I can't believe I finally caught up. I started this series with so much skepticism that I wasn't even convinced I would finish the first one, let alone finish all of them. So less than a year and five massive books later, I am officially 100% a huge ASOIAF fan and I can't wait for the next book to come out. However, before that, I still have this review to complete... as always, spoilers lie ahead so beware. This is also going to be super long!
I don't even know how to review this book, seriously. I spent the majority of my time reading it just going AJKDLJDKH WHAT IS THIS THIS IS AWESOME WHAT IS GOING ON WHO ARE YOU I'M SO EXCITED. I will attempt to condense those feelings down slightly for your sake.
I think I was slightly let down by AFFC but I do appreciate that it was necessary to set everything up that happens in this book. The pacing of ADWD is immediately different and the story itself has such a different feel to it that I got straight back into it and read it much quicker than AFFC despite it being quite a bit longer. My favourite characters were all back and many things actually worked out better than expected, which is always a nice surprise in a G.R.R Martin book. I think bullet points by POV character are going to be my best bet here.
- Jon Snow - Oh hon, you really can't catch a break can you. Between Stannis getting on everyone's nerves, the Iron Bank making everything expensive, Ramsey Bolton continuing to be the Worst Human Being Alive™ and the continuing tension/shaky allegiance between the Nights Watch and the Wildlings, Jon has an awful lot to deal with in this book. I hope he's not dead, I don't think he will be to be honest. Not out of blind optimism, I lost that a while ago, but I just think his story just isn't over yet.
- Bran - WEIRD. There's actually Children of the Forest? And the Three-Eyed Crow is a tree man? And now Bran is kind of a tree man? The weirwoods just got a whole lot creepier IMO.
- Tyrion - I adored his story. While frustrating that he never seems to be able to get where he wants quickly, or at all in most cases (sold into slavery with Jorah, harsh dude), Tyrion's story revealed one of the best and most shocking plot twists I've come across in the story so far - PRINCE AEGON TARGARYEN IS ALIVE, Y'ALL. Or is he... I've heard some interesting theories about young Griff not being all he seems to be, but I'm not too sure either way. It'll be interesting to see how that goes. Tyrion's story ends up with him joining the Second Sons with the intention of convincing them to switch their allegiance to Dany, which is amazing. I'm sure something big is coming for him and I'm excited and a little terrified to find out what that might be.
- Arya - Why are the Stark's stories so god-damn strange? Not that this is a band thing by any means, but Arya's story in particular is just so far now from where I expected it to be, but in a brilliant way. She is blind for a while, discovers she is a skin-changer which i'd already guessed with the Nymeria dreams, she actually deliberately assassinates a man and is accepted into the weird house of death place as a trainee. FUCK.
- Davos - IS ALIVE! Yay! Wyman Manderly is fabulous and I like him a great deal, and I continue to care very little about Stannis. He's very welcome to kill Ramsey though, that would be nice and helpful. Also it's in Davos's story that somebody finally addresses the mysterious missing Stark child, and Davos is going to look for him! Yay!
- Theon - Okay, onto the not-so-yay. Since finishing this book I've watched series 3 of the show and I honestly wish I'd seen it before reading it. The reveal that Reek was indeed Theon made me genuinely physically sick. I don't do well with torture and although I don't agree with Theon's many bad decisions, I just can't deal with how broken he is. I've read the bonus chapter on GRRM's website and he is still alive after his escape, but I can't even imagine how you would even begin healing from such an experience as his. Urgh. He didn't deserve it.
- Cersei - I'm still deeply surprised by how much I care about Cersei. She's done some terrible things but I just can't see her as an evil person. Her walk of punishment was horrific and I think Mark Reads summed it up well in his review: 'It’s one of the most awful things I’ve ever come across in fiction, and what makes it so terrible is that so many people in this world heap scorn and insults on Cersei, including the people close to her, WHEN ALL OF THEM HAVE DONE TERRIBLE, HORRIFIC THINGS. And as uncomfortable as this all was, I do find it fascinating and appropriate that [...] GRRM made this so obvious.' She is essentially held as an example of all that is bad in the world whilst actually somewhat redeeming herself in her POV chapters. She is noble, proud and scared, and she continues to be humbled over and over until she begins to break down. It made me so sad, and I hope there's some form of redemption available to her in the future without corrupting her mind with power again.
- Daenarys - YES. My favourite part of ADWD was undoubtedly Dany's story, which is why I've saved it for (mostly) last. I've heard a lot of complaints from fans of the TV show that towards the end of season 3, Dany appears to be turning into a living embodiment of the 'White Saviour' trope, and i've been biting my tongue for weeks to prevent myself from ruining this book for them. In reality, her story turns this on it's head as she quickly realises that walking into a city and burning it to the ground isn't necessarily the best way to encourage political and cultural reform. We see that the former slave cities have not magically transformed into peaceful, loving republics, but have become pits of war and disease which threatens to encroach on Meereen, forcing Dany to make some incredibly difficult decisions. She marries a man she is not in love with, is forced to open up the fighting pits, is pressured into keeping two of her precious dragons locked underground for the safety of the people and slowly things begin to pile up and slip out of her control. Then eventually, when Drogon shows up again and begins to raise hell, it seemed to me that she just finally went 'Nope' and FUCKED OFF ON DROGON'S BACK INTO THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. I have been waiting for a dragon ride for so long and it was so good oh my god. Then the other two dragons escape, then Meereen is under attack with only Barristan Selmy to keep it all together, then Dany hallucinates and almost dies and maybe has a miscarriage (???), THEN SHE CASUALLY RUNS INTO A KHALASAR. I literally can't wait to read more about her story.
Other things:
- Quentyn Martell, bless your heart.
- Victarion you are not a good person. Also please stop trying to find Daenerys because I very much doubt she wants to see you at all ever. And don't blow that fucking horn just GO HOME.
- Melisandre genuinely believes in her religion and it's actually somewhat true on some level, which doesn't make it any less weird or vaguely murderous.
- BRIENNE IS ALIVE. PROBABLY. I really hope this isn't another Lady Stoneheart situation because I will scream.
- Varys is way more powerful that expected and he killed Kevan which seemed kind of unesscessary, but then he had the big awesome speech and he's clearing the way for Aegon to take over which is terrifying but I am excited.
- Let's just be painfully honest here - if Ramsey Bolton is not painfully and tortuously murdered in the next book I will not be pleased. Suitable murderers would include Theon, Asha, Dany by way of Drogon melting his face off, and Wyman Manderly.
- FAN THEORIES AND SPECULATION ABOUND - I am totally on board with the idea that Jon Snow is the son of Lyanna and Rhaegar and there's something in the idea that he might be Azor Ahai. I'm not sure about Aegon/Young Griff. Ser Robert Strong is BLATENTLY Gregor Clegane which horrifies me no end. Oh, and I thoroughly believe that Wyman Maderly baked the three Frey's into the big pies. Never thought I would be so pleased about murder and cannibalism.
Overall, I would give this book 4.5 stars out of 5
- Natalie
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