Having read the previous George RR Martin books in his A Song of Ice and Fire series, I was unimpressed with this latest addition, A Feast for Crows.  Nothing really happens.  This was the first of his books in this series that I could put down and go to bed.  There was just this general sense of....apathy I had while reading it.

And then I realized this may be what Martin was going for.  Even the title Feast for Crows, symbolizes what happens after a battle.  The dead rest, a pall forms across the battlefield, and the crows pick on the corpses of the dead.  This is exactly the theme found throughout this novel.  Having dealt with the constant war and action of the first 3 novels.  Book 4 is sort of a pause in the story, a chance to take stock.  It is here that the "crows", i.e, the survivors of the ongoing warfare across Westeros, begin to pick the corpse of the shattered kingdom.  Throghout the story, an "every man for himself" theme begins to arise as the balance of power shifts among the great houses of Westeros.

Despite this theme however, and the mastery of his writing craft Martin shows throughout the series, the book nonetheless remains dull.  Save for a combat scene by Brienne (don't worry, nothing spoiled), there is little to interest the reader.  As several have said, this book has shades of Robert Jordan's comatose Wheel of Time all over it.  In addition, several prominent characters are discussed briefly but otherwise not in this book at all.  At the end, Martin explains this was an intentional omission.  He had produced enough material for 2 books, and will update the overlooked characters in his next book.

With that said, A Feast for Crows is good reading, not great.  Fans of the series should read this to appreciate Martin's skill as a writer and a creator of a unique world, but should also not expect to be overwhelmed by any action in these pages. Hopefully, the slow pacing of this book is meant to refresh the story, and is not a warning of a Jordanesque collapse of the story under its own weight.
Having read the previous George RR Martin books in his A Song of Ice and Fire series, I was unimpressed with this latest addition, A Feast for Crows. Nothing really happens. This was the first of his books in this series that I could put down and go to bed. There was just this general sense of.... apathy I had while reading it. And then I realized this may be what Martin was going for. Even the title Feast for Crows, symbolizes what happens after a battle. The dead rest, a pall forms across the battlefield, and the crows pick on the corpses of the dead. This is exactly the theme found throughout this novel. Having dealt with the constant war and action of the first 3 novels. Book 4 is sort of a pause in the story, a chance to take stock. It is here that the "crows", i. e, the survivors of the ongoing warfare across Westeros, begin to pick the corpse of the shattered kingdom. Throghout the story, an "every man for himself" theme begins to arise as the balance of power shifts among the great houses of Westeros. Despite this theme however, and the mastery of his writing craft Martin shows throughout the series, the book nonetheless remains dull. Save for a combat scene by Brienne (don't worry, nothing spoiled), there is little to interest the reader. As several have said, this book has shades of Robert Jordan's comatose Wheel of Time all over it. In addition, several prominent characters are discussed briefly but otherwise not in this book at all. At the end, Martin explains this was an intentional omission. He had produced enough material for 2 books, and will update the overlooked characters in his next book. With that said, A Feast for Crows is good reading, not great. Fans of the series should read this to appreciate Martin's skill as a writer and a creator of a unique world, but should also not expect to be overwhelmed by any action in these pages. Hopefully, the slow pacing of this book is meant to refresh the story, and is not a warning of a Jordanesque collapse of the story under its own weight.