Every blogger under the sun (and their mothers) seem to have a copy of George R.R. Martin’s A Dance with Dragons and are now posting reviews (embargo lifted early, I guess), except me (and my mom). So, as I’m wont to do when I’m behind the curve (like… always), here’s a round-up of the reviews I’ve stumbled across around the interwebs. I’ll try to keep this updated as I find more reviews.
Some have spoilers, some are spoiler free, so read at your own risk. I’ve tried to keep spoilers out of the excerpts.
A Dance with Dragons (****½) solves a lot of the problems experienced in the previous book in the series and brings renewed energy and focus to getting this story towards the endgame. A series of cliffhangers, some over-used terms (though “Nuncle,” only gets one airing, thankfully) and a feeling that Martin might be revisiting some plot elements a little too freely dent the book’s achievements, but a series of emotionally intense and surprising final chapters restore the faith that Martin has regained control of the story. The novel will be published on 12 July in the UK and USA, but given how many bookstores have broken the embargo, you may get lucky before then.
