Book Review: A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin

A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin
Book 4 of A Song of Ice and Fire series
Unabridged, 33 hr. 56 min.
Random House Audio
Roy Dotrice (Narrator)
December 15, 2011
★★★½☆☆

Genre: Fantasy/Historical Fantasy

Source: Downloaded audiobook from Audible

“With A Feast for Crows, Martin delivers the long-awaited fourth volume of the landmark series that has redefined imaginative fiction and stands as a modern masterpiece in the making.
After centuries of bitter strife, the seven powers dividing the land have beaten one another into an uneasy truce. But it's not long before the survivors, outlaws, renegades, and carrion eaters of the Seven Kingdoms gather. Now, 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—emerge from an ominous twilight of past struggles and chaos to take up the challenges of the terrible times ahead. Nobles and commoners, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and sages, are coming together to stake their fortunes...and their lives. For at a feast for crows, many are the guests—but only a few are the survivors.”

So, I think this was my least favorite in this series thus far and it is due to the way the author chose to break up the story. Books 4 and 5 take place at relatively the same time, but address different areas of the kingdom – I believe book 4 is primarily in the south and book 5 is primarily in the north. The problem here was that we are introduced to so many new narration characters and see fairly little of the characters we have grown to love (or hate) throughout the first 3 books. We are introduced to the more of the Greyjoy’s of the Iron Isles and to the Martell’s of Dorne. I can say that I honestly did not care at all about these characters or anything that they did in the book. This is likely because they are hardly referenced in the first three books (especially the Dorne characters) and because we don’t have enough of the characters we are familiar with here. Jamie Lannister who has grown to be among one of my favorite narrators (the other two being Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister) was so boring in this book. Noticeably missing from this book was the wit and relief of Tyrion Lannister’s chapters. I found that the chapters I was looking forward to were the Cersei Lannister because things were actually happening in her chapters and I loved getting into her head – she is her own brand of crazy, that is for sure. And, I will say, I couldn’t believe what happened to her at the end of this book!!! The rest of the chapters felt stagnant and stifling. There are no chapters set with Daenerys or the Wall. I think I would have much preferred if the author chose to break the book up by time rather than geographic location.

My other issue is the obviousness of repetition here. In the last book is was about the song of the bear and the maiden fair. This time it was Jamie’s fixation with the men he believes are sleeping with his sister. The constant repetition of his exact words drove me crazy!

Throughout the book is the impression that everything is going to come to a head soon. The different kingdoms are shifting, opinions are changing amongst the locals, and those who were strong before are maybe not as strong now. I wonder who is going to come out on top!

I am looking forward to book 5 as this will likely include those characters who I love and missed in this installment.

★★★☆☆

You know what is funny? How different my opinion was of the narration on this book over the proceeding book when they are narrated by the same narrator. In my prior review, I called the narration “enjoyable”. I would classify it this time as “annoying”. I really didn’t like the narrator’s voice this time around. I was talking about the narration with a colleague at work and he described part of the narration as sounding like a “constipated old Scottish lady”, which I had to agree with. I really wish I had the time to read it in traditional book form.

Author George R. R. Martin has written these additional books in the series: A Game of Thrones (book 1), A Clash of Kings (book 2), A Storm of Swords (book 3), and A Dance with Dragons (book 5). The series has been adapted into a television series by HBO – which has been very faithful to the book. You can follow the production of the show on the following blog, Winter is Coming. You can also visit George R. R. Martin's website for additional information about the books.

My reviews of other books by this author:

• A Game of Thrones
• A Clash of Kings
• A Storm of Swords

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Best Fantasy Books
• Cuddlebuggery

 

Here are some choices for purchasing the book: Amazon, B&N, RJ Julia (my fav indie bookstore).

 

Copyright © 2014 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin

A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin
Book 3 of A Song of Ice and Fire series
Unabridged, 47 hr. 40 min.
Random House Audio
Roy Dotrice (Narrator)
March 11, 2004
★★★★☆

Genre: Fantasy/Historical Fantasy

Source: Started reading paperback from my fiancé’s collection; downloaded audiobook from library

“Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, victim of the sorceress who holds him in her thrall. Young Robb still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world. And as opposing forces maneuver for the final showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost limits of civilization, accompanied by a horde of mythical Others—a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords...”

