1/4: 8

of the way through and nothing of note has happened yet, but the prose and dialogue are so fire. Good to be back. Feels like not a word is wasted (whereas in Clash of Kings, there was a bit more dilly-dallying. Still could happen in this book). We also get a lot more lore about the Iron Islands and other smaller houses which are less present in the show which is very good.

The symbolism of crows ruling Westeros is also so metal, I love it. (also heavy imagery to this in House of the Dragon, if nothing else D&D loved the source material)

2/4: 8

A little over halfway through: still hanging around 8/10, but things need to start picking up. Holding this score despite the lack of action because the character development is so good; even/especially for the characters that I don't gaf about. The spacing between characters that I/we do care about becomes increasingly noticeable with each characters from Brienne or Samwell's perspective before we get back to Catelyn, Jon, Cersei, or Tyrion. Even Danaery's chapters are kind of dry, but the effectively nameless auxiliary characters are so well written that it's fun to hear about them through the lens of the comparatively boring main characters, which earns the 2nd quarter of this book on rhetorical merit despite a dragging plot.

The most exciting arc of the first half of this book is the succession plot happening over in the Iron Islands. Holy hell did the show do a bad job with this. The drowning and claimstaking to Balon's throne is so entertaining. Euron is perhaps the worst-done character in the show (excluding S6-8). In the show, he's made out to be a perverse, rapey oaf – but in the novel he is cunning and EVIL. His monologue about the titular feast for crows that he will make of Westeros after all other claimants to the salty throne promise lesser territories (or even less compelling: promises of peace) is inspiring and badass. Akin to Tyrion's trial soliloquy, and we're largely robbed of it in the show.

Brienne stumbling around the north looking for Sansa kind of reminds me of Between Two Fires. The way she just happens across wretched goods who tell her exactly what she needs to hear (villain monologue style) to get her to the next stop before trying to rape her so that she can slaughter them, and then continue on encountering other travelers on the road who join her party is a more more funny and tropey than is depicted in the show.

The Dornish arc is so good. The simultaneous familial devotion and wrath felt between Doran Martell and Ellaria (characters who pretty much are irrelevant in the show entirely :p)

Sansa's chapters becoming "Alayne" chapters to solidify her own internalization of her new identity is suck.

The fallout between Jaime and Cersei in the back half of this book is so fucking good too. Cersei's mantra of "Just doing what's best for my son" while being the most conniving bitch ya ever read about is good "foreshadowing" if you can even call it that, and it makes the Sparrow's rugpull out from under her that much more of a cliffhanger. Not a ton happens in the book action wise (compared to Storm of Swords), it definitely feels like another "staging" book which is unfortunate bc we don't even get many good POV chapters.

The greyjoy arc fucks, the Dorn arc fucks, Arya's arc fucks. Lady stoneheart hitting rezzies like the most goated supp in all seven kingdoms fucks. Story already becoming untenable though, with Jaime getting the most POVs coming in at just 7, with most of the characters getting three or four. Just too much ground to cover :/

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