Well, I am very, very glad I waited and read a library copy. I would have been disgusted to have spent money to acquire this tome.

This is an unrelentingly dreary, bleak, grim novel with absolutely no joy or happiness in it. At least not that I could see because I started skipping large parts of very dull, sadistic chapters. And, toward the middle, all of Brienne's pointless wandering, as well as the Ironborn segments. Finally, I found Mr. Martin's preoccupation with rape, sadism and zombies pretty disturbing...

As many have pointed out, this is just a filler novel. Rather than splitting the original book in two, GRRM would have been better advised to have edited it into a single tight novel (with ALL the characters) which has a beginning, a middle and an end. To do this, however, requires self discipline and a willingness to work within a determined format-much as poets  write within the established parameters of, say,a sonnet or haiku, rather than rambling free verse. Unfortunately, I fear Mr. Martin has lost his self discipline and has become self indulgent (one glance at his website will tell you that!).

Unless Mr. Martin pays any attention to these "less than sterling" reviews-and I seriously doubt he will-I confidently assume Book #5-Dance of Dragons-will be more of the same, only different characters. Boring, tedious and pedestrian.

Oh, and I hope the series is resolved in my lifetime....
Well, I am very, very glad I waited and read a library copy. I would have been disgusted to have spent money to acquire this tome. This is an unrelentingly dreary, bleak, grim novel with absolutely no joy or happiness in it. At least not that I could see because I started skipping large parts of very dull, sadistic chapters. And, toward the middle, all of Brienne's pointless wandering, as well as the Ironborn segments. Finally, I found Mr. Martin's preoccupation with rape, sadism and zombies pretty disturbing... As many have pointed out, this is just a filler novel. Rather than splitting the original book in two, GRRM would have been better advised to have edited it into a single tight novel (with ALL the characters) which has a beginning, a middle and an end. To do this, however, requires self discipline and a willingness to work within a determined format-much as poets  write within the established parameters of, say,a sonnet or haiku, rather than rambling free verse. Unfortunately, I fear Mr. Martin has lost his self discipline and has become self indulgent (one glance at his website will tell you that! ). Unless Mr. Martin pays any attention to these "less than sterling" reviews-and I seriously doubt he will-I confidently assume Book #5-Dance of Dragons-will be more of the same, only different characters. Boring, tedious and pedestrian. Oh, and I hope the series is resolved in my lifetime....