For those struggling through AFFC...

[House Balstroko]

I just finished the book today and will say that I think its far weaker than the previous three yet still enjoyable. The problem with this book is that it moves away from the two central external aspects (the Wall and Daenerys) and many great POV's are missing.

Another reason people dislike this one is that there is relatively little action and some storylines are quite dry (Arya's and Sansa's).

The last think I disliked was the use of nicknames for chapter tilles (The Drowned Knight...). I think GRRM should ahve just sticked with the names. Sometimes I wouldn't know which character the POV belonged to until I started reading it.

I liked Cersei's POV's and the ones with the Ironmen and Dornishmen even though they were also dry their climaxes were great where they both set off in search of Daenerys and her dragons.

[ShaggyShaggydog]

I am 80% (according to my kindle) through AFFC - and whilst I am enjoying most of the book, and especially the introduction of the Dornish - I miss a reference or something to characters that simply seems to be out. I understand they may come back in a DwD, but a whole book is a long time to leave important characters out? (I really wonder what happened to Varys, for one)

[Plem]

Finished the book yesterday and while I do believe that it is the weekest one in the series so far, I also agree that it was somewhat necessary to show the aftermath of ASoS. I just wish it hadn't been so boring.

All those new POV characters just weren't necessary. One at every location would have been sufficient enough: Asha for the Iron Islands and Arianne for Dorne. What was the point of Areo Hotah or Varys Oakheart? We never really get to know them anyway. Victarion and the Damphair also feel sort of "incomplete". I just didn't like the way this was handled. It's like GRRM realized that his book was too short and he needed to stretch it out a little.

However, I did like that it focused more on politics instead of all the magical mumbo jumbo for a change. All those council meetings with Cersei were very interesting to read. Brienne's chapters on the other hand were pretty boring. I know what GRRM was trying to do here, but I just didn't care. Her storyline picked up near the end, though.

[Hedge Lawyer]

Chronologically. Just merge the stories from Feast and Dance, and split them in two chronological seasons.

I was thinking that they could make 4 seasons out of the three books- ASOS, AFFA, & ADWD. ASOS & ADWD are both large books- both are 33% larger than AGOT. That's a lot of ground to cover.

[Sean Billings]

I quite enjoyed the book actually. All but Arya's chapters , they bore me to tears. There has got to be some point to her character, but as yet I don't see it. Jaime's , Cersei's & Sam's chapters by comparison, were outstanding.

[Crown]

I was thinking that they could make 4 seasons out of the three books- ASOS, AFFA, & ADWD. ASOS & ADWD are both large books- both are 33% larger than AGOT. That's a lot of ground to cover.

Yeah, same here. AGOT (1 season, 2011), ACOK (1 season, 2012), ASOS (2 seasons, 2013/14), AFFC/ADWD (2 seasons, 2015/16). Only problem will be the age of the actors by the end of the series, especially Arya and Bran's age.

[Inigo Montoya the Second]

i don't hate the book but part of me didn't want to read it.

i am anyway though because i don't want to start reading the last books and be completely lost and wonder "who in seven hells in euron?" or "when did so and so die?"

i am going to be very dissapointed if the series just continues like this though.

[TheDrawback]

I'm halfway through now and still struggeling with some chapters a bit but its already better than the start of the book. Just needed to change my point of view a bit i guess but i hope DwD will be a bit more up tempo with a bit more action in it :P

[addie]

It's like GRRM realized that his book was too short and he needed to stretch it out a little.

For me it felt the contrary, especially regarding

Dorne and the Iron Islands

. I felt many things were cut because the general storyline and AffC were already too large.

Spoiler for the end of AFFC

I think it is especially the case for the Dorne plot, with the introduction of so many great characters (Arianne, the Sand Snakes, Arianne's mates), interesting plot to be (crowning Myrcella), but all of a sudden everything is wipped away (Doran "found out" mysterioulsy about it and stop them,

[TheDrawback]

Nevermind

[addie]

Done/

[Manberg900]

Keep reading. I'm a little more than 2/3 of the way into it and it just got better. Like stayed up way too late reading last night because I couldn't put it down better!!!

Can you tell me what exactly happened that made you keep reading? I'm 2/3's in as well and I'm still disappointed for the most part.

