Y’all have bad taste (a Feast for Crows spoiler review)

[@aminaa5824]

‘I’m taking a break before reading winds of winter’ yeah babe we all are lol (i know you mean dance I’m just joking)

[@Bookborn]

LMAOO 😭😭😭🤣🤣

[@StevenBryson-p3t]

Loved your AFFC review.especialy Jenna Lannister. You got dance and winds mixed up near the end fyi.

[@DrAwesome43]

@@StevenBryson-p3t The WoW chapters that have been released are some of the best in the whole series IMO. Definitely read those and do a video on them.

[@fordfordii8469]

I think when you have a sex with your husband it like stennis with his wife 🤔​@@Bookborn

[@exothermic1942]

​@@DrAwesome43 How worth it is it? I really want to wait for WOW to come out before I read them to have an authentic experience with as few spoilers as possible, so are they worth reading to lose that?

[@QuinnTheGM]

Cersei's chapters alone carry Feast, she's incredibly entertaining. But even without them it's the most thematically rich book in the series. I think it's the book I've reread the most, maybe ever. Only complaint is we should've gotten more focus on the REAL evil plot going on, that being Cersei's maids shrinking her gowns.

[@Bookborn]

Everyone is just jealous of Cersei and trying to bring her down 😞

[@BR-re7oz]

My maids are shrinking my gowns too. They're also shrinking my feet I can't even see them anymore. Why would a just God allow such evil into the world.

[@DongusMcBongus]

The same handmaids conspiring with all the beets to usurp King Tommen. 🤢🤢🤢

[@dgtlrn]

Ah, come on Quinn, we all know the real baddies are the Squishers.

[@mollofamerika]

Quinn! I hope you and the other theory peeps are planning a collab with Bookborn. I think she should take Glidus' theory quiz haha. But seriously, it has been SUCH a pleasure after being on a several year theory deep dive to experience the books through fresh eyes (especially someone who is doing such a good analysis). But it would be fascinating to have a conversation with some theory peeps about certain scenes (no spoilers!) like the story Meera tells Bran in the hills - I had no idea of the significance the first two times I read, until I read an analysis of it. The thing about these books, is most of the fun is the unraveling the web of connections!

[@dandeleon2764]

Brienne's confession to the priest just broke my heart: "A daughter." Brienne's eyes filled with tears. "He deserves that. A daughter who could sing to him and grace his hall and bear him grandsons. He deserves a son too, a strong and gallant son to bring honor to his name. Galladon drowned when I was four and he was eight, though, and Alysanne and Arianne died still in the cradle. I am the only child the gods let him keep. The freakish one, not fit to be a son or daughter."

[@Bookborn]

Her inner monologue just makes her SO complex, and it's why I felt I had to talk about her so much in my Martin female character video. She likes who she wants to be, but she also loathes it! It's such a real human emotion!

[@V_i_vi_an]

holy fuck, even re-reading now in your comment made me tear up a bit. I love Brienne so much.

[@biancaflo]

this is genuinely one of the best chapters i’ve ever read

[@pippaschroeder9660]

I haven’t read the books but hits HARD

[@pippaschroeder9660]

@@Bookborn It shows the struggle of her not fitting into a gender norm- being a woman but womanly- and how that isolates her leaving her without a role in her society. George rights the struggles of women in a society like Westeros amazingly

[@BossAttack]

"She had no chance against seven, she knew. No chance, and no choice. She stepped out into the rain, Oathkeeper in hand." And that's when Brienne became the embodiment of perfection. 😭

[@Bookborn]

BRIENNE TRUTHERS RISE!!! I love her so so so much

[@warlordofbritannia]

Brienne is a 👑 among knights

[@Hellsing7747]

She is awesome! I like her in the show as well, but in the book, she is phenomenal.

[@alastorcorvus]

"no chance, and no choice" instant goosebumps

[@natzbarney4504]

@@alastorcorvus Oh yeah, this on of the best line of all ASOIAF. So powerful!

[@knightoficeandfire1686]

Arya = Cat Sansa = Alayne Together they are Catelyn

[@Otsego]

You have genuinely upset me just now. I never once put that together.

[@neorhami7122]

No wayyyyyy I can't believe I never saw this

[@alastorcorvus]

Mind Effing BLOWN

[@shmittybacall1499]

Everytime you read the books you find something new! George is the best

[@Bookborn]

I recognized that Arya was taking Cat probably as a homage to her mother, but I didn't connect the Alayne part 😭 all I know is pain

[@nevaehaho61]

The fact that Brienne is also Dunk’s descendant makes it extra special. George told us we would learn one of the characters was descended from Dunk in this book and then Brienne gets that shield. Plus she’s super tall

[@Bookborn]

This detail makes me happy

[@kimtherrien8643]

Theory is that Hodor also might be descended from Dunk.

[@swaggerdagger5168]

@@kimtherrien8643he is. I believe that George has stated that there are four characters in the current story that are descendants of Dunk. The two confirmed ones are Brienne and Hodor, the other two are not yet known/confirmed. However a lot of fans have speculated that the remaining two are the Clegane brothers.

[@GreyMagee74]

​@@swaggerdagger5168 or Left and Right

[@KaiHung-wv3ul]

@@Bookborn Also, I rereading A Storm of Swords and in the bath scene Jaime calls her "thick as a castle wall". That made me so ridiculously hyped.

[@TheJManRises]

Jamie’s arc of figuring out his identity and coming to terms with his relationship with Cersei throughout this book made it one of my favourites for sure. The story concluding with him finally breaking free from Cersei by refusing her letter for help was so satisfying to read

[@Bookborn]

SO SATISFYING and unexpected!

[@PsilocybeJedi]

Been saying this for a decade... Jaimie along with another character I won't mention for fear of spoilers for Bookborn is on his way to having the absolute best arc of the series.

[@keanancupido]

I agree, in the show he goes back to KL but when he burned the letter in the book I was like huhhh wait huh. So unexpected and so good at the same time!

[@lenakataeva7525]

It was amazing moment! It's my favourite bit of the book

[@McHobotheBobo]

​@keanancupido One of the many dirty deeds of Dan and Dave.....

[@nevaehaho61]

I don’t think Cersei’s gaining weight because she’s pregnant (although I do see that as a viable and valid theory). I think it’s more to parallel her to Robert. She starts doing things like Robert would (eating and drinking excessively, being physically cruel to women and children, making bad political decisions and fantasizing about a long-dead possible marriage partner)

[@Bookborn]

ok this is an excellent point, I didn't even think of that part of the robert transformation! That makes more sense in the long run, tbh, although I'd love the drama of a pregnancy haha

[@Ashbrash1998]

100% it gives the irony of someone turning into the person they hate the most

[@Undefined14]

Fetch Cersei the gown stretcher!

[@raulpetrascu2696]

You heard The Hand. Go find the breastplate stretcher! NOW!

[@SantanicoDiabolical]

Robert wasn't cruel to children, he just was neglectful and took no interest in Cersei's bastard children. He actually was very fond of his first born bastard daughter and wanted to bring her to court but didn't after Cersei threatened to have her killed if he did.

[@kendershot]

"Oh no! Cersei's dumb!" Classic!

