Title: A Dance With Dragons
Author: George R.R. Martin
Series: A Song of Ice and Fire
This…book…is…frustrating. So frustrating. I mean, I was BORED all the way through it and then all the awesome things in it happen at the end, where you were just happy to get to the last page. And then you’re not happy, you’re mad because things were finally happening and the book ends and you start swearing on Mr Martin and all the Seven Kingdoms.
It’s strange to do my first review here with which is the fifth book of a saga/series. Added to that, this book was so tedious that I don’t really know what much to say about it. So I’m going to talk about the saga in general, which will be good for you if you haven’t heard about these books (I’d find it weird because the series has put the story FUCKING EVERYWHERE). Or maybe you know the TV series, Game of Thrones, but are not sure about reading the books. I understand, there’s five of them and they are long enough to stop anyone that doesn’t read much from giving them a chance. But if you’re a fan of the tv show, you should. If you’re a fantasy fiction fan, you should. If you’re a fan of royal intrigues and strategies and blood and sex you MUST. It really has a bit of everything, so there.
This piece from the article in Wikipedia sums the thing up pretty well:
The story of A Song of Ice and Fire takes place on the fictional continents Westeros and Essos. The point of view of each chapter in the story is a limited perspective of an assortment of characters that grows from nine, in the first, to thirty-one by the fifth novel. Three predominant stories interweave: a dynastic war among several families for control of Westeros; the rising threat of the superhuman Others beyond Westeros’ northern border; and the ambition of Daenerys Targaryen, the exiled daughter of a king, to assume her ancestral throne.
Now… What I usually like the most about books are the characters. And the relationships and human interactions. So I’ll introduce you to some of the characters I’m interested the most in:
Jaime Lannister
Jaime is a born warrior, and most of his skills lie in the area of martial expertise. He has little interest in politics and court intrigue; by his own admission, Jaime only feels truly alive when fighting or making love. Jaime has the quintessential Lannister look, with bright green eyes and golden hair. He is considered to be extremely handsome, his tall frame complemented with comely features and “a smile that cut like a knife”; Jon Snow thinks to himself that Jaime is
“what a king should look like”. He dresses in white, like any member of the Kingsguard when on duty, but he also wears his family colors and distinctive armor of his own at other times: gold-plated, with a lion’s-head helm.Jaime comes across as arrogant, amoral, and dishonorable, behavioural traits similar to his sister twin Cersei. Because Jaime has done reprehensible acts he has such a bad reputation, everything he says is usually cast in the worst possible light. An offhand joke is taken as a grave threat by others, just because it is spoken by the Kingslayer. And as for honor, Jaime took his Kingsguard vows, but when they conflict, he chooses a course of action and follows it to its conclusion, no matter the consequence.
My favourite. For me, he’s the one that’s grown the most through the books.
Arya Stark
Arya is a spirited girl interested in fighting and exploration, unlike her older sister, Sansa. Arya wants to learn how to fight with a sword and ride in tourneys, to the horror of Sansa, who enjoys the more traditional pursuits of a noblewoman. Arya is particularly close to her half brother Jon Snow, who encourages her martial pursuits. Jon Snow gives Arya her first sword, Needle, as a gift. Throughout her travels, Arya displays great resourcefulness, cunning, and an unflinching ability to accept hard necessity. She is said to take after her fiery aunt Lyanna in temperament.
Arya is a little girl in age and size, but greater than most of the older people (although I didn’t like her as much as before in this last book).
Jon Snow
Jon was raised as a Stark and Northerner and in many ways took to their values of honor, to which he tries to conform even when faced with complex and morally ambiguous decisions. He idolizes his father, Lord Eddard, but is wounded by his refusal to discuss or name his mother. He has a perceptive and observant outlook, and displays bravery, resourcefulness and quick thinking during his time at the Wall, eventually becoming a natural leader and mentor in the Night’s Watch.
While he was close to the Stark children, Jon once stated that, as a bastard, he “grew up quicker” than them, and he is shown to be a great deal more solemn than his siblings; the experience of maturing with an illegitimate status made him bitter and with a desire to prove himself, thus, he chooses a life of hard duty in the Night’s Watch to earn his own honor. Despite his somber demeanour, however, he is compassionate towards those he views as fellow outcasts and rejects, and is particularly close to his tomboyish half-sister Arya, who also understands how it feels to be overshadowed. He is noted to be a skilled horse rider, and is a gifted swordsman, being trained with swords “since he could walk”.
Jon…is…weird. I mean, he’s weird as a person (who behaves like that at his age? Learn to have a little fun, Snow!) but he’s also weird as a character, despite what you might think at first. My opinion of him has varied a lot through the books, and I’ve respected him in this last one. Not that I really liked many things he said or did or some choices he made BUT he’s behaved great as a character for me. He’s surprising me, in a good way.
Tyrion Lannister
Tyrion is shrewd, educated, and calculating, but receives little respect for this from his father, because of his deformity, and for the death of his mother during his birth. He is capable of cruelty to his enemies, but also has great sympathy for fellow outcasts and the mistreated. Even though he is no warrior, he has instances where he shows great bravery; he has stated that what he lacks in size and strength he makes up for in mental acuity. He displays high intelligence and great promise during his brief tenure as Hand of the King, revealing himself to be as politically savvy and astute as his father, yet receives close to no recognition for it.
Oh I hate the guy most of the time and I LOVE THAT SO MUCH. He’s cynical and sarcastic and so done with people but so in love with the idea of living as well. He even reminds me of myself sometimes: taking life as a joke before the darkness swallows you completely.
Daenerys Taergaryen
In her youth, Dany was a meek, timid girl with little confidence or self-esteem. She knew no life other than one of exile, dependent and in constant fear of her brother Viserys. He was the only family she knew, but was often a cruel guardian, prone to mood swings and fits of violence.
Her marriage to Khal Drogo was a turning point for her; adapting to life in a Dothraki khalasar was difficult, but it allowed her to begin to achieve independence from her abusive brother, and she emerged from the experience as a strong, confident, courageous woman. Nevertheless, she has not forgotten what it was like to be a victimized child, and her experiences have left her with a compassion that is unusual in a would-be conqueror. She is determined to bring justice through her reign, and has made ending slavery a particular priority. Despite her strong moral compass, however, she is capable of dealing ruthlessly with her enemies.
This girl, I’ve loved her a lot, but she’s losing so many points in this last one that I’m not quite sure how I feel about her right now.
Brienne de Tarth
Brienne has spent most of her life as the object of scorn, rejection and – at best – pity. When she tried to dress and act like a proper lady, she was met with mockery and disdain for her unattractive appearance and lack of feminine social graces; when she turned to a career more suited to her talents as a warrior, she received only contempt and resentment for her gender despite her considerable skill.
I can relate to her in many things. Also, I admire her strength, and I don’t mean the physical one (though it’s clearly impressive).
I’ll stop here. I’m not sure if I’ve made this post encouraging you to love Game of Thrones or making everyone hate it 😛
Ok, I’m going to add that despite loving fantasy stuff I don’t really enjoy names and dates and dinasty lines and maps and all the things that give a story like this some verisimilitude. So sometimes I get bored. Also battles and wars, that may sound strange but that’s me. For a fan of characters and their development and growth there are some great ones in this saga too. I loved the first one aaaaand I think it was the third one (so much time has passed since those were read, you know).
Valar Morghulis.
-E
Reading Is Not Easy With Eyes Closed 