A Dance With Dragons

2020 was the year that I was going to read all five (current) books in the A Song of Ice and Fire (aka Game of Thrones) series, and I did it. 

I DID IT! 

Over the past 12 months I read all five books for a grand total of 5,193 pages. I enjoyed the first three books (with books 1 and 3 being my favs), but as the series progressed into books 4 and 5, my excitement over the series and Martin's propensity to wax poetic about mundane issues, superfluous characters and subplots grated on my last frayed nerve.

In A Dance With Dragons, we once again have a hoard of characters to keep track of, subplots that are plopped in with abandon with new characters who will never be seen again, nor add to the overall story. I went into this book knowing that the popular TV show veered away from Martin's original story, but after trudging through this book (particularly the last two-thirds), I've decided that I prefer the TV show to the books it is based on. Curses, Martin!! You made me like the TV show more! Hollywood kept the pacing high and the important characters at the forefront and clearly the books do not. Now I'm starting to question whether Martin gets paid by the word because with 1,112 pages in this tome alone, I expected more to happen.

In A Dance With Dragons, I found the first half of the book more interesting, but as the book progressed I became frustrated that nothing is really resolved and the characters are given less and less depth. And now we have to wait for him to finish the sixth book in the series. I may be collecting my old age pension by then.

This book's plot lost its focus and felt like it had a lot of filler. Martin is dragging things out with long descriptions of people not doing much of anything instead of giving his readers a tightly woven, intense and fast-paced read featuring characters whom we love and those we love to hate. And yet, there are times when I really enjoyed it. It was the promise of more of those moments that kept me reading. In the end, I'm glad I finished the series (so far) but I'm left feeling underwhelmed and frustrated with how Martin is telling his story. 

My Rating: 2.5 stars

Author: George R.R Martin

Genre: Fantasy

Series: #5 in A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) series

Type and Source: Leather-bound, personal copy

Pages: 1112

Publisher: Bantam Books

First Published: July 12, 2011

Opening Line: The night was rank with the smell of man. 

Book Description from GoodReads: 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.