First thing: I have to admit the first time I read this book I hated with a passion and it was the one book that took me the longest to read with much frustration, tears and perseverance. Where as the other books just flew by this book pulled me screaming and kicking through its story.
This time around was a completely different experience. I can't even put my finger on why this time around was different and why everything in this book clicked for me. I don't know what happened. For some reason everything in this story locked into place for me and the story flew by just like the other books. There was no pulling me kicking and screaming through the story, instead the pages were being flipped at a hurricane pace. I still don't think this book is as good as the first four books before it but it's still good. I was thoroughly impressed by what Martin did and I can't even truly say what it was he exactly did because I don't really know. I had really low expectations going into this book from the first time I read it but this time the book was amazing even though it didn't have some of my favorite characters. With book Martin introduced so many new characters and didn't even touch upon many of the favorite characters in the story that this story should have fell flat on its face but it doesn't.
Even with these new characters I found myself thoroughly engrossed like I was before. I wanted to know what happened to these new characters in this book like never before. I was really captured by their personal story line and the over all story that Martin was telling. I've got to admit this world he's created and continues to create is one of the most detailed, believable, and personal worlds I've read in a long time. He puts so much detail into the mythology and world building he's created that when characters start talking about past or present lineage or history I understand about 75% of the names or references they're using, where as when Tolkien did it I was lost about 90% of the time. But Martin has woven such a rich web of peoples and colored them in such a variety of colors that their lives and world really come alive.
By all honesty this book should have dragged again for me but it didn't. What this book did was just add more the mythology Martin had started with A Game of Thrones. I really like the Dornish culture down south and wouldn't mind some more insight into their culture. Those Sand Snakes really intrigue me as did the Red Viper.
As I think back, the characters have come such a long way in this story from where they started. It's been one crazy journey. I really like how Martin will start to set something up for a character and get the reader into thinking the character is going that way only to have the rug not just pulled out from under the character but forcibly yanked, beaten bloody, and then killed all right before our eyes as we are powerless to stop it from happening...all we can do it keep reading through clenched fists and gnashing of teeth.
Now bring on A Dance with Dragons. I am really looking forward to reading this one, it will be the first time and I just hope my expectations aren't too high. I ordered it on Sunday and am hoping it will be here by the end of the week but until then I'll be finishing up HBO's A Game of Thrones for the second time 3 episodes left.
