Fear was my gateway to becoming interested in stories. My nanny growing up, a Scottish expat named Jackie with a fox pelt of red hair and a manic...
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Sanura, August 7, 2012 (view all comments by Sanura)
The story is more gripping than ever. Like the previous books in the series couldn't put it down. It's interesting to see how much Cersei is turning out to be like her husband.
The book focuses on minor characters with the exception of Cersei and Jaime Lannister, the Regent queen and her twin brother, erstwhile lover and Commander of the King's Guard. . The author says he did that because the original was too long. Five long years later he finally finished the next volume, "A Dance With Dragons". The result is that we spend a lot of time following Brienne, the woman knight, Samwell, the craven Brother of the Wall, Sansa, the now not so naive Stark daughter, Arya, Sansa's little sister and a few others as they witness and in some cases participate in the destruction of the seven kingdoms.
The title refers to the crows that eat the dead bodies littering the landscape or hanging from tree branches. The descriptions are graphic and there is enough violence to keep the plot moving. There is also enough supernatural goings on to remind the reader that this is a fantasy, even though it often reads like historical fiction.
In spite of its drawbacks, I liked the book and was always eager to get back to it when I set it down for a while. I'm glad I won't have to wait for five years to read volume five. In fact, I just ordered it from Powell's, of course.
demelzack, August 8, 2009 (view all comments by demelzack)
NO! The series can't be unfinished! It's a perfect fantasy series. Terry Goodkind is great but in some ways hit or miss. In this series George R.R. Martin gets hit after hit.
George, please write fast and furiously for that final book in the series. I need to know what happens with Tyrion.
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"Publishers Weekly Review"
by Publishers Weekly,
"Long-awaited doesn't begin to describe this fourth installment in bestseller Martin's staggeringly epic Song of Ice and Fire. Speculation has run rampant since the previous entry, A Storm of Swords, appeared in 2000, and Feast teases at the important questions but offers few solid answers. As the book begins, Brienne of Tarth is looking for Lady Catelyn's daughters, Queen Cersei is losing her mind and Arya Stark is training with the Faceless Men of Braavos; all three wind up in cliffhangers that would do justice to any soap opera. Meanwhile, other familiar faces — notably Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister and Daenerys Targaryen — are glaringly absent though promised to return in book five. Martin's Web site explains that Feast and the forthcoming A Dance of Dragons were written as one book and split after they grew too big for one volume, and it shows. This is not Act I Scene 4 but Act II Scene 1, laying groundwork more than advancing the plot, and it sorely misses its other half. The slim pickings here are tasty, but in no way satisfying." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Review"
by Robert Jordan, author of the Wheel of Time series,
"Grabs hold and won't let go. It's brilliant."
"Review"
by Anne McCaffrey, author of the Pern series,
"Such a splendid tale and such a fantistorical! I read my eyes out."
"Review"
by Seattle Times,
"Provides the same pleasures as the three earlier books: deeply involving characters; complicated yet clearly laid out plots; sharply realized settings; language rich in that love of words which is so central to high fantasy."
"Review"
by Library Journal,
"The fourth novel in Martin's popular mega-fantasy introduces new plot twists and characters that continue to flesh out one of the genre's most detailed and intriguing worlds....[H]ighly recommended."
"Review"
by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,
"Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series is that rare, once-in-a-generation work of fiction that manages to entertain readers while elevating an entire genre to fine literature."
"Review"
by Booklist,
"Martin's command of English and of characterization and setting remains equal to the task of the fantasy megasaga, which is good because Martin's Song is starting to rival the page count of Robert Jordan's 12-volume Wheel of Time. Good news for readers of robust appetite."
"Review"
by The Oregonian (Portland, OR),
"Martin has created a full, rich and interesting world filled with colorful characters....This is a series for adults, not children, and readers expecting clean-cut Harry Potter will find themselves less than comfortable in Martin's world."
"Review"
by BookReporter.com,
"[A]n 800-page ride through the amazing geography of Martin's imagination....Start wherever you will (but preferably at the beginning with A Game of Thrones) and you can count on being taken a very willing prisoner by this highest of high fantasy achievements."
"Synopsis"
by Ingram,
The fourth book in New York Times bestselling author Martin's landmark series finally arrives to the delight of fans the world over. This is historical fiction that never was, filled with gritty characters, realistic conflicts, heroism, barbarism, defeats and triumphs.
"Synopsis"
by Random,
A NEW ORIGINAL SERIES, NOW ON HBO.
George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series has become, in many ways, the gold standard for modern epic fantasy. Martin—dubbed the “American Tolkien” by Time magazine—has created a world that is as rich and vital as any piece of historical fiction, set in an age of knights and chivalry and filled with a plethora of fascinating, multidimensional characters that you love, hate to love, or love to hate as they struggle for control of a divided kingdom. It is this very vitality that has led it to be adapted as the HBO miniseries “Game of Thrones.”
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