Synopses & Reviews
GAME OF THRONES: A NEW ORIGINAL SERIES, NOW ON HBO.Few books have captivated the imagination and won the devotion and praise of readers and critics everywhere as has George R. R. Martin’s monumental epic cycle of high fantasy. Now, in A Feast for Crows, Martin delivers the long-awaited fourth book of his landmark series, as a kingdom torn asunder finds itself at last on the brink of peace . . . only to be launched on an even more terrifying course of destruction.
A FEAST FOR CROWS
It seems too good to be true. After centuries of bitter strife and fatal treachery, the seven powers dividing the land have decimated one another into an uneasy truce. Or so it appears. . . . With the death of the monstrous King Joffrey, Cersei is ruling as regent in King’s Landing. Robb Stark’s demise has broken the back of the Northern rebels, and his siblings are scattered throughout the kingdom like seeds on barren soil. Few legitimate claims to the once desperately sought Iron Throne still exist—or they are held in hands too weak or too distant to wield them effectively. The war, which raged out of control for so long, has burned itself out.
But as in the aftermath of any climactic struggle, it is not long before the survivors, outlaws, renegades, and carrion eaters start to gather, picking over the bones of the dead and fighting for the spoils of the soon-to-be dead. Now in the Seven Kingdoms, as the human crows assemble over a banquet of ashes, daring new plots and dangerous new alliances are formed, while surprising faces—some familiar, others only just appearing—are seen emerging from an ominous twilight of past struggles and chaos to take up the challenges ahead.
It is a time when the wise and the ambitious, the deceitful and the strong will acquire the skills, the power, and the magic to survive the stark and terrible times that lie before them. It is a time for nobles and commoners, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and sages to come together and stake their fortunes . . . and their lives. For at a feast for crows, many are the guests—but only a few are the survivors.
Review
"Such a splendid tale and such a fantistorical! I read my eyes out." Anne McCaffrey, author of the Pern series
Review
"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." Booklist
Review
"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." The Oregonian (Portland, OR)
Review
"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." Library Journal
Review
"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." Seattle Times
Review
"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." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Review
"[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." BookReporter.com
Synopsis
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
THE BOOK BEHIND THE FOURTH SEASON OF THE ACCLAIMED HBO SERIES GAME OF THRONES
Few books have captivated the imagination and won the devotion and praise of readers and critics everywhere as has George R. R. Martin s monumental epic cycle of high fantasy. Now, in A Feast for Crows, Martin delivers the long-awaited fourth book of his landmark series, as a kingdom torn asunder finds itself at last on the brink of peace . . . only to be launched on an even more terrifying course of destruction.
A FEAST FOR CROWS
It seems too good to be true. After centuries of bitter strife and fatal treachery, the seven powers dividing the land have decimated one another into an uneasy truce. Or so it appears. . . . With the death of the monstrous King Joffrey, Cersei is ruling as regent in King s Landing. Robb Stark s demise has broken the back of the Northern rebels, and his siblings are scattered throughout the kingdom like seeds on barren soil. Few legitimate claims to the once desperately sought Iron Throne still exist or they are held in hands too weak or too distant to wield them effectively. The war, which raged out of control for so long, has burned itself out.
But as in the aftermath of any climactic struggle, it is not long before the survivors, outlaws, renegades, and carrion eaters start to gather, picking over the bones of the dead and fighting for the spoils of the soon-to-be dead. Now in the Seven Kingdoms, as the human crows assemble over a banquet of ashes, daring new plots and dangerous new alliances are formed, while surprising faces some familiar, others only just appearing are seen emerging from an ominous twilight of past struggles and chaos to take up the challenges ahead.
It is a time when the wise and the ambitious, the deceitful and the strong will acquire the skills, the power, and the magic to survive the stark and terrible times that lie before them. It is a time for nobles and commoners, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and sages to come together and stake their fortunes . . . and their lives. For at a feast for crows, many are the guests but only a few are the survivors."