[@lukaslambs5780]

9:05 “I don’t distrust you because you’re a woman, I distrust you because you’re not as smart as you think you are.” - The Goat himself, Tywin Lannister

[@serphenyxloftnor4194]

"Look mom! Cersei's being dumb again."

[@Bookborn]

oooh is that a show quote@@lukaslambs5780

[@jackprey2355]

Yes@@Bookborn

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

@@lukaslambs5780Charles Dance inhabited that role so perfectly. My brain read that in his voice.

[@rabbithaze9707]

“She narrowed her eyes. “What is our heart’s desire?” “Vengeance.” His voice was soft, as if he were afraid that someone might be listening. “Justice.” Prince Doran pressed the onyx dragon into her palm with his swollen, gouty fingers, and whispered, “Fire and blood.” is my personal favorite chapter ending of any book in the entire series

[@AnthonyA0424]

You’re telling me fat pink mast isn’t peak george

[@Bookborn]

Please please yall gotta stop reminding me of these phrases 😭😭 im trying to erase them from my world view

[@justsomedude5727]

Pale. Sticky. PRINCES

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

It certainly is some of George's prose.

[@saranemcova5448]

​@@BookbornDon't go to subreddits. Fat pink mast is certified meme 😅

[@AW-xc1xc]

Two words: Myrish. Swamp. 🖖

[@Gunleaver]

Cersei knows Loras & Renly were lovers. I don't think she understands sexuality, she just thinks of it as some sort of alternate kink, which is why she toys with the possibility of "exposing" him & Margaery as lovers. But, yeah. That's why she refuses to have him train Tommen, when she notes that Loras had squired for Renly, and doesn't want the same sort of relationship forming between them. "The Knight of Flowers was no sort of man for any boy to emulate" "I know what he (Loras) is. I won't have him near my son." "Ser Loras lusts for glory as real men lust for women..." She knows.

[@Bookborn]

Yeah I mean I def used straight flippantly for ease of describing it but she talks in this book to me as if she didn’t know, since she thinks it’s ridiculous that Margery and Renly didn’t consummate the marriage and considers trying to seduce loras. Now the second one I could see her doing no matter what because she’s so self centered she thinks everyone loves her, but the first one…

[@Gunleaver]

@@Bookborn I don't think she gets sexuality. To her, a woman's body is a thing men use to assert their power over her. Of course Renly would do it to Margaery when they were naked together. She isn't gay, after all, and she did ... that .... to Taena. That Loras or Renly would not want to have sex with a woman is just not in it for her, or at least it indicates some sort of weakness or deficiency on their part. Because to her, that's the way of the world, you're the getting stomped on the face with a boot, or you're wearing the boot. Boots are for stomping and there's something wrong with you if you have one and don't stomp. I legit think that if she was in a marriage with a decent man who respected her, and tried to be nice to her, and acknowledged her bodily autonomy, she'd hold him in contempt. Notice, that her sex life with Jaime, from what we see, despite her claims that he's the only partner she enjoys, is also rather violent and abusive, and neither of them is super-interested in each other's consent. Bran describes their interplay as wrestling (which MIGHT be what normal sex would look like to a kid his age, but intercourse doesn't necessarily look like that), Jaime is definitely violent to her in the sept when he returns, she in turn is violent toward him after his return, and he has to fight her off in the Kingsguard quarters. Cersei is all about power, and it absolutely makes sense to call her relationship to Jaime when they were young, a form of grooming. That line she delivers to Ned, that they made the thesis statement of the execrable TV show, "When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die," is actually an expression of her narrow conception of power, as a zero sum game, where anyone else having any power is a loss for you, and someone to target. That also explains the incompetence of her reign as regent in this book - the feudal system is all about sharing power, or at least trading power for support. Cersei can't build a coalition, she can't get buy-in for her policies, because she isn't willing to cede anything back. Jaime's scheme to have Mace take Storm's End doesn't occur to her, because the idea of giving a rival a command and authority to carry it out is beyond her frame of reference. To Cersei, competence is a threat, dissent indicates enmity, disloyalty and sabotage, and failure is proof of incompetence and ill will. It's how she is one of the few characters who is acutely aware of the ways in which her gender is discriminated against, marginalized and victimized by their society, but also has absolutely zero problems with it happening to anyone but her. She is very aware of the abuse Sansa is suffering at Joffrey's hands and horror she is feeling in her marriage to Tyrion, and objectively empathizes, for lack of a better description, but she won't life a finger to do anything about it. To her, that's the natural way things go. You have periods, you get raped, your husband beats you and you have to wear skirts instead of carry a sword belt. This is not an issue that needs to be reformed, any more than lactation is. Her objection to it happening to her, is that she is not a weak woman like all those other women, she is actually strong and powerful and does not deserve it, it's all the fault of those men conspiring against her, personally. She doesn't object to men or disregarding female authority, she is mad that they are doing it to HER, because they are mistaking her for a run of the mill weakling woman. So, in summation, Cersei is aware that Loras prefers to have sex with men, and is not interested in sex with women, and sees it not as his sexuality, but as some weird deficiency of willpower or ambition, an inexplicable failure to take full advantage of a fundamental ability. And she doesn't want him anywhere near Tommen, because Tommen is already falling short of Cersei's measure of strength, of which Joffrey, Tywin & Robert are more proper examples.

[@PsilocybeJedi]

Euron's introduction completely opened the series up to so much more. The lovecraftian TRUE villain of the story. Bro is an absolute madman.

[@leonember9234]

"Lovecraftian". How true!

[@SuzakuX]

Winds might never be published, but we got the Damphair preview chapter which is one of the coolest in the entire series IMO.

[@StudioMod]

@@leonember9234Quite a stretch.

[@testcase6997]

@@SuzakuXthe problem is that's when he starts being cool. In affc they barely get started with him.

[@VinnieMF]

​​​@@SuzakuX I understand why people fear tWoW might never come out but weirdly I never held on to that notion, I see it as a 100% certainty that it will come out. At the same time, I'm 99.9% sure ADOS will never come out.

[@Bipolarfuchs]

I read these books a decade ago and still spend a good amount of time in the fandom, but you experiencing these moments for the first time brings me so much joy!

[@lolod1234]

I completely agree ♥️☺️

[@FrshChees91]

People were just upset there were no Tyrion, Dany or Jon chapters.

[@Hellsing7747]

Pretty much

[@simcoe4045]

Yeah, but the Cersei chapters alone made up for it.

[@hugevibez]

If we're talking when it came out, I think people were mostly upset about splitting up Dance, increasing the series length and thus waiting times. Looking back those fears weren't really unfounded.

[@maxvickrey4357]

Personally it was the Arya and Samwell chapters also the iron born that I loved the most about this book

[@thetrollking9519]

And I still am lol

[@JaxonHaxon]

Tywin to Cersei: "I don't distrust you because you're a woman, I distrust you because you're not as smart as you think you are"

[@reedarnold7905]

Is that from show, book, or both? So brutally honest.

[@shvzvzjshvzhs3160]

@@reedarnold7905It’s from the show, and therefore isn’t canon.

