Jurjen

Minor spoilers.

Fevre Dream is the first book by George RR Martin that I have read, that is not set in the world of ice and fire.

It is a story about a steamboat captain in the 1850s, who sails down the Mississippi. Its romantic setting is offset by the unromantic captain Abner Marsh, weighing 300 pounds (always fun to see a GRRM weight-self insert, which it most definitely was), with a sailors mouth, and a face full of warts. He is, however, stubborn as an ox, loyal, and honest. The only reason why he isn't an abolitionist is because he's no goddamn bible thumpin' Republican.

Besides Abner, there's the elegant Joshua York, who lives in an inelegant world, and his nemesis Julian who gives me the creepers. There's also Sour Billy, who might be the the most despicable person that George has ever written. That says a lot.
The characters are well developed and explored, as you would expect of a George RR Martin book.

The first act of the book is incredibly atmospheric. The setting is lovely to take in. Slowly, the curtain is pulled back on a mysterious group of people, and it's fascinating and ominous. Then the curtain is pulled all the way back, which doesn't necessarily do the book favours, as the middle half becomes somewhat of a predictable action story.

With 80 or so pages left, George pulls me back in with one of the best, and most emotional chapters that he has ever written, and the book manages to end on a high note.

Thematically, this is one of George' strongest works. The story is about the old being replaced by the new, and the fragility of immoral social structures. The “Night Folk” society makes for a perfect parallel to things such as slavery, but also Abner's profession as a steamboat captain, and his role in the world that seemed to have left him behind.

Although a little rough around the edges compared to Song of Ice and Fire, it has the same writing style which i'm a massive fan of. Nice prose and beautiful dialogue.

Although I don't think I like Fevre Dream as much as his ASOIAF books, I would still rate it a 8.75/10.



Ps. George still doesn't understand jack shit about sizes. A 450 foot long steamer that's 120 foot wide in the 1850s is utterly absurd, and almost as ridiculous as an 800 foot tall, 100 foot wide wall made out of ice. What magic made the steamerboat so big? Bran the Builder lent his hand? Also, Toby could beat the Mountain in a fight. Easily.

A notable step down from Assassin's Apprentice for me. I wasn't as emotionally connected, and some aspects of the plot annoyed me.

Still very strong characterwork and prose. 7.5/10-ish.

Gentleman Bastards has that special quality where all you need is Locke and Jean on a page, and no matter what they do, it'll be great fun. The dialogue and characterisation is that good. Locke as a character especially is very dear to me, and the friendship between him and Jean is unmatched in the genre.

As with Lies, the world building and setting of the story is a treat. Although we don't spend as much time in Tal Verrar as we did in Camorr in book 1, the city, and especially the Sinspire, are very atmospheric.

This book is strangely structured, as the first 250 pages are almost one story, then the next 250 pages another, with the ending tying the two together. Although it read somewhat awkwardly on my first read, knowing it would happen made it less obtrusive on my second. The pirate elements are widely lauded, but I'm one of the few people that likes the casino arc more–probably because it's more similar to book 1, which is my favourite of the 3.

Once again, Lynch nails the ending. The emotional beats land just as well as in the first book, and those last few pages–the imagery as well as the emotion, are incredibly memorable. Red seas under red skies. It's such an evocative title. Seeing it on page was as wonderful as it sounds.

Overall, I would say that I like the book slightly more on a reread. Frankly, I could read a hundred Gentleman Bastard books without getting bored. The formula is elite, and so is the execution. Really hoping we get to see the novellas or maybe even book 4 sooner rather than later.

How about right after I finish my reread, how does that sound, Scott Lynch?

Never have I cared so much for a character so quickly. Fitz, I love you.

a Game of Thrones is one of the most iconic fantasy books ever written. The fact that it is not even the best, perhaps not the even second best in the series, shows why a Song of Ice and Fire transcends its genre.

On this fourth read, what I noticed at the start was just how efficient George was able to characterise a pretty huge cast. I think this can best be seen in Jon II, where he says goodbye to Bran, Robb and Arya. We've known these characters for just a couple dozen pages, but the dynamics between them all–Cat scathingly talking down to Jon, Jon and Robb being inseparable as brothers, and Jon and Arya's special connection–is so well realised, that it felt as though there was an entire series of emotional buildup to it, when it was perhaps 75 pages.

a Game of Thrones might have one of the strongest plotlines of any in its genre. The politics between Starks and Lannisters with betrayal and intrigue around every corner, the introduction of the Others and the threat north of the wall, and Daenerys' journey across the Dothraki sea–it's all tremendously consistently engaging, and paced very well. Beyond structure, this book has so many iconic scenes. Bran's fall, Tyrion's trial by combat, Ned being betrayed, Baelor, and of course, Daenerys coming out of the Pyre.

George is a master at writing dialogue. Part of the reason why the book is so consistently engaging is because the quality of conversations between characters is just stupidly high. Jon and Thorne and Aemon. Ned with Robert and Littlefinger. Bran and Robb. Tyrion and... anyone. Such meticulous detail was spent on the choice of words, the cleverness of it all–it's matched in the genre by PERHAPS Lynch and Abercrombie in wittiness, but not in depth.

I feel like George' prose is a bit slept on. His semi-archaic vocabulary to immerse you into the world of Westeros is both really pretty to read, but still feels invisible in a way (unlike say, Tolkien), never distracting you. The environments he creates, like beyond the wall in the prologue, is so vivid.

In addition to that, he always finds the most poignant sentences to end chapters. And so when character dynamics and character work, an insanely well paced plot, fantastic dialogue and wonderful prose all meet, what do you get?

“As Daenerys Targaryen rose to her feet, her black hissed, pale smoke venting from its mouth and nostrils. The other two pulled away from her breasts and added their voices to the call, translucent wings unfolding and stirring the air, and for the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.”

You get magic.