Enough
I just finished A Feast for Crows, the fourth book in the Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series. As much as it pains me to leave it where it sits, I’m not going to read the fifth book unless any subsequent books get far better reviews.
It’s hard to put a concise finger on it, but I would say that the shift in narrative focus and character strength from North to South, which really took hold in the fourth book but was really already gearing up in the second book, killed it for me.
I respects the author’s irreverent spirit in somewhat capriciously murdering lead characters and promoting others from margins to chapter headings is part of the fun of the books, but - while trying to avoid obvious spoilers - I just feel he went too far with the North. In fact, I thought he went too far in the first book, but I was ready to stomach it and move on.
It’s hard to read 800 page installments for fun when things don’t seem to be heading anywhere. Back to $0.99 crime thrillers!