A Dance with Dragons - Review
A Dance with Dragons (Book 5) bounces back from the slight
decline in quality of A Feast for Crows (Book 4) to deliver a riveting
book filled with great adventures, twists, betrayals and tons of
shocking moments. It was really fun reading a book with all my favorite
characters being the main focus at the same time, with some great new
additions to the story as well. The world-building and the
character development continue to be outstanding. This review will be
spoiler-free (although I will lightly cover some of the events in the
book) and it will consist of 4 parts. Characters, Plot,
Setting/World-Building, & Pacing.
I was already going to enjoy the character aspects of this book either way, simply because all my favorite characters were packed together in this gigantic tome of a book, but the character development continues to be excellent (as it has been for the entire series). Jon and Daenerys continue to grow as leaders and are going through the trials and tribulations that come with leading/ruling. Jon has come up with some really unorthodox and out-of-the-box methods/tactics that lead to great solutions to many of the ongoing problems facing the Night’s Watch. However, a lot of people in the Night’s Watch disagree with his decisions and he’s starting to make enemies. On the other hand, Daenerys is making some bad decisions which really frustrated me but then I remembered that she is only supposed to be like 13-14 years old and is trying to rule over a city that is completely foreign to her. She still has so much to learn and it shows how valuable it would be to have the counsel of a certain dwarf with half a nose (cough….Tyrion, hurry up please…cough...cough).
Speaking of Tyrion, he’s in a really dark place after the events of A Storm of Swords and some people would argue that he’s on the path to becoming a villain, but his potential future path is still very ambiguous. He’s still really funny & he continues to be the smartest person in the room, so that’s good to know. He was having such a rough time but his character arc was really good and it ends on a somewhat hopeful note. Theon’s arc was also really good. His transformation from an arrogant prick to a whimpering weakling was crazy to read. Theon has done some horrible things but George R.R. Martin still found a way to make me feel very sorry for him. It all depends on what he does in future books, but he is close to having a redemption arc on par with Jaime Lannister.
Quentyn Martell, Ser Barristan Selmy, Jon Connington, & Melisandre were the new POV characters added to this book & they were all great. Quentyn and Barristan are already some of my favorite characters in the series. It’s interesting how Barristan Selmy & Jaime Lannister are completely different characters yet they both share their regrets over the same events concerning King Aerys ll Targaryen (aka "The Mad King"). Barristan’s past regrets shape him into doing the opposite in this book and seeing the conflict in him throughout his decision-making process has made for some great character development. Jon Connington’s character arc was fascinating because his failures were mentioned once or twice in previous books and everyone thought he drank himself to death after he failed and was exiled. I thought from previous books that his story of failure was just to add some extra lore/backstory and that was the end of it, but we actually got a story arc from his perspective and he plays a bigger role in the story as a whole than I expected. Melisandre only had one chapter but it was much needed to get a perspective from her because I didn’t really know if her whole “Stannis being Azor Ahai” stance was a ruse or if she really believed it. We found out in this book and it was also great to find out there’s much more to her character than just being a crazy religious sorceress.
Image: Daenerys & Drogon in Daznak's Pit.
[Plot]:
The main focus of this book is on Jon, Tyrion, & Daenerys, as they are all pretty much split equally in their amount of respective chapters. There are so many great storylines in this book, it’s hard to choose a favorite. I really enjoyed Daenerys’s storyline because it was interesting seeing the politics of Meereen and seeing how the implications of banning slavery has affected the entire continent of Essos. Other than A Game of Thrones (Book 1), her storyline felt like a side story because the main focus was always in Westeros and we only got around 5-6 Daenerys chapters in each previous book, but for this book she has 10 chapters and several storylines are revolving around her. There is an entire race to see who gets to Meereen/Daenerys first. Yunkai hires several different sellsword companies to try and besiege Meereen, along with forces from Tolos, Qarth, and Volantis. She also has some potential allies/suitors such as Tyrion, Quentyn, Griff, Young Griff, Victarion, & Moqorro trying to get to her as well. It was really fascinating seeing the chaos and uproar in Essos all because a foreign girl and her dragons took over Meereen and abolished the Slave Trade. Tyrion’s storyline was also really good. It was fascinating to find out all the schemes of Magister Illyrio & Varys that go back all the way from Book 1. Tyrion's chapters with Young Griff and Griff were great and the big reveal was mind-blowing. His story started to drag a little when he meets Penny but it was really important for his character development.
