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A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin (HarperVoyager)
Okay, first off. If you haven’t read any of the other books, stop right here. Mostly because so much happens between the start of the series and here that there is a whole new landscape of characters and I can’t promise there won’t be spoilers.
People who you started out loving, by this point, you’ll be questioning their logic and those you hated might have redeemed themselves. Except Joffrey (but he’s dead anyway, so thank God for small mercies!)
So as with all the other books, this story is split into three veins, which are yet further split into their own stories but each story or set of events affects every other one. So be prepared for a lengthy review, because well, it’s a lengthy book.
In the North, Jon Snow has to deal with Stannis and his new religion while still being Commander of The Watch and keeping the precarious hold he has on them (SPOILER: That doesn’t end well! - I did not see that coming!). It’s a cliffhanger if I’ve ever seen one. We’re left not knowing if he’s dead or alive, or maybe I’m just hoping really hard that he’s not.
Stannis has decided to march south of the Wall where he has been making himself unwelcome and gather the support of the mountain clans of the north and oppose Roose Bolten, who’s been installed as the new Warden in the North by the Lannisters.
He’s captured both Asha and Theon Greyjoy by the end of the book, even though his army is currently snowbound and going nowhere anytime in the foreseeable future.
Theon Greyjoy. Oh Theon. He’s one of those characters who’s been such a bastard yet I can’t help but feel sorry for the poor sod. The things Ramsey and Roose Bolten do to him are beyond despicable. I’d like to see this character redeem himself and he is well on his way to doing that with the way he helped Jeyne Poole escape her forced marriage to Ramsey.
Over yonder in the East, Dany is still ruling over Meereen and trying to be a good ruler. Ser Barristan is trying to be the good knight his queen needs in this alien environment. While holding court one day a man appears before her with the bones of his daughter which have quite obviously been burned by a dragon. Horriefied, Dany attempts to chain them up but Drogon escapes.
Dany gets at least two marriage proposals. One from Quentyn Martell, heir apparent to the kingdom of Dorne in the very south of Westeros. And another from Hizdahr zo Loraq who promises that he can stop the Sons of the Harpy killing her guards for 90 days.
She accepts his proposal for peace in her city. On the day of her wedding she opens the fighting pits where Drogon appears. She stops him killing people and flies away from him, never to return for the remainder of the book.
Hizdahr zo Loraq takes over the rule of the city but Ser Barristan joins a plot to assassinate him and removes him from power. Meanwhile Quentyn Martell (believing himself to be blood of the dragon - no matter how watered down) attempts to steal one of the dragons but instead ends up getting badly burned and setting them loose on the city.
Drogon eventually flies Daenerys to the Dothraki Sea where Dany eventually encounters the khalasar of Khal Jhaqo.
I think my favourite part of the whole story is when Tyrion Lannister finds himself in the company of Aegon Targaryn! Rhaegar’s son was not in fact killed by Gregor Clegane but smuggled to safety and raised in the East and he is now heading back to reclaim the throne.
He had hoped to meet up with his aunt and join her army but instead felt it would be better to get a hold in the West and await her there.
Tyrion Lannister goes on such a rollercoater ride it’s almost ridiculous how close he gets to Dany.
He is sheltered by Magister Illyrio in Pentos, goes on to join Aegon and his guardian, gets lost in a whorehouse where he meets up with a disgraced and drunk Jorah Mormont who decides that delivering Tyrion to Dany will get him back in her good graces.
But alas, they are shipwrecked, sold to slavers who they escape from thanks to Tyrion (you’re welcome) and join up with a mercenary company called the Second Sons. Sjoe!
Yes, a lot happens in this book. And I probably didn’t cover them all. But then why would you read the book. There’s Arya stuff and Sansa stuff and Bran is off turning into a tree somewhere. Don’t ask, just read it. There’s Jaime and Brienne stuff mixed up with Zombie Catelyn’s revenge.
There’s the Greyjoy brothers thinking they can woo/steal Dany (LOL when they find out she has dragons). Oh, and there’s also some important political manoeuvring coming out of Dorne. Cersei is not in the best position right now and I think poor Tommen is eventually going to get killed in all this mess. Poor boy, he just wanted those kittens.
Oh well, here’s to waiting another 5 years for The Winds of Winter!
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