There were times when this book was brilliant and times when it dragged – looking back on the experience (and after watching the most recent season of the HBO show) I would lean more toward the brilliant. Martin continues his epic story in which we are thrown right back into the civil war as all the contender fight for the crown. You have three sorts of story settings – the North and Beyond the Wall, the South and the seat of the kingdom, and across the sea. I really enjoyed what was happening on and beyond the wall, possibly because it is an area that hasn’t yet been affected directly by the war.

There are some GREAT scenes – and certainly things that you would NEVER see coming. This is something that Martin is great at, creating shocking moments. And as expected there are just a few deaths (not a spoiler as Martin has killed off MANY characters in the 3 books I have read so far). If you have seen the most recent season of the show you have some idea of what I’m talking about. Some people are turned off by some of these scenes or having characters they like dying – but I think it is the sign of a good author to be willing to kill of a character for the sake of moving the story forward.

With regard to characters, especially narrating characters – I have definite opinions on 4 of them (there are 12 narrators this time).

• Jon Snow: As mentioned above, one of my favorite sections of the book is the beyond the wall sections. I think Jon has evolved possibly the most out of all the characters and I find him very interesting.
• Jamie Lannister: Another character who makes some major life changes. He became a much more likeable character and someone who I’m cautiously considering rooting for in future books.
• Tyrion Lannister: He is a hilarious man and I could read his scenes all day long
• Catelyn Stark: I pretty much can’t stand the woman. She is always complaining, do the exact wrong thing, and I essentially have no sympathy for her at all. Harsh? Probably.

The rest of the characters are good, don’t get me wrong, but they just sort of fall somewhere in the middle.

I would say that I enjoyed books 1 and 2 more than this third installment (again the dragging chapters between big events), but still a great book overall and I look forward to reading the next book.

★★★★☆

The narration was enjoyable – the length was incredible! I realize that the book is right around 1,000 pages, but I didn’t imagine it would be so long to listen to! That is a lot of time to commit to a listen.

Author George R. R. Martin has written these additional books in the series: A Game of Thrones (book 1), A Clash of Kings (book 2), A Feast for Crows (book 4), and A Dance with Dragons (book 5). The series has been adapted into a television series by HBO – which has been very faithful to the book. You can follow the production of the show on the following blog, Winter is Coming. You can also visit George R. R. Martin's website for additional information about the books.

My reviews of other books by this author:

• A Game of Thrones
• A Clash of Kings
• A Feast for Crows

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Cuddlebuggery
• Best Fantasy Books

Here are some choices for purchasing the book: Amazon, B&N, RJ Julia (my fav indie bookstore).

 

Copyright © 2013 by The Maiden’s Court

At Long Last! New George R. R. Martin Book!

To all of my fellow Song of Ice and Fire series fans:

I was so excited this morning to see an email in my inbox from Borders saying that the 5th (and long awaited) book in the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin will be released on July 12th!  I know we have seen pub dates come and go but as the author says on his website: "barring tsunamis, general strikes, world wars, or asteroid strikes, you will have the novel in your hands on July 12."  So get ready for A Dance with Dragons!! (I'm super excited even though I have to read books 3 & 4 first).  I couldn't wait to get home and post this news!

Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin

A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin

Book 2 of A Song of Ice and Fire series

Mass Market Paperback, 1,009 pages

Bantam Spectra

September 5, 2000

★★★★½☆

Genre: Technically Fantasy, I’m going to classify it as Historical Fantasy as it has strong medieval elements and has frequently been compared to the Wars of the Roses.

Source: My boyfriend’s personal collection

“Transporting readers into a forgotten land of revelry and revenge, wizardry and warfare, A Clash of Kings is a tale in which maidens cavort with madmen, brother plots against brother, and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Set against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, the price of glory may be measured in blood. And the spoils of victory may just go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel and the coldest hearts. For when rulers clash, all of the land feels the tremors.”