Synopsis
Few books have captivated the imagination and won the devotion and praise of readers and critics everywhere as has George R. R. Martin's monumental epic cycle of high fantasy. Now, in
A Feast for Crows, Martin delivers the long-awaited fourth book of his landmark series, as a kingdom torn asunder finds itself at last on the brink of peace...only to be launched on an even more terrifying course of destruction.
A Feast for Crows
It seems too good to be true. After centuries of bitter strife and fatal treachery, the seven powers dividing the land have decimated one another into an uneasy truce. Or so it appears....With the death of the monstrous King Joffrey, Cersei is ruling as regent in King's Landing. Robb Stark's demise has broken the back of the Northern rebels, and his siblings are scattered throughout the kingdom like seeds on barren soil. Few legitimate claims to the once desperately sought Iron Throne still exist or they are held in hands too weak or too distant to wield them effectively. The war, which raged out of control for so long, has burned itself out.
But as in the aftermath of any climactic struggle, it is not long before the survivors, outlaws, renegades, and carrion eaters start to gather, picking over the bones of the dead and fighting for the spoils of the soon-to-be dead. Now in the Seven Kingdoms, as the human crows assemble over a banquet of ashes, daring new plots and dangerous new alliances are formed, while surprising faces some familiar, others only just appearing are seen emerging from an ominous twilight of past struggles and chaos to take up the challenges ahead.
It is a time when the wise and the ambitious, the deceitful and the strong will acquire the skills, the power, and the magic to survive the stark and terrible times that lie before them. It is a time for nobles and commoners, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and sages to come together and stake their fortunes...and their lives. For at a feast for crows, many are the guests but only a few are the survivors.
About the Author
George R. R. Martin sold his first story in 1971 and has been writing professionally ever since. He has written fantasy, horror, and science fiction, and for his sins spent ten years in Hollywood as a writer/producer, working on Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and television pilots that were never made. In the mid-90s he returned to prose, his first love, and began work on his epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire. He has been in the Seven Kingdoms ever since. Whenever he's allowed to leave, he returns to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he lives with the lovely Parris, a big white dog called Mischa, and two cats named Augustus and Caligula who think they run the place.
Author Q&A
Some Favorite Books Include:
THE LORD OF THE RINGS by J. R. R. Tolkien
THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald
THE DYING EARTH by Jack Vance. Hell, almost anything by Jack Vance.
THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING by T.H. White
LORD OF LIGHT by Roger Zelazny
THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS by Ursula K. Le Guin
THE PUPPET MASTERS by Robert A. Heinlein
THE DREAMING JEWELS by Theodore Sturgeon
A FINE AND PRIVATE PLACE by Peter S. Beagle
Robert A. Heinlein's Have Space Suit, Will Travel, was the first science fiction
I read, and it started me down the long path to becoming a SF and fantasy writer.
I was lucky in that. The novel still ranks as the best of the Heinlein juveniles,
and holds up even today, half a century later. I can still remember some of
its characters and situations vividly.
What tips or advice do you have for writers still looking to be discovered?
Read everything. Write everything. Start with Short Stories.
What is the first thing most readers ask you -and the last thing you want to
answer?
"When will the next book be done?"
Describe A FEAST FOR CROWS, in 150 words or less.
If I could tell the story in 150 words, I would not have to write the other
250,000.
What do you dislike the most?
Flying. Not the flight itself, which is man's oldest dream come true, but the
nightmare the airlines have made of it, with their flying cattlecars, rules,
regulations, farcical security, etc.
When you aren't writing, what do you enjoy doing?
Reading
Do you know how the book you are working on will end?
Yes.
Did you ever envision A Song of Ice and Fire being a 5+book cycle?
When I first began the series, I envisioned it as a trilogy, but the story-and
the world-grew in the telling. And grew and grew and
Where does your inspiration come from?
If I knew, I would order some more.
Why do you write?
I can't imagine not writing.
What are you working on now?
A Questionnaire.