Forgot to mention - finished Game of Thrones about a week ago. 2nd book just arrived in the mail. I’m hooked
My god, that first book was fantastic. A little confusing until you learn to juggle all the different names and alliances and different points of view, but once you get the hang of it, it provides a unique perspective on the events as they unfold.
And man… George R R Martin really does keep you guessing. He does some things in the story that will really catch you by surprise. There was one particular paragraph that I had to re-read 3 times because I didn’t think I’d read it correctly haha
^I picked that up from a used book sale a few months back but (as a result of my used book sale-addiction) I have been reading so many other things I haven’t had a chance for it yet.
It’s a heavy read, but only because it’s dense and long. But I found that I never wanted to put the book down I heard that the 4th book is a serious letdown and that the writer has actually apologized for that, but the 5th is coming… eventually.
I’ve now started The Third Heaven Conspiracy, another mystery where Dante Alighieri attempts to solve a peculiar murder case in 1291 Florence. Quite good so far.
The fourth book isn’t quite up to the standard of the other three. However, I think this is partially because the first three books are so epic (especially the third book), and A Feast for Crows doesn’t feel as focused. There’s a lot of world building and politics, setting the scene for the books to come… you’ll see what I mean when you read it.
Another problem is that A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons were originally intended to be one book, but were split into two (by POV, not by timeline), making the fourth book feel somewhat incomplete since it is missing half the characters. I think the book will feel less ‘odd’ once he finishes the fifth book, as the two will complete each other nicely.
