Play Book Tag discussion

I have read this a second time, and I have a revised review. The first time, I gave it four stars, but I've bumped the rating up to five.

I am really glad I reread this one. This book is where the series really starts to diverge from the TV show, and my memory of it, almost eight years old, was very sketchy. I understand my previous review and its criticisms, but I think most of them come from the rushed read I was doing to keep myself ahead of the HBO series. I have come to the conclusion that these books are not to be rushed. There is far too much going on, oftentimes entirely in subtext.

With that in mind, I thoroughly enjoyed A Feast for Crows, the additional characters it introduced, and the somewhat transitionary nature of most of the plot lines. It really struck me this time just how prominently women take center stage for this one. There's Cersei, finally seizing power and immediately proving she is not up to the task; Brienne and her quest to find Sansa and fulfill her oaths to both Catelyn and Jaime, all the while struggling to get by in a man's world (relatable); Sansa/Alayne learning how the game is played from Littlefinger (who is far smarter than his TV show counterpart proved to be, thank goodness - he was one of my evil favs early on); Arya and her education in the House of Black and White; Asha and her queensmoot; Arianne and her queen-making plots. We also get expanding storylines from Jaime, who is growing into one of my favorite characters; Samwell Tarly, who is shedding his craven persona and coming of age as he unwittingly finds himself drawn into the series' main conflict; and Victarion Greyjoy – who is hardly a sympathetic character, but his POV reveals the troubling implications of Euron Crow's Eye reign of the Iron Islands. As with previous installments, signs and portents abound, but everyone has a different interpretation of their prophecies and what they could mean.

However, this time around I really found A Feast For Crows to live up to its name thematically. This is a novel about what happens when the war goes on too long – when the gallantry and romanticism has run out and everyone is starving, poverty-stricken, ruined, desperate. When I first read this book, I found the appearance of the Sparrows sudden and strange. On this read-through, I found them inevitable. Where else would they turn to, with the nobles playing their game of thrones while the common folk are left to die? I also admit to my naivety the first time I read this: I did so in 2013, when I didn't believe it was possible for someone like Cersei to be so stupid and terrible at ruling. Writing this review in 2021, two days before the end of Trump's presidency, I found everything she did – every petty, vindictive thing, every spiteful move that helped her enemies and alienated her allies – prescient and realistic.

All in all, A Feast For Crows is another fascinating entry in a masterpiece of a fantasy series. To fully appreciate it, though, close reading is required: a lot happens off-screen, as the world is so big and forever changing, sometimes due to the characters' choices, and sometimes in spite of them. (view spoiler)[One of the biggest "oh, shit" moments for me was when Doran revealed to Arianne that she had been promised to wed Viserys Targaryen – ostensibly as part of a larger Martell plot to get revenge on the Lannisters and restore the Targaryens to the throne. But Viserys was killed due to circumstances totally out of Doran's control, and Arianne's lack of understanding of her father's plans led to her own botched scheme to crown Myrcella queen. (hide spoiler)] Like studying real-world history, being able to keep the larger political conflicts straight around the major players is essential for understanding. I didn't know that the first time, and cut myself off from accessing many of the best parts of the book.

The word "jape" is still used a little too often, though.

Nice review Heather, and nice to see you back here!

Excellent thoughtful review! Prior to Dance With Dragons release, I reread the entire series over a month, and just like when rereading LOTR, I gleaned so much. It has to be savored.

I plan to reread again once Winds of Winter is actually on brink of publication. I need to re-immerse myself in GRRM's complex layered world of the books, not the HBO series --- which I adored.

Joanne wrote: "Nice review Heather, and nice to see you back here!"

Thanks, Joanne!

Theresa wrote: "Excellent thoughtful review! Prior to Dance With Dragons release, I teread rbe entire series over a month...,and just like when rereading LOTR, I gleaned so much. It has to be savored.

I plan to ..."

I'm definitely catching SO much more during this reread of the series. It does have so much more depth and mythology than the HBO series. I also love the show, despite its flaws, but there's just a lot in the books that is difficult to translate to screen. I'm hoping 2020 was a productive writing year for GRRM and we'll finally get Winds of Winter soon!!

Heather Reads Books wrote: "Joanne wrote: "Nice review Heather, and nice to see you back here!"

Thanks, Joanne!

Theresa wrote: "Excellent thoughtful review! Prior to Dance With Dragons release, I teread rbe entire series o..."

I check GRRM'S Live Journal and website regularly.