If I could give this 3.5 stars, I would. It was better than book four, but it still took me almost a month to get through.

Though the plot didn't advance much, the lack of advancement was a lot more interesting than last time, probably because I like the featured characters better.

Many other reviewers have already written enough words about this to fill another book twice its size, so I won't elaborate too much here, except to say that I definitely noticed the overuse of the phrase "useless as nipples on a breastplate." It was funny at first, but then he used it three or four more times, and put one of those times in Daenerys' mouth (as though everything she says is...somehow...written by him...I don't understand this). Then there was the guy he mentioned who had rings in his breastplate nipples. I can only conclude that, as useless as breastplate nipples are, George is quite fond of them.

And now, I will tell you how he could have ended the story in this book:

Quentyn doesn't get hideously burned or die with his flesh sloughing off his skull and his eyes filled with pus (thank you, George, that is a vision I will never forget from this series, along with Drogo's khalasar throwing a helpless woman on top of a pile of corpses and raping her from behind, as well as the phrases "glistening wetly" and "Myrish swamp").

Instead, Quentyn succeeds in stealing Viserion. Victarion shows up and steals Rhaegal (because it would be confusing for Victarion to be riding Viserion). Daenerys marries both of them AND her nephew Aegon, because why stop at one husband? I mean, really? They all join forces and take back Westeros, burning all of their enemies in their path. Once Daenerys reclaims the Iron Throne, she sends her husbands to ride the dragons north over the wall and burn the Others until they are well and truly dead. The wall is no longer needed, so Jon Snow is free to be declared legitimate and become Lord of Winterfell, after he magically survives being stabbed multiple times. Tyrion becomes Daenerys' fool. Brienne lets Stoneheart kill Jaime and then "rescues" Sansa only to have some horrible misunderstanding happen that causes them all to die, because that's what George does. Most of the rest of the cast is dead, and Bran is a tree, so he doesn't matter anymore. Then, twenty years later, Rickon Stark and Osha reappear, gather an army of northmen, and take bloody vengeance on Jon Snow and Daenerys to start the game anew.

I know I missed a lot of characters there, but at least I didn't need 1,000 pages to wrap it up. And now you don't have to worry if George dies before he finishes the next book, because you know how it will end. ( )

Fans have been looking forward to this one for a LONG time. A Dance with Dragons completes the story begun six years ago, when A Feast for Crows was published in October, 2005. In Feast, fans were given the full story, but only for half the characters. Fan favorites like Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow and Daenarys Targaryen were noticeably missing from the chapters of the book. Martin's now-infamous claim that Dance would be finished within a year ended up haunting him relentlessly until the day that A Dance with Dragons fell into everyone's eager hands. A Dance with Dragons not only completes the story of that missing half, but also continues the story forward. In fact, Dance is the largest book in the series, weighing in at 1,040 pages.

So how does this fifth entry in the Song of Ice and Fire series match up to the rest? Read on to find out.

Note: It's presumed you've read the series up to the ending of A Feast for Crows, so if you haven't, don't read on.

The Prologue certainly draws comparisons to that in A Game of Thrones, taking place far north of the Wall, and giving us glimpses of the White Walkers. This serves to continue the inexorable march of the undead towards the rest of Westeros. Martin is most certainly taking his time drawing out the inevitable confrontation with the Others, however, and some readers may wonder if he'll ever be able to complete this saga, much less in the two books he claims remain. Nevertheless, it's a promising start to the novel.

Tyrion Lannister

Finally, after ten long years, fans get new Tyrion material. His story begins perfectly in Dance and we see the Imp wallowing in self-pity and taking careless chances, his life no longer important to him. It doesn't take long for that attitude to change, with the help of some unlikely allies, and rather unexpected revelations.

Tyrion sees his ups and downs in this novel, and his luck continues to hold, especially near the end. He's matched up with another dwarf, but where this pairing is going is hard to say. Tyrion's line that he has a heart for "cripples, bastards and broken things," is never so apt as in this novel. His story does wander a bit, and he's not as endearing as in his previous forays, but he's still very much Tyrion Lannister, and he entertains us nonetheless.

Daenarys Targaryen

Unfortunately, Daenarys Targaryen's return after a decade-long hiatus does not go as well as the dwarf's. She is certainly a willful young woman, but she borders on annoying and insolent throughout the novel. She seems to disregard every piece of advice her advisers give her, always questioning herself, but then stubbornly refusing to reconsider. Though she's the mother of dragons, we unfortunately see very little of them until the latter parts of the book, which is frustrating, considering how integral they seem they must be to the series.

