Bossy Italian Book Review: A Dance With Dragons (Game of Thrones Book #5)

Wow. Wow. WOW!

I barely know where to start with reviewing this book.  It took me a little longer than the rest of the series to read (due to length and schedule), and so ALL that happened in this book over the course of the times I read it is hard to fully recall. The books start to bleed into one another in some respects. The other part is that SO much happens in this book that it’s hard to keep it all straight. This book has a ton of stories in it.

I could read this series again and again. There is one more book due out, but I swear, this series has already lived a thousand lives.

There is Cersei, who is suffering terribly for all of her sins throughout this series. She’s abandoned by Jamie who, I am sure, will offer a thrilling story in the next book. Then we’ve got Jon, who is dutifully running the Night’s Watch, and seriously, that becomes a twisty turny road that literally had me gasping toward the end.

And let’s talk about Reek. What a character--not one that is unfamiliar to us in past books--and one who elicits so much sympathy in this book that once you learn his true identity, it rattles you. Oh and let’s take a moment to talk about the Ironborn in this book because I feel like we hear a lot more about them, especially Asha Greyjoy, who I have grown to really like.

Daenerys really picks up steam in this book as well and her dragons, who obviously (given the title of the book) become instrumental. Of course there is no way to predict what will happen in these books, and I hate giving things away, but Dany’s story really had me gripped. Meeren is a crazy place, what can I say, and as always you don’t know who you can possibly trust. Dany's story has always been a little more special to me than some of the other characters, and that element doesn't go away.

Still, Tyrion remains a favorite for me. And I love the addition of Penny. Their little journey has me guessing...dare I say, hoping...that they might get together romantically. Sure, we all know that Tyrion has a very caring and human side, but with Penny, it comes out in ways we haven’t seen before. So watching that unfold is interesting.

Oh gosh, and there is still, Arya! She is still my hero, even though her journey just keeps getting creepier. This girl is all kinds of hardcore, and smart too!! I can’t wait to see what happens with her story as things unfold. She is a Stark, through and through and I just love her.

Truly there are a ton of wonderfully vibrant characters in these books. So many that I can’t even get to all of them in a simple review of this [awesome] fifth book. What I can say is that we get more characters in this book and at a swifter pace. Stories come together and overlap. As usual, the ending of the book really zings you.

There are moments of distinct sadness and surprise in this book. While it is long, coming in at just over 1,000 pages, I found it entirely worth the read and I relish the fact that they are long enough that they don’t wrap up swiftly and leave you pining in the worst ways. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, these books are more than worth the time spent reading. They are true entertainment, great literary prowess, and creativity at their best. If you only read one series your entire life, make it the Game of Thrones series.

Now the real question is, what the heck am I going to do with myself until the next Game of Thrones book hits shelves? They are saying it might not be until 2015...I'll be waiting Mr. Martin, I'll be waiting.

Read my other reviews on the Game of Thrones series here:

Game of Thrones: A Song of Fire & Ice (Book #1)

A Clash of Kings (Book #2)

A Storm of Swords (Book #3)

A Feast For Crows (Book #4)