A Dance With Dragons review
Sep. 17th, 2011 12:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ishtar79I'm doing this completely backwards: I meant to review the previous books before I got to this one, but circumstances didn't allow it (mostly due to reading them while on holiday). So, I'll probably revisit them at a later point, but for now, my thoughts on A Dance With Dragons:
-I know the practical reasons behind splitting Feast For Crows/ A Dance With Dragons into two books, but as a reader, it was an incredibly frustrating experience. I spent most of the books missing the POVs from the other book, and the catching up with the FFC timeline was annoying at times (and initially confusing, especially in the strong deja vu sense of seeing Sam and Jon's initial scene from Jon's POV).
-I spent most of the book extremelly ticked off at Tyrion. Don't get me wrong, his chapters had some interesting bits and were relevant to the larger plot (especially the Aegon revelation), but there's only so much entitlement and self-pity a reader can take. I prefer Tyrion when he is delivering one-liners and scheming much more than when he is angsting about having raped/killed most of the women in his life (and I can't even begin to express how gross that all was). Still, his storyline picked up once he met the Second Sons.
-I did enjoy the character of Penny, though I could have done without Tyrion's uncharitable descriptions of her wits and appearance (especially the latter...looked into a mirror lately?).
-Jorah Mormont definitely comes off a lot worse from Tyrion's POV than from Dany's. Still, I was glad he made it through the book, since I still think there are some interesting things that can be done with the character.
-I understand that this book has inspired a lot of Dany-bashing, which I do not get at all. It's true that she's way over her head when it comes to actual ruling (as opposed to conquering), but I felt a lot of sympathy for her, even when she made mistakes. To begin with, she's only 15, so her being the perfect leader from the get-go would have been wildly unrealistic, and between the complex political situation in Mereen, being surrounded by self-interested backstabbers, and a host of conflicting and vague prophecies, it's no wonder she briefly lost her way. I did appreciate that she tried though, and did her best to do right by her people. Not that she is a paragon of goodness, mind you. I loved the moments of ruthlessness and Targaryen arrogance and a touch of sadism. And her dragon-riding scene? Most Awesome Visual Ever (and about bloody time). I worried about her in the last chapter, though I didn't think Martin would have her survive everything she did to be brought down by diarrhea.
-I want a Barristan Selmy of my own! I LOVED getting his POV, his internal conflict regarding broken vows (he should totes hang out with Brienne!) and how Sir Grandfather is still more badass than 90% of the young warriors in the verse.
-I don't know, despite his shock ending, I'm not ready to write Jon Snow out yet. I've read some of the theories, but I can't even begin to guess which one I find more likely, at least not before rereading the whole series...while keeping notes (those books are HUGE, you know?). On another note though, I knew something bad would happen as soon as Ghost started flipping out and Jon kept him locked away-WTF, Stark kids, keep the damned direwolves nearby AT ALL TIMES.
Life or death speculation aside, I loved Jon in this book. I always liked the character, but sometimes felt his chapters dragged on, but this time, shit got real. I loved how he was right in the thick of things, and got to interact with plot-integral characters like Stannis and Melissandre, and I loved how much more of an adult he came off as in this book. And I shouldn't find him beheading people hot, but I did. He's kind of turned into Ned, with a (somewhat) better feel for strategy.
-ARYA! Oh, my increasingly sociopathic little assassin, how I adore you! Having said that, while I enjoyed reading about her training, I can't wait to have her in Westeros again. It's gonna be like a pure ID female revenge action movie. And now I'm totally imagining her in The Bride's yellow jumpsuit (She's back...And she's going to KillBill Everybody).
-I know a lot of people feel Bran doesn't do...anything, which is a valid criticism and all, but this book was definitely a game-changer for him. I loved all the flashback scenes we got (NED!!!), though I sincerely hope he doesn't decide to chill among the roots forever.
- I've always kind of hated Theon and hoped he had died for real...and then I got to his chapters. Holy hell, what kind of darkfic has Martin been mainlining? Seriously, I know this series goes to some dark places, but everything about him in this book will probably give me nightmares for weeks. And Ramsay Bolton has officially moved to the top of my “most loathed character” in this series. A lot of characters do some horrific things, especially since the war broke out, but there are some that distinguish themselves as the kind of psychopaths who would be evil even outside a terribly cruel medieval world setting. And Ramsay is the WORST of them all. Gregor Clegane certainly commited atrocities, but lacks the imagination to stage such elaborate torture, and Joffrey never got to live long enough to reach his full psychopathic potential (thank God).
So yeah, I ended up feeling for Theon. His chapters also happened to be among the most interesting in the books, and I loved how gradually they showed him regaining an identity-not the necessarily the one he had before (which sucked), but some fundamental sense of self. And poor Jeyne! When the marriage occurred, I was consoling myself that at least we weren't in Jeyne's POV to see the “wedding night”, but then Ramsay ordered Reek in, and UGH. And seriously, did Martin really need to drop that bestiality reference (seriously, was it HP fic he was reading?). Part of me sort of ships Theon/Jeyne now, in a totally non-sexual H/C way, and that's not even my cup of tea, but God. Those poor kids have been through enough.