There are some truly exciting portions of the novel in this book, however; One scene in particular seems to be what fans have been waiting for since the moment the dragons were brought to life in the burning embers of Khal Drogo's funeral pyre. It should bring a chill to readers' spines, and was perfectly written--leaving the reader wondering about the fate of the character, of course.

Jon Snow

Jon arguably has the best plot line in the novel, both fleshing out his character further, as well as one of the most surprising final chapters of the book. Strange how the Starks all seem to have the best stories.

There's also an early scene where Jon dispenses justice Eddard-style. It's an unexpectedly welcome scene, not only makes for good reading, but also draws the reader back into the story, which until then founders a little bit.

Davos Seaworth

In A Feast for Crows we learn that Davos is dead. Since Dance takes place during the same timeframe, we get to see his actual situation play out. Without spoiling things, let's just say that Davos' parts are rather boring, most of the time, though Martin leaves things sufficiently appropriate for Davos Seaworth.

Theon Greyjoy

It's been 13 years since we last got into the head of Theon Greyjoy, all the way back in the second book of the series, A Clash of Kings, published in 1998. Martin seemingly killed off the young kraken, but readers have heard bits and pieces about him throughout the series. In A Dance with Dragons, fans finally learn the fate of Theon. Theon's storyline is one of the most interesting of the book, second only to that of Jon Snow.

Bran Stark

Bran has a very interesting story in the novel, but one that seems to end much too quickly. His almost feels like a dropped story thread, and fans will wonder what's happening with him later in the book without ever finding out. This is presumably one of the characters who will see more time in the next entry in the saga.

Quentin Martell

Quentin Martell is the son of the Prince of Dorne, and fans are given quite a bit of time with this character. Ultimately, his part doesn't feel that important to the story, and one is left wondering why he is even a part of it. The importance of Dorne's storyline is becoming more apparent throughout Dance, but it still feels like it's late to the party.

Arya Stark

Still very much in Braavos, Arya was left blind in her last outing. Hers is one of the most involved stories in all of the Ice and Fire saga, and it continues to be no less enveloping in this latest entry. It's still unclear exactly where her thread is leading her, but fans shouldn't be disappointed by her brief appearances in Dance.

Victarion Greyjoy

It's not very clear how Victarion will ultimately play into the saga, but his parts are not at all dull.

Jamie Lannister

When the book finally catches up to the end of A Feast for Crows readers are reunited with Jamie, and his quest to unite the riverlands. He only appears in one chapter in Dance, but it's a fantastic one, with a very suitable cliffhanger ending.

Cersei Lannister

Fans will be very pleased with Cersei's chapters in A Dance with Dragons. The queen has already been brought low, and will sink even further before things are through. Fans may even begin to feel sympathy for her in this round, though they'd be hard-pressed to ever forgive her. Cersei has been the character that fans love to hate, so Dance is all the more shocking for making her seem more human.

Brienne of Tarth

Another character that only appears once, and not as a viewpoint character. Fans won't get a lot of information about what's been happening with her, or what her ultimate fate is, but her presence is crucial to the chapter, feels unexpected, and is perfect.

The Red Priestess Melisandre

Readers are welcomed into the mind of Melisandre for the first time in A Dance with Dragons and given a look at what her plans might be. It's revealed that she's not infallible, and can doubt herself after all. There are some reasonably surprising events revolving around Melisandre in this novel as well.

Stannis Baratheon

Readers have still not seen events from the viewpoint of the truly legitimate King, and after A Dance with Dragons, it's uncertain if it will ever happen. Indeed, Stannis has a lot to do in this book, with very little to show for it. He appears a few times early in the book, then mostly those that surround him allude to him for the remainder. It's fitting that readers should spend more time with his subjects than with the King himself, however.

Ser Barristan Selmy

Selmy is still with Daenarys and serves as the sole member of her Queensguard. Throughout the saga, he's been a bit of a secondary character, but with A Dance with Dragons, he leapfrogs right into major character status. His parts are interesting, treacherous, and fitting for the aged knight. Fans will have much more respect for Ser Barristan before the Dance is through.

Varys the Eunuch

Appears only once, and very briefly, but is the most shocking and enjoyable chapter in the book.

Missing Characters

Ultimately, there are a few characters that do not appear in the novel, their fate uncertain.
- Catelyn Stark
- Rickon Stark
- Sansa Stark
- Samwell Tarly
- Peter Baelish (Littlefinger)

Summary

A Dance with Dragons does indeed feel much like A Feast for Crows did, though is certainly a better novel; it feels dark and gritty. Winter is most certainly coming, as evidenced by Martin's use of the weather throughout the book. Once it snows in King's Landing, it's quite clear how winter is going to affect events in the series.

