A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, #4) in A Song of Ice & Fire Fans

Aug 06, 2011 Sara rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, favorites

I knew when I started this book that it was originally intended to be part of the same book as "A Dance with Dragons," and that it introduces a lot of new characters while not returning to other favorites. Knowing that and knowing that I could read "A Dance with Dragons" right afterwards, I was not worried about the fact that some of the characters don't appear in the book. So, I enjoyed it while keeping in mind that it was part of the story.

In this book, a complex plot opens up and widens even I knew when I started this book that it was originally intended to be part of the same book as "A Dance with Dragons," and that it introduces a lot of new characters while not returning to other favorites. Knowing that and knowing that I could read "A Dance with Dragons" right afterwards, I was not worried about the fact that some of the characters don't appear in the book. So, I enjoyed it while keeping in mind that it was part of the story.

In this book, a complex plot opens up and widens even more. The story kind of explodes into a more global thing. "A Feast for Crows" covers events in and around King's Landing, at Riverrun and in the Riverlands, in the Vale, in Dorne, Braavos, and on the Iron Islands. There's a relative break in the fighting, and characters are creeping out from under rocks to see what footholds they can gain in the aftermath. Fewer characters actually die in this book, or at least it seemed that way to me. I think there may be a bit less humor too, which makes sense since everyone has lost so much.

There was a bit of a cliffhanger for one character I was really rooting for, and cliffhangers always drive me a little nuts. (view spoiler)

And I have to say, Sansa's "family situation" is totally screwed up at this point. Just really weird. It's hard to predict what will happen there.

Jaime's evolution as a character is explored more fully in this book. I liked seeing the mix of continuity and change in how he interacts with the world and begins to think differently.

Getting Cersei's perspective in this book was interesting. Her chapters keep you up to date with what's going on in the royal household, and you can really see her going off the deep end. What an aggravating character!! Her tyranny reaches a fever pitch in this book. I like Margaery Tyrell as a character--youthful but not naive, interested in matters of state but not power-mad, a "people person," a seemingly reasonable element in a den of insanity--and Cersei seems to enjoy persecuting her. (view spoiler).

All in all, this was a good installment in the series if you keep in mind that Daenerys, Jon Snow, and some other characters do not appear. And there's something in the ending that readers have almost certainly been waiting for since book 1. ...more

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Feb 04, 2009 Ranskey rated it it was amazing

The greatest fantasy series that I have read. I have read lots of them. I consider only 3 of them truley great, and this series is the best of those 3.

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