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A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire) | 
 enlarge | Author: George R.r. Martin
Publisher: Spectra
Category: Book
Buy New: $7.99
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Rating:  764 reviews
Sales Rank: 4080
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 1104
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.7
ISBN: 055358202X
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780553582024
ASIN: 055358202X
Publication Date: September 26, 2006
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Product Description
Few books have captivated the imagination and won the devotion and praise of readers and critics everywhere as has George R. R. Martin’s monumental epic cycle of high fantasy. Now, in A Feast for Crows, Martin delivers the long-awaited fourth book of his landmark series, as a kingdom torn asunder finds itself at last on the brink of peace...only to be launched on an even more terrifying course of destruction.
A Feast for Crows
It seems too good to be true. After centuries of bitter strife and fatal treachery, the seven powers dividing the land have decimated one another into an uneasy truce. Or so it appears....With the death of the monstrous King Joffrey, Cersei is ruling as regent in King’s Landing. Robb Stark’s demise has broken the back of the Northern rebels, and his siblings are scattered throughout the kingdom like seeds on barren soil. Few legitimate claims to the once desperately sought Iron Throne still exist—or they are held in hands too weak or too distant to wield them effectively. The war, which raged out of control for so long, has burned itself out.
But as in the aftermath of any climactic struggle, it is not long before the survivors, outlaws, renegades, and carrion eaters start to gather, picking over the bones of the dead and fighting for the spoils of the soon-to-be dead. Now in the Seven Kingdoms, as the human crows assemble over a banquet of ashes, daring new plots and dangerous new alliances are formed, while surprising faces—some familiar, others only just appearing—are seen emerging from an ominous twilight of past struggles and chaos to take up the challenges ahead.
It is a time when the wise and the ambitious, the deceitful and the strong will acquire the skills, the power, and the magic to survive the stark and terrible times that lie before them. It is a time for nobles and commoners, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and sages to come together and stake their fortunes...and their lives. For at a feast for crows, many are the guests—but only a few are the survivors.
From the Hardcover edition.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 759 more reviews...
 One of the greatest Epic stories ever written. November 16, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Maybe the best story I've ever read. Epic in span. The books look intimidating in size, but they read fast. There are no good guys and bad guys, just characters with their own motivations. At the end of the first book, I had my favorite character and my most hated characters(two brothers); at the end of the third book the brothers were my favorite characters. The character development in this story is second to none. This series of books would appeal to non science-fiction fans. I can't recommend it enough. The only thing that scares me is that there are at least 2, probably 3, more books to come, and the author is gray-haired and over weight. I pray this series is completed.
 Subdued, but still very good October 31, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
AFFC has been derided by some for being the weakest of the series - I happen to agree with the second half of that statement, but it's still quite a good book, particularly compared to the vast majority of what is out there. No, it won't provide as many visceral thrills as the first three books in the series did (particularly ASOS), but the quiet tension both above and below the surface still provide a good deal of interesting interplay between the characters.
Criticisms; because of the focus on only certain characters, the feeling of missing out on the story of Jon, Stannis and the like is exaggerated ( especially as the delay in getting the next book has lengthened), I also am not as interested in the Ironborn as I probably needed to be, and there's a general feeling that the book is more of a set-up for the rest of the series than a standalone.
That's not to say the book isn't good - I think it's *very* good (a 3.5 star book if I could rate it as such, I bumped it to 4 out of affection for the series), but high expectations and the previous three books probably make it seem like less than it really is.
 "Feast for Shrooms" is More Like It October 29, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
I was so excited when I first read AGOT in 2005. Recommended to me by a friend, the book re-attracted me to the fantasy genre, which I considered dead and gone. Too many cliche's, too many black-and-white characters and plots, too many story arcs pulled out of thin air or thick bottoms. AGOT changed all that with its complex characters (the deeply-faulted heroes of House Stark and the complex, nearly sympathetic villains of House Lannister, except for that steaming pile Cersi - boo! Hiss!), vast country and political intrigue. There was the 700-foot Wall in the North, with the undead Others beyond. Something for everyone, and so well put together! I was so happy to have found a writer that "got it." Tell me a great story, with good characters, and have them do cool things in cool places, and I will plunk down $25 for hardcover.