Once Dance catches up to the ending of Feast, things move along a little faster, but this book still doesn't live up to the greatness of A Clash of Kings and the chaos that was A Storm of Swords. There are moments that drag along, and there are characters included that feel unnecessary or confusing. Fortunately, Martin moves the story along nicely in this book, and it truly feels like there's an end-game coming, though it's still unclear what exactly that is.

The author has stated that there are at least two more books left in the saga, currently titled The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring. Though those titles are intriguing, A Dream of Spring doesn't sound like the title of a book that would wrap up this amazing series. It seems like in a song of Ice and Fire, things should end in a blazing inferno, and fire should be a part of the title. Mayhaps there will be another entry in the series. Time will tell, of course, but with the delay between these books growing longer, let's hope not too much time is necessary.

Rating: 4.0 of 5

- Reviewed by Bradley K. Brown ( )

So glad I saw the tv series BEFORE reading the books, I enjoyed the series, but often felt it was lacking in some way, somewhat contrived (now I know why !) and the ending was pretty banal. But had I read the books first I would have been so frustrated at all the changes made, many of which I cannot fathom. People generally were hooked on the series, so hey, make it longer and stick to the original !!
Now I'm just frustrated at having to wait for the next book ... Ok so it's not great literature, but great page-turners to keep me occupied during lockdown ! ( )

Although I liked ‘A Dance with Dragons’ much more than the previous book in the series, ‘A Feast for Crows’, it does not compare to the brilliance of the first three novels, which were full of intrigue, drama, and excitement. Like with the fourth instalment, this fifth one is full of back stories, excess characters, and static descriptions, albeit it does have more action, better third-person specific narratives, and moves at a bit quicker pace.

I see some reviewers didn’t like Tyrion’s chapters, yet I found these among the most engaging. His interaction with Penny the dwarf, Jorah Mormont, and various other characters held my interest.

Jon’s chapters were also engaging, as were Bran’s in the most part, and the sole chapter seen from Cersei’s perspective. To my surprise, Theon’s chapters proved highly engaging, showing a marked improvement on those in earlier books.

On the minus side, the multiple third-person specific narratives are too numerous, with those focusing on lesser characters proving to be quite dull reading. Chapters that focus on Dornish characters, the uninspiring Iron Men, and most incidental characters held little appeal for me. I feel the author's been too ambitious with his plot, creating too many threads.

Daenerys’s chapters were disappointing compared to her appearances in the first three books. She and her councilors spend to much time in fruitless debates. Someone says such-and-such a thing is the best thing to do, only for someone else to contradict them. While conflict is essential in a novel, these types of futile discussions are irritating, not entertaining.

Several style aspects are annoying, which is the one thing this novel has in common with its four predecessors. It’s wasting words to use an adverb to ‘tell’ when a strong verb is enough to ‘show’.

Lists do not make exciting reading, and the author goes to town with lists in this book, be it reeling off names of endless characters in a scene, or over-describing food on the table.

We also get too much of characters who ‘could hear’ and ‘could see’ something or other, and in some cases ‘could feel’. It's obvious in most cases that the characters in question can see or hear what's going on, or feel such-and-such a thing, so to inform the reader that someone 'can see/hear/feel' something is a waste of words.

My biggest criticism is the amount of back story and characters yarning on about their history or the history of such-and-such a thing. This slows the narrative pace too much. A main ingredient of a good novel is to keep the story moving forwards, which can’t be done with excess back story or history recitals.

Another element that slows the narrative down is over describing characters. One attribute, or two at most, is enough for introducing a new character. If more description is needed, the best approach is to filter it in, ideally through action, not static descriptions. Less is more. The more detail given at once, the harder it is to recall, particularly when introducing multiple characters with in-depth details on how they look and what they’re wearing. A yellow cloak or a velvet gown is much more memorable than explicit details of a character’s clothing. Quite often, we have multiple characters introduced in one scene with all being intricately described in their physical appearance and their clothing.

The ‘less is more’ approach applies to the number of characters as well. So many appear in this book that it’s hard to keep up with who’s who.

‘A Dance with Dragons’ has some gripping scenes thrown in, particularly towards the end, which is why I’ve given it four stars, with Tyrion’s, Jon’s, Theon’s, and Cersei’s narratives being the most entertaining, but on the whole, this is a pale imitation of the first three books. ( )

Wow. Just...wow. I think this book is the payoff for everything that was being set up in the fourth novel (somewhat...a lot of it will still be happening obviously) and I loved it. There is always the unnerving feeling of not knowing what is going to happen to any given character. Anyone can die. Literally. No one is ever safe and that is one of the reasons this series is so compelling. There is real danger to real characters.

The story had a lot of POVs which could have possibly been cut out, but I understand why they were included as well. My new favorite character is probably Selmy. He is beast.

I can't wait for the next installment. ( )