A Dance with Dragons

A Dance with Dragons
by George R.R. Martin
Sycamore Public Library call number: FAN FIC MAR
on disc: CD FIC MAR

The first three books in George R.R. Martin's series, A Song of Ice and Fire revolve around the action in the main houses (Stark and Lannister) of Westeros, and at the Wall. The fourth, A Feast for Crows, sets up some back-stories, some new characters, and takes much of the action outside of the Seven Kingdoms. This fifth entry in the series, A Dance with Dragons, expands things even further. In it, Martin does a better job of balancing the reader's desire to know what's happening "back at home" with the vast new vast who have become vital to the action in what is now a much more world-wide 'game of thrones.'

"[I]nfinitely more satisfying than its predecessor, 2005's bleak and plodding A Feast for Crows. The aspects of Martin's work that have endeared him to fans are abundant here--rich world building, narrative twists and turns, and gritty depictions of the human struggle for power."--Rachael Brown, The Atlantic

"All of them play their large and small roles in the ongoing game of thrones. And all of them are vulnerable. Any player, however important, can be removed from the board at any moment. This simple fact lends a welcome sense of uncertainty to the proceedings and helps keep the level of suspense consistently high throughout. ... Filled with vividly rendered set pieces, unexpected turnings, assorted cliffhangers and moments of appalling cruelty, “A Dance With Dragons” is epic fantasy as it should be written: passionate, compelling, convincingly detailed and thoroughly imagined. ... The result is a complex summer blockbuster with brains and heart, a book with rare--and potentially enormous--appeal."--Bill Sheehan, The Washington Post

Obviously required reading for anyone who's begun the series, A Dance for Dragons is awesome reading in its own right. Martin is not penning life-changing literature here, but he is creating an epic that will be remembered as more than just a television show. Highly recommended!

A Dance with Dragons is the fifth of George R.R. Martin's series called A Song of Ice and Fire. Five have been completed to this date; according to the Wikipedia page for the series, there will be two more. The first, A Game of Thrones, was reviewed here; the second, A Clash of Kings, was reviewed here; the third, A Storm of Swords, was reviewed here; and the fourth, A Feast for Crows, was reviewed here.

Reviewed by: Amy
Age Group: Adult
Class: Fiction (Fantasy)
Awards: Hugo Award - Best Novel (Nominated, April 2012)
Locus Award - Best Novel (Fantasy) (Nominated, May 2012)

Rating: B+