[@EhudJonathan]

Still a very in character thing to say from Tywin, if it was in the book.​@@shvzvzjshvzhs3160

[@alastorcorvus]

A woman of culture, Feast of Crows is the best book in the series, the broken man speech, Cersei's descent to madness, Brienne being a Knight, Victarion introduction (he's a dumbass, but a badass), Arya actually learning something and DORNE!!! one of the most interesting parts of Westeros. It's a great book

[@Bookborn]

Say it louder 👏

[@mum-your]

Come ON, dont forget the KINGSMOOT

[@RowingFrontal5]

Can’t believe most of this stuff (especially Dorne) didn’t get adapted into the show

[@xvvxvvxvvx]

Feast is my least favorite but the broken man part and the kinsmoot were some of my favorite parts of the series

[@KaiHung-wv3ul]

It's my second favorite upon a reread. It was my third favorite originally, but I now put it over Clash of Kings.

[@lindybjork2712]

I missed that the Hound survived, too. I agree with you about publication order. I'll always read that way.

[@leonember9234]

The Hound becomes "The Gravedigger".

[@adamrivers3250]

Yessss! Not gunna lie, you did scare me with the thumbnail about having bad taste. Breath of relief that you’re talking about people who dislike AFFC. It’s my personal fav.

[@Bookborn]

I just cannot believe how many people told me I was going to hate this book. WHERE. WHEREEE!!!!

[@terraincognita5488]

I was confused at first as well lol. I feel like I see feast mentioned as a favorite more than the other books, though maybe that’s just bc it has more haters so therefore more defenders

[@edel5223]

I got that impression too lol i didn’t initially click until Preston mentioned you and then i realized i interpreted your thumbnail the wrong way.

[@Elbridgina]

If you are a fan of Margery, the show portrayal of her is actually one of the rare moments where they enhanced the character a lot and you get SO much insight into her.

[@maxperez-stable6796]

The few chacaters that have a better show counterpart are Ser Allister, Ser Jorah, and Margery

[@VinnieMF]

​​​​@@maxperez-stable6796 Allister and Margaery feel like more intense versions of their book character but Jorah is a very different character. Instead of Jorah I'd mention Kevan, he's more prominent in the show than in the book and I think S5+S6 were better for it.

[@pinto9779]

​@@maxperez-stable6796 idk I think that the point of jorah is that he's a creep to dany and the show erases that and just leave him as good guy

[@NeurosenkavalierEmilSinclair]

​@@pinto9779yeah but I liked that Jorah is a deeply tragic character in the books. the whole story of him (the ugly boy from a shthole somewhere in the north) has his glorious moment at a tourney and wins the heart of a beautiful girl that leads to him ruining himself and do a crime; only to fall in love with a girl that is too beautiful and mighty and important for him again... he makes the same mistake twice, prefers ignoring all reality and believes in his idealized (and self centered) ideas of love. We all know somebody like that.

[@Flammewar]

One thing I love about Brienne's POV is that we finally get to see the peasants' point of view as well. We've seen the conflicts almost exclusively through the eyes of kings, lords, and other nobles. When you think about it, it's really crazy that so many people have to go to war just because a guy they've never met was executed for treason. George is a pacifist and it's nice to see that side even more clearly now. Also, I have to mention that the Broken Men monologue is just perfect and I'll end this with my favorite quote: "Seven, Brienne thought again, despairing. She had no chance against seven, she knew. No chance, and no choice."

[@Bookborn]

I teared up during the Broken Man monologue 😭

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

@@BookbornThat monologue is George's entire central theme for the books. War breaks people for no good reason, and it's the common who suffer most when the lords play their game of thrones.

[@leonember9234]

Yes, yes, yes! When I first read The Broken Men monologue I was absolutely stunned and realized at that moment that GRRM was without a doubt a brilliant writer. I think it is the best part of the whole series and mention its theme to as many people as I can when ASoIaF is being discussed. Bookborn, I am glad you were also affected by that wonderful story within a story. I have been reading fantasy and science fiction for 65 years and think that Game of Thrones is one of finest series I have every read. Thank you all for continuing to keep the discussion alive.

[@SeveralBirbs]

@@Bookborn “The War of the Ninepenny Kings?” asked Hyle Hunt. “So they called it, though I never saw a king, nor earned a penny. It was a war, though. That it was.” That is without a doubt my favourite passage

[@Edmuresrampantmanhood-dp3jd]

Arya is in the shoes of the smallfolk through out Clash and Storm, she is literally enslaved first by Lannister than by Bolton. Brienne's chapters are great reading and there is more insight to the plight of the smallfolk, but it isn't the first time we see how the common man is affected when great lords play the game of thrones.

[@basiosrasian225]

20:17 The Broken Man speech from Brienne chapter is literally one of my favorite moments in the series.

[@leonember9234]

That seems to be a theme with many of the commenters here. I agree.

[@viktorlogibernharsson2040]

Every ASOIAF review of yours just fills my heart with joy! The fact that you're experiencing the books for the first time and having this wondrous sense of discovery of this world and these characters❤❤ It makes me so happy!

[@orthog42]

I just discovered your channel, and really liked your AFFC video and the honesty of your video on the business of being a KZbinr.

[@Bookborn]

Thank you so much, this is OVERLY kind!

[@alexmorales7907]

Your reviews of this series are what convinced me to start reading it. 20% through Clash of Kings and loving it.

[@Bookborn]

YAY WELCOME TO THE LATE CLUB

[@alb0zfinest]

@@BookbornMay I ask when you plan on starting the final book? Next month? P.S: I think you'll like A Dance with Dragons even more, especially the very mysterious themes of the north.

[@KaiHung-wv3ul]

@@Bookborn I started around the same time you did. I was reading A Clash of Kings when KZbin recommended your AGOT video.

[@BossALKENO]

The best description of Cersei's character is reading her first viewpoint chapter and going "oh no, Cersei's dumb! Oh no!"

[@Flammewar]

"I cannot believe they drown people and CPR them back to life" kills me xD I never thought about it like that xD

[@DongusMcBongus]

Meanwhile in the show, Theon gets a sprinkling on his head. If I remember right, they did actually have Euron drowned, but by then they totally ruined Kingsmoot so idc.

[@funnyV1890]

​​​@@DongusMcBongus what you didnt like that they removed the whole reason Euron was selected over everyone else? Who needs gold and magic horns that burn a mans lungs out, he can say he has a big 🐓 and that is enough! 😂

[@Bookborn]

haha isn't that what they are doing though 😭 that was such a wild way to start this book

[@EumenesOCardia]

@@Bookborn It's hardcore baptism.

[@bstark94]

How else would you think of it? They hold them under the water until they drown, then do chest compressions to bring them back. It's literally as she described it. Not even any allegory or anything, just literally drowning and cpr

[@IbbyMelbourne]

Following your journey with this series has been amazing. It's bittersweet that there's only one review left. After Dance, it'd be cool to have a video of you reacting and giving your perspective on all the crazy theories the community has come up with over the past decade

[@Moggetslittlesister]

Yeah! I really hope someone can curate some of the best theories for her.

