I have to say, after the total awesome goodness that transpired in the third book, the fourth book left me wanting more. Which isn't to say that this wasn't a good book, but it did rather feel like a lul in the middle of the series. Half of the story felt like resolutions to plot points that had happened in the previous book, and the other half of the story felt like set-up for things to come. It isn't so much that I wasn't interested by the events that transpired (there was some great political and religious maneuvering that had been building up throughout the series), but rather that it didn't feel like much transpired at all. Or, well, perhaps it is just that this book focused almost completely on the political maneuverings of only a few of the characters, with very little insight into any of the magical happenings in this world. Which was important because the major political factions have been somewhat tidied up (or at least are more clearly defined), but compared to the previous novels where magic, religion, and politics were all so richly layered, this really only feels like half the story. A cake without the frosting, if you will. A perfectly baked, delicious cake, but, still, I want my frosting dangit! Ah, well, based on sneak peaks and hints from the peanut gallery it sounds like I will be getting my frosting in the next installment, A Dance with Dragons. Of course, I haven't yet acquired said book (no paperback available yet, boo) so I can't say how soon I will get around to it, but it is definitely at the top of my queue once it finds its way into my greedy little hands. If nothing else, this book definitely left me wanting more.
In the meantime I will just have to find something else to read...
No comments:
Post a Comment