richard963's reviews
71 reviews

Fantastic read and in my opinion a perfect sequel. The book doubles down on the conflicts presented in the the first one, presents new locations and characters, and simply delivers on all fronts. My only point of criticism is how Martin seemingly forgot about the comet halfway through the book, as it goes from being mentioned in virtually every chapter at the beginning to being barely mentioned at all in the latter half. I guess in a meta way, that almost furthers the point he makes throughout the book of us humans always looking for signs when there aren't any, and interpreting them through the clouded lens of our individuality and unique view of the world, only for these great signs and prophecies to turn out to be smoke and mirrors. Overall this book was a great read, and I am incredibly excited to dive straight into Storm of Swords.

While definitely a departure from the high action masterpiece that is A Storm of Swords (also known as the best book ever written), this is still a lot to love in A Feast for Crows. A lot of politicking in this one, and some great character work. The prose is masterful, arguably some of the best I‘ve read in any fantasy book, ever. My only point of criticism is that the Dornish storyline failed to grip me and felt sort of "tagged on", with the characters involved not getting enough breathing room and (unlike the Ironborn storyline) being too detached from the main plot on Westeros for me to really care. However, Martin remains a master storyteller with this one, and I couldn’t be more excited to jump into A Dance with Dragons.

I liked this one, but it‘s definitely the weakest entry in the series to-date. There had to be one, and this it. There‘s still a lot to love, but especially the frequent Tyrion chapters could be very meandering, and it felt like the plot was more so happening to him.

Still, I love Jon in this book and Davos and Bran and oh lord, Theon. Dany being awesome goes without saying, I really like her grappling with the ugly truths and hard decisions that come with being a queen, and how her idealism clashes with the war at hand.

The further this book went on, the more did my enjoyment of it dwindle. As long as it was only Robert trying to get by, making reparations on his fortified house, trying to get back home before sunset, it was some of the most enjoyment I got out of a book in a long time.
I would buy and read a five book series of just that.
But it feels like with time, the story sort of devolved with a lack of a clear direction where the story is supposed to go, and an ending that although memorable did feel sort of tacked-on.
I also do understand that it’s a product of its time, but the objectifications of the very few female characters including the very predatory inner world of the main character (thinking about how not too long ago, I still might have been so desperate that he might have r*ped *female character that shall remain nameless for spoiler reasons*) is a very questionable creative choice to say the least. It rubbed me the wrong way and soured a book I was already on the fence about.

P.S. I suggest a drinking game where you take a shot every time Matheson mentions somebody’s throat making noises. YOU will be one roaming the street undead about five chapters in.

A nice blend of horror and fantasy, and a very fast-paced read that leaves you wanting more. This is Barker at his Books of Blood-writing best.

The only thing souring the experience for me is the ending, which feels very rushed and like it’s hinting at a spin-off that will never come. I wish I could give this a 4.5, but Goodreads doesn’t allow decimals.