Jon’s storyline was good but not on the level of Daenerys’s and Tyrion’s chapters, in my opinion. Jon's interactions with Melisandre were great & her big reveal about a certain character literally had my jaw dropping. I totally didn’t see that coming. Jon’s chapters were less action and more political in this book because of the trappings that come with being in charge of the Night’s Watch. His chapters were still interesting but it felt like a big setup, getting the castles along the Wall filled out and amassing his army for an epic confrontation with the Others/White Walkers in the next book.
Some minor storylines I really liked were Jon Connington, Quentyn, Bran, & Theon. Jon Connington’s storyline was fascinating because he was a failure and an exiled Lord but once he gets his sh*t together, let’s just say he comes back with a vengeance. Quentyn’s storyline was also awesome. He’s so determined to not fail his father that he makes some really bold and daring choices along his journey. I especially loved his chapters when he joins The Windblown sellsword company on their way to Meereen. Bran’s storyline was really short and he’s only in the 1st half of the book but it was cool to see him tapping into his powers even more. I said previously that Euron is the most fascinating character in the series because of his backstory and the aura around him but The 3-Eyed Crow from Bran’s chapters is a very close 2nd now. Theon’s storyline was pretty good too. There's some big reveals in his chapters & his story really kicks into high gear once he gets to Winterfell.
This book also caught up to some of the story elements where A Feast for Crows left off at such as Jaime, Cersei, & Arya. Jaime only had one chapter but it was fantastic. It resolves a cliff-hanger of another POV from the previous book but it leads to an even bigger cliff-hanger and that chapter is without a doubt my most anticipated chapter for The Winds of Winter (Book 6). Cersei only had 2 chapters but it was wonderful and it wrapped up her storyline from the previous book. It was really good but I don’t understand why it was in this book. It really should have been in A Feast for Crows as it provided closure for that storyline, so it felt a little out of place in this book. Arya’s storyline was also short but fantastic. We finally get to see the process that The Faceless Men go through to get their new faces and it’s very eerie and creepy. Arya is going to do some crazy sh*t soon and I’m here for it.
Whereas A Feast for Crows took place in King’s Landing, a majority of this book takes place in Meereen and at the Wall. This book greatly expands upon the continent of Essos and we get to visit new places such as Volantis, the Rhoyne river, the Valyrian road, the Gulf of Grief, etc. We also get a more in-depth look at the places in the North such as Deepwood Motte, The Dreadfort, White Harbor, Barrowtown, etc. The world-building is where this book shines. George R.R. Martin is not only expanding on cities and continents, he’s also adding rich lore and backstory in this book. We learn so much more about the events of the Sack of King’s Landing, the other battles during Robert’s Rebellion, more information on Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, and also more about Tywin Lannister’s past.
This book is somewhere between a moderate to good pacing. I still can’t decide where I stand on the pacing because on one hand, there aren’t any big action set-pieces and there's a lot of exposition and reflection, but there are still a lot of shocking twists, reveals, and suspenseful moments that kept me on the edge of my seat. It’s slower than A Storm of Swords but much faster than A Feast for Crows so it was still very enjoyable aside from a few chapters that were slow.
This book was a joy to read with all my favorite characters being packed into one book and the story being ramped up after the slow-going Book 4. There are so many shocking twists, reveals and suspenseful moments that I didn’t mind the slight lack of action compared some of the other books. After the slight stumble of A Feast for Crows, this book was a great improvement and the series is back to its excellent standards again, setting up for an epic Book 6 that might somehow top what I think is the best book in the series so far, A Storm of Swords.
