Review of A FEAST FOR CROWS by George R. R. Martin (see his website)

THE SONG OF ICE AND FIRE

Bantam, November 2005

War has exhausted the Seven Kingdoms, but peace still remains out of reach. Queen Cersie clings to every morsel of power, even though doing so puts her in debt to the crazed religious leaders and increases dissention among the great nobles. Jaime, Cersei's brother has lost a hand but seems to have gained some intelligence as a result. Still, can he, or is he even willing to be the strong arm behind the throne?

Meanwhile, House Stark has been damaged with every male member either dead, assumed dead, or, in the case of Jon Snow, Eddard Stark's bastard son, condemned to the wall. Eddard's two daughters, Sansa and Arya are in hiding and disguise.

With Stark apparently eliminated, the reborn dragons and the Targaryen princess distant rumors, and Cersei and the Lannister's with their hands full, the other houses stretch for power and survival. The Iron Islands raid, House Martell battles within itself for survival and for dreams of power, and the threat of the wild North beyond the wall continues to grow.

Author George R. R. Martin (see more BooksForABuck.com reviews of novels by Martin) continues his fascinating look at power, war, and magic in a medieval-style world. The SONG OF ICE AND FIRE series represents one of the most compelling modern stories of fantasy. Martin defies convention by killing many favorite characters, depicting characters from all sides with a combination of admirable and hateful chaacteristics, and providing an almost Shakespearean gravitas to the story. I don't recommend starting this series with A FEAST--it relies upon the back story, but the series is a must-read for fantasy fans and A FEAST is a powerful and welcome addition.

Four Stars

Reviewed 11/19/05

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