[@derekfurst6233]

You called Dance Winds so much and it was like salt in the wound every time

[@Bookborn]

freudian slip?? 😬

[@DongusMcBongus]

She’s actually from the better timeline. Her videos are magically seeping into our dark universe.

[@Trepanation21]

@@DongusMcBongus At this point in our timeline, we're so used to the idea that it ain't coming that we'll all just happily and eagerly take her alternate timeline review of the book!

[@marcneef795]

​@@DongusMcBongusJust realise it. The fans will pay for the lawyer 😊

[@ninisilver]

TEH Myrish swamp has traumatized more than the Red Wedding

[@DongusMcBongus]

Not one mention of the “fat pink mast” tho.

[@ninisilver]

Also that, if George R.R Martin sees himself as Sam does he mean that he HAS a fat pink mast? This what I think about when I look at his face in interviews and I try to forget it@@DongusMcBongus

[@victor382]

Nooooooooo! how dare you make that connection! I hate u@@ninisilver

[@H41030v3rki110ny0u]

​@@ninisilverforget?? why????? GRRM OwO

[@paradigmshift7907]

I’m more optimistic than most about the books being finished. George has already written almost 1500 pages for Winds of Winter. No way that doesn’t get published at some point in some form. As for the final book, we’ve seen this with other authors if they pass away. For better or worse, there is a lot of money to be made. There will at least be some kind of fight to get a book out.

[@Bookborn]

My personal opinion as someone very new to the fandom is that we will see Winter. It seems that there is too much written, like you said. We probably won't get springs. I know George is very against other authors finishing series, so for his sake, I hope they don't do it 🤷‍♀

[@justdan9264]

I heard George ordered to burn the manuscripts if he ever died

[@dogman6687]

Im also more hopeful than most. I think scrapping his previously planned 5 year time jump threw a serious wrench in the series and caused a lot of problems down the line for the story and characters. Thats why Winds has been so tough for him. We know hes a “gardener” when it comes to writing, but he claims hes already known how it would end for a long time. Hopefully after finally churning out Winds he has a clear vision for the path to the end, so the final book wouldnt take him nearly as long. Its gets really tiring seeing th community talk so casually and callously about GRRM’s mortality, as if theyre all waiting on bated breath for him to drop dead any second now.

[@pepeedge5601]

​@@Bookborn I think that Dream of Spring will not take 10 years to write and that it will be shorter than Winds. Already Dance took longer to write, and Martin admited that he was stuck at converging the plot and chronology of certain characters. I assume that is also his problem now with Winds. Hopefully the paths of the main characters will already converge in Winds, which could give him an easier time when it comes to progressing the plot of DoS (assuming that he know how he wants to end the story). Maybe I'm too much of an optimist. Anyway I have some 120 books I want to read so I will be happy wheneverthey come out, of they do. In the meantime I will go trough my backlog.

[@Ashbrash1998]

I've kind of accepted of what may happened and I prefer we get a book that matches the quality of the others in the series, rather than get something asap that's trash. Because nothing will ruin a series more than a awful sequel/ending, and you can see many examples of that happening.

[@AllMad111]

The Brienne story is super excellent. I love the bits about "The Hound". The motif of his helmet representing emotional armor and cruelty. I felt like it was contrasted with Brienne's lack of a helmet and her willingness to protect the innocent. Though she feels insecure sometimes, she doesn't take it out on others like Sandor did.

[@thefilmeffect6089]

gotta love Septon Maribald and dog

[@whensomethingcriesagain]

Finally, someone else who loves Feast as much as I do. An extremely needed follow up to Storm that gives the reader time to understand this new status quo and reorient after the constant churning they Storm did. I think a lot of the really good stuff in Storm wouldn't be as effective if it didn't have Feast to tackle the fallout, especially the death of Tywin.

[@Bookborn]

Ok that’s a PERFECT way to describe it. Storms absolutely churned everything and destroyed everything, and feast is the aftermath. It’s the emotional follow up to tell you about the fall out

[@whensomethingcriesagain]

@@BookbornI'm pretty sure that's actually why it's called A Feast For Crows. If A Storm of Swords is a term that describes a battle, then A Feast For Crows is the bloody aftermath.

[@andrewhanson405]

Whenever I hear someone say that this is weak installment, I'm like damn, I wish all books were this disappointing. Jamie is my favorite character in the series. I am all in on this book. I think the Lannister's are the most fascinating characters in all of fantasy.

[@ladyannabolina]

Every time the Lannister twins do something terrible I'm like that "I pretend I do not see it" meme. I never thought when I got into this series that they would be some of my favorite characters but here we are.

[@Bookborn]

yes yes we can all pretend Bran never happened, I'm with you

[@McHobotheBobo]

​@Bookborn I mean, he lived! 😂 Got magic powers out of it to boot!

[@Dell-ol6hb]

@@McHobotheBobo I mean looking at how that’s going that magic honestly may end up being more of a curse than a blessing 😂

[@McHobotheBobo]

@@Dell-ol6hb A small price to pay for peace! Lol

[@MMcHugh-j7y]

Feast is such a great book, Aurane Waters is my favorite minor character in the series. Show up, look like Cersei's teenage crush, get her to finance a ton of ships, and then go off to be a pirate at the first sign of trouble

[@readbykyle3082]

A 43 minute Feast for Crows review is beautiful

[@muribird232]

I love binging videos about ASOIAF and the books in general, but when your Game of Thrones reviews popped up on my front page, I realized I never really sat down to listen to a review of them! Seeing someone get into this is SUCH a trea, especially knowing you've been reading the books while I was doing my own audiobook re-listen! Like many fans I've had a fraught relationship with this franchise, and I stopped watching the show because of how they were handling SA and their female characters in general. It soured me on the universe for a long time. I came back to see my favorite characters through to the end during the final season, however, and over time I've come to fall in love with ASOIAF all over again (thanks to the HotD spinoff to reinvigorating my interest!) Hearing you talk about Sansa, Catelyn and Sandor makes me smile. I cherish those characters to this day - I grew up with Sansa, so I went from seeing myself in her to feeling like she's my baby. "My skin has turned to porcelain, to ivory, to steel" is one of my all time favorite lines from these books.

[@gtxpolo_4]

the moment I knew I loved brienne was when she defended the orphans at the inn against the brave companions. She knew she was outnumbered and would most likely die but fought them anyway because it was the right thing to do

[@Bookborn]

she's always trying to do the right thing and it's such a great look into the themes of the novel, and I love connecting that to the themes of Dunk and Egg too

[@DCharles]

Fascinating that I came across your channel last night and first thing today you review the book I’m currently doing another read through on. It’s nice hearing a fresh perspective.

[@DongusMcBongus]

BASED. Like I said, I didn’t like it that much on the first read through. But on reread, IT’S AMAZING. It’s not my favorite but holy heck why did I not like it as much the first time? I also think, and forgive the crass analogy that people don’t like Feast and Dance because it sets up so much for Winds to be the next SoS that we all have literary blue balls. Seriously, George is spinning like 100 different plates and he sets them up masterfully in book 4 and five. And we’re all just waiting for that sweet plot release.

