The Town Herald

The netpaper about Elftowners, by Elftowners, for Elftowners.

A Feast For Crows - George R.R. Martin

by [irulan]

To say this book was long awaited would be a severe understatement. It has been five years since A Storm of Swords left us hanging on the edge of the proverbial cliff. And though I did enjoy the book, I am a bit sad to say it only served to whet my appetite for the next installment.

As in the preceding volumes of A Song of Ice and Fire (which includes A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, and A Storm of Swords), the story is told through the changing viewpoints of a handful of characters. Each point of view is in its own chapter. Very quickly the astute reader will realize that several key characters are missing. George R.R. Martin explains in the afterword - as he was writing, the book became too long. Rather than tell half the story for all the characters, he decided to tell the entire story for half of the characters. Thus, Dany, Jon, Bran, Tyrion, and other favorites will be featured in the fifth installment – A Dance With Dragons. One can only hope this will not be five more years down the road. 

Currently, an uneasy peace is reigning in Westeros. The only known combatants left to vie with Cersei Lannister for the Iron Throne are Stannis Baratheon and Daenerys Targaryen. Stannis is occupied fighting off the Wildling threat at the Wall, and Daenerys and her dragons are ruling and growing up in Mereen. However, an unexpected power is rising in the Iron Islands. Balon Greyjoy is dead, and his brother Euron sweeps in with grandiose plans for conquering Westeros – and taming Dany’s dragons. We also spend time with Oberyn Martell, the Prince of Dorne and his daughter Arianne; though the Prince’s interest in the Iron Throne is not readily apparent, something is there. Arianne makes no secret of her desire to use Myrcella, who is in their care, to bring Cersei to her knees. Cersei, ruling as Queen Regent until Joffrey is of age, more or less makes an utter mess of things and rapidly loses the help and approval of her relatives, including Jaime. 

Several new viewpoints and minor characters are introduced; whether they are all truly necessary to the story remains to be seen. Through them we learn about Balon Greyjoy’s brother, a priest of the highest status among the Ironborn. We spend time with Oberyn Martell, the Prince of Dorne, and his daughter Arianne. We get to know Brienne, the Maiden of Tarth as she faithfully continues the search for Sansa and Arya Stark. We also travel with Samwell to the Citadel and witness how he changes from a cowardly boy to an awkward guardian. 

Martin writes in his normal style which continues to amaze me. Throughout this entire series, he has taken high fantasy and made it appealing to those who typically find high fantasy a chore to read. With just the right amount of detail and history, he continues to weave the world of Westeros into a lively, rich tapestry. We are immediately thrown into the lives of each of the characters and cannot help but become attached to them nearly immediately after they are introduced to us. A Feast for Crows continues this wonderful series in fine fashion, even if it does leave me longing for more.


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