A Dance With Dragons - George R.R. Martin

 

There is something very intimidating about picking up a Song of Ice and Fire book months after you've finished the last ones. I tended to take breaks in-between the books but this was the longest pause I had taken, to the point where I didn't even remember what had happened at the end of the last book. Luckily, Song of Ice and Fire is so popular that there were tons of websites that could help me out.

Dance with Dragons takes place at mostly the same time as Feast for Crows but from different characters' points of view. Going in, I didn't think I would like it as much because it was more peripheral characters, ones that had ventured beyond the main bits of Westros and were in uncharted territories. However, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise because there are some very exciting things happening beyond the Narrow Sea.

I'm usually not a big fan of Dany's stories but this book kept me hooked, mainly because there were so many people out to find Dany that I wanted to know just who would make it. I'm still not entirely sure what she thinks she's doing out in Meereen but to each dragon queen, her own. I did enjoy hearing about the things the dragons were up to because them being dangerous, though obvious, was unexpected and I liked Dany losing a bit of her control.

Tyrion continues to delight the reader with his wits and cunning. I have no idea what is going to happen to this guy as the story goes on but I love reading about him. His time in Griff's company was great and I love his strange friendship with Penny, who I think is lovely. She's a great additional character.

I'm enjoying Griff very much, as well. I like that we have a few new characters in this book to follow. Griff and his boy, along with the rest of their strange party, add a lot to the story, bringing in a new possible ending and some good intrigue. 

I continue to adore Dorne and everyone in Dorne. I thought Quentyn was a great character, a good addition to the mix. I want to hear more about Arianne in the next book and I think we will so I'm quite excited about that. Westros could definitely use some more Dornishmen.

The use of the Boltons is getting a bit old. Although they are some very nasty enemies and that Ramsay is a piece of work, I think we need to move on the tiniest bit. Can someone just flay Ramsay and get on with it?

The Wall continues to be interesting, although it has become a bit overly political with Stannis up there. I like having a Melisandre POV chapter, though, which I thought was very interesting and added a lot to her character that wasn't normally there. Definitely a good addition.

All in all, I think Dance with Dragons was a good continuation of the series but definitely left out a lot that should have been included. And you all know we're going to have to wait years for Winds of Winter. Ah well. Winter is coming, eventually.

A Feast for Crows - George R.R. Martin

As much as I hate this disclaimer, I have to say it again: I will be discussing the fourth book of the Song of Fire and Ice series in this review. As events in this book are most likely three seasons of the television show away, I would recommend avoiding this review if you're not too keen on knowing things. I do my best to avoid spoilers but it's really quite hard.

Okay, now that that's over and done with, let's get on with A Feast for Crows!

The fourth book in the series, A Feast for Crows mainly deals with the aftermath of all the events from A Storm of Swords. After all the battles and the killing and the kidnapping and all of that, it seems hard to forget that life simply goes on. But this book had to deal with a lot of betrayal and wariness and, to be honest, just simple hurt feelings and did so in an interesting way. 

One thing that I really liked about the book was the way Martin played around with character names. In this part of the story, several characters are currently pretending to be different people and as such, have taken up new names. To emphasize this, and perhaps to play with our heads a bit, Martin switches between referring to them as their real name and their new name, in both narration bits and chapter headings. The first time you see the chapter heading change, it really reflects a change in the ideas and personality of the character. It's a very powerful move. I especially like how he flits between names in the narration, giving you an idea on which aspect of the character is reacting to events and what it means to them. It's a very interesting and useful narrative device.

This book is also interesting because it only focuses on half of our cast of characters. According to a note in the back of the book, this book was getting out of hand and Martin decided to focus book four on the characters in and around King's Landing and save book five for everyone else that didn't get a turn in this one. This is very interesting because it creates questions and suspense without actually having to resolve them. There are mentions of characters and acts without us actually knowing if they're true or not. Is Davos okay? Where the heck is Tyrion? You spend the entire book wondering but you never actually know and I really, actually, like that. Plus, Dance of Dragons is out so you know that at least you'll find out soon. The only downside to this part is that all the characters that ended in cliffhangers in this book probably won't really be around in the next book. And that's a little disheartening.

