arya's two brief chapters -- though mostly padding. The chapters set in Dorne and the Iron Islands help to move playing pieces into position on the board, but are not as compelling as the named chapters (though I will say I liked getting more of an insight into those two settings). If viewed as a direct sequel to A Storm of Swords, then A Feast for Crows is nothing short of a massive disappointment. But if viewed as an epilogue to A Storm of Swords and as a prologue to A Dance With Dragons, A Feast for Crows is not without merit. Few fantasy novelists have taken the time to show the impact of war on regular people -- and Martin definitely spends a great deal of A Feast for Crows doing just that. It is a bleak novel, featuring a cast of characters who all feel left behind by their friends, family and loved ones. People who are trying to pick up the pieces after having lost everything. Longtime readers of Martin's work will see glimpses of some of his darker novels and short stories here -- yes, A Song of Ice and Fire is still pretty upbeat compared to a lot of Martin's older work (see Dying of the Light, for instance). Unfortunately, most of the chapters are unnecessary, and it is the weakest volume in the series to date. But the weakest volume in a great series is still pretty great, all things considered. Just make sure you go into the book knowing what to expect and enjoy it for what it is. And with A Dance with Dragons just around the corner, you don't have to go on thinking that A Feast for Crows might be where everything ends.

Expectations were without a doubt going to be high coming off of what many people (including myself) considered to be the best novel in the series: A Storm of Swords. Perhaps the expectations were impossibly high. Too high for any author to meet, including George Martin. With some of the decisions that Martin had to make for this book to come out at all, there was likely to be some vocal backlash from certain fans. (In an attempt to not regurgitate a summary of A Feast for Crows, which many of people have already done. I will focus on how the novel compares to previous books, and try and quell reader's fears.) The problem proved to be what most people predicted at the end of A Storm of Swords: the series got too damn big. Although there are many fantasy series out there with more books in them. I mean look at Robert Jordan, his novels have managed to span fourteen volumes, not including the prequel novel, and a companion book. I'm pretty certain that he is in large part the reason for deforestation. Not to mention the likes of Piers Anthony (whom I am very fond of) and select other authors who don't seem to understand the word "ending". However, unlike many other fantasy authors that seem to fill half of the novels with mere bloating tactics, while their ongoing plot arches are paper-thin and miles wide. Martin develops A Song of Ice and Fire, with a scope that is unmatched by any author. If you want depth, you're looking at the Mariana trench of fantasy sagas. It is safe to say that A Song of Ice and Fire didn't just raise fantasy's literary bar, it became the standard for which everyone else must try and match. With A Feast for Crows, Martin found himself faced with the insurmountable odds of tying in characters and story lines, which after half a decade of buildup, ended up with him cutting it in half. The unfinished storylines and their characters were simply held off until the next book in the series, A Dance with Dragons. Feast's length is closer to that of A Game of Thrones than Storm, which might make some people disappointed after such a long wait. But I think it was a better choice for the story - or to put it more aptly, this installment of the story. Considering that Feast was originally supposed to be two times longer, its most impressive quality is that it flows so smoothly together, and how concise the narrative remains. As the story opens, the reader is introduced with a flurry of new characters (a necessary device, considering that most of the characters from the first three novels are now dead), some minor characters are now prominent figures, and several chapters that detail the relative calm across the land following the calamity of war. The best part, for me anyways, is that some of the new point of view characters recap key plots that may have slipped many readers' minds over the series. Some readers might be disappointed that we don't see much of the bloody and violent action of previous volumes in Feast. There is a lot of exposition, as Martin has to bring us up speed on not only characters we remember, but also on the new ones he's introducing. Martin obviously has a skill for worldcraft with compelling storytelling that remains virtually unchallenged in fantasy, but it also comes with, what many consider a down side. Many of the characters have lengthy discussions of politics, both present and historical. Like I said, many people believe this to be the worst part of the book. However, I felt that it was the most interesting. There is something to be said for the level of painstaking detail of history that Martin placed into his novel. If A Feast for Crows is only a transitional volume in this gigantic saga, it is still a story told with as much passion and humanity as Martin has brought to any previous volume. And it adds much detail and texture to an already rich and layered world. The choices of what to cut and what to hold back obviously were not easy ones, considering the book's long and frustrating gestation. But readers who have managed to avoid building up unrealistic expectations will find that Martin has brought his story to a necessary, believable, and appropriate pass. In the aftermath of catastrophic war, in the endless, vain and violent quest for power and more power, no matter whose banners are flying at the end of the day, there are no real winners. Except the crows. Five Stars P.S. I know that many people have written about how you could skip the Cersei chapters. DO NOT DO SO!!! You would be doing yourself a great disservice. She is without a doubt the most interesting character in this particular novel.

