Among the top ten books of my 2011 reading list, A Dance with Dragons is definitely the first. It might have a lot to do with the impatient waiting for this sequel of A Song of Ice and Fire, which, most of the fans know, was very, very long.
Although the book is the 5th volume of the series, it follows the events after the 3rd volume A Storm of Swords, the reason being (as George R.R. Martin explains himself) that the 4th volume became large enough with the stories about King’s Landing, Iron Islands and Dorne included, so the rest of what was happening at the same time had to be in the next book.
Here, the characters left out of the Feast for Crows, get their detailed attention – Jon Snow, Daenerys Targarien, Tyrion Lannister, Arya Stark, and all the others. After Martin is done with the parallel storylines though, a few chapters of new events begin.
I will not spend time retelling the story or giving synopsis, you can read it here:
The book unleashed sour whining and criticism by some fans, complaining by “pointless stalling”, “delay”; or generally – by no development of the events beyond certain point. And these, who seek only this in a book, are right. But people who can read between the lines can experience refined enjoyment spending time with this narrative, contemplating on the themes and problems it treats.
For this volume is not only about a girl with dragons to me. It is about people with power and their great responsibility to others (dragons being the power). It is about choices, as well. You cannot help but thinking: “What would I do if I had this power? Would I do anything differently?”
Aside from the events, the book brings us deeper into the characters’ motivations which mark their actions; it pictures in greater details their personalities. There are only few completely evil characters, and as many absolutely good ones, a lot like in real life. People are complicated; they make mistakes driven sometimes by intentions they believe are good; or other times, by irresistible passion.
It is a book about second chances, integrity and loyalty (Davos) and all their antipodes. Internal dilemmas torture the characters (Jon Snow is torn between pride and duty; personal gain and people’s commonwealth; traditional and nontraditional) and we observe how they solve them.
Brilliantly written and rather reflective than full with action, A Dance with Dragons adds significant value to the series. And hey, nobody important gets killed off this time (no definite death at least…)!