First things first:

I don't know about ROY. Don't look to me for him. But he must be some damn good audio speaker for so many people to cry over him. Tempts me to buy this audio books to see for myself what this fuss is all about...

Now to the main dish:

Feast for Crows sucked big time. I will tell you why: It is only half a novel. It is ironically what Martin sought to avoid...he wanted to tell the STORY of half the characters in Feast and not half the story for all his characters. Well, how to put it...he failed very much in that. I loved Martin's works because he was a very good handler of structure and FEAST is sorely missing in this regard. It begins very slowly, describes too many details, has very few meaningful scenes and ends in cliffhangers. The characters are very dull and uninteresting (particularly these in Dorne and Samwell Tarly). Brienne would have made an okay character but Martin failed in giving her a proper story. She just rides aimlessly in the Riverlands, kills some Bloody Mummers and manages to get herself hanged at "Stoneheart`s" Orders. In the latter she at last had to make a choice in a personal dilemma and that was very good character wise, but it occured very late at the very end of her plot. We don't know what happend with Brienne...we will find out somewhere in...

...Dance of Dragons? Don't think so. He will tell the story of the missing characters in this novel, don't you think? So when we will know what happened to Brienne? In the novel AFTER A Dance of Dragons. Yes. Maybe it will come out in 2008, but you know, i doubt it.

A Feast for Crows is a caracter study. And that of following characters: Cersei, Jaime, Brienne, Samwell Tarly, Sansa, Arya, Dorne Princesses and Victarion of the Ironborn. I see that some of you shudder. You don't see the likes of Tyrion or Dany here, make no mistake. Cersei is the by far most interesting one of these listed here but even in her chapters boredom occasionally sets in. Her plot - of course - ends in a cliffhanger too.

Plotwise nothing really happens. The Ironborn are invading Westeros - hahaha, talk about major plot incidents! - Dragonstone is conquered and young Loras is wounded gravely. I think that is it. Oh and some dornish ladies conspire against their fathers. Not very long, though...

If you thought you will witness the great attack of the OTHERS or at last the coming of Dany Stormborn, think again. Nothing happens in this regard. And that is the great story! Dany against the Others, that is clear. And nothing really moves in this regard. But we have wonderful chapters about Samwell Tarly retching on board to Oldtown and making love to Gilly. Don't get me wrong i am all for caracter emotions but why did i feel the surge to throttle Samwell Tarly all the time? Must be something wrong with me. Oh and Tarly doesn't change. He changed very much in STORMs where he killed an Other and made a bastard lord commander (great feats!) but in Feast he is only retching all the time.

Many have said Martin had many problems with Feast. I concurr. He himself stated something like that on his website. But...i don't think this is the real problem here. Come on, you don't need to make much to move the plot forwards: Dany to Westeros, The others over the Wall...but he didn't want to do this on purpose. He wanted to stretch the series. He just didn't want to end it in six books.

And it shows. Many of you who applaud Feast just desillusion yourself. Answer truthfully: Do you spend 25$ to just witness a break in the story? A rebuilding of powerbases and lifes? A laying of groundwork for other novels? Please think that over. Doesn't it sound utterly mad to think like this?

Maybe it's me. Maybe i am different. I am a Martin Fan, yes, but i want 100% from him. No break, No rebuilding, no laying of groundwork...no act 2, scene 1 crap. That's just stupid. I want the same i had in the first three novels: A wonderfully paced narrative, full of compelling characters deeply set in themes of hommages to Tolkien, War of Roses and Shakespeare and Greek Tragedy Theatre with a dose of Horror to finish it off.

Instead i got a Halfbook. I got Tyrion Lannister of the Ice and Fire Series, but without the wit, charme and passion of the great dwarf.
First things first:

I don't know about ROY. Don't look to me for him. But he must be some damn good audio speaker for so many people to cry over him. Tempts me to buy this audio books to see for myself what this fuss is all about... Now to the main dish:

Feast for Crows sucked big time. I will tell you why: It is only half a novel. It is ironically what Martin sought to avoid... he wanted to tell the STORY of half the characters in Feast and not half the story for all his characters. Well, how to put it... he failed very much in that. I loved Martin's works because he was a very good handler of structure and FEAST is sorely missing in this regard. It begins very slowly, describes too many details, has very few meaningful scenes and ends in cliffhangers. The characters are very dull and uninteresting (particularly these in Dorne and Samwell Tarly). Brienne would have made an okay character but Martin failed in giving her a proper story. She just rides aimlessly in the Riverlands, kills some Bloody Mummers and manages to get herself hanged at "Stoneheart`s" Orders. In the latter she at last had to make a choice in a personal dilemma and that was very good character wise, but it occured very late at the very end of her plot. We don't know what happend with Brienne... we will find out somewhere in... ... Dance of Dragons? Don't think so. He will tell the story of the missing characters in this novel, don't you think? So when we will know what happened to Brienne? In the novel AFTER A Dance of Dragons. Yes. Maybe it will come out in 2008, but you know, i doubt it. A Feast for Crows is a caracter study. And that of following characters: Cersei, Jaime, Brienne, Samwell Tarly, Sansa, Arya, Dorne Princesses and Victarion of the Ironborn. I see that some of you shudder. You don't see the likes of Tyrion or Dany here, make no mistake. Cersei is the by far most interesting one of these listed here but even in her chapters boredom occasionally sets in. Her plot - of course - ends in a cliffhanger too. Plotwise nothing really happens. The Ironborn are invading Westeros - hahaha, talk about major plot incidents! - Dragonstone is conquered and young Loras is wounded gravely. I think that is it. Oh and some dornish ladies conspire against their fathers. Not very long, though... If you thought you will witness the great attack of the OTHERS or at last the coming of Dany Stormborn, think again. Nothing happens in this regard. And that is the great story! Dany against the Others, that is clear. And nothing really moves in this regard. But we have wonderful chapters about Samwell Tarly retching on board to Oldtown and making love to Gilly. Don't get me wrong i am all for caracter emotions but why did i feel the surge to throttle Samwell Tarly all the time? Must be something wrong with me. Oh and Tarly doesn't change. He changed very much in STORMs where he killed an Other and made a bastard lord commander (great feats! ) but in Feast he is only retching all the time. Many have said Martin had many problems with Feast. I concurr. He himself stated something like that on his website. But... i don't think this is the real problem here. Come on, you don't need to make much to move the plot forwards: Dany to Westeros, The others over the Wall... but he didn't want to do this on purpose. He wanted to stretch the series. He just didn't want to end it in six books. And it shows. Many of you who applaud Feast just desillusion yourself. Answer truthfully: Do you spend 25$ to just witness a break in the story? A rebuilding of powerbases and lifes? A laying of groundwork for other novels? Please think that over. Doesn't it sound utterly mad to think like this? Maybe it's me. Maybe i am different. I am a Martin Fan, yes, but i want 100% from him. No break, No rebuilding, no laying of groundwork... no act 2, scene 1 crap. That's just stupid. I want the same i had in the first three novels: A wonderfully paced narrative, full of compelling characters deeply set in themes of hommages to Tolkien, War of Roses and Shakespeare and Greek Tragedy Theatre with a dose of Horror to finish it off. Instead i got a Halfbook. I got Tyrion Lannister of the Ice and Fire Series, but without the wit, charme and passion of the great dwarf.