Last year, my boyfriend, Nick, and I read the first book in A Song of Ice & Fire series, A Game of Thrones, together over the course of several months. We wrote a two part review of the first book – you can find my portion here and Nick’s portion here. We started this second book back in early summer of 2010, but then with moving and everything I think it was November before we finished it. Plus it’s over 1,000 pages, so finding time to read that much together takes a little work. I thought it was only fitting that Nick have a little bit of say in this review as well, so there will be asides throughout from him.

In this book series, every chapter has an alternating narrator. You see the world from their perspective and from their place in the world. All of the characters are spread over the vast world of Westeros and beyond so it is quite helpful to have narrators in the different areas so you can more easily keep track of what is happening (although I would recommend you keep some notes, because there is often many, many pages before you will come across that character again and you will likely have forgotten what is happening anyway). Most of the main narrators from book 1 are back again – with the notable except of Robb Stark (whose exploits we hear a lot about but don’t have the opportunity to hear from – which I missed). We also meet some newer narrators – some are people we haven’t heard from before, but others were merely characters prior to being elevated to narrator status.

Nick says: My personal favorite is not related to the nobility at all - Davos Seaworth. He is a daring rogue who saved the denizens of a castle from starvation by smuggling onions in to them under the cover of night. He is now lovingly referred to as the Onion Knight, and gives us a fresh perspective on the goings-on of the court.

The very most basic premise of this volume in the series can be summed up like this – everyone wants to be, and proclaims himself to be, king. Each faction has a representative and they are all doing battle with one another (Renley for House Baratheon, Stanis for House Baratheon (the true Baratheon heir), Robb for House Stark, and Joffrey for House Lannister). And then you have Daenerys of House Targaeyen who is in the Free Cities and believes she is the true heir to the Iron Throne.

Let’s take a look at those vying for the throne since they really are what this central premise of the book is about – hence A Clash of Kings.

• Renley is the pretty boy, youngest brother of the three Baratheons. His brother Robert was the king of Westeros and his seat being now open has left the region in turmoil.
• Stanis is the middle Baratheon brother – believing he is the true heir to the throne because he is Robert’s next oldest sibling. He doesn’t support the reign of his nephew Joffrey. He has been living on the island of Dragonstone and the people of the main country do not really know him well.
• Joffrey is the son of Robert and his wife Cersei Lannister – he is also only 13 years old and mostly rules how his Lannister relations instruct him to.
• Robb is the son of Eddard and Catelyn Stark. The Stark family are the Lords of the North and were very close with King Robert. He is leading those from the North as an alternative to the Lannister rule (the Starks and Lannisters have been perpetual enemies).
• Daenerys is the daughter of King Aerys who held the throne of Westeros prior to him being killed and his throne usurped by the eventual King Robert. She believes that she has the right to rule because she is a true heir.
  

Nick says: Throughout all of these battles, a bright red comet blazes across the sky. It is very interesting to read how each hopeful ruler believes that the comet is a heavenly sign of THEIR right to the throne.

There are some awesome battle scenes throughout the book. It is also filled with the requisite back-stabbing, intrigue, the best laid plans going awry, and just when you think you have it all figure out – the game changes.

And they never let you forget…Winter is Coming…whatever that means – at this point we don’t really know. But it is certain foreshadowing for the books to come.

Nick says: I like to think it has to do with the evil lurking beyond The Wall to the North – an ancient force that is in the perfect position to strike while the rest of Westeros squabbles over titles and power.

A wonderfully written sequel that never has a dull moment. There is a lot of character development and we get to see some changes happen in some people, but I think there will be much more of that in book 3.

Besides the first book, A Game of Thrones, there are two others that have been currently released, book 3 –A Storm of Swords and book 4 – A Feast for Crows. The highly anticipated release of book 5 – A Dance with Dragons is still floating out there to be released at some point (although the date has been pushed back a million times). There is a television series being made from these books airing on HBO starting in April 2011. The first season looks to follow the first book very, very closely. You can follow the production on the following blog, Winter is Coming.

Here is an inside look at the upcoming show from HBO. Just watch this and I bet you will be sucked in. I will for sure be tuning in!

