Martin, George R.R. A
Feast for Crows. New York: Bantam Spectra, 2005. 1086 ppg.
The fourth
volume of George R.R. Martin’s saga, A
Song of Fire and Ice, propels the reader down the storyline of what took
place in Westeros following the events that took place in A Storm of Swords. This volume and most of the fifth volume feature
the storylines running concurrently, but split into the two books. What this
portends for the succeeding volumes is unknown, but the fact that Martin needed
two books instead of one to advance the saga is a bit unnerving. The volumes
are already stretching into the thousand page marks with years between
releases.
A Feast for Crows does not disappoint
the reader though. It is worth every penny of its purchase. The death of Tywin
Lannister has thrown the Seven Kingdoms into turmoil. A boy king, his mother
who demands to be the regent, the maimed commander of the Kingsguard who
resents his sister (and former lover) for her betrayal, unrest among the people
as winter comes to the southlands, religious fanaticism taking hold as the
crown ignores the people, and the continued shifting of power and alliances
fill the pages. Uncertainty abounds with every turn of the page. Are the wars
of the five kings over or are they just in a lull period?
A new king
claims the Iron Islands while another claimant moves south from the Wall. While
not featured in this book, it is known that one claimant to the throne still
lives in Mereen and she has dragons. Meanwhile, Bran and his party move north
following their vision to its conclusion. If anything, this book fills in what
could have been major gaps in the plot. While peace lies uneasily in much of
the lands, men still maneuver for power as no clear leader seems to be stepping
forward to rule the land.
I found
this volume to be more about character development than others had been. I was
particularly impressed with the changes made in Jamie Lannister’s character.
The loss of his sword hand has made him adapt and begin to use his brain to
solve many of the problems he seeks to solve. His use of diplomacy in resolving
sieges and ending the last vestiges of the war is particularly
interesting. The introduction of
characters from Dorne was an outstanding addition to the saga. It is one of the
few untouched areas of Westeros and its might could definitely change the
balance of power. Many Dornish seek to use that power immediately, but its
leader bides his time waiting for the right moment.
Yes, this
volume really brings forth the maneuvering in developing powerful alliances
which fall apart all the time. While not nearly as deadly for characters as the
previous books, the death of minor characters continues as Martin depicts the
lands as deadly as ever. The style of writing had remained the same as well.
Chapters are brief, and are from one character’s point of view per chapter
while expanding the saga. The themes remain very adult however. This is not a
book for young readers.
I really do
not want to give any of the plot away. It is clear that Martin has some serious
work ahead of him in unifying the plotlines together which will involve more
death. Religion is brought to the forefront of this book for the first time in
the saga. Before it had existed, but not in a form that carried any real
weight. In this book, religious fanaticism rears its head. As we see by current
events, this can be a very powerful force in the world. Martin shows how that
works within the medieval framework.
All in all,
this is an excellent book and one that grabs the reader’s attention. With the
HBO series now filming episodes that feature events that take place after what
Martin has written so far, it remains unclear how things will develop in the
future. Already several story lines have been significantly altered from the
books. How Martin’s chooses to advance the saga will be interesting. One thing
is clear. Eventually peace will return to the Seven Kingdoms. The problem will
be if no one is left alive to enjoy it. The winter is coming and so is a great
evil in the North which may require the humans to band together in order to
fight it. Martin seems to be showing how a lack of unity may be too much for
humanity to overcome when faced with supernatural death and destruction.
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