4 stars for A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire book 5) by George R. R. Martin.
It's been more than a month. And I am finally writing again. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I realise I did not miss the writing as much as I should have. In fact, it feels kind of strange; sitting at my desk, booting up my laptop, and trying to put my thoughts into words once again. Deep down, I know I am no stranger to such a setting as I have been writing book reviews since the year 2014, so perhaps, this reveals something about what I really want. I hope I have not simply grown too lazy to write, but it sure feels good to have more time to pursue my other hobbies. That said, I will keep this one short and sweet.
The events in this book 5 run parallel to that of book 4 A Feast for Crows. It is very thoughtful of the author to prepare the reader right from the start by pointing out the aforementioned. Yet knowing this in advance does little to help me as it feels weird reading on regressed happenings. I think I feel this way is because it is not the same across; some characters such as Tyrion has moved forward yet Samwell Tarly and Gilly the wildling have gone back in time. I will have preferred that book 4 tells half the story for all the characters than telling all the story for half the characters, and suffer through the regression in book 5. Be that as it may. It is what it is. The consolation is, each chapter in this book is mostly half that of Feast, making it a breeze if I need to pause for a breather. In Feast, a chapter is usually more than sixty pages.
This book is very much similar to the earlier books in that there is doubt, division and mistrust in the story and characters are killed off when you least expect it. A boy king sits the Iron Throne. The north is in chaos, the riverlands a devastation, and a rebel holds Storm’s End and Dragonstone. Battles and lands and castles won a moment ago can just as easily be lost to another in a matter of tide turn. When winter comes, the realm will starve. And who remains to deal with all of this, who rules the little king who rules the Seven Kingdoms? For me, I am mostly glad to see that Bran, Jon and Tyrion are back to tell their stories once again.
Having read this series one after another in continuous succession (sadly with a mini break between book 3 and 4 due to a book club read), I can no longer discern which are the events that have taken place specifically in each book. It is all a mishmash of happenings, of fighting, of battles, of scheming, of survival and more.
Finally, I like to think that I have graduated. That is, having read all the existing and available instalments in the series, I am now ready to go onto the drama version. For years, I have been holding off on watching the drama series for fear that watching the act out will impede on my reading and the internal drama in my mind's eye. It has been a long wait to graduation but one that is worth all my reading attention. I'm not sure when the next book will be made available but I'm sure the drama series will keep me well occupied till then.
Publisher: Bantam
Publication date: 1 Jan 2011
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In the aftermath of a colossal battle, the future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance—beset by newly emerging threats from every direction. In the east, Daenerys Targaryen, the last scion of House Targaryen, rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has thousands of enemies, and many have set out to find her. As they gather, one young man embarks upon his own quest for the queen, with an entirely different goal in mind.
Fleeing from Westeros with a price on his head, Tyrion Lannister, too, is making his way to Daenerys. But his newest allies in this quest are not the rag-tag band they seem, and at their heart lies one who could undo Daenerys’s claim to Westeros forever.
Meanwhile, to the north lies the mammoth Wall of ice and stone—a structure only as strong as those guarding it. There, Jon Snow, 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, will face his greatest challenge. For he has powerful foes not only within the Watch but also beyond, in the land of the creatures of ice.
From all corners, bitter conflicts reignite, intimate betrayals are perpetrated, and a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, will face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Some will fail, others will grow in the strength of darkness. But in a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics will lead inevitably to the greatest dance of all.
*Blurb from Goodreads*
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