Then GRRM got famous and started making money.
The first thing you will notice about this book is that suddenly, story arcs that moved in a general direction of... *somewhere*, inexplicably starting wandering around with no discernible point. Arya continues to wander, Cersi despises someone, the ugly knight-girl wanders around. Cersi despises someone else. Jaime gets dumped by his sister, because she - wait for it - despises him.
Seriously, what happened? Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, Dany... almost nothing at all. Instead he decided to absolutely roadkill Cersi into a totally one-dimensional villain, lacking nothing but a black cape and pipe organ. Joseph Stalin was more complex than this vapid little twit. And then we get to see an undead Catilin, but not really. And follow around an ugly chick playing knight.
WHERE IS THE STORY, GEORGE???!!!
I can think of two reasons for this disaster. First, consider the Left Behind series by Tim LayHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Like LaHaye and Jenkins, GRRM started a series with a definite plan for how many novels he would write, what characters would do what, and how and when things would culminate. Then the royalties and appearance fees began to roll in, and suddenly there were more books, characters, and story arcs that we may or may not give a crap about. LB started with 7 books. It ended with 12 in the main series, 3 prequels, 1 epilogue, a kids series, several horrible DVDs, a board game... well, you get the idea. GRRM has now done the same thing. (Not that he was ever so poor a writer as LaHaye/Jenkins, but I was just itching to compare him to conservative Christians which he so... despises.)
Which brings us to problem #2. Instead of actually writing his novels, GRRM now seems to spend the vast majority of his time on his blog, blaming Republicans for all the ills in the world. Dubya listens in on my phone conversations. Dubya steals votes from little black children. Dubya causes hurricanes, the current financial crisis, and leprosy. Also, in the typical intellectual cowardice that defines Hollywood liberals such as himself, GRRM refuses to allow any rebuttals on his political blog entries, demanding that they post it on their own blogs. Cute, coming from someone whose party is trying to resurrect the so-called "fairness doctrine."
The man has opinions, and he is entitled to them. Someone of similar views may even convince me to see things their way, if their arguments are sound enough. But in his newfound self-importance, GRRM seems to forget that as a member of the entertainment industry, his job is to entertain. Nobody gives a flying crap what Hollywood types think about the state of things. We are much more interested in what is(was) an excellent yarn about honor, family, revenge... all the stuff that made fantasy so great to begin with.
I've read his excuses for why ADWD still isn't finished for going on three years, and given the increasingly shrill tone on his blog, I don't see him doing anything between now and next spring except celebrate ("OBAMA WINS") or rant ("FRAUD AT POLLS"). I have no plans on spending my hard-earned money on another half-baked book. Pity, because I absolutely loved the first 2 1/2 books of the series. This one, though, is where he officially nuked the fridge.
 No more October 29, 2008
3 out of 8 found this review helpful
Let me start by saying I have not read this book, and I will not read it. I have read the previous three books and I refuse to keep spending money, time and patience on authors that seem to value money and ego more than providing their readers with good books. Milking the cow for all it is worth and writing sagas ad infinitum is for me, just too much. Mr. Martin can count me out.
it's now late 2008 October 17, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
it's late 2008 now; seems GRRM is pre-occupied with other ventures, projects, blogs and ego-inflating $$ endeavors. He has time for a lot of artist appearances, travels, but not for writing. Hopefully he gets his plots and priorities figured out and back on track. We're patiently waiting, but the patience is beginning to wear thin.
When Book four came out, it was divulged that half of the POV chapters were cut out of the book in order to make it a more "manageable" size; the cut POV chapters were to be used in book 5. So if book 5 was half-complete three years ago, what's the hold-up?
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