A Feast for Crows - The magic continues

I recently finished A Feast for Crows, the fourth book in the Game of Thrones series and I have to talk about it. Don’t worry. It’s not a review and I won’t spoil it for you. It’s just that these books are really different from any other I’ve ever read. In an older post, I promised that I’d keep reading this series and how could I stop?

The fourth book is actually half a book because we only see some of the characters. Despite that it’s a long book; I didn’t feel for a moment that it was only half. And I am wondering now, can anyone write the sequel of book with half the characters? And if he can, will the book be loved by the readers? Readers are the hardest judges and it’s too easy to love and hate a book. What George R. R Martin achieved, it’s truly magical. He has established every little character in his books and he managed to make us care for every one of them. So we don’t mind if some are missing for a while.

With these books, it’s like I am reading history and not fiction. It’s like these people existed in a far away land. I can’t imagine the amount of work it needed in order to write this series. How many hours he spent writing, editing, even reading his own chapters? How he managed to stay focused and not lose any little detail? It’s remarkable.

I’ve said it again and I will say it every time. Read the books! I hear a lot that people love the show on HBO, but they can’t read the books. Okay, that’s understandable since the books are long and there are many characters and details and all, but … the show can’t be compared with the books. Every time the book is better than a movie or a show. No exceptions! And I love the show too, but the book … oh, the book! Believe me … you can never say that you know Game of Thrones, only by watching the show. You just have a little taste. It’s like you eat a slice of the most delicious cake you’ve ever had. But guess what … if you read the books you’ll feel like you ate the whole cake! Who doesn’t want the whole cake??

I personally read the fourth book faster than the others. I can’t find a particular reason, but I guess that by now I’ve got used to Martin’s writing. A Feast for Crows is a book with new characters, with background for the old ones and if I can describe it by a few words, is a book about Lannisters. I never preferred Lannisters, but as I kept reading the books, I came to like them, for some reasons. Or better, I understood some of them.

I am a little sad that there is only one book left and then I’ll have to wait for the sixth, but then again I will not read the fifth now. I’ll let some time pass by so I can enjoy it better. I am starting to think how the story will end but I have no clue. There are so many things going on and there are answers I am waiting for. I have to admit though, that the name Martin chose for the series is more than fitting. These books are truly … A song of Ice and Fire.