The primary purpose of this "review" is to voice my deep disappointment; to add another 1-star review to the list. I only wish that I could vote negative stars.

Most of the "plot" or "action" involves new characters (or at least characters who first appeared in novel 3 or later), whom I only vaguely remember, and couldn't care less about. Sure "old favorites" (Daenerys, Tyrion, Arya, Jon Snow, and Bran Stark) make welcome, even if brief, appearances but usually muddying the plot line (if there is a plot line) rather than advancing it in any foreseeable direction. Everything of interest (at least to me) which happens in volumes 3 to 5 could be well (and completely) related in 100 pages. Something like 5000 pages into this epic, there is still no "closure" to any of the substories---nor at this point is there even hope that there ever will be closure in subsequent volumes.  For example, there are no Lanisters left to "get even" with.  Every time a little momentum gets going, the protagonist (invariably one of the few interesting characters) is killed, and the "viewpoint" shifts to a different character POV) in a different story line. It's even worse when murdered characters come back to life a thousand pages later (after having been burned to a crisp or beheaded etc.) because they weren't really dead. Is Ned Stark going to be resurrected in volume 6? The "theme" of impersonators (for Arya, Sansa, Theon, etc.) is way past moldy. Sure, some "bad guys" are killed or humiliated---but there is no feeling of justice having been served. They "get theirs", not for the evil they've done, but rather for pointless political reasons. Even when Tyrion kills his father (a sick old man sitting on the toilet), it's just pathetic, not triumphant, not even satisfying. I'm tired of my interest being piqued by interesting new themes or side-stories which are abandoned and never developed. I'm exhausted by the cancerous convolutions and the lack of continuity. I'm particularly annoyed by the frequent feeling that I must have accidentally skipped several chapters---caused by abrupt jumps (leaving gaps) in the main story-lines, which are never filled-in.

As far as all that praise for the "reality" of the story. Yeh, the series is more like "real life" than is traditional fantasy literature. I happen to be a published historian. I research and write "real life" stories (history). Despite those (usually) horrible high-school and college courses we all suffered through, well-written history is fascinating because the stories are real.  An appreciation of real history actually has value in living our lives. I read literature, particularly fantasies, as a vacation from reality---to enjoy a simpler (imaginary) world in which things are simple, problems are resolved, and justice prevails. It may not be reality, but it is a form of hope. Reality--yes, read history. Fantasy---yes, read Tolkien and Rawlings.

Many reviews extol the lack of magic and fantasy (another way of praising the "reality").  One woman approvingly wrote, "When a character is killed, he stays dead".  What novel was she reading?  Although I love Rawlings, Tolkien, etc. the fact is, the relatively little magic in "The Song of Ice and Fire", is a distraction.  Besides, most of the magic in TSOI&F is "scary old icky magic" (zombies, possession, reanimation of corpses, etc.) not the appealing imaginative magic of Rawlings, Tolkien, etc.  Giants and dragons undoubtedly hook many prospective readers, but so far GRR Martin has little more than mentioned them in passing. TSOI&F might indeed be better without the little magic that it contains.

Yeh, I know, there are already a thousand 1-star reviews and nobody will read this one, nor yours, but that's no reason not to "vote". Write your own 1-star review in order to record your own "vote".

> Click on Stoney just below the product title to see my other reviews, or leave a comment to ask a question.
The primary purpose of this "review" is to voice my deep disappointment; to add another 1-star review to the list. I only wish that I could vote negative stars. Most of the "plot" or "action" involves new characters (or at least characters who first appeared in novel 3 or later), whom I only vaguely remember, and couldn't care less about. Sure "old favorites" (Daenerys, Tyrion, Arya, Jon Snow, and Bran Stark) make welcome, even if brief, appearances but usually muddying the plot line (if there is a plot line) rather than advancing it in any foreseeable direction. Everything of interest (at least to me) which happens in volumes 3 to 5 could be well (and completely) related in 100 pages. Something like 5000 pages into this epic, there is still no "closure" to any of the substories---nor at this point is there even hope that there ever will be closure in subsequent volumes. For example, there are no Lanisters left to "get even" with. Every time a little momentum gets going, the protagonist (invariably one of the few interesting characters) is killed, and the "viewpoint" shifts to a different character POV) in a different story line. It's even worse when murdered characters come back to life a thousand pages later (after having been burned to a crisp or beheaded etc. ) because they weren't really dead. Is Ned Stark going to be resurrected in volume 6? The "theme" of impersonators (for Arya, Sansa, Theon, etc. ) is way past moldy. Sure, some "bad guys" are killed or humiliated---but there is no feeling of justice having been served. They "get theirs", not for the evil they've done, but rather for pointless political reasons. Even when Tyrion kills his father (a sick old man sitting on the toilet), it's just pathetic, not triumphant, not even satisfying. I'm tired of my interest being piqued by interesting new themes or side-stories which are abandoned and never developed. I'm exhausted by the cancerous convolutions and the lack of continuity. I'm particularly annoyed by the frequent feeling that I must have accidentally skipped several chapters---caused by abrupt jumps (leaving gaps) in the main story-lines, which are never filled-in. As far as all that praise for the "reality" of the story. Yeh, the series is more like "real life" than is traditional fantasy literature. I happen to be a published historian. I research and write "real life" stories (history). Despite those (usually) horrible high-school and college courses we all suffered through, well-written history is fascinating because the stories are real. An appreciation of real history actually has value in living our lives. I read literature, particularly fantasies, as a vacation from reality---to enjoy a simpler (imaginary) world in which things are simple, problems are resolved, and justice prevails. It may not be reality, but it is a form of hope. Reality--yes, read history. Fantasy---yes, read Tolkien and Rawlings. Many reviews extol the lack of magic and fantasy (another way of praising the "reality"). One woman approvingly wrote, "When a character is killed, he stays dead". What novel was she reading? Although I love Rawlings, Tolkien, etc. the fact is, the relatively little magic in "The Song of Ice and Fire", is a distraction. Besides, most of the magic in TSOI&F is "scary old icky magic" (zombies, possession, reanimation of corpses, etc. ) not the appealing imaginative magic of Rawlings, Tolkien, etc. Giants and dragons undoubtedly hook many prospective readers, but so far GRR Martin has little more than mentioned them in passing. TSOI&F might indeed be better without the little magic that it contains. Yeh, I know, there are already a thousand 1-star reviews and nobody will read this one, nor yours, but that's no reason not to "vote". Write your own 1-star review in order to record your own "vote". > Click on Stoney just below the product title to see my other reviews, or leave a comment to ask a question.