A SPOILER of Ice and Fire -- Game of Thrones, Clash of Kings, et al.

I really think that people miss some of the best aspects of Feast for Crows. Admittedly, it's a bit more hackneyed than the other books because of the way it was written (i.e. half done and then scrapped, then mostly done and then extricated from what became Dance) but there's still great material in there. I loved the Greyjoy stuff. I'm a world-building fan, so I like the cultural perspective, but I'm also a Euron fan and I'm interested to see where he goes in Winds. But I also enjoyed the Dorne material for the greater insight on the conspiracy with the old regime and Cersei's material because her foolish willingness to allow the holy orders to reassemble had "death!" written all over it and yet all you could do was sit there and watch it happen. Also, one of the most interesting details of the series showed up in the last few pages of Feast, when the maesters in Oldtown aver to the fact that they killed the dragons once and now have to figure out how to do it again. And, of course, the best thing about Feast was Arya.

I really kind of disliked Arya's story for a long while. The petulant tomboy just didn't sell me. It became more tolerable with my all-time favorite character, the Hound, for a while, but then took off when she finally joined the temple. I mean, what kid who's been through what she has wouldn't leap at the chance to become an assassin? How cool is that? And, yet, how tragic, as she'll never return to what little family she has and her own lust for vengeance has hardened her into a weapon? Will she be able to continue to live with that? All of this is in Feast and that's what makes it a worthwhile book to me.

I enjoyed Dance. You could see where the notorious "Meereenese knot" held him up in its progression for a while, but he eventually sorted it out. But I really started to get overwhelmed with the angst in Dance after a while. Tyrion, one of my favorites and whose chapters have always been enthralling, got really tiresome about halfway through the book. Yes, we know it's symbolically tragic that you killed your own father... but let's examine what kind of person you are, shall we? You're a hardbitten cynic who was and is fully aware of what vermin your father actually was... so fucking get over it! Combine that with Dany's angst over the slaves and Dance was getting annoying about halfway through. Oddly enough, the one character who had always been the angst-filled one, Jon, cut through the crap and moved on in this book. "Get me a block.", indeed. The Wall stuff was excellent this time.

I'm not sure where Rickon is headed. Martin has mentioned before that he and Bran, as the youngest, are the most difficult to write because it's tough for him, as a man in his 60s and with no children, to write from that perspective. But I think Bran is finally in a logical place and Rickon, rather than return House Stark to glory, may instead just be the one that holds its place in existence. Of course, it all depends on how long a span of time is covered by Winds and Sign (or if he decides that he has to push it from 7 books to 8...)

FEAST is still a slog. There is just too much time spent with the wrong people. I don't fail to note that it did progress the overarching story, but it was the least interesting book by far for me. If Euron is your thing, then it's the book for you. TONS of time with the Greyjoys there. Jackwraith, would you rank it higher than others in the series?

@ Doc Mabuse - I have similar feelings. I am not a bloodthirsty guy, and what Theon did was fucked up--but what's happened to Theon is gross. GRRM couldn't kill Ramsay hard enough for me. I'm sure he'll just trip and bonk his head or something leaving me wanting. Maybe we'll get another disgusting PoV-wolf-eating-someone chapter. Those are lovely.

I like how Jon matured as well. He really came into his own across these last two books. I'm sure he feels (felt?) like the only person in Westeros that realizes fucking zombie hordes are about to come streaming into the land and no one is helping out at all. Can you imagine? Fat little kings talking of their kittens, Dornish cripples selecting which wine to enjoy, and Jon's understaffed, under attack, and fucking zombies and monsters are like right there. He'd be the only guy in Westeros that won't say "Fuck me" when the dragons show up. It'd be more of the same for him. "Oh sure, dragons. Yeah, put them with the giant in my garden, the mammoth in my castle, and the zombie ice demons over yonder."

I haven't read the new chapters so I'm now clearly spoilt and ruuunt [dutch spelling I think]; but I can live with that. What I *can't take* is another Sansa chapter...ever. The girl needs to die a horrid, wretched death. While I think that Jaime is under-developed as a character [a spot where I think the HBO series has done well--Jaime has a little more flesh & blood to him there], Sansa seems to me to be predictable to the point of being trapped in an "infinite do-loop."

That's why I kind of hated that the Watch turned on him in Dance. Things were finally moving forward in the North and Jon was taking steps to return the Wall to some of its former glory, restaffing with whoever was available (as the kingdoms sure weren't helping much on that front), restoring the derelict keeps and even allying with the Wildlings against the real foe. But his men were too short-sighted to see that and felt they were being made to sleep with the enemy.

Now of course Jon won't stay dead (see the prologue to Dance and other Warg-y bits sprinkled throughout the book), but his murder will throw all that progress way back and now I'm not so sure Martin will be able to wrap things up effectively and satisfyingly in only 2 more books (Dany's storyline was also pretty turgid in Dance).

Tyrion, one of my favorites and whose chapters have always been enthralling, got really tiresome about halfway through the book. Yes, we know it's symbolically tragic that you killed your own father... but let's examine what kind of person you are, shall we? You're a hardbitten cynic who was and is fully aware of what vermin your father actually was... so fucking get over it!

Sweet baby Zeus, YES! That started to driving me fucking nuts! Jon's "You know nothing" thoughts are right up there as well.

The Watch had to turn on Jon. Most of the people there are essentially sticks in the mud. He's let wildings and other creatures they've fought for years because of what they see as unfounded wilding stores about the zombie ice demons. It's the only logical step from that sort of unable-to-change mentality.

Plus it leads to another thing I expect to happen in Winds - something destroys the Wall. Likely near if not at at the end of the book.