[redqueen]

I'm having trouble with Ironmen chapters. They're slowing me down, making me not want to read the book straight through. I like seeing into Cersei's mind. Brienne's journey is fun. I want to know where she ends up. The Ironmen are new characters and their chapters seem so long. I want to get back to people I know. Theon was fine since he lived in Winterfell. His sister is a tie to him. I'm having trouble getting into his uncles' stories. Still, I fell like ordering ADWD there are new copies for far less than the 35 dollar cover price. I hope that it's better since there are the characters that I love there. My favorite characters in the SoFaI are Tyrion and Bran. I must have a thing for dwarfs and cripples.

[Rockroi]

Struggling through AFfC is practically a right of passage now for ASoIaF fans. We all have this in common- we all had to read those insufferable Aeron chapters and then the Asha chapters that re-stated all the Aeron cpaters and then the Victarion chapters that reminised about the Asha and Aeron chapters. That was rough.

And then there is Dorne. Its sand and its really , really hot and everything.... moves.... really... really... sllllloooooowwwwwwlllllllyyyyyyy ... like 15 year slowly (wait, tell me again your masetr plan, Doran... thankfully nothing will happen that will interrupt it...excexpt everything). And stuff is happening to ... so many people we have never met before and they are interactiung with other people we have never met and we are supposed to care about them. That's rough.

Here the good news- AFfC doesn't take up that much mental shelf-space. You dont have to really keep track of too much of what is going on because its relatively simplistic - Brienne hunting Arya/Sansa, JAime trying to finish a war, Cersei ruining a realm. As stated, most of the other chapters are just eandlessly repititious- Dorne and the Oron Isles repeat themselves a lot so its easy to follow. Also, not much really happens that's Earth-shattering so you can get through the book pretty easily.

Overall, AFfC is a bridge book; and like most bridges you gotta just get over it.

[redqueen]

I think AFFC gives a lot of important background information. It makes Theon's mental struggle clearer. It shows why he was neither a Stark or Greyjoy and ended up betraying them both. The information about Dorne is necessary. It shows what has happened to the smallpeople during the time of war. We know that fields were burned, livestock slaughtered, women raped and children left orphaned. Now, we can picture the hardship.

Years of winter are coming. I don't think they mean ice and snow all the time. I think they mean ice and snow constantly for the northern region, but I think the south like during an Earth's ice age will still be green. I think the seasons during the year will be shorter. It will be harder to grow things. Not everything will die. The autumn shows us this. The north is getting cold, but the south is still very warm. The people need to have a good harvest after all the destruction of war. With winter, the north will have no harvests and the south will have shorter growing seasons.

All the surpluses are gone and famine is coming. Dark times ahead. AFFC prepares us for the approach of winter.

[Lan the Clever]

@redqueen: What? Theon isn't even in AFfC!

[KhaleesiDany]

However, I did like that it focused more on politics instead of all the magical mumbo jumbo for a change. All those council meetings with Cersei were very interesting to read. Brienne's chapters on the other hand were pretty boring. I know what GRRM was trying to do here, but I just didn't care. Her storyline picked up near the end, though.

Woah I feel the opposite, I guess there is something for everyone right?

Cersei's chapters are frustrating to me, or boring. Or frustratingly boring. It would be interesting to see more of her and Jaime's relationship, but he is different than when he was first introduced and she doesn't like him as much. Every single council meeting I have had to sit through feels like, well, sitting through a council meeting. So much political mumbo jumbo. Send me out on a quest any day!

Which brings me to Brienne; her chapters don't really grab me because I know she is going to fail. I still like reading them because there is action and hers is the best picture of the aftermath of the war. Just story-wise I don'think there is much tension.

[Kyle Baratheon]

Brienne chapters are just hideous

[ckal]

I think AFFC is possibly better than ACOK.

[Lord Manwoody]

I loved AFFC just like the other books. Obviously, it is different because it splits the characters and introduces new POV's, but it is still part of the greater story and the entire story interests me.

I'm intrigued by what is going on in Dorne and the Iron Islands. The story doesn't have to be at the Wall or Slaver's Bay for me to like it or be interested. I really like the Dornish angle.

And, I'm extremely intrigued by what we might find out with the people at Oldtown and The Citadel.