A Dance with Dragons
Wow, Martin needs an editor bad. Everyone and their mother is right about that.
I don't know if it's that I was viewing the series through rose colored glasses because it was so new before, but I disliked this installment of the series almost as much as the previous one. Part of it is that I'm agree with some reviews about how overblown and unwieldy the plot had become. I understand the epic scope, but epic scope + tons of povs to follow, started being a chore in book 3 and it's pretty much close to unbearable for me in this latest book.
So the form really, really got to me. Then content-wise, I felt a sad lack of crowning moments of awesome. I mean I expected a book called A Dance With Dragons to make a lot of use of the dragons. Alas, while I was pleased with the bits where the dragons appeared and shifted the plot, it didn't feel like woah. The scene with Drogon in theory was fantastic, but it could have been tighter and more dramatic. Same with the Quentyn scene. Martin just doesn't do well with action as many have noted (like Abigail Nussbaum, who didn't like A Game of Thrones--although I don't agree with all of her critiques). And the biggest draw of this genre being the plot, I think this is bad news. Politiquing is a fantastic for build-up, but it's sharp action that offers the best form of payoff. This is worrysome, for how this ginormous plot will unravel. For example, I will cry if we don't get a more detailed take on Mereen vs Yunkai, with the dragons making a mess of Yunkai.
I am beyond peeved that the whole dragons-eating-kids gets shrugged off. I am peeved that Daenerys ends the book ambling about. I am also kind of irritated that Tyrion never got to meet up with her. So overall the book felt like it lacks resolution in a big way. Like the previous one. Bummer.
That said, my eye was drawn to the part where Dany mentions how the dragons of old were controlled by magic. Seems like that would make those who can shift into animals (i.e. the Starks who still have wolves) fit to be riders, no? I'm still on the fence about who will have their own dragon. Some people say Jon (I don't think Jon kicked the bucket here, sorry) and Bran. Others say Tyrion and Jon. At first I was in the boat with the latter, but now I'm not so sure.