Book Review: A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
Book 1 of A Song of Ice and Fire series

Mass Market Paperback, 835 pages

Bantam Spectra

August 16, 2005

★★★★½☆

Genre: Technically Fantasy, I’m going to classify it as Historical Fantasy

Source: My boyfriend’s personal collection

Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

This represents one half of the review of this book. My boyfriend, Nick, and I read this together (and are currently reading the second book) so we thought it might be cool to split the review in half and tailor it to our blogs. His blog, Lions and Men, focuses mostly on science fiction and fantasy books – so he will be covering the fantasy aspect as well as the characters of this book. My review will focus on the historical fiction type aspects as well as the story itself. Please stop by Nick’s blog for the other part of the review. You will also find comments from each of us throughout the reviews.

While technically classified as a fantasy series, I would push for a classification of a form of historical fantasy. The world that the story takes place in is fictional and there are some supernatural elements – but the lifestyle is very much like that of medieval Europe. There are kings and queens, castles, tourneys, and wars, politics and intrigue. This book (and the rest of the series) would fit right in for a historical fiction reader. While reading you almost forget that this does not take place in Europe. The descriptions are so detailed that the world and its people absolutely come alive.

Nick says: George R. R. Martin is no stranger to bending genres. For example, his novel Fevre Dream incorporates the Civil War South and vampires. By doing this, his novels definitely appeal to a broader audience. Even if you hate fantasy novels, you won’t be disappointed by Thrones!

The book is structured where each chapter is narrated by a different character – mostly the Stark family with a few others thrown in for good measure. This layout allows the reader to get into the minds of each of these characters and really develop a strong feeling for them – positive or negative, you will definitely have your favorites. As the story progresses, these characters spread out over the vast world and through the shifting narrators you get to see what is going on all over Westeros.

Nick says: This way of storytelling definitely molds the way you are introduced to the world of Thrones. By focusing only on one character at a time, each chapter only gives you a sliver of the story. Chapter by chapter, mysteries arise, and yet the book as a whole gives the reader an all-encompassing feeling of closure. Thus, Martin blends the best aspects of first person and third person omniscient.

This is the first book in a series of seven – with four having been published so far. If you look at the whole series as one book – book one serves as an introduction and exposition. You learn who all of the key players are, their back stories, whose side they are on, where their loyalties lie, among other things. These will become very important in the following books. While this serves as an introduction to the characters, so much happens in their lives in this book, you will not be bored.

There is to be a series made from these books on HBO likely to premiere in Spring 2011. A card and board game has been made from these books as well – I have played a little, but always lose terribly to my boyfriend!

A definite worth-while read.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• The Literary Snob
• S. Krishna’s Books

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by George R.R. Martin:

A Clash of Kings (Book 2)
[My Review]

A Storm of Swords (Book 3)
[My Review]

A Feast for Crows (Book 4)
[My Review|

A Dance with Dragons (Book 5)

Find George R.R. Martin: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Copyright © 2010 by The Maiden’s Court

Guest Post - Nick, on George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones

First let me say what an honor it is to be able to post on my girlfriend's blog, and to be a part of something she loves so much! My name is Nick, and it's nice to meet you all. I've heard only good things! A few months ago, I began to read an epic novel called A Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin. This tale, while often classified as "fantasy", seemed to be so much more about the lives and times of the characters in their fictional world, and less about magic and over-the-top plots. This led me to make the following offer to Heather:

"Let me read the story to you." After all, she had nothing to lose, and the book always seemed to be more of a historical fiction than a fantasy (historical fantasy?) anyway. Of course, A Game of Thrones is no short bed-time story that one reads in a single sitting. Quite the opposite, in fact. It is an 807 page novel, and only the first of a seven book series called A Song of Ice and Fire.

I will save most of the summary for the inevitable review, but I will say now that A Game of Thrones is full of intrigue, twisting plots, love, lust, and many characters that are portayed in such a way that they make you wish that they actually were real.

In lieu of a book trailer, feel free to watch the following video composed of art inspired by the series. I hope it piques your interest!


What is more, A Game of Thrones will be adapted to the small screen in the coming months. The pilot has been filmed, and will be airing on HBO soon. The cast includes Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings) and Peter Dinklage (The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian). For more information, feel free to check out the blog "Winter is Coming" , who has been following the adaptation from the beginning.

I am excited that I was able to turn Heather on to such a great book, and I hope that you consider picking up a copy as well!

Copyright © 2009-2011 by The Maiden’s Court