Book Review George R R Martin Dreams And Dust

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2012 - Spoiler alerts THe first half of the final book to date in The Song Of Ice & Fire series that started with Game Of Thrones. This volume is in an odd place as its events run parallel to those in book four (A Feast For Crows). That book was criticised for not using the best known characters, but they all reappear in this volume, before the next book, the last so far (with two more to come) draws events back together again. Tyrion's escape following his murder of his father is now covered. He is heading to a meeting with the dragon Queen Daemerys, but on route he meets other dwarfs, gets abducted by agents of Daemerys and has a narrow escape from the slow zombies, men slowly turning to stone whose touch makes you just like them. Daemerys herself finds that destroying the slave industry of lands she has captured ruins the economy. Worse, her dragons are showing a need for independence. When one kills a child and escapes, Daemerys chains up the others and finds she can't use them for a looming war against her rule. Jon Snow is forced by the red fire witch queen, Mellisandre into recruiting the Wildings of the Northlands despite the lack of food to feed them with and threats of treachery all around. Bran, crippled and unable to walk since book one, learns to enter the bodies of others including his servant friend Hodor, his Direwolf and the ravens. The strongest writings relate to Reek, formerly Theon Greyjoy, the man who captured the Stark estates only to have them stolen from him and himself cast into the dungeons of a king who cuts off fingers and toes reducing Reek to a pitiful wretch. Reek is forced to help in an arranged sham marriage passing an imposter girl off as Anya Stark, who is still at large herself. Though well written, this reads like a book positioning characters for later events, so many story threads and arcs seem less conclusive than in the other volumes but it is still magnificent writing. Arthur Chappell, the rightful king of Westeros - photo me on the Throne (yes that is the actual Game of Thrones throne.