Très bon livre. On suit l'histoire à travers le regard des personnages; on voit bien leurs personnalités. En plus , par rapport au livre précédent, ce ne sont pas tous des "gentils", en particulier "Cercei", qui est particulièrement aigrie et désagréable. Il y a aussi des scènes très violentes, que l'on ne peut pas adapter à la télé, tellement ce serait gore... on y gagne vraiment par rapport à la série télé.

It's kinde handbook actualy if you want to read this also add to basket a magnifying glass

A capa não chega a ser dura, mas é de material resistente. As folhas são ótimas pois não são no estilo “página de Bíblia”, então são resistentes também. Arte da capa é linda. Recomendo.

I loved the second and third instalments of the series but I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much considering how this was split into two parallel time-lines (continuing in book 5). Thoroughly enjoyed the book in spite of the split in story lines.

I almost didn't buy this book because of the negative reviews and the litany of complaints about the quality of this book compared with the first three. I'm glad I wasn't swayed. True, some of the prominent characters from the first three books (who still survive) are missing, notably Tyrion and Daenerys as POV characters; but they are there in spirit and their (mis)deeds continue to influence the actions of the other main characters. With them missing, and a number of other characters killed off, who supplies the POV? Well, a number of new characters, sometimes only inhabiting one chapter; but unlike some reviewers I found that the new characters added a new dimension to the book, which together with the flashbacks to times long gone, added flesh to the bones of a rip-roaring adventure to make it a true classic. The landscape is as dark and dreary as before but with new horrors. Perhaps the most understated is Qyburn, who carries out unspeakable acts in the deep dungeons of Kings Landing - well, maybe not always unspeakable, as some of the torture scenes are described in horrible detail. As always decapitated heads, rotting flesh, maiming, disfigurement and cannibalism are well covered in the writing, brought into vivid contrast by descriptions of juicy oranges being enjoyed in Sunspear the capital of Dorne. Meanwhile we get an in depth look at the Ironborn people, with their fiercely proud but cruel code of conduct. This is typified by the idea that going to sea without wearing full armour is craven because it shows that you are afraid of drowning; a novel, but somewhat warped concept! One of the key elements in this book is the emphasis given to the different religions and their growing importance, which first became apparent in "A Clash of Kings" with the murder of Renly. Also, the divide between the living and dead is becoming blurred (Watch out for The Hangwoman!), possibly paving the way for fresh horrors from beyond the wall in the next books of the series. Apart from the price of the Kindle edition, the only other area in which I would agree with some of the negative reviews is the complexity of the plot and the vast number of characters, often with similar names. To make it even worse, a couple of the characters change their name, and in one case the new name is used as a POV character. To follow all of this you either have to have an excellently organised memory, or read the book in one mammoth session. Failing that, do as I did - cheat! The only way I can manage the books in this series is to read them with a concordance alongside. As I mentioned in a previous review I have found a couple of Apps for the iPhone which work well for me. Game of Thrones - Wiki (online) and Game of Thrones Companion (offline). By occasionally referring to one, or both of these, I can just about keep my head above water (no reference to the Ironborn intended) and enjoy this masterpiece.