[@Bookborn]

Yeah, I mean, I can't really speak yet since I haven't read Dance, but a lot of people's complaints that I saw of AFFC and ADWD is that they have become to unwieldy. But, tbh, I just don't see that yet. These feel like the books that are setting up the emotional stakes for the end of the story. It seems completely possible to tie it all up in two books still.

[@DongusMcBongus]

@@Bookborn I think George uses the metaphor of untangling a knot. I think you’ll get that vibe on the end of book 5. But, a small silver lining of it taking so long to get Winds is that even though the plot is incredibly dense, you have a lot of time to dissect it lol

[@MadManManderly]

11:15 I think an important part of this is that it doesn't feel like she is getting actual comeuppance for all the genuinely terrible choices she's made. Ultimately, it's the 'crime' of fornication (i.e. being a sexually liberated woman) that brings her down. Which nicely echoes the early points in the book that whilst she is a terrible leader/person, she does also face very real sexism.

[@testcase6997]

I don't think you picked up on this but Cersei gave the faith that power with the intention of harming Margarey. It's 100% solely a result of her actions.

[@Hellsing7747]

I love “Dunk and Egg” and Brienne is also one of my favorite characters in ASOIAF. But when She got her shield painted I was like “-Ok, that’s cool” then I read “A Knight of the seven kingdoms” and I was like: “ -Holly S**T! The shield ”

[@Bookborn]

Oohh so you did notice it the other way around! I'm not sure if I would've tbh

[@bretto7]

21:00 yea yea yea. HOW can the TITLE of the chapter being just a single first name, the name of the POV, and have it be that emotional. it’s crazy. it so well done that a single name makes my heart so heavy. argh. poor sansa

[@danielleking76]

I'm surprised you didn't touch on the "Broken men" speech by septon Meribald in Briennes' chapter! It's one of the most beautiful monologues in the series in my opinion! Your reviews are so insightful, I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on it :) :)

[@Bookborn]

The minute I uploaded this I realized I never talked about it 😭 ONe of the best speeches in the entire book/series and I didn't touch on it??? It made me tear up

[@leonember9234]

I agree with your take on The Broken Men speech, as have many other commenters here. I had to stop reading the text when I finished the monologue and just went into daze thinking about what it meant. It is an excellent piece of writing and makes the entire series worthwhile.

[@ancatdal]

​@@Bookborn Maybe after finishing Dance, and taking a break, you could do a video about passages/moments/character etc. that really stuck with you from the series, possibly including that speech?

[@KaiHung-wv3ul]

@@leonember9234 My top five monologues of the series, along with the Eustace Osgrey one from Dunk & Egg, Jaime's confession, the Greyjoy election speeches(which kinda builds on each other), and the one at the end of Winds if you know you know.

[@CoDBeastleh]

Great review! When you think you've heard everything about asoiaf you come along and make some great points especially about the character motivations and emotions.

[@jimiafolabi6998]

Feast is definitely the most under appreciated in the fandom. I'll admit, I wasn't a big fan the first time I read it. But I was also unaware of the fact that is was split and kept waiting for Tyrion chapters lol. This one had so many great quotes and scenes. The Broken man speech might be my favorite speech in the entire series. Brienne stepping out to fight even though she knew she had no chance "She had no chance against seven, she knew. No chance, and no choice. She stepped out into the rain, Oathkeeper in hand." So so good. And Arya giving up her sword. "Needle was Robb and Bran and Rickon, her mother and her father, even Sansa. Needle was Winterfell’s grey walls, and the laughter of its people. Needle was the summer snows, Old Nan’s stories, the heart tree with its red leaves and scary face, the warm earthy smell of the glass gardens, the sound of the north wind rattling the shutters of her room. Needle was Jon Snow’s smile." Probably the most heart breaking scene to me in the series. Oh and Maester Aemon "Egg... I dreamed that I was old." This book was heavy. But Cersei's comedy balanced it out haha

[@pinto9779]

I don't get why people find aeron's POVs bland, the guy is insane and it's so fun to read his thoughts and to be into his crazy hyper religious head

[@jkl8245]

This was my favorite book mostly because of the Cersei chapters. I loved how different her mind worked and how the trauma from her childhood has shaped her into the paranoid, unstable and hedonistic person she becomes. I also found myself feeling really bad for this "villain" I had hated in the earlier books. I wish she'd never visited Maggy's tent, I think her mind would have been in a much better place.

[@Bookborn]

yeah, you know, I didn't really focus on Maggy's part of her worldview. I think Cersei was probably always a selfish person, so I don't necessarily think it would've completely changed her, but I DO wonder if she wasn't so motivated by avoiding her fate, how she would change. It's really interesting to think about

[@Mike-di1og]

@@BookbornI don’t think she would have been too different since she murdered her friend for having a crush on Jaime in the same scene where she received the prophecy. I think the prophecy actually has helped her unwittingly in how others perceive her. Inside her head I was actually surprised how she thinks of her children, in that she doesn’t really have any affection or love for them. She is fiercely protective of them, but she also views them as her tethers to life, as the prophecy said they would predecease her. If they live, she lives. People outside of her head lack the context of her protectiveness and so she gets a reputation as someone who may be a lot of things, but it can’t be denied she loves her children. It softens so many other people’s perception of her. But she has no empathy and only sees others in how useful they are. If her children weren’t mentioned in the prophecy I could see her being apathetic or even resentful of them. How much less trust would others have had for her if it was clear that she felt love for no one? Could that have hindered her ability to pull off what few plots she managed, if she didn’t have that reputation as a loving mother? She is not emotionally intelligent enough to be able to fake it; she can’t read how others perceive her well enough. But the prophecy motivates her behavior in a way that actually endears her to others because they don’t know that she is essentially guarding her Horcruxes, not doting on her children.

[@blizzfreak245]

Feast has so many fantastic lines of writing. I didn't appreciate it at first but on a re-read I was enthralled and it's my second favorite behind Storm of Swords in the series now. "How much can a crown be worth, when a crow can dine upon a king?" ~ Jaime Lannister "There have always been men who found it easier to speak vows than to keep them." ~ Ser Arys Oakheart "Sometimes there is no happy choice, Sam, only one less grievous than the others." ~ Maester Aemon "Godless? Why, Aeron, I am the godliest man ever to raise sail! You serve one god, Damphair, but I have served ten thousand. From Ib to Asshai, when men see my sails, they pray." ~ Euron Greyjoy

[@felipevitorino7745]

I’m so anxious to your review of Dance ! What a ride it will be

[@AfterlifeAnubis]

You talking about the Sansa/Elaine thing reminded me of all the Reek chapters and then finally when Theon escapes Winterfell with Jeyne Poole, his chapter is back to Theon, showing that he was choosing to live once more as Theon instead of dying as Reek

[@FrenulemEnjoyer]

Hey will you make a Winds of Winter samplechapter video too? They are some of the best GRRM has written

[@Bookborn]

I just found out about these chapter three comments ago and so YES ABSOLUTELY

[@ashighashonor14]

@rn Can't wait for you to get to them sometime in the future! One of them may be one of the most consequential chapters in the series, and makes AFFC even more meaningful for me.

