George R.R. Martin’s A Feast for Crows
Emery Woodward
These books have been like reading a combination of “days of
our lives” and “The Lord of the Rings”. It was a constant thriller with drama
at the end of almost every single chapter along with all of the action,
adventure and character growth that you come to love in almost every George
R.R. Martin book. In this book in the series of “A game of Thrones” the realm
has reached somewhat of a lull in the fighting and the kingdoms are attempting
to pick up the shattered pieces of what is left of their former glory; Whilst
this goes on the characters that we have grown to love and hate plot against each
other with more fury than ever before. Queen Cersei attempts to rid herself of
the Martells in Kings Landing while also hunting down her brother. The Dornish
want war with Kings Landing while the Starks roam the Seven Kingdoms broken and
tattered. While there is less action the book still manages to keep you on the
edge of your seat throughout the entire read.
The Character development throughout the book is marvelous as
in all of his books up to this point. You will come to love the characters you
already loved even more while seeing other sides to them, and will cheer along
the downfall of the characters that you already love to hate. Although there is
always that fear in the back of mind about getting to attached to a character because
in these novels at the end of any page turn there is a chance for the entire
world to be turned upside down… yet again.
The plot throughout this installment of the series has been
just as exciting as ever even though there has been slightly less action. In
certain scenes in the book you can almost feel the tension in the room as
characters plot and reveal their plans to each other. One such example happens
between Cersei Lannister and her Uncle early on in the book. “‘You would abandon
your king when he needs you most,’
She told him ‘you would abandon Tommen’ ‘Tommen has his mother.’ Ser Kevan’s
green eyes met her own, unblinking. A last drop of wine trembled wet and red
beneath his chin, and finally fell ‘Aye’ he added softly after a pause, ‘and
his father too I think’”. The tension in this scene between Cersei and Ser Kevan is Palpable and
wouldn’t be felt without the incredible descriptive skills of George R. R.
Martin.
One of the great Rhetorical skills that I have found that
George R.R. Martin often uses is foreshadowing, throughout the past few books
there have been moments where, as you were reading you could figure what was
going to happen next before it even happened, and that’s one of the things that
I love about this book. Sometimes the thing that you think the foreshadowing is
implying will play out exactly as you expected but George R.R. Martin also
does an incredible job of keeping you guessing throughout the entire
read.
“She narrowed her eyes ‘what is our
hearts desire?’ ‘Vengeance’ he whispered softly as if he were afraid that
someone might be listening ‘Justice.’ Prince Doran pressed the Onyx dragon into
her palm and his swollen, gouty fingers, and whispered ‘Fire and Blood’”. In
this instance there is foreshadowing to a great many things that may take a
while to describe but it is obvious from this chapter that something big is
going to happen within one of the great families in the Seven Kingdoms.
Overall this book deserves a rating of at the very least an
A-. While it has not had the action and excitement as much as the previous
books George. R.R. Martin still keeps to his incredible one edge stile of
writing while building up the tension and events for things to unfold over the
last three books that are left.
