A chapter a night before bed and months after the last book, I have
finally caught up with the series. Let my wait for "A Dance with
Dragons" officially begin!
As always, Martin does not hold back, from his plot development and
twists, to the fanaticism, necromancy, and sex involved. It still
remains very character-driven - old and new, or ones reborn under
different names, titles and purposes, cross paths aplenty. Kingdoms
too mentioned casually in earlier installments come into focus and
play greater parts in the unfolding story. With the war coming to
an end but conflicts and plotting still ever present, this book
felt very much like an interlude to bigger things to come. Martin
has laid a great foundation for the sparring and sorcery that is
just inevitable.
I actually wished he had never included his little note at the end
of "A Feast for Crows." It would have given less of a reason for
readers to complain about the long wait, although I do fully
understand that close to 6 years (and counting!) is too wide a gap
to endure for a book that had supposedly been written as a part of
this installment but had to be split because of its sheer volume.
Nevertheless, while some have lost hope, I remain a fan. Think of
your loyal fans Mr. Martin, especially those who have waited for
half a decade, and get it published! At least there is the upcoming
HBO tv adaptation of "A Game of Thrones," premiering April 17, to
tide us over. It looks very promising and with Martin involved in
it too, it might serve as a reminder that there is more work to be
done.