Cannonball Read IV: Book#1: A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin

Pinky McLadybits

I know it was mentioned here before, but Pajiba has a yearly Cannonball Read where Pajibans and others compete to read 53 books in a year. You must read the books and then post reviews of those books. You don't win anything other than bragging rights, but those are always good for more than one use. 

This year I chose to do a shorter Cannonball, since my duties with cross-stitching, being Head Bitch here at Hot Ink, and taking care of my family leave me a lot less reading time than years past. As such, A Dance With Dragons is the first book I've picked up and the first book I've completed. All 900+ pages. 

Since this is one of many books in a series, there will likely be spoilers from this point on. You've been warned, Sweetlings!

This book is just as infuriating and amazing and mind-blowing as all of the other books in the series. My only real gripe is being slow on the uptake as to which character's point of view I'm seeing at the beginning of some chapters. There are so many people playing this Game of Thrones! I really should take notes and use the handy dandy index of the Houses in the back of the books when I read, but I'm so excited to get to the good stuff that I can't be bothered to take the time. 

We unfortunately get to know some players that have previously only been spoken of or appeared only briefly in earlier installments. I could have gone quite a bit longer without meeting Roose Bolton, I tell you that much. That asshole really needs some comeuppance and he needs it now. He's a son of a bitch and I hate him. Characters that I previously loathed wanted punished suddenly got my sympathies. Again. Martin is good that way. 

We had slavers opposing the Mother of Dragons, an Imp traveling across the sea, a King seeking allegiances, a red priestess reading her fires, and brief check-ins with Ser Davos, Bran, and Jaime. There was quite a bit of ground covered in this installment, though I could have done without most of the poop references. And this is coming from a woman whose Timeline banner is the word "fart" and profile photo shows a grimace and my nose being held against a smell while gazing upon the banner. So. 

I'm sure that if you've read any of the previous books of A Song Of Ice And Fire then you will need no convincing to continue on to the latest book. If you haven't read the previous novels, then you probably weren't too spoiled by this review but you probably understood even less of it. I suggest you get yourself a copy of A Game Of Thrones and join the cult of ice and fire. You're welcome.

Rating: 7/8 tentacles