One thing I have to say that I didn't like about this novel, and only this one has had this problem in my opinion, was the gratuitous sex scenes. Now, I know that Game of Thrones has a lot of sex. It does and we deal with it. However, for most of the scenes, I've understood the purpose behind them. Either it was to further the plot or to add to character development. Also, usually the scenes aren't very long or are only referenced if not told which adds to them being able to be put out of your minds. There was one sex scene in this book, however, that made me completely uncomfortable. It was a completely random, out of nowhere, lesbian scene between two characters, one new and one previously very straight. Now, I have no problem with lesbian sex, don't get me wrong, but what made me uncomfortable was the fact that all I could see while I was reading it was George R.R. Martin's face. I don't mean to be rude but when there is a random lesbian sex scene written by an older man, I feel a little dirty reading it. Although I think I know what point he was trying to make with it, it really didn't pan out and didn't read like a woman trying to become more like a man but more like an older man with a lesbian fantasy. I don't know Martin and I don't know anything about his habits but it was just very uncomfortable. That's all.

I constantly find it amazing how Martin is able to completely change and manipulate characters so that your feelings are always on the line. I have a friend who's currently reading Clash of Kings and he kept sending me texts reacting to it last night, my favorite being "I'm on a roller coaster of emotion here!" That is how it feels, though. And also, the way he makes the characters grow and change really impresses me, too. One of my favorite characters was one I seriously disliked in the first two books. In fact, when I was talking to friends that were on books one and two, respectively and told them he was one of my favorites, they were aghast and one said "Ugh, I just want him to die already!" Which I can see from where they are in the books. And one of the characters that I thought would always be a favorite, or at least hard to dislike, completely changed my opinion of her in the last forty pages of book four. And yet, looking back, I can see where it is all coming from. It is honestly very impressive the power he has with molding characters.

I did not think Feast for Crows was as powerful as Storm of Swords but it also had less intense moments to deal with. Its intrigues were smaller but just as powerful. The way our characters ended up, especially Cersei, was really well thought out and gives a lot of room for play in future books. All I can say is that I'm excited for Dance of Dragons.

A Storm of Swords - George R.R. Martin

The thing that really annoys me about reading these books is that I have to be super careful with my reviews. Although this book was published in 2000 and normally I would just warn you about spoilers, now I have to be super careful because most of this won't be televised for another two years. So if you're one of these people that only watches the show, I'm just going to say it now: it will be impossible to review this book with no spoilers. Look away now.

Are those people gone? Good. Let's get onto perhaps the most complex Game of Thrones novels yet, A Storm of Swords.

Now, I had the pleasure of reading the two volume edition, Steel and Snow and then Blood and Gold. I think it was quite nice reading a long novel broken into two like that. It lessened the load, especially having to carry it around in your purse like I do. I would much rather two five hundred page novels than one one thousand page one.

What I loved about Storm of Swords was that it really changed the game. I will try my best to avoid naming names but I just have to say that Martin has no compunction about killing off main characters in this book. There were several times I had to go back and reread sections because I couldn't believe what I had just read. Had that really happened? No, surely. Oh dear.

The Red Wedding, in particular, was entirely hard to take. I can't say that I had been expecting any of it but it was masterfully handled. The entire sense of dread and uneasiness that you couldn't quite put your finger on, followed by the complete surprise as the plan unfurls. I had to honestly put the book down for a few seconds so that I could absorb what I had just read. It was a powerful scene and one that will stick with me, I think, for awhile.

What I think is impressive, as well, is how the second wedding scene of the novel in no way seems lessened by the Red Wedding proceeding it. The second wedding is one that we've been waiting for for awhile and it added a sense of importance knowing what had happened to the other "joyous occasion" we had previously read. I loved finally reading what had been built up over the course of two books and then being punched in the gut by its ending. Who expected that? I surely didn't. And as badly as I wanted to react to it on Twitter, I managed to restrain myself.

The other thing that I really enjoyed about Storm of Swords was the new narrative voices that we got. Firstly, hearing from Sam Tarly's point of view was lovely. He had always been a well liked character and although I saw how it was necessary to switch to Sam, now that Jon was separated from the Night's Watch, I liked that he was the one that was picked. What a lovely place to be, Sam's mind.

Most intriguing, however, was the chapters from Jamie's point of view. The Kingslayer had been a major figure of mystery for two books now. Suddenly getting his perspective was unexpected and very well played. It was really interesting to hear his own feelings on Cersei and Joffery, his position at court, what his role was to play, and how he truly felt about his nickname. Although Arya is undoubtedly my favorite, I think my favorite bits from this novel were the scenes between Jamie and Brienne. Although I'm not stupid enough to hope for anyone's happiness, I do hope for some more scenes between the two of them in future books. They are a great pair.

