The dust begins to settle.
Feast of Crows is perhaps the saddest book in the series, as characters struggle to recover from the war. On the battlefield the victors are clearly the Lannisters, along with numerous allies, but now the victors have to rebuild and replenish before the long winter arrives.
Feast of Crows is not the longest book in the series, but it can feel that way. In fact it’s literally half the story, with the events of Dance with Dragons occurring simultaneously. The book includes 10 new perspectives, and only 4 old ones; saving Tyrion, Daenerys, and Jon Snow for the next volume.
Cersei receives the lion’s share as she sets the stage for her regency, but audiences may find it hard to empathize with someone so arrogant and selfish. Brienne of Tarth continues her quest for the Stark girls, but the audience already knows where they are, leaving us to only wonder how Brienne herself will fair at the end of her journey.
The book is full of new perspectives, giving audiences a greater understanding of the Iron Born Greyjoys, and the family Martell from the lands of Dorne, who demonstrate the merit of “staying out of it”. The story is rich with background information about the various places in Westeros and Esos, but the various chapters read more like short stories in an anthology. The book functions as a transition, resolving the aftermath of the previous books and setting the stage for the climactic conclusion in Winds of Winter and Dream of Spring.
+Strong Characters
+Strong Setting
*Fragmented Plot
*grim
-slow
Next Time…
Dance with Dragons-I&F
2016/07/07