[@DongusMcBongus]

@@BookbornThe Forsaken HYPE

[@lanestapp2]

Pray

[@blackeyedlily]

I love Feast! And it definitely gets better on a reread. I agree with your sentiment about how Sansa and Arya are both having to abandon their Stark identities at this time. Their stories often mirror each other throughout the series. And identity is definitely one of the overarching themes in the series. However, I do have some hope for both sisters. For Arya in particular the fact that she cannot dispose of Needle is a good sign. I absolutely adore the following quote from her chapter where she is throwing all her possessions into the canal, with the exception of Needle. “Needle was Robb and Bran and Rickon, her mother and her father, even Sansa. Needle was Winterfell’s grey walls, and the laughter of its people. Needle was the summer snows, Old Nan’s stories, the heart tree with its red leaves and scary face, the warm earthy smell of the glass gardens, the sound of the north wind rattling the shutters of her room. Needle was Jon Snow’s smile. He used to mess my hair and call me “little sister,” she remembered, and suddenly there were tears in her eyes.” That gets me every time!

[@jpa5038]

So I had heard from some friends that Feast was their least favorite of all the books. So I remember reading it and loving it. Septon Meribald's speech might be my most favorite moment in fiction. It's that good.

[@Bookborn]

I'm so mad I forgot to talk about it. How do you forget to mention the broken man speech???

[@leonember9234]

I agree with you. Among all those thousands of wonderful words, the broken men speech hit me the hardest and made me stop reading and reflect on life in general. What an excellent writer!

[@jpa5038]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZi0f2uXm656ers

[@benrandall89]

So glad you love it as much as I do! The Brienne chapters are a breath of fresh air for me. Its so nice being in the head of a wonderful person. In ASOIAF, they're few and far between.

[@Robertodbb]

I am so happy for your reaction, @bookborn! I agree: Feast For Crows has excellent character development, not to mention very intriguing new plot lines. too. One thing that I believe most people don't understand is that they see Feast For Crows as the worst book of the series because they are actually in deep "reader mourning" after the devastating events of A Storm of Swords. I mean, many of our favourite characters just died, and the ones alive are going through major grieving processes themselves. In my mind, that down feeling was meant to be elicited by this book, which in my opinion is another great testament of George's brilliance as a writer!

[@Nlwalker487]

I love these videos. It is so refreshing to hear someone talk about something I love from such a fresh perspective. Glad you joined the ride. It's been a long one and might keep going for a while. lol I can't wait for Winds of Winter

[@luckigolfer]

I love seeing the excitement on your face when you're talking about these books. Reminds me of how I felt when I first read them.

[@micaelagonzalez71]

Watching your first impressions videos has been a delight, even though I'm a bit late. I'm on my third read of the series and I wish I remembered more of how I felt about everything back 11 years ago on my first read. Martin is the author that led me to start a reading journal, but I only started when I was reading his other works, and I don't have any reviews for asoiaf. AFFC is also my favorite and I remember loving it the first time too. I still can't figure out why I love the Greyjoys.

[@winterfell_forever]

OMG I feel so vindicated. My favourite is still the third novel, but this is a literary superb effort. The feels! When Brienne buries poor Nimble Dick, or when Arya buries Needle under the steps, oh I was such a mess of tears!!! Also, regardless ASOIAF was never about gloryfing war, it is clear to me that Martin went deeper in some chapters, specially with Brienne going through the Riverlands. The feeling of overwhelming hopelessness and wreck had in my opinion been influenced by what was happening then during the Irak war and how Martin saw the future.

[@Bookborn]

I'm gonna be honest, I never thought I cared that much about a sword until I thought Arya was going to throw it away. I was SO RELIEVED she didn't

[@eldric.stoneskin]

Excellent observation about Dunk and Brienne, amazingly George has basically confirmed that Brienne is Dunks descendant, she got the idea from a shield in her fathers armoury which must have been Dunks shield

[@sleepingbee8997]

I do love Feast. Brienne’s quest may be my favorite storyline in the series, and I quote at least two or three lines from it fairly often. The “Broken Men” speech by the traveling septon, and the decision to use the “magic sword” are such incredible moments. Sam’s story does feel very half finished, but it feels like a really good first half. Like, he’s gonna get to Oldtown and be ready to be the man he needs to be there. And Jaime. God, what even is there to say about Jaime, except that I think Martin’s prose is firing on all cylinders during Jaime’s chapters here.

[@Bookborn]

Ahhh I feel really sad I didn't remember to talk about the broken man speech. It was TOP top notch

[@kristjangumundsson690]

Just binged all your Song of Ice and Fire videos. Really enjoyed your thoughts and insights on the series. Looking forward to hear what you think about Dance!

[@cwagner9]

Septon Meribald’s Broken Men speech was the best chapter I’ve read in the whole series. Every once in a while I will randomly pick the book off my shelf just to read that part

[@RaisnBran]

this review is so deeply relatable. i felt the exact way u did. i read like HALF of this book in like a couple days. i couldnt put it down!!!!!

[@PainCausingSamurai]

A Feast for Crows is controversial because there are so many new POVs, while many of the fan favorite characters don't appear. I found it hard to get invested on my first read, but going through it a second time, I found I loved the Ironborn and Brienne storylines.

[@thefilmeffect6089]

The Ironborn are some of my favorite chapters in the series. Everyone from Victarian, the Damphair, and Asha is one of my favorite characters.

[@VinnieMF]

I'd enjoy bringing maybe some aDwD POVs to aFfC but yeah, 11 years without some main characters must've been really rough to deal with.

[@UFL3]

I only recently found your channel and, as a longtime asoiaf fan, these reviews have been an absolute joy!

[@nevaehaho61]

I don’t really view Cersei as being “dumb”, more like she sees herself as the center of the universe and thinks so highly of herself that she’s never allowed to be wrong. She’s willfully blind and obsessed with her own greatness just like Tywin. And like her father, if she actually stopped and LOOKED, she would see stuff that’s right in front of her

[@MistyWarden]

That attitude reminded me a lot of Coriolanus Snow (Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes). Man was so far up his own butt he couldn’t think about anything except how it relates to him and constantly misinterpreted other people’s actions and motives because of it.

[@Bookborn]

I guess for me, that attitude shows and proves her ignorance, and thus reads "dumb" to me. The more intelligent you are, the more you understand that you must see things from different viewpoints, or the more you see how much you don't know (that great Shakespeare quote "the fool thinks himself wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool")

[@reggiega7989]

Don't think Cersei is like tywin at all, she thinks she's like tywin but she's certainly not like him at all. I think Tywin didn't want to believe Jaime and cersei were a thing rather than being completely ignorant. Cersei on the other hand is arrogant on another level, thinking she is way smarter than she actually is. Thinking she is never wrong is exactly why she's dumb. That's not to say she isn't smart at all, but her arrogance is definitely her downfall.