-On the other hand, I never bore the kind of hatred for Melissandre got from fandom-I always saw her as villainous, but compelling enough to like as a character. Her chapter actually made me like her though, which was unexpected. I mean, sure, she burns people alive and shadow-murders them, but I found it fascinating that her ultimate goal (to stop the Others from crossing the Wall) is, if not good, then definitely in the best interest of everyone in Westeros. And I loved her moments of doubt and the fact that while she's undeniably powerful, she's not omniscient or invicinble like she comes off in other POVs.
-I highly doubt that Stannis is dead. For one thing, Ramsay wouldn't be asking for his bride and Reek otherwise (who had reached Stannis' camp by that point) and for another, I doubt they'd off Stannis, Theon and Asha offscreen.
-I'm thrilled Davos is still alive. I know some people find him boring, but among all the uberdarkness of Martin's world and all the chacters constantly doing things ranging from the questionnable to the outright monstrous, it's nice to see some fundamentally decent characters (pretty much Davos, Brienne and Sam. Yep, it's a pretty small club).
-I somehow missed the Frey pie on my first read, but after it was pointed out to me...oh, yes. I don't care how fucked-up and wrong it was, it made my week.
-I can't comment on all the new POVs and characters (half of which are very eager to marry an unsuspecting Dani) in any depth. Victarion is such a typical asshole in this genre, I can't even bother to get pissed off at him, Connington seems nice enough, and poor Quentyn really should have known better. But hey, at least Arianne is off the tower, and still has NO idea what kind of bullet she dodged with Viserys.
-One Jamie chapter? With just a “blink and you'll miss it” Brienne cameo? That's just being mean. It was also funny to me, because I've already read more than one Jamie/Brienne fic starting off in a very similar vein, so I was confused at the surprising lack of sex in their reunion. If one of them ends up killing the other, I'll be very cross.
-Even if I wasn't inclined to be somewhat sympathetic towards Cersei, those two chapters of her would have turned me around. And I'm sure some readers are already bitching about her being shallow for worrying about stretchmarks and boob firmness in her super-extended, chapter-long sexual humiliation scene, but to me it felt so realistic, especially from someone whose primary weapon is her sexual appeal. I was actually relieved to see Zombie!Cregor, er, I mean Ser Robert WhateverThinDisguise.
-It's funny, I had almost forgotten about Varys. And evidently so had poor Kevan. I'll miss Kevan, he was so quietly competent and drama-free.
-I know the practical reasons behind splitting Feast For Crows/ A Dance With Dragons into two books, but as a reader, it was an incredibly frustrating experience. I spent most of the books missing the POVs from the other book, and the catching up with the FFC timeline was annoying at times (and initially confusing, especially in the strong deja vu sense of seeing Sam and Jon's initial scene from Jon's POV).
-I spent most of the book extremelly ticked off at Tyrion. Don't get me wrong, his chapters had some interesting bits and were relevant to the larger plot (especially the Aegon revelation), but there's only so much entitlement and self-pity a reader can take. I prefer Tyrion when he is delivering one-liners and scheming much more than when he is angsting about having raped/killed most of the women in his life (and I can't even begin to express how gross that all was). Still, his storyline picked up once he met the Second Sons.
-I did enjoy the character of Penny, though I could have done without Tyrion's uncharitable descriptions of her wits and appearance (especially the latter...looked into a mirror lately?).
-Jorah Mormont definitely comes off a lot worse from Tyrion's POV than from Dany's. Still, I was glad he made it through the book, since I still think there are some interesting things that can be done with the character.
-I understand that this book has inspired a lot of Dany-bashing, which I do not get at all. It's true that she's way over her head when it comes to actual ruling (as opposed to conquering), but I felt a lot of sympathy for her, even when she made mistakes. To begin with, she's only 15, so her being the perfect leader from the get-go would have been wildly unrealistic, and between the complex political situation in Mereen, being surrounded by self-interested backstabbers, and a host of conflicting and vague prophecies, it's no wonder she briefly lost her way. I did appreciate that she tried though, and did her best to do right by her people. Not that she is a paragon of goodness, mind you. I loved the moments of ruthlessness and Targaryen arrogance and a touch of sadism. And her dragon-riding scene? Most Awesome Visual Ever (and about bloody time). I worried about her in the last chapter, though I didn't think Martin would have her survive everything she did to be brought down by diarrhea.
-I want a Barristan Selmy of my own! I LOVED getting his POV, his internal conflict regarding broken vows (he should totes hang out with Brienne!) and how Sir Grandfather is still more badass than 90% of the young warriors in the verse.
