Dance with Dragons : a Song of Ice and Fire

Book Five

by George R.R. Martin

No cover — George R.R. Martin: Dance with Dragons : a Song of Ice and Fire (2015, Random House Publishing Group)

1056 pages

English language

Published Nov. 5, 2015 by Random House Publishing Group.

ISBN:: 978-1-101-88604-5

View on OpenLibrary

(8 reviews)

Dubbed “the American Tolkien” by Time magazine, George R. R. Martin has earned international acclaim for his monumental cycle of epic fantasy. Now the #1 New York Times bestselling author delivers the fifth book in his landmark series—as both familiar faces and surprising new forces vie for a foothold in a fragmented empire.

In the aftermath of a colossal battle, the future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance -- beset by newly emerging threats from every direction. In the east, Daenerys Targaryen, the last scion of House Targaryen, rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has thousands of enemies, and many have set out to find her. As they gather, one young man embarks upon his own quest for the queen, with an entirely different goal in mind.

Fleeing from Westeros with a prince on his head. Tyrion …

Fleeing from Westeros with a prince on his head. Tyrion Lannister, too, is making his way to Daenerys. but his newest allies in this quest are not the rag-tag band they seem, and at their heart lies one who could undo Daenerys's claim to Westeros forever.

Meanwhile, to the north lies the mammoth wall of ice and stone -- a structure only as strong as those guarding it. There, Jon Snow, 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, will face his greatest challenge. For he has powerful foes not only within the Watch but also beyond, in the land of the creature of ice.

From all corners, bitter conflicts reignite, intimate betrayals are perpetrated, and a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, will face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Some will fail, others will grow in the strength of darkness. But in a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics will lead inevitably to the greatest dance of all.

22 editions

Kadomi reviewed A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire, #5)

Review of 'A Dance With Dragons' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This book leaves me very torn. It's part of ASoIaF so I am bound to love it, and it brings us all the fan favorites that were sorely missed in AFfC. The writing is good and engaging, as gritty and gripping as ever. Some expressions were unfortunately way too repetitive, useless like the oft-mentioned nipples on a breastplate. I couldn't stop reading, but it's not a 5 star book.

My major gripe with this book is that the pacing felt totally off. In the middle you slog and slog through chapter after chapter. I have to say, I was almost rejoicing everytime a 'minor' PoV chapter was happening, as opposed to the glacial Dany or Jon chapters. Almost all Mereenese chapters did absolutely nothing for the story. Sure, they were colorful, they illustrated how much Danaerys was struggling and trying so hard to keep the peace but I could have done without that particular bit of color. There was a lot of traveling in chapters, of all the various characters heading towards Slaver's Bay, and yet, not all were really necessary. Quentyn's travels didn't really do anything for me. So it took a long time, they had to masquerade as mercenaries, and off-camera some of their companions had died. Same with Victarion's travels, though they seemed less pointless than the Dornish group. Only Tyrion's chapters made any sense, because he's a fantastic character, and had the most interesting voyage.

The pacing was a similar issue at the Wall. So many chapters, so little action. I was however surprised how much I enjoyed the Reek PoV. I don't know if enjoyed is the right term to use. The transformation of Theon to Reek and back was startling and disturbing. I hated Theon from the first book onwards, and now I can feel nothing but pity for him. I am probably most aggravated that we do not get any resolution for the Winterfell going-ons.

Fortunately, the pace picks up in the last part of the book, stuff begins to happen, and it feels like it ends too soon, because you want more of the crack. Only now we'll have to wait years again to get all those cliffhangers resolved, if at all. So many unresolved plots.

Surprisingly, my favorite PoV in the end was probably Ser Barristan. What a loyal Queensguard. Or should I say leal?