A Song of Ice & Fire: A Dance With Dragons

Finally I have completed all of the published books in this series & I am eagerly awaiting the following two editions. The Winds of Winter & A Dream of Spring.  I have fallen in love with this series for all of the intrigue, misdirection & Machiavellian schemes that drive the characters in this epic series.  I some trouble finishing this particular book knowing that there wasn't sixth book to pick up next.  As a fan I am upset that it takes Martin so long to write one of these books & we have two to wait for, but as an artist I respect that this is Martin's baby & it will be done in due time.  I have complete respect for George R.R. Martin & he rushed this it would suffer in quality compared to the previous editions.  I pray that Martin finds the time to finish this series & get over any writers block because this is an extraordinary body of work & when it is finished I am sure it will be one of my all time favorite series.  This fifth book sets up so many characters & leaves so many cliff hangers that have fans screaming for more.  Meereen is set for war & the siege of the city has begun.  Lord Varys has returned to Kings Landing.  There is an upcoming battle in snow in the north between The Warden of the North & King Stannis's Army.  The Iron Born are moving toward Meereen.  One dragon is in Westeros while Daenerys's is in the Great Grass Sea facing down a Dothraki hoard.  John Snow has fallen in some strange way the Lanisters have been put through the ringer just as much as the Starks.  While other characters fates remain unknown for now.  I must wait for this next book like A Dream of Spring the wait is the long winter.

A Song of Ice & Fire: A Feast for Crows

This installment of A Song of Ice & Fire series is a little different than the previous books but it is still just as interesting.  Events in the series seem to have slowed down a little bit since the events of the previous book but that is probably due to the fact only half of the point of view characters are in this book.  Almost all of the characters in this book are new point of view characters some get less page time than others one of these such characters is Arianne Martell, she only has a couple of chapters but characters like Brienne Tarth who has close to ten chapters.  Events & plot threads become clearer as the story progresses but one of the things I have noticed that intrigues me the most about this series are the events that have come before such as the Age of Heroes, Robert's Rebellion, The War of the Nine Penny Kings or the events that are set to take place after this epic has come to an end.  Just like Tolkien before him Martin has created a story & a world that he can not hope to wrap up in 3 more books.  If you hate Cersei Lannister this book is for you she gets whats coming to her & self destructs along the way.  The main problem with this book & the format that Martin has chosen for this installment & A Dance with Dragons is that it leaves the reader with shocking cliff hangers that will not be resolved until The Winds of Winter.

A Song of Ice & Fire: A Storm of Swords

The third book in A Song of Ice & Fire series has out shined the previous two books by a mile & then some.  There is so much that happens in this book it eclipses the events of the previous ones.  Where the first book set the stage while the second book broadened the playing field & the cast of characters.  I loved this book there was a lot of heartache in this book not a single family was safe.  The Starks are still getting put through the ringer but the Lannisters are getting their just desserts as well.  This book reveals how several major players bite the dust & several major conflicts along the way.  I would dive into more detail but even the slightest explanations would spoil the story for those that are unfamiliar with the tale, again read before you watch the show.

A Song of Ice & Fire: A Clash of Kings

So much happens in this second book of A Song of Ice & Fire series that I don't want to spoil but this second installment of the series has left the realm splintered & fractured.  By the end of this book another self proclaimed king has died, alliances have been forged, betrayed & reforged.  This book introduces a slew of new characters; characters like Brienne of Tarth, Melisandre, Asha Greyjoy & Davos Seaworth are just of few of these new characters that stand out in this title.  Characters that were only mentioned in the first book receive even more attention in this one.  One of the greatest chapters in this book is a Daenerys chapter in which she visits the House of the Undying: within this house she is given visions this is a chapter that will require multiple reads to understand & could possibly be a key to understanding the story as a whole. The first time I picked up this series I only got two thirds of the way through this book before I had to abandon the series for awhile.  In coming back to the series & in reading this book a second time that chapter alone provides so much foreshadowing that it should not be ignored.  By the end of this book the Kingslanding has been attacked, the north lands are covered in blood, the river lands burn day & night several hated characters still live.  But there is still this glimmer of hope because it always gets darker before the dawn & winter is coming.

A Song of Ice & Fire: A Game of Thrones

First off this is a whole hell of a lot better than the show can ever hope to be.  This is the title that started it all back in 1996.  I love this series I picked it up after my sister got me hooked on some other epic fantasy series; Sword of Truth & Wheel of Time.  Everything that made the first season of the show so good is here & so much more.  The show is like a series of cliff notes for this series & this is one that keeps you on the edge of your seat, turning the pages to see what happens next.  The first book introduces us to the land of Westeros.  Eddard Stark is essentially the main character of this particular book but each chapter has its own point of view character.  Tyrion Lannister steals the show with every chapter he has in this book.  There are so many point of view characters in this series that everyone will undoubtedly have their own favorites.  I really like all of the speculative back story in this book I hope that once George R.R. Martin is done writing the last two books in this series.  That he will do three prequel books  First a book about the Aegon the Conqueror coming & conquering Westeros.  The second book should be a detailed account of Robert's Rebelion; I want to know who John Snow's parents really are.  I think that John Snow is really Lyanna Stark's bastard son with Rhaegar Targaryen instead of Ned Stark's bastard & that she died giving birth to him, so in reality he is Daenerys Targaryen's half brother. The third book should be a collection of the stories that Old Nan told the Stark children growing up, the legends of Westeros.  But knowing how long it takes Martin to crank out one of these masterpieces those three books will probably never happen.  This first one however is one of the greatest works of literature of the last quarter of a century & will stand the test of time like The Lord of the Rings.  If you are a fan of the show you owe it to yourself to read not just this book but the whole series.