[@nevaehaho61]

@@reggiega7989 Well we don’t have Tywin as a POV so we can never be sure, but my comment was mainly referring to how they both wish to be better than their fathers and make their family (and themselves) great but they willfully turn a blind eye to the problems that brought down all they wanted to achieve. Cersei makes terrible political decisions because she’s so busy thinking so highly of herself and Tywin alienates his children and turns them against each other with his cruelty despite wanting them to essentially inherit the world, causing major conflicts. They’re very different characters, but I think they’re going down similar paths

[@reggiega7989]

@nevaehaho61 see i agree that tywin wanted to be better than his father and make his house great again. Cersei on the other hand is influenced by complete selfish desire. Her idea of making her family great revolves around her being powerful and everyone else being second. The only problem tywin has is he understands the needs of other political factions but he doesn't view his children the same way, he just expects them to do his bidding because he's their father. Cersei is just full of arrogance over everyone and is beyond paranoid that everyone is out to take her "throne". Cersei treats her children very different to the way tywin treats his, I understand what you're trying to suggest I just disagree with the comparison

[@toddJM1015]

I've just found your channel through this video, and not only did I subscribe within 5 minutes of this great video, but you've convinced me to go ahead with my (internally) planned re-read of the whole series this summer. When I first read ASOIF and I got to Feast I was so worried because I heard so many bad things about it. The biggest thing I heard is that it was a set-up book. So when I finished the book and it was my favorite after the first, I wondered if I read the same book. I truly get that coming off of Storm of Swords this is a book that isn't as in your face with the BIG moments, but damn if this book doesn't give some of the biggest character moments of the whole series, as you stated in your video. You're totally right: Winter has come for everyone in this book. Cersi thinking Tyrion is waiting in the walls both funny and chilling cause I remember thinking, holy crap she's truly going mad and her world is falling apart around her. I personally don't care if the series gets finished. Is it sad, yes. I know you didn't mention the show and I'm not sure if you talk about the show on your channel (I'm going to check out your whole channel when I'm done here) but I would have and still would love to see where Martin intended for us to go. But even so, I always tell people, yes it's slightly disheartening that the series will not be finished but what we have is so damn spectacular that every time I read what we have I get something new. So thank you for re-igniting my idea to re-read the series. Great review/analysis. And I look forward to checking out the rest of your channel. Cheers!

[@buddyjfrancis320]

I can't believe you didn't talk about Maester Aemon dying & Sam and Arya meeting each other without knowing it!!!

[@lircox]

Been waiting for this video, was not disappointed! I don't know if it's your style to revisit books/series after you've reviewed them, although I guess your Sansa/female characters video suggests that it is; I hope you aren't hesitant to do more videos on ASOIAF covering things you didn't have time for, thought were interesting etc. We're all here for it, and I should think your youtube data for these videos show we don't mind long videos either! Glad to see you in the comments confirming that the Broken Men speech moved you, it's a peak of this great book for sure.

[@troyb5843]

Cersi taking on Robert’s vices is a fucking brilliant bit of character work. I came convinced GRRM went to the future, saw Andrew Tate and then went back to 1992 and wrote Petyr Baelish. On tone, I think it depends what you mean by dark. I think the thesis of ASOIAF is that struggle in the face of the realities of the world is worth it, in that sense it is actually deeply hopeful. Dance has probably settled as most fans least favorite, but it has at least one good sucker punch in store

[@fleshbhones]

Its really awesome to have some fresh blood in the ASOIAF community, I can' wait to hear your thoughts once you've finished Dance!

[@BlackstreetBoys2Men]

Winds of Winter? She has it? GET HER

[@Bookborn]

George just called me up and was like "oh you like AFFC? Here's winds don't tell anyone" ♥

[@Trepanation21]

@@Bookborn No. No no no. That's how you get the whole world shook so hard like an apocalypse earthquake 😤

[@Shane2sweet1]

​@@Bookbornhaha don't tease anyone, we've been waiting more than a decade for Winds

[@joefriedman9843]

Your point about not regretting reading a series that may not be finished is so on point. You, along with everyone else who loves this series, obviously wants GRRM to finish it. However, the idea that it's not even worth reading in the first place bc he might not finish it is insane. The first 5 books have had such a massive impact on me and if there were no other books they would still have that same impact. So no, I would never regret reading the series in a million years, even if I never got to read Winds.

[@dcblunt666]

I’m a big defender of AFFC and ADWD. I think they’re both brilliant. ADWD’s highs are higher and lows are lower than Feast, but they’re two unfairly maligned books by the wider fanbase imo

[@Sheild401]

Your timing is impeccable. I literally just finished listening to your Storm of Swords review!

[@malodemesidon1035]

I think something "funny" with Cersei and sexism is that despite her speech, she is really incredibly sexist in her mental description of other woman around her. Someone made a compilation, and reading it, like jeez, basicly every other woman around her is either someone bellow her that do well not to forget her place, frigid/old/ugly and should get punished for it, or a wh*re. It's kind of crazy.

[@colinplaisance4274]

It’s so surprisingly wonderful to have a great book review series from someone whose just now reading the series. It’s refreshing my joy for the series. Glad you’re here!

[@mirayoquese8608]

I'm pretty sure you're gonna love Dance as much as Feast. It's gonna hit you with stuff you won't believe even after just reading it, in terms of plot, characters, great new settings, themes... Can't wait for your last review! Also, it would be amazing if you could dedicate a little video about Lady Stoneheart, since you forgot to talk about her in more depth. Knowing Catelyn was your favourite character, I believe it would be super interesting to hear your thoughts on such a twist for her.

[@ferretsmiles]

Hearing your theories is so refreshing because its just like oh you sweet summer child we have already gone through this all. We are all talking about squishers and oily black stone now. We as a community have had so much time to think that we are dissecting Martin's other books to answer questions in ASoIaF. Its nice to go back to the more straightforward stuff.

[@tyr4489]

the reason why people say affc is the worst is because most fantasy readers are only interested in plot and worldbuilding. nerds have no appreciation for themes or character development. "nothing happens" yeah dude that's the point

[@skywalkerorder2839]

Feast had a crap ton of Worldbuilding for the common folk though. I think it’s just the ‘central characters’ bias coming in.

[@lally168]

So glad you liked it so much! A Feast for Crows is my favorite, it just has so many great character moments. My favorite moment from this book, and the series in general, is Septon Meribald's speech on broken men. "The War of the Ninepenny Kings?" "So they called it, though I never saw a king, nor earned a penny. It was war though. That it was." It just gets me every time. And I think that speech really gets to the core of this book, or at least the parts that take place in the Riverlands; that when the high lords are fighting their wars, its the common people who suffer the most

[@marjoe32]

THANK YOU. the intro is my feeling 100%

[@samuelanklam1759]

I'm rereading the series and everytime I finish a book I get very excited to come here and watch your reviews, your takes are great and love the videos of asoiaf

[@taintacle7623]

Hi Bookborn! First time seeing your content - great breakdown! Must have been the ASOIAF tag that got you on my feed! If you'd like to get one of those in-depth analyses, I can't recommend Preston Jacobs' channel enough. He's arguably one of the best theorizers of the series, and you're right about George's thematic and linguistic complexity - it can be challenging to tease out the various plots, sub-plots, and greater perspective, and Preston is one of the few people who has read George's entire bibliography in order to fully understand what the author is trying to say and likely to do in the future. I'd love to see your reactions to some of those videos - particularly the Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth sections!