[Characters]:
I was already going to enjoy the character aspects of this book either way, simply because all my favorite characters were packed together in this gigantic tome of a book, but the character development continues to be excellent (as it has been for the entire series). Jon and Daenerys continue to grow as leaders and are going through the trials and tribulations that come with leading/ruling. Jon has come up with some really unorthodox and out-of-the-box methods/tactics that lead to great solutions to many of the ongoing problems facing the Night’s Watch. However, a lot of people in the Night’s Watch disagree with his decisions and he’s starting to make enemies. On the other hand, Daenerys is making some bad decisions which really frustrated me but then I remembered that she is only supposed to be like 13-14 years old and is trying to rule over a city that is completely foreign to her. She still has so much to learn and it shows how valuable it would be to have the counsel of a certain dwarf with half a nose (cough….Tyrion, hurry up please…cough...cough).
Speaking of Tyrion, he’s in a really dark place after the events of A Storm of Swords and some people would argue that he’s on the path to becoming a villain, but his potential future path is still very ambiguous. He’s still really funny & he continues to be the smartest person in the room, so that’s good to know. He was having such a rough time but his character arc was really good and it ends on a somewhat hopeful note. Theon’s arc was also really good. His transformation from an arrogant prick to a whimpering weakling was crazy to read. Theon has done some horrible things but George R.R. Martin still found a way to make me feel very sorry for him. It all depends on what he does in future books, but he is close to having a redemption arc on par with Jaime Lannister.
Quentyn Martell, Ser Barristan Selmy, Jon Connington, & Melisandre were the new POV characters added to this book & they were all great. Quentyn and Barristan are already some of my favorite characters in the series. It’s interesting how Barristan Selmy & Jaime Lannister are completely different characters yet they both share their regrets over the same events concerning King Aerys ll Targaryen (aka "The Mad King"). Barristan’s past regrets shape him into doing the opposite in this book and seeing the conflict in him throughout his decision-making process has made for some great character development. Jon Connington’s character arc was fascinating because his failures were mentioned once or twice in previous books and everyone thought he drank himself to death after he failed and was exiled. I thought from previous books that his story of failure was just to add some extra lore/backstory and that was the end of it, but we actually got a story arc from his perspective and he plays a bigger role in the story as a whole than I expected. Melisandre only had one chapter but it was much needed to get a perspective from her because I didn’t really know if her whole “Stannis being Azor Ahai” stance was a ruse or if she really believed it. We found out in this book and it was also great to find out there’s much more to her character than just being a crazy religious sorceress.
Favorite POV Characters – Jon, Tyrion, Quentyn, & Barristan.
Image: Daenerys & Drogon in Daznak's Pit.
[Plot]:
The main focus of this book is on Jon, Tyrion, & Daenerys, as they are all pretty much split equally in their amount of respective chapters. There are so many great storylines in this book, it’s hard to choose a favorite. I really enjoyed Daenerys’s storyline because it was interesting seeing the politics of Meereen and seeing how the implications of banning slavery has affected the entire continent of Essos. Other than A Game of Thrones (Book 1), her storyline felt like a side story because the main focus was always in Westeros and we only got around 5-6 Daenerys chapters in each previous book, but for this book she has 10 chapters and several storylines are revolving around her. There is an entire race to see who gets to Meereen/Daenerys first. Yunkai hires several different sellsword companies to try and besiege Meereen, along with forces from Tolos, Qarth, and Volantis. She also has some potential allies/suitors such as Tyrion, Quentyn, Griff, Young Griff, Victarion, & Moqorro trying to get to her as well. It was really fascinating seeing the chaos and uproar in Essos all because a foreign girl and her dragons took over Meereen and abolished the Slave Trade. Tyrion’s storyline was also really good. It was fascinating to find out all the schemes of Magister Illyrio & Varys that go back all the way from Book 1. Tyrion's chapters with Young Griff and Griff were great and the big reveal was mind-blowing. His story started to drag a little when he meets Penny but it was really important for his character development.
Jon’s storyline was good but not on the level of Daenerys’s and Tyrion’s chapters, in my opinion. Jon's interactions with Melisandre were great & her big reveal about a certain character literally had my jaw dropping. I totally didn’t see that coming. Jon’s chapters were less action and more political in this book because of the trappings that come with being in charge of the Night’s Watch. His chapters were still interesting but it felt like a big setup, getting the castles along the Wall filled out and amassing his army for an epic confrontation with the Others/White Walkers in the next book.
