Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This book similar to all George RR Martin books is brilliantly written. I continue to have a love hate relationship with most of the major characters. For example, as much as I detest the character Cersei I began to feel pity for her in this book. This is the nature and the beauty of the series where no one is completely evil or good. I think the brilliance of the writing makes the disappointing portions glare more brightly than one would see in an average to above average book. Problem 1, Lists and Lists of useless information. During one visit to the wall almost a full page is dedicated to listing all of the shields that were arrayed on the wall by the family name and crest. As with so many of the Martin lists the names are rarely ever seen or heard from again. I have gotten to the point that when I see these lists I usually just read the first and last one. Problem 2, Premature ending. When I finally arrived at page 1000 I began to feel anxious because I knew Martin could not give me the satisfaction of some resolutions before the book was over with only 100 pages left. In a series of this nature it is expected that some plot lines will continue unresolved until the next book but in this case Martin left virtually all plot lines unresolved. I thought this was supposed to fix the problem with Feast of Crows but again I was left wanting. While writing this review I was tempted to fake satisfaction because the book was still an enjoyable read but it is best to let prospective readers understand the book's limitations. Problem 3, There are still some characters that leave me clueless. I really don't understand what is going on with Bran. Martin has spent a lot of ink chronicling Bran's sojourn with mystical undertones but I'll be darn if I have any inkling how this will impact the story line. What was up with Jon Snow? He turned from a position of zero intervention with the world of men to a highly political being. Character disconnects and unresolved story lines abound. One would think that with this critique I would have given the book a lower rating but when evaluated based on the writing merit and the enjoyability factor George RR Martin continues to deliver. Now if he can just focus on writing some plot resolutions, publish Book 6 withing the next 12 to 18 months and reduce the mundane lists I will find myself completely satisfied. My recommendation is to read it but don't expect it sate your appetite it is merely a morsel to wet your whistle.