Not the Weak Link

Whereas A Clash of Kings improved on A Game of Thrones, and A Storm of Swords blew both completely out of the water, A Feast for Crows fell short. It is an excellent book and maintains Martin's reputation for strong fantasy drama played out amongst political schemers, warriors, and outlaws. It just wasn't up to par with its predecessors. Storm is probably one of the best fantasy novels I have ever read, so I was expecting this fourth book in the series to be just as spectacular if not - dare I have hoped?! - even better. It's sad to call it a let-down since it really is well-written and full of everything that makes Martin's novels as epic as they are. It suffered from the painful re-writing that Martin felt was needed, though. I missed the characters who were cut out and couldn't really take as much of an interest in the new POV characters this time around. And Sansa and Arya, who have been two of the most vital main characters until now, were given only a few opportunities to give us an idea of what is happening to them and how they feel about it all. (I'll admit to being a die-hard SanSan fan by this point, so I was heartbroken to read so little of Sansa herself, knowing that she will not have a POV in A Dance with Dragons)

I greatly approved of the deeper exploration of Brienne and Jaime's personalities that we get in this book, as well as the inclusion of Cersei's perspective. The first is a character who I bleed and cry for in a similar way to Tyrion, and it is fascinating to see how the greatest swordsman in Westeros deals with his maiming. As for the golden queen we all love to loathe, she provides us with an insider's look at a woman struggling to assert herself in a male-dominated society - something which would normally appeal to modern readers if the character wasn't such a ... well ... witch with a CAPITAL B.

I know that some readers find the repetition of certain phrases annoying, but I find it intriguing. Martin is big into providing clues about his characters in place of having them explain themselves at times. He's used objects in the past such as the Hound's bloodied white cloak which Sansa wraps herself in, or symbolic names such as The Viper to give us a hint about Oberyn's fighting style. These repetitive phrases are, I believe, being used in the same way. Brienne is searching for Sansa and the description provided by Catelyn is all she has to go by. It comes not only to symbolize her quest, but also her need to prove herself, repay a debt, and restore the honor of the Kingslayer. Likewise, the mantra of the Imp's parting shot regarding Cersei's faithlessness comes to dominate Jaime's thinking. He learns to mistrust her and the bond they have shared all of their lives - the bond which defined his very existence.

As with the previous books we see the evolution of certain key characters, following their trials and tragedies as they progress through the world and the story. No, it wasn't as good as the previous three books, but A Feast for Crows is still an example of the fantasy genre at its best. Bravo!

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