A Feast for Crows

A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 4

By: George R.R. Martin

Narrated by: Roy Dotrice

Length: 33 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

GAME OF THRONES: A NEW ORIGINAL SERIES, NOW ON HBO.

Few books have captivated the imagination and won the devotion and praise of readers and critics everywhere as has George R. R. Martin’s monumental epic cycle of high fantasy that began with A Game of Thrones. Now, in A Feast for Crows, Martin delivers the long-awaited fourth book of his landmark series, as a kingdom torn asunder finds itself at last on the brink of peace . . . only to be launched on an even more terrifying course of destruction.

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.

©2007 George R.R. Martin (P)2011 Random House

Critic reviews

"Of those who work in the grand epic-fantasy tradition, Martin is by far the best.... [He] is a tense, surging, insomnia-inflicting plotter and a deft and inexhaustible sketcher of personalities.... This is as good a time as any to proclaim him the American Tolkien." ( Time)

"The only fantast series I'd put on a level with J.R.R. Tolkein's The Lord of the Rings…. It's a fantasy series for hip, smart people, even those who don't read fantasy…. If you're new to the series, you must begin with Book 1, A Game of Thrones. Once you're hooked…. you'll be like the rest of us fans, gnawing your knuckles until book 5” (Marta Salij, Detroit Free Press)

“THE MOST impressive modern fantasy, both in terms of conception and execution, is George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire.… A masterpiece that will be mentioned with the great works of fantasy.” ( Contra Costa Times)

Not Sure

Not sure if I will continue listening to coming books in the series. Seems as if the author is getting more into shocking reader with sadistic, bloody, and sexual extremes than with continuing what started out as a rich complex exciting series. The separate stories are becoming unjustifiably verbose without adding anything meaningful to the story. My mind sometimes wanders when listening and I find myself not really feeling I need to rewind to pick up what I have missed. Hemingway has a point Less is More.

Great story

Book was fantastic but Roy changed some of the voices and pronounces names differently. Difficult to tolerate at first but you get used to it.

This I s a great book

This is a great book took me 4 days too finish it but I can't wait to listen to the next one

Amazing

Took me a while to get used to Roy's accents but ended up loving this audiobook. Of course it is an incredible story. Starting the next one immediately.

Finished out of spite

Story begins very slowly and focused on impertinent details. it does pick up however and get away from the crap that made me put it down --only to pick up a few weeks later to find out what happens. i am glad to finish it. Great storytelling, believable characters and a strong climax. i will continue on to the next book.

great

really good continuation on the saga. narration continues to be excellent, as per usual. recommend it!

Dotrice let me down

For three books Roy built up my relationship with many characters names and voices. I can understand if George chose to kill them off, but it's a while different kind of frustration when Roy suddenly starts to pronounce a few characters' names differently. If this is somehow related to the pronunciation choices on the tv series, then I get it, but still disagree with the change. As if that weren't enough, Roy also changes the voices of characters in this book. Even within the book there are small changes to some of the names and voices. Overall I'd still listen to it because it's not like there's a choice in narrator, and most of the names and voices hold true enough, but prepare yourself for the disappointment, and it will soften the blow.

Inconsistent narration.

Great book series, however, the narrator made a lot of changes to accents and pronunciation.

Martin’s Obsession with Detail Tedious

Though there were some interesting plot twists, much of this book is a tedious recitation of minor lords and their houses and histories. Martin’s great writing ability gets eclipsed by his obsession with detail.

Roy Dotrice still the weakest link

Wonderful story, narration still bad, thankfully no Missande chapters requiring that awful orientalist voice he uses for her.