Some minor storylines I really liked were Jon Connington, Quentyn, Bran, & Theon. Jon Connington’s storyline was fascinating because he was a failure and an exiled Lord but once he gets his sh*t together, let’s just say he comes back with a vengeance. Quentyn’s storyline was also awesome. He’s so determined to not fail his father that he makes some really bold and daring choices along his journey. I especially loved his chapters when he joins The Windblown sellsword company on their way to Meereen. Bran’s storyline was really short and he’s only in the 1st half of the book but it was cool to see him tapping into his powers even more. I said previously that Euron is the most fascinating character in the series because of his backstory and the aura around him but The 3-Eyed Crow from Bran’s chapters is a very close 2nd now. Theon’s storyline was pretty good too. There's some big reveals in his chapters & his story really kicks into high gear once he gets to Winterfell.
This book also caught up to some of the story elements where A Feast for Crows left off at such as Jaime, Cersei, & Arya. Jaime only had one chapter but it was fantastic. It resolves a cliff-hanger of another POV from the previous book but it leads to an even bigger cliff-hanger and that chapter is without a doubt my most anticipated chapter for The Winds of Winter (Book 6). Cersei only had 2 chapters but it was wonderful and it wrapped up her storyline from the previous book. It was really good but I don’t understand why it was in this book. It really should have been in A Feast for Crows as it provided closure for that storyline, so it felt a little out of place in this book. Arya’s storyline was also short but fantastic. We finally get to see the process that The Faceless Men go through to get their new faces and it’s very eerie and creepy. Arya is going to do some crazy sh*t soon and I’m here for it.
Favorite Storylines – Daenerys, Quentyn, Barristan, & Jon Connington.
Image: Bran & The 3-Eyed Crow.
[Setting/World-Building]:
Image: Bran & The 3-Eyed Crow.
[Setting/World-Building]:
Whereas A Feast for Crows took place in King’s Landing, a majority of this book takes place in Meereen and at the Wall. This book greatly expands upon the continent of Essos and we get to visit new places such as Volantis, the Rhoyne river, the Valyrian road, the Gulf of Grief, etc. We also get a more in-depth look at the places in the North such as Deepwood Motte, The Dreadfort, White Harbor, Barrowtown, etc. The world-building is where this book shines. George R.R. Martin is not only expanding on cities and continents, he’s also adding rich lore and backstory in this book. We learn so much more about the events of the Sack of King’s Landing, the other battles during Robert’s Rebellion, more information on Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, and also more about Tywin Lannister’s past.
[Pacing]
This book is somewhere between a moderate to good pacing. I still can’t decide where I stand on the pacing because on one hand, there aren’t any big action set-pieces and there's a lot of exposition and reflection, but there are still a lot of shocking twists, reveals, and suspenseful moments that kept me on the edge of my seat. It’s slower than A Storm of Swords but much faster than A Feast for Crows so it was still very enjoyable aside from a few chapters that were slow.
Image: Victarion Greyjoy.
[Final Thoughts & Rating]:
[Final Thoughts & Rating]:
This book was a joy to read with all my favorite characters being packed into one book and the story being ramped up after the slow-going Book 4. There are so many shocking twists, reveals and suspenseful moments that I didn’t mind the slight lack of action compared some of the other books. After the slight stumble of A Feast for Crows, this book was a great improvement and the series is back to its excellent standards again, setting up for an epic Book 6 that might somehow top what I think is the best book in the series so far, A Storm of Swords.
Rating: 9.5/10
*My Rating System*
5 Stars (9-10): Amazing
4 Stars (7-9): Really Good to Great
3 Stars (5-7): Average to Good
2 Stars (3-5): Bad to Mediocre
1 Star (1-3): Terrible
5 Stars (9-10): Amazing
4 Stars (7-9): Really Good to Great
3 Stars (5-7): Average to Good
2 Stars (3-5): Bad to Mediocre
1 Star (1-3): Terrible
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