I can see why people were so upset by this book. Two of my favorite characters are left in awful cliff-hangers. There wasn't much of Dany, Jon, Tyrion, or Bran. And there was an awful lot of depressing carnage. It is called A Feast for Crows, and it deserves its name. But it is still a worthy addition to the Song of Ice and Fire, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Jaime's arc continues to get more interesting, and sometime along the way Sansa actually turned into an interesting character. We spend more time in the Iron Islands and get our first good look at Dorne, which is fascinating. Samwell's journey takes an unexpected turn, Brienne never fails to fascinate me (and make me feel big-sisterly protective toward her), and Cersei's breathtaking obtuseness is fun to read.

Point of view characters are Cersei Lannister, Aeron Greyjoy ("Damphair"), Jaime Lannister, Areo Hotah, Arya Stark, Sansa Stark, Samwell Tarly, Asha Greyjoy, Victarion Greyjoy, Brienne, Arys Oakheart, Arianne Martell.