-I don't know, despite his shock ending, I'm not ready to write Jon Snow out yet. I've read some of the theories, but I can't even begin to guess which one I find more likely, at least not before rereading the whole series...while keeping notes (those books are HUGE, you know?). On another note though, I knew something bad would happen as soon as Ghost started flipping out and Jon kept him locked away-WTF, Stark kids, keep the damned direwolves nearby AT ALL TIMES.
Life or death speculation aside, I loved Jon in this book. I always liked the character, but sometimes felt his chapters dragged on, but this time, shit got real. I loved how he was right in the thick of things, and got to interact with plot-integral characters like Stannis and Melissandre, and I loved how much more of an adult he came off as in this book. And I shouldn't find him beheading people hot, but I did. He's kind of turned into Ned, with a (somewhat) better feel for strategy.
-ARYA! Oh, my increasingly sociopathic little assassin, how I adore you! Having said that, while I enjoyed reading about her training, I can't wait to have her in Westeros again. It's gonna be like a pure ID female revenge action movie. And now I'm totally imagining her in The Bride's yellow jumpsuit (She's back...And she's going to Kill
-I know a lot of people feel Bran doesn't do...anything, which is a valid criticism and all, but this book was definitely a game-changer for him. I loved all the flashback scenes we got (NED!!!), though I sincerely hope he doesn't decide to chill among the roots forever.
- I've always kind of hated Theon and hoped he had died for real...and then I got to his chapters. Holy hell, what kind of darkfic has Martin been mainlining? Seriously, I know this series goes to some dark places, but everything about him in this book will probably give me nightmares for weeks. And Ramsay Bolton has officially moved to the top of my “most loathed character” in this series. A lot of characters do some horrific things, especially since the war broke out, but there are some that distinguish themselves as the kind of psychopaths who would be evil even outside a terribly cruel medieval world setting. And Ramsay is the WORST of them all. Gregor Clegane certainly commited atrocities, but lacks the imagination to stage such elaborate torture, and Joffrey never got to live long enough to reach his full psychopathic potential (thank God).
So yeah, I ended up feeling for Theon. His chapters also happened to be among the most interesting in the books, and I loved how gradually they showed him regaining an identity-not the necessarily the one he had before (which sucked), but some fundamental sense of self. And poor Jeyne! When the marriage occurred, I was consoling myself that at least we weren't in Jeyne's POV to see the “wedding night”, but then Ramsay ordered Reek in, and UGH. And seriously, did Martin really need to drop that bestiality reference (seriously, was it HP fic he was reading?). Part of me sort of ships Theon/Jeyne now, in a totally non-sexual H/C way, and that's not even my cup of tea, but God. Those poor kids have been through enough.
-On the other hand, I never bore the kind of hatred for Melissandre got from fandom-I always saw her as villainous, but compelling enough to like as a character. Her chapter actually made me like her though, which was unexpected. I mean, sure, she burns people alive and shadow-murders them, but I found it fascinating that her ultimate goal (to stop the Others from crossing the Wall) is, if not good, then definitely in the best interest of everyone in Westeros. And I loved her moments of doubt and the fact that while she's undeniably powerful, she's not omniscient or invicinble like she comes off in other POVs.
-I highly doubt that Stannis is dead. For one thing, Ramsay wouldn't be asking for his bride and Reek otherwise (who had reached Stannis' camp by that point) and for another, I doubt they'd off Stannis, Theon and Asha offscreen.
-I'm thrilled Davos is still alive. I know some people find him boring, but among all the uberdarkness of Martin's world and all the chacters constantly doing things ranging from the questionnable to the outright monstrous, it's nice to see some fundamentally decent characters (pretty much Davos, Brienne and Sam. Yep, it's a pretty small club).
-I somehow missed the Frey pie on my first read, but after it was pointed out to me...oh, yes. I don't care how fucked-up and wrong it was, it made my week.
-I can't comment on all the new POVs and characters (half of which are very eager to marry an unsuspecting Dani) in any depth. Victarion is such a typical asshole in this genre, I can't even bother to get pissed off at him, Connington seems nice enough, and poor Quentyn really should have known better. But hey, at least Arianne is off the tower, and still has NO idea what kind of bullet she dodged with Viserys.
-One Jamie chapter? With just a “blink and you'll miss it” Brienne cameo? That's just being mean. It was also funny to me, because I've already read more than one Jamie/Brienne fic starting off in a very similar vein, so I was confused at the surprising lack of sex in their reunion. If one of them ends up killing the other, I'll be very cross.
-Even if I wasn't inclined to be somewhat sympathetic towards Cersei, those two chapters of her would have turned me around. And I'm sure some readers are already bitching about her being shallow for worrying about stretchmarks and boob firmness in her super-extended, chapter-long sexual humiliation scene, but to me it felt so realistic, especially from someone whose primary weapon is her sexual appeal. I was actually relieved to see Zombie!Cregor, er, I mean Ser Robert WhateverThinDisguise.
-It's funny, I had almost forgotten about Varys. And evidently so had poor Kevan. I'll miss Kevan, he was so quietly competent and drama-free.