A Dance With Dragons: A Song of Ice and Fire book 5

by George R.R. Martin, 1016 pages

I picked up the most recent volume of A Song of Ice and Fire with trepidation, knowing full well it might be several if not many years before we see the two concluding volumes of the series. With each book more and more layers of plot are added as well as new characters are making their debut. It might be hundreds of pages before you find out what happened to a favorite character when they were in a tight spot. Or, in the worst case, you might never find out what happened to them...at least not in this book. Talk about unresolved cliffhangers.

I still enjoy aspects of Martin's world-building and appreciate the care he gives to different cultures across the Narrow Sea. But I am getting tired of Martin's gruesome glee at killing off major characters. For one thing, it makes you very wary about getting attached to any characters at all because you never know if they'll make it to the end of the chapter, let alone show up alive in the next book. So maybe it's a good thing that there will be a long breather before the next book makes it into print. By then maybe I will be so dis-engaged from Martin's world that I won't even care if all of Westeros disappears under thousands of feet of snow and is crawling with blue-eyed zombies.. Winter is Coming. Meh.

The Art of George R R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, volume 2

 

by various artists, 189 pages

I just read Volume 2 of the Game of Thrones art series, and I realized why I hadn't heard of many of the artists. Most of the art was commissioned for the Game of Thrones game cards, which explains why so many of the artists are from Europe, as in outsourced. A good number of the images are from A Feast for Crows, which is the fourth book of the Song of Ice and Fire series. I am starting to be able to pick out some of my favorite artists by their style. I especially like the scenes painted by Michael Komarck and Christine Griffin.

If you are a fan of fantasy art in general, or a fan of Martin's, you should be interested in this series.

Above: Ned Stark by Michael Komarck and Sansa Stark by Christine Griffin

A Feast for Crows: A Song of Ice and Fire

by George R R Martin, 753 pages

The 4th book in A Song of Ice and Fire is quite different from the first 3 in the series. The narrative voices of some of the major characters are not included, and new characters are introduced. I miss some of my favorites, but there was enough continuity in the story to get me through it.

Martin claims this a just half of what was to be book 4, and that book 5 (A Dance With Dragons) is the other half. I wonder since there were so many years between the two stories publication dates. While it's not really filler, there is quite a bit of background and stories from the outer fringes of Westeros. So that gives it a kind of "Meanwhile, back at the ranch..." feeling.

That said, I did enjoy the book and the variety of settings. We still followed Jaime, Cersei and Brienne through different parts of Westeros. To me, Brienne emerges as more of a heroic character, and Jaime reveals new facets of his dark and complex character. Though I will say some of the scenes on the Iron Islands and in Dorne didn't engage me as much because I didn't know or didn't like some of the characters there. I am assuming they will play a larger role in later volumes.

So, all in all, it's worth reading to keep in touch with all the plot elements but I just didn't find it as engaging as the first three books.

The library recently acquired 2 volumes of The Art of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. This image of Jaime Lannister in his King's Guard armor is from the first volume.  The picture below is from the new cover for A Feast of Crows, so there is a lot of interest in creating art to go along with the stories. It sounds like a beautiful new illustrated edition.

A Storm of Swords

A Song of Ice and Fire Book Three

by George R.R. Martin, 973 pages

This image is an artist's rendering of The Wall which separates the civilized kingdoms of Westeros from the wild and dangerous North. I listened to all 39 discs of the audiobook, which took me nearly a month. Normally a book that long has a lot of padding, but with the complex plot and the huge cast of characters, Storm doesn't read that way. As in the earlier volumes the viewpoint shifts from character to character, and Martin manages to leave you hanging when the character is in a particularly perilous spot. Once again, Martin has no problem with killing off major characters, but to balance this bloody-minded quirk, he adds some compelling new characters.

Caution: spoilers ahead!

Though Joffrey Baratheon is still the king in the capitol, King's Landing, war still rages in the midlands. His uncle, Stannis Baratheon, the legitimate heir to the Iron Throne, plots from his stronghold on Dragonstone with the help of the mysterious and sinister sorceress, Melisandre. Instead of the Stag of the House Baratheon, Stannis's new banner features a burning heart, symbol of the god R'hllor, the "Lord of Light". R'hllor is a blood-thirsty deity who requires fiery human sacrifices. Melisandre is opposed by Stannis's other advisor, Lord Davos, a battle-hardened veteran of the Battle on the Blackwater.

Robb Stark continues to win victories in the Midlands of Westeros, and returns to his uncle's seat at River Run with a new bride. His mother Lady Catelyn fears this breach of promise by the King of the North will have dire consequences for Robb and his cause. His little sister Arya travels toward River Run herself, but is first held captive by outlaws, then by The Hound, a henchman formerly in Joffrey's service.

Robb's other sister, Sansa is no longer King Joffrey's fiancee, but though she longs to return home to Winterfell, she is forced into a marriage with Tyrion Lannister, the dwarf brother of Queen Cersei. Neither of them wants this marriage, though Tyrion tries to win Sansa's affection.

But the most interesting "couple" in the book are Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth. Lady Catelyn arranges for Jaime to escape the dungeons at River Run so she can get her daughters Sansa and Arya back from the Lannisters. However, she charges the warrior maiden Brienne of Tarth to make certain that Jaime makes it back to King's Landing for the exchange. They are hunted across the midlands and fall into bad company. While initially loathing one another, each of them earns the other's respect. I found this new aspect of Jaime's character surprisingly likeable, even though he remains something of a blackguard. The flawed characters of Jaime and Tyrion are in the end more interesting than the more honorable Starks, implacable and unyielding as they are.

The plot is already Byzantine, and even in the fourth book new characters, cities and lands are explored. The series is supposed to be 7 volumes and it is entertaining in its own twisted complexity. Though Martin will never equal Tolkien by my reckoning, he has some skill with world-building. And you never know which characters will be dead by the end of the book!