Feasting

I can understand why many of my friends found Feast for Crows frustrating. It is fairly slow and introduces many new characters in an already confusing story. Still, the book is good. It is worth asking why this book, in which not much happens is so much better than the last few volumes by Robert Jordan, in whose books nothing happens either.

The first is in the detail. Jordan describes political machinations by having some noble appear coy and then trots out some phrase like "wheels within wheels" or some such. Martin's characters develop plots, implement them and then sees the results. It helps that in this book there are four or five rival power centers vying for control of the land, whereas in the Jordan book it is good trying to deal with various evils. This allows for a greater realism, where the "heroes" do dastardly deeds, and the villains become quite sympathetic.

The other main reason I think the Martin book is well worth reading is that the characters continue to develop. The Stark daughter Sansa has changed from a prissy good for naught to a troubled girl in hiding. The Lannister twins, once incestuous lovers, are now becoming increasingly hostile as their interests diverge. In short, these people are interesting and change, while the Jordan characters remain largely the same as when we first met them.

So if you have heard some bad press about the Feast for Crows, I urge you to pick it up and give it a try.