A Feast for Crows
It seems too good to be true. After centuries of bitter strife and fatal treachery, the seven powers dividing the land have decimated one another into an uneasy truce. Or so it appears....With the death of the monstrous King Joffrey, Cersei is ruling as regent in King’s Landing. Robb Stark’s demise has broken the back of the Northern rebels, and his siblings are scattered throughout the kingdom like seeds on barren soil. Few legitimate claims to the once desperately sought Iron Throne still exist—or they are held in hands too weak or too distant to wield them effectively. The war, which raged out of control for so long, has burned itself out.
But as in the aftermath of any climactic struggle, it is not long before the survivors, outlaws, renegades, and carrion eaters start to gather, picking over the bones of the dead and fighting for the spoils of the soon-to-be dead. Now in the Seven Kingdoms, as the human crows assemble over a banquet of ashes, daring new plots and dangerous new alliances are formed, while surprising faces—some familiar, others only just appearing—are seen emerging from an ominous twilight of past struggles and chaos to take up the challenges ahead.
It is a time when the wise and the ambitious, the deceitful and the strong will acquire the skills, the power, and the magic to survive the stark and terrible times that lie before them. It is a time for nobles and commoners, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and sages to come together and stake their fortunes...and their lives. For at a feast for crows, many are the guests—but only a few are the survivors.
A Song of Ice and Fire is a saga written by George R. R. Martin. A serial contains 6 copies in English edition. But if you read in Chinese translation, then you will get 18 copies.
For now, the author has just finished Book Four and is moving on to number five. According to himself, the newest Book Five would be released at the end of 2006, so I'm really looking forward to it.
If you never have the chance to read this story, I suggest that you get them from the bookstore asap. Really not bad at all, I would say. The story of A Song of Ice and Fire is no less interesting than Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings.
It's a story contains seven great kingdoms, including at least three hundred characters. You have to refer to the the list of the roles introduction in the back of the book to understand the relationships among them.
The book describes at least four tribes fighting for the new throne out of the death of the new king of seven kingdoms. It tells murders, love and hate, betrayals, supernatural incidents, dragons,...etc.
It will never get you bored that you would bet on it. Anyhow, the previous three books are truely good ones. Recommend them earnestly!
However, in addition to those magical incidents, the book is absolutely painful to read as well. Within the story you see Human conflicts everywhere! Though, not everyone desires the throne, the story reflects comtemptuous thoughts to some minor characters, while it also give s us some retrospection of the main roles.
Furthermore, there is still something unsatisfying to me. The BIV doesn't mention too much about the Stark Family and talks too much about the Bad Queen, James's twin sister. I guess most of the readers like me: they would wish to read more about the Starks. Perhaps, it serves as a bridge to connect the previous three books and the last two ones. And I might count on the last two ones to have a great ending!
In other words, BIV's arangement, according to the author, is a must( I wish.) Well, it's the last thing in the world I would see that BV and BVI turn out to be like the last few ones of Harry Potters. They are actually written bad enough.