A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 4) (original 2005; edition 2005)

...A Feast of Crows is probably not a fan favorite but after this reread I must admit I have developed a new appreciation for it. Martin managed to craft a novel out of the huge stack of chapters that made up the manuscript of a partly completed fourth novel. Structurally it is a decent book. It doesn’t drive the story forward as the relentless pace of the first three novels and lacks a number of interesting characters though. Fans had been waiting for it for five years by the time it was published, half a novel, even a 750 page one, was a disappointment. That being said, Martin produced a novel that was still manageable, with the well-developed characters we’ve come to expect. His choice to split the book according to location might have worked if he’d managed to deliver a decent fifth book as well. The real disappointment in my opinion is how A Dance with Dragons turned out. A Feast of Crows may not please all fans or have quite the impact of A Storm of Swords but I think it is a fine book as it is. It might even be a bit underappreciated. I didn’t think that would end up being my opinion when I started this reread. Let’s hope a reread of A Dance with Dragons will make that one grow on me too.

Full Random Comments review ( )

Nothing can ever beat A Storm of Swords, but there were some pretty good shocking moments in this one! ( )

The writing is still worth five stars, but the story was a letdown. If it was any other series, I would've stopped reading. The ending, however, was excellent. ( )

This book totally got me sidetracked from working on my thesis (long story on that but anyways); you can read my (sort of) review (more like a commentary/discussion) of A Feast of Crows over at my blog (major spoilers ahead!): http://bit.ly/mDII37 ( )

My Review: 6 - Worth Reading, with Reservations

I had been warned. I knew, going into A Feast for Crows, that I would not get Tyrion's POV. I would not get Daenerys'. Or Jon Snow's. Or a few others. I heard, long before picking this up, that because of these omissions, this was the worst book of the series. Well, I'm here to say that for whatever reasons, this was not the worst book in the series for me (that honor goes to A Clash of Kings, which would've made me quit the series if 1) I hadn't already had books three and four in my TBR and 2) I hadn't already heard that book three was the most awesome thing ever).

So how'd I get through it? One, my expectations were in check. Two, I was really looking forward to POVs like Sansa's and Cersei's, as well as favorites Jamie's and Brienne's. Three, this is the second book I've read in the series since HBO's Game of Thrones adaptation came out, and if there's one thing that can reliably get me through big, thick epic fantasy books, it's already having a visual in place for the characters and the landscapes. I swear, having seen The Fellowship of the Ring five times in theaters was the only reason I was able to get through Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Anyway, that really helped.

But your expectations have to be in check. And you have to wrestle with a bit of frustration when you suddenly get POVs of characters in Dorne (where we learn what's going on with Princess Myrcella and Princess Arianne, and believe me, I really didn't care in either case) as well as the Iron Islands (again, short of one particular interesting event, I did not care). I know all of these additional and sudden POVs are developing and enriching the main story to come: I can already see where the Iron Island POVs are going to intersect with, say, Daenerys, and while I don't know what's going on with Arianne and Dorne, I'm interested in finding out.

Still, I couldn't help but wonder what this book -- hell, what this whole SERIES -- would look like if it were abridged. Because I get tired of meeting characters and learning what the coat of arms is, the colors worn, etc, etc. The details that so flesh out this world become tiring by this point, and I just want to move on to the story. Yet Martin takes his time, treating each character POV chapter like . . . I don't want to say a novella. But I can say that these books are truly character-driven, and each POV is like getting your own individual, character-driven story. They just all take place in the same land.

There are some interesting pieces moved into place and set up. I can't wait to find out what's next for Ceresi, and I'm dying to know what's next for Brienne and Arya. Every time I think I have a handle on how things are going to end up, Martin throws a twist. That being said, at this point, I'm ready for Dany to get her ass in Westeros and start showing everyone who's REALLY boss. Maybe book five will give me that? I'll find out soon! ( )