A Dance with Dragons

Summary (from the publisher):
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.

Review: This novel marks the fifth installment of the A Song of Ice and Fire series (more popularly known as Game of Thrones. This novel continues the story of the Seven Kingdoms, or rather of the remains of the characters who are still alive to continue their tale. Unlike the first books, the fourth and fifth book differ in that they focus on different characters. A Feast for Crows focused on characters in King's Landing, while this book is chronologically in tandem with events from book four, but focuses on characters at the wall and beyond. In other words, the two volumes' plots are parallel and are divided geographically, rather than chronologically. However, this is only true for the first half of book five. In the second half of this book, certain characters from A Feast for Crows begin to creep back into view. I appreciated the eventual re-merging of all the characters into a single volume; although I recognize that he's got a lot of characters to juggle, I think the book is stronger for having all of them present.

It's difficult to say anything new that I haven't said in previous reviews. This novel is still grim and Martin spares no characters. Bodies are charred and ripped to pieces. Women are raped and killed. Men are disfigured and pus oozes from their wounds. There is a lot of suffering and death. Readers can only hope that Martin will finish this series and reach a peace for his Seven Kingdoms.

Although this series is arguably a fantasy one, I love it for its historical quality. Although fictional realms, the novel is clearly set in a far distant past. Lives are primitive and full of suffering because that's the way of human life before modern conveniences. I continue to be amazed by Martin's ability to create a whole other fictional world, and one that has such a rich history - both in breadth and depth. He is also able to successfully write from over fifteen perspectives convincingly, which is a feat unto itself.

I was struck by the vastness of this kingdom when Victarion Greyjoy contemplates the rumors he hears about Daenerys Targaryn, "They had heard talk of the beauty of Daenerys Targaryen from the lips of pirates in the Stepstones and fat merchants in Old Volantis. It might be true" (744). In the game of thrones, life is uncertain, no one can be sure who to trust or what to believe, and a mistake can easily cost you your life. The reader is fortunate to have a bird's (or crow's? or dragon's?) eye view of every facet of the many regions that make up the Seven Kingdoms.

Stars: 4

Previous Reviews of the Series: Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Book 4