[@MasterMote]

amazing. i was waiting for this! i was actually a little worried u wouldnt like it. so glad you did. you really get this series, i cant believe its ur first read thru u have really great insights on the themes and picked up stuff i only picked up on on my rereads, but i guess thats why ur the pro, lol. your insights into the cersei chapters were amazing. anyway, made my day. cant wait to hear your thoughts on adwd(now im worried u wont like that one, it does get quite a bit ‘darker’ only saying so ur ready for it.)

[@FictionRaider007]

I'd say there are pros and cons to reading the books combined versus in publication order. I'd honestly really recommend a re-read doing the opposite of whatever you did the first time because it just makes so many different themes and parallels stand out so much more vividly. I read publication order first but my latest re-read I went for a combined order for the first time and found lines in Feast and Dance that are so similar it feels like they were meant to be in chapters following one another. And Cersei's leadership of King's Landing also works perfectly as another foil to both Dany ruling Meereen and Jon ruling the Wall, all of them messing up in three very different ways. But also, yeah, as two detached books the delivery on certain character's storylines is so much more visceral, the pacing more clearly thought out, and ultimately matches the writer's vision more closely. So, yeah, both are worth it and I don't fault anyone for which they pick.

[@tglake2894]

40-some minutes is not too long! I've enjoyed your insights and opinions, it's always fun to follow along with someone who's encountering all this the first time! Looking forward to the Dance video whenever it comes out!

[@Serch_YB27]

It's been so fun to see your journey through these books that I love. Ive read them so long ago and watching your videos has been motivating me to re-read them again

[@catierobinson8969]

I love hearing your thoughts and ponderings about characters and get excited for you to experience what comes next! Especially Cersei and Aeron Damphair in this case

[@Moggetslittlesister]

You are making me want to reread haha. I have to wait until we get confirmation (for better or for worse) if Winds is going to happen or not. I don't even care about Dream at this point.

[@marty890]

What a find! I've just found your channel and I love It already. I'm saving this for later because I'm at one third of Affc (just read the kingsmoot!). I'm more curious than disappointed about the lack of some povs, but at the same time it feels so different from the other books... Is it just me or Martin's writing style is a bit different? It might just be that I got used to his way of writing, that's why I find it less difficult. Agot was much more of a challenge. (English isn't my first language) At the same time, there are some new expressions that are used a lot (now I know what a nuncle is! At first I thought it was a typo. Everyone is talking to their dear nuncle in this one). And for each of the secondary characters, even the easy to remember ones like Gilly and Lancel, Martin gives us a presentation (more like an infodump). I can see why, but he has never done it before, and Affc was published "just" 5 years after Asos.

[@snoopdoggsbluntroller]

Your ASOIAF reviews give me so much joy I love this series with all my heart and love watching you fall in love with it

[@felixhong]

I'm also reading ASOIAF for the first time but I'm roughly two months behind your review videos. Have been loving your content, thank you!

[@aerismalusderis8459]

I love these reviews of yours. You are absolutely correct about Cat, Sansa, Theon (and later Reek), Stannis and so much more. Even the fact that you like Feast the most is just... correct. With that being said: As the world's greatest Cersei fan (yes, I know she is a horrible person, I am not delusional about that, still, I am rooting for her), I am going to have to defend her from you though. She is most definitely not dumb. Time and time again, she has proven that she is capable of quickly coming up with a solution when hard pressed, the most notable examples being her handling King Robert as well as Eddard Stark. Had the plan of sending Ned to the wall been successfully implemented, as intended, her regime could have appeased the Northerners and prevented lots of the terrible conflict to follow. It was Joffrey who destroyed that option. In many instances, she has the right notions, as even Tyrion has to admit (for example when moving Tommen out of KL before Stannis attack on the City). Speaking of which, with Cersei and Tyrion, one is really not better than the other when it comes to cooperating with each other. Yes, Cersei is resentful of him, even unfairly so, but the moment Tyrion arrives, he does everything in his power to deteriorate that relationship further. The Tommen incident in particular is actually quite baffling to me. In general, if Cersei digs her own grave because of her stupidity, really, Tyrion is not that far behind in that regard. One could even make the case that he was even more effective in doing so, given his trajectory in books 3 and 5. You mentioned that she does not realize Loras is gay, but this is blatantly untrue as her inner thoughts allude to that several times in the text. You also mentioned how she does not realize that Jamie is no longer hers, yet she clearly thinks about how he has changed, how he became a stranger to her and how she cannot trust him all the time. Her pleading for him to help her is more an act of despair. Also, might we add that a sizeable chunk of her imprisonment, namely the incest charge is something they BOTH had a part in. I also do not agree with the statement that Cersei somehow groomed Jamie. Their thing, as gross as it is, is mutual. Her distrust of Tyrion is completely warranted. Her distrust of the Tyrells is likewise. And we even get to see where her main flaw, her paranoia, stems from, which is the childhood trauma of the prophecy. In fact, that trauma is as much at the center of her being as Tysha for Tyrion or Aerys (no, my stage name is not derived from ASOIAF) for Jamie. Where the brothers try to gain love/honor/redemption based on terrible events from their past (as in "This lies behind me, let us look forward and improve things"), Cersei is plagued with essentially a vision of her doom *in her future*, something she desperately tries to evade but is uncertain in how to achieve. Naturally, there comes a point, precisely when the prohecy begins to manifest, where she begins lashing out and losing focus. Lastly, I am not saying she is the most brilliant player in the game, but her so called stupidty is a big misconception in my mind. And she achieved her achievements despite being a woman. She was never instructed in anything but being a courtly lady and passive queen. She did not have an education when it comes to politics. Tywin never intended her role to be anything but an ornament as well as binding the Crown to House Lannister via marriage. I shall love her wreaking havoc after reaching her final form across hopefully both TWOW and ADOS.

[@faisalalmalki515]

Dear, I truly enjoy being part of your journey. You are doing fantastic reviews on ASOIAF series and for this book in particular. For me also “a Feast for Crows” is an easy 5 ⭐️ book. The title of the book clearly explaining its purpose (A look at the aftermath of the brutal war that tore Westeros apart). Add to that this book is a very strong well written build up for the next events and conflicts. Little finger sceaming in the Vale and the arc of Jaime Lannister and qween Cercei are just great. Also it takes us more deep in two more important places and families in Westeros which unfortunately got ruined and neglected in the TV show. Dorn (the Martels) and the iron islands (the Greyjoys) and very important developments on the story are happening there as well as new characters introduction. Add to all that, we have in this book two amazing journies. Brienne of tarth searching for Sansa Stark and Samwell Tarly is sailing to Old Town but he stopped at Bravos and there he meet Arya Stark which never happened in the TV show. This book has much better story line compared to what was there in GOT and starting from this book GOT got deviated from the books. To conclude, I would love to say well done dear and I hope you will change your mind and watch the TV show. Listen, I agree the books are far better but for TV still GOT is a masterpiece.

[@agthe8999]

Great video as always!!! Thank you!!!! 19:58 welcome aboard!!! Can't wait for the ADWD video!!!

[@TheHolyGoatman]

I am very happy that you read the books in publication order. Looking forward to hearing your review of A Dance with Dragons