I finished A Dance with Dragons (ADWD).

How to write a review without discussing specific events or naming who's alive? I could write that it was a good story and stop. Many people have not read the series so no spoilers here. However I can say that whoever your favorite character might be, you are more attached to him or her than Martin is.

ADWD is the long awaited fifth book in George R.R. Martin's (GRRM) planned seven book series A Song of Ice And Fire (ASOIAF). GRRM has stated that often morally good people can make poor leaders while people who are dreadfully wicked can turn out to be excellent executives. ADWD shows that intelligence, competence and morality are not correlated traits.

GRRM also tweaks our desire for vengeance. ADWD makes an explicit shout out to Titus Andronicus. A few evil characters who earlier committed savage violent acts encounter people who are so demonically depraved, so psychotically sadistic, so incredibly maleficent that you almost find yourself feeling sorry for the lesser baddies and perhaps a little ashamed of your previous bloodthirst. Some of this was hinted at or even detailed in previous books but here GRRM stomps on the fuzz pedal and turns the amp up to eleven. This is ninth circle of hell stuff. Luca Brasi would run for the exits sobbing in fear. Nightmare Fuel. It's as if GRRM is saying "Oh so you want vengeance huh? Let me show you just what that looks like. Still want it tough guy?" It's an echo of Ned Stark's warning that "If you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die".

ADWD examines if it would be better to have a kindhearted but inept ruler who brought various catastrophes on his/her people or a tyrant who ruthlessly punished dissent and ripped people's tongues out for speaking before s/he spoke to them but otherwise left people alone and created a safe peaceful environment for commerce and daily life.

The royal succession dispute has seemingly been settled-mostly. One legendarily stubborn claimant still battles on without support. Secretly, rival House leaders are still jockeying for power and control. And there are some new Houses on the scene; some old Houses have fallen. Winter has finally arrived. GRRM has expanded the story beyond Westeros and near environs. Magic is more evident. Dead things are walking. Priests have more powers. The dragons and the Stark direwolves are maturing. Both have critical roles to play.

Some characters lose everything in an instant, just as in real life. The Romanovs didn't foresee the revolution; they didn’t think they’d be executed. How many Africans lived in freedom one day and three months later were sold as chattel in New Orleans? Stuff happens.

ADWD introduces minor characters and gives them POV chapters. We get new perspectives on things. ADWD strongly implies that some key justifications for Robert's and Ned's rebellion weren't valid. However, ADWD has too many characters. This 1000 page book could use some tighter editing. Some subplots could have been dropped or tightened up IMO. The reader must pay CLOSE attention to details. ADWD gives hints of future events.

I will need to re-read this book and some earlier ones.
ADWD ends on a cliffhanger and something of a downer. As usual with GRRM there were times I laughed out loud or cheered and times I wanted to throw the book at the wall. I hope GRRM enjoys life and his well deserved acclaim. I also hope I don't have to wait three years or more for the next installment.