Book Review: A Dance With Dragons (A Song Of Ice & Fire Book #5) by George R.R. Martin

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.”

― George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons

The epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire by American author George R. R. Martin has seven planned novels, the fifth of which is titled A Dance with Dragons. The paperback edition was released in two parts, Dreams and Dust and After the Feast, in various regions. Throughout the eight-season run of the HBO version of the series, Game of Thrones, it was the only novel in the collection to be released.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

In the aftermath of a colossal battle, the future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance—beset by newly emerging threats from every direction. In the east, Daenerys Targaryen, the last scion of House Targaryen, rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has thousands of enemies, and many have set out to find her. As they gather, one young man embarks upon his own quest for the queen, with an entirely different goal in mind.

Fleeing from Westeros with a price on his head, Tyrion Lannister, too, is making his way to Daenerys. But his newest allies in this quest are not the rag-tag band they seem, and at their heart lies one who could undo Daenerys’s claim to Westeros forever.

Meanwhile, to the north lies the mammoth Wall of ice and stone—a structure only as strong as those guarding it. There, Jon Snow, 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, will face his greatest challenge. For he has powerful foes not only within the Watch but also beyond, in the land of the creatures of ice.

From all corners, bitter conflicts reignite, intimate betrayals are perpetrated, and a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, will face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Some will fail, others will grow in the strength of darkness. But in a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics will lead inevitably to the greatest dance of all.

My reaction to this novel...

Alas! I completed the book. Due to the household duties I had to do during the past few days, I haven't read for a while. My reviews of books went behind, but I am now up to date on the fifth Game of Thrones book. Thus, this work is a complement to Feast of Crows. Despite the fact that I really read this book immediately after finishing the fourth because I couldn't get enough of it, his most current book that has been published so far doesn't offer the answers I was looking for.

Although his five novels have received a lot of unfavorable reviews, I enjoyed reading them. Based on what I’ve read, I genuinely desire a remake of the TV show. I want to go back and start the series over. I’m not sure why Benioff and Weiss made the decision to remove a lot of fantastic characters from the show since in my opinion, these characters are crucial to the success of Game of Thrones. I’m terribly sorry guys, but this review could include spoilers if you haven’t yet watched the series or read the book. I’m at a loss for what to do, especially if the actor who identified himself as Aegon, along with Princess Arianne, Val, Quentyn, and even Jeyne Poole, were dropped from the TV show. They are all likeable individuals who had significant roles to play in the story. Prior to reading this, I first believed that the series was fine, but it is now an absolute mess. As a die-hard fan, I was annoyed.

Anyway, I never cease to be in awe of how George R.R. Martin created the entire series of books. He made me feel as though I knew every person and every house, just like they were real. My reading experience is so strong that as soon as he just explains a character’s behavior, I begin to make an educated guess as to which house the character belongs in. He constructed a brand-new realm that I had the opportunity to experience and continue to be curious about. In each book in this series, he will let us experience how different families play the game of thrones and how they continue their game in order to attain the throne, which continuously involves betrayal and in which they cannot trust anybody, not even their own children.

I may say that Theon is my favorite character in this book. With each turn he says, my enthusiasm increases. When he turned into the turncloak, I had the same feelings of despair, dread, and regret that he did. I will undoubtedly read George’s book, even though it is terrible to read, if it is about Theon’s life when he was taken by Ramsay.

I will definitely recommend this novel to those who watched the HBO series and to those who haven’t. These 5 novels are definitely a must-read novels. Now I am waiting for his 6th one. I hope it will release soon. 

My Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)

“The past remains the past. We can learn from it, but we cannot change it.”

Many of us sincerely desire to alter the past. in order to alter the events that produced their present and future. I occasionally wish certain things in my life would be different, but there is no turning back; we must go on and take lessons from the past. We should cherish it and remember what we learnt so that we may appreciate the wonderful things that come our way in the present.

“Some allies are more dangerous than enemies.”

I concur with this remark as well. We shall be in serious problems if we turn our allies against us since they are quite knowledgeable about us. They are well aware of your capabilities and shortcomings, making it simple for them to focus on the things that are most important to you. We also don't anticipate being harmed by allies since we have faith in them, but ultimately, some of them could turn on you. Hence, exercising care and learning to not place all of your faith in them is preferable; on occasion, this will be the best course of action.