Feelings after finishing this book

[zaheer12a]

Yesterday I finally finished AFfC. I read some posts here and was afraid that this might be a boring read.

Now I have to say it was actually not bad at all. After ASoS I think it is the second best book (just started ADwD, so can't say much about that) in the series. The Iron Island bits were my favourite. At first I was surprised to see a pov from the ironborn, because they had been such unimportant characters in the first few books. But the story is built up quite nicely and it really explodes when Euron shows his Valyrian horn. Suddenly the ironborn are big players in this war. I'm really excited to read about Victarion sailing to Meereen.

The Dornish bits were really nice too. Everyone is thinking that Doran is a coward and he is doing nothing. But finally he shows where his allegiance lies near the end. This will be an interesting read in ADwD as well :P (Areo Hotah is a badass. Him killing Arys was an epic scene)

Jaime's chapters were quite nice as well and his transformation into a good guy is complete. I just love him as a character now. Cersei on the other hand.... Every few pages I had to stop, laugh at how stupid she is, ask myself why she is acting so dumb and then I could continue reading. Her stupidity really gets annoying to read at times

Arya and Sam, not really exciting to read, but not bad either. There are a few highlights in their chapters (sam's pink mast, anyone??) but overall nothing special.

Brienne.... Most boring chapters ever. Somehow I don't even feel sad for what happens.

++ Ironborn and Dorne

+ Jaime

-- Brienne

[BadWo1f]

I have same opinion about AFfC but I would add Brienne chapters to being "normal",not good but not bad,with few higlights. My favourite book at this point. Need to finish ADWD.

[JonCon's Red Beard]

Feast is one of my favourites. Mostly don't like it because it lacks the action and development of Storm, but GRRM is just setting up the second part of his story here.

[Ghosts Lunch]

Yeah it's a transition book, we have things set up in aGoT, it heats up in aCoK, we have an intense period of action in ASOS, there is a slight transition army lull as people take stock and prepare for the next phase, AFfC really is the transition from the old to the new, or the first act into the second act when most of the previously senior players from the Aerys/Roberts rebellion days are gone. And in ADwD it's a bit like ACoK again where things are heating up again and I expect WoW to be like ASoS again and something of a bloodbath, though Ariannes POV chapters seem a bit slow, those people should have asked for the Damphair chapter to be read out lol

If they were all one-paced ala ASoS it would be problematic, much like a film if it was all one-paced, look at some reviews for battle of five armies,t his should have been at the end of a two-movie sequence but instead we have a film that is one long battle and people disengage and it becomes descriptive

Frankly without AFfC we wouldn't be able to appreciate the magnitude of what happens in the latter part of the series, we need to be introduced to a new ensemble of characters like the Sand Snakes, Marwyn etc who play a part in the next phase of it all. Better we have some background understanding, so it isn't like aoberyn in ASoS where he turns up to KL halfway through the book! and is killed 3/4 into it etc.

The show has run into the problem where due to lack of flashbacks they aren't able to properly impress upon viewers the backstory or historical context, so down the line they end up not being able to reference because she's an obscure name and we get illogical reasons to visit Tywin "why did you have me sentenced to death?" (Gee might have something to do win you asking for a trial by combat and your champion losing) doesen't quite match up to "Tysha WASN'T playing me and you did all of that to her!!!"

[Ghosts Lunch]

I quite appreciated AFfC, maybe it's because of my International Relations/Politics background but for me the behind the scenes machinations involving the religious institutions versus those of the State, plus the role of finance and economics in stabilising/de-stabilising a regime

[Ser Cold Fingers]

Welcome to the Forums!

Some people stated they didn't like AFfC because it was split geographically from ADwD and their favorite characters did not appear. At least that is one of the reasons I have found.

After you complete the series, and you decide to do a complete re-read, I suggest combining AFfC with ADwD to create the fan coined book A Feast with Dragons. There is a combined chapter list Here that combines the two books chronologically to create the one LONG book. I have to say that this was my favorite way to read AFfC & ADwD. Long but worth it.