Overall, this may have been my favorite book so far. It's a behemoth, to be sure but it's worth it. Go on! Get reading!

A Clash of Kings - George R.R. Martin

And so the saga continues. A Clash of Kings is the second book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series and a bigger monster than the first. Not that they're going to get any shorter as we go along.

It picks up literally right where the last book left off, exploring the aftermath of the conclusion of the first book. Can you tell I'm trying not to be spoiler-y? This is going to get harder as I go along. Although it seems odd to be worried about spoilers when this book was originally published in 1999. Oh well.

Anyway, the kingdom has become even more split as time goes on and now there are three/four/five (depending on who you count) claims to the Iron Throne. And most everyone has an army on their side. It's no surprise that the epic finale of this novel is a giant battle. It was only a matter of time.

Now, one thing that is very different in this book than the first is its focus. Game of Thrones was all about political double crossing and court rumors. Now that there are tons of people claiming the throne, it becomes a lot more focused around war. Which is to be expected. However, it did make it harder for me to read because, if I'm being honest, I get really bored with battle scenes. Although I know they're necessary, it's very hard for a writer to portray a battle scene with enough intensity and skill for me to actually be able to picture what is going on. If I can't picture it, I get bored and skim. To sometimes disastrous results, such as missing a major character's death. 

I'm not saying that Clash of Kings isn't good. I definitely raced through it, although I did hit a point in the middle where I got a bit out of it. It's just that I'm not in it for the big battles. I'm in it for Jon Snow up at the wall, for the continuing adventures of Arya Stark (does she not have the best storyline?), for cheeky Renly and awkward Stannis face-offs and weird friendships between the Hound and Sansa Stark. All of that was in Clash of Kings and I'm grateful. I just want more of that and less of epic chapters depicting a battle I could only vaguely picture. 

Although if you want to stick Dany in more confusing labyrinthine magic houses, I'm down for that. Because that was awesome.

Clash of Kings is definitely as intriguing as the first, just more about war than Game of Thrones. Which is understandable as they are heading (at?) war time now. And I know it will only get worse. I'm currently 100 pages into Storm of Swords and so far, so good. Characterization please, hold the battle scenes.

Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin

I didn't want to get sucked into it. I really didn't. I did, however, kind of want to watch the show and decided that, the weekend after I finished work experience, I would have myself a nice marathon of HBO's Game of Thrones. 

Did I mention I was doing work experience at HarperCollins? And that on my last day, I discovered the employee store?

So, of course, the day before I had planned a marathon of Game of Thrones, I came out with all the books in paperback (which I had gotten for an astounding pound fifty.) Which meant, of course, I was going to have to read them first. 

If you have absolutely no idea what Game of Thrones is about, don't worry: I really didn't either. It's not high fantasy and it's not just blood and gore. It's really, at its heart, a historical novel that just doesn't happen to be based on real history. 

At the beginning of the novel, we join the Starks, a lord and his family that live up on their estate at Winterfell, keeping control of the North. However, the king, an old friend of Ned Stark from when they were young, journeys up to meet him and ask him to be his new Hand (sort of like a chief advisor/vice president), due to the unfortunate sudden death of his old Hand, another friend of theirs from youth. Reluctantly, Stark agrees and sets in motion this epically complicated and intricate tale about different warring families. 

Those of you that have heard it's basically the War of the Roses? Well, the two main houses are Stark and Lannister so you decide. :)

One thing I found very surprising about this novel was how quickly it read. Don't get me wrong; it's a monster at 780 or so pages. However, each chapter is no more than tennish pages and is told in varying points of view. The first chapter is told by Bran, the seven year old son of Ned Stark, only to get views from different members of his family (although, now that I think of it, not from Robb), various people of other houses and other characters that don't seem to be involved at all but we know they will become important later (I'm looking at you, Dany.) So, as you are reading through, you may find yourself flipping ahead, wondering when you're going to get to Arya again or catch up with Jon. Or that may just be me.

Another surprising thing, and I will say this right now so you don't find yourself trapped like I am, is that this whole first 750 page book? Is just the set up. It ends and that's when you know that things are really going to start happening. And it took 750 pages to get there. Can you imagine how long and epic this series is going to be? What I'm saying is, be careful. This series is a time investment.

However, it is surprisingly wonderful. I tore through the first book in a week or so. I'm halfway through book two at the moment. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it and am really looking forward to reading more. If you think fantasy or medieval nonsense isn't your thing, give it a try. You may be surprised.