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Science Fiction & Fantasy |
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A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire)
written by George R.R. Martin
Studio : Spectra
by Spectra
Release Date : 2006-09-26
Publisher : Spectra
Released : 2006-09-26
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780553582024
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 754 reviews)
List Price : $7.99
Our Price : $3.97
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Product Description |
Few books have captivated the imagination and won the devotion and praise of readers and critics everywhere as has George R. R. Martin’s monumental epic cycle of high fantasy. Now, in A Feast for Crows, Martin delivers the long-awaited fourth book of his landmark series, as a kingdom torn asunder finds itself at last on the brink of peace...only to be launched on an even more terrifying course of destruction.
A Feast for Crows
It seems too good to be true. After centuries of bitter strife and fatal treachery, the seven powers dividing the land have decimated one another into an uneasy truce. Or so it appears....With the death of the monstrous King Joffrey, Cersei is ruling as regent in King’s Landing. Robb Stark’s demise has broken the back of the Northern rebels, and his siblings are scattered throughout the kingdom like seeds on barren soil. Few legitimate claims to the once desperately sought Iron Throne still exist—or they are held in hands too weak or too distant to wield them effectively. The war, which raged out of control for so long, has burned itself out.
But as in the aftermath of any climactic struggle, it is not long before the survivors, outlaws, renegades, and carrion eaters start to gather, picking over the bones of the dead and fighting for the spoils of the soon-to-be dead. Now in the Seven Kingdoms, as the human crows assemble over a banquet of ashes, daring new plots and dangerous new alliances are formed, while surprising faces—some familiar, others only just appearing—are seen emerging from an ominous twilight of past struggles and chaos to take up the challenges ahead.
It is a time when the wise and the ambitious, the deceitful and the strong will acquire the skills, the power, and the magic to survive the stark and terrible times that lie before them. It is a time for nobles and commoners, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and sages to come together and stake their fortunes...and their lives. For at a feast for crows, many are the guests—but only a few are the survivors.
From the Hardcover edition. |
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It all started out so well |
The series was off to such a great start. Then, a bunch of things happened. The time between books got longer and longer. The amount of story that happened in each book got less and less. The amount of meaningless content in each book went up.
I agree, that he's lost control of his story. Either he thinks anything he writes can get longer and longer, and that it's excused by that Tolkien quote he uses ("The tale grew in the telling"), or that he can excuse it by saying the book is too long for physical binding. Both should tell him something.
I would like to see his story lines become tighter, with less meandering reminiscences and back-references, and for him to shrink the time between tales.
JK Rowling had some of the same problems, with the books having more and more fluff. In her books 4 and 5, it was possible to see whole pages that contributed nothing to the story, where in books 1 through 3, it was possible to miss something if one was inattentive for just a sentence. However, she was able to get her series back on track, and wrap it up with a great #6 and #7.
I see a disturbing similarity between his series and the "Wheel of Time" series. With Robert Jordan, I was at first realllllly worried that he was taking too long, and I was hoping that he would pull things together. After Book 9, I didn't give a damn any more, as I waited for the price of the used hardcover to drop to a buck before I bought one.
I'm half-expecting that this series will end the same, with me not giving a damn. I really do hope he can resurrect the series and get it back on track, but I'm not holding my breath. |
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Does not disappoint |
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A Feast For Crows is written in a quite interesting manor. Essentially, this book (and the next) were written together, but due to the size of the story half of the characters were pulled out and published in book, and the other half will (one would guess) have their stories told in the next. That being said, so long as one is not waiting to read about one or two particular characters (which may or may not have appeared in this book) this book will not disappoint. Martin's writing style is still as thrilling and the story is just as unpredictable. I can not wait for the next installment. |
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Calm Before the Storm! |
I thought this was a great continuation of Martin's ground-breaking "fantasy" series. Lots of people have whined about this book on Americancivilwar: "it's too slow, the major players are missing, etc." The whiners miss the point. The story has never been about the major players. You think you know who's important only to have your assumptions dashed.
What I like about this installment (and what likely frustrates others) is the suspense. The whole book is 1,000 pages of gunpowder trails crisscrossing across the landscape, waiting for someone - or something - to blow it all. What could that be? Dragons...
"A Dance with Dragons" is on its way in 2008! |
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AWSOME! |
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This searies has been phenominal! I just wish the next book would be finished soon. |
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Slower paced but not bad |
After the headlong excitement of bloodshed, intrigue, and snappy dialogue that we had in the first three books of the 'Song of Ice and Fire', 'A Feast for Crows' is quite a change. The plot slows down considerably, and not a lot seems to happen between the beginning and the end. This does not, however, ruin the book: on the contrary, though it is certainly the weakest link in the series so far, 'Feast' stands quite well on its own merits.
For one thing, Martin's writing continues to be a pleasure to read. The dialogue is as snappy as ever and some chapters's climaxes had me on the edge of my seat, despite this volume's overall leisurely pacing. Which brings me to my next point: despite the complaints of those who were expecting another action-packed thriller from Martin's pen, I found the slow pace of 'Feast' not so much a fault as a ... well, a simple change of pace. After all, since Book 3 wrapped up the big old war, it just makes internal sense for not as much to be going on. Instead, in 'Feast for Crows' we are given a much deeper and fascinating look at the world that Martin has built this series around: and good heavens!, it is a rich one. This man has some incredible ideas, and puts them together with a deft instinct for unity and verisimilitude. Despite being a bridge book to fill the gap between Beginning and End, 'Feast for Crows' ably holds its own. |
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