WilliamCharron

JohnHorton
Advisory
13June2015
AFeastForCrowsReadOn
AFeastForCrows
isthefourthinstallmentinGeorgeR.R.Martinsfantasyseries
A
SongofIceandFire
.Inthisnovel,theWaroftheFiveKingsseemstobereachingits
conclusion.3ofthe5kingsaredead,andonemoreisdefeated,theNorthisinruins,theSouth
destroyed,KingsLandinginchaos,andEssosisshakenbytheruleofDaenerys.
Somethemesinthisnovelincludehonorandidentity.Honorisathemeinthisbook,
becauseasthewarisdyingdown,manycharactersaretryinghardtorestoreormaintaintheir
honorwhileothersarethrowingitallawayinalastditchefforttowinthewar.Identityisa
themebecausemanycharactersshiftthroughidentitiesastheirsituationpressesthemtodoso.
Thenovelatonepointstates,
NeedlewasRobbandBranandRickon,hermotherandher
father,evenSansa.NeedlewasWinterfell'sgreywalls,andthelaughterofitspeople.Needle
wasthesummersnows,OldNan'sstories,thehearttreewithitsredleavesandscaryface,the
warmearthysmelloftheglassgardens,thesoundofthenorthwindrattlingtheshuttersofher
room.NeedlewasJonSnow'ssmile.Heusedtomessmyhairandcallme"littlesister,"she
remembered,andsuddenlythereweretearsinhereyes.(Martin455456).
Martinstatedthat
throughouttheseriesheplayswiththeideaofidentity,specificallywhatmakesuswhoweare.
Hepondersthroughouttheseriesthatquestion,istheanswermemories,values,blood,ourbirth,

ourpositionintheworld?Itisaquestionthatisdifficulttothinkaboutandevenmoredifficult
toanswer.
Thecharactersinthisstoryarebelievable.Theyareallveryhuman,unlikemany
charactersinmanyotherbooks.Theynotonlyareallhuman,buttheyareallhumanintheirown
veryuniqueway.Martinsparednoeffortindiversifyinghisuniverse,andtheresultis
enthrallingnovel.Iwillrepresentthiswithoneofmyfavoritemonologuesfromthebook.The
novelstates,
Warseemslikeafineadventure,thegreatestmostofthemwilleverknow.Then
theygetatasteofbattle.
Forsome,thatonetasteisenoughtobreakthem.Othersgoonforyears,untiltheylosecountof
allthebattlestheyhavefoughtin,butevenamanwhohassurvivedahundredfightscanbreak
inhishundredandfirst.Brotherswatchtheirbrothersdie,fatherslosetheirsons,friendssee
theirfriendstryingtoholdtheirentrailsinaftertheyvebeenguttedbyanaxe.
Theyseethelordwholedthemtherecutdown,andsomeotherlordshoutsthattheyarehisnow,
Theytakethewound,andwhenthatsstillhalfhealedtheytakeanother.Thereisneverenough
toeat,theirshoesfalltopiecesfrommarching,theirclothesaretornandrotting,andhalfof
themareshittingintheirbreechesfromdrinkingbadwater.
Iftheywantnewbootsorawarmercloakormaybearustedironhalfhelm,theyneedtotake
themfromacorpse,andbeforelongtheyarestealingfromthelivingtoo,fromthesmallfolk
whoselandtheyrefightingin,menverylikethementheyusedtobe.Theyslaughtertheirsheep
andstealtheirchickens,andfromthereitsjustashortsteptocarryingofftheirdaughterstoo.
Andonedaytheylookaroundandrealizealltheirfriendsandkinaregone,thattheyarefighting
besidestrangersbeneathabannerthattheyhardlyrecognize.Theydontknowwheretheyareor

howtogetbackhomeandthelordtheyrefightingfordoesnotknowtheirnames,yetherehe
comes,shoutingforthemtoformup,tomakealinewiththeirspearsandscythesandsharpened
hoes,tostandtheirground.Andtheknightscomedownonthem,facelessmencladinallsteel,
andtheironthunderoftheirchargesee
mstofilltheworld.
Andthemanbreaks.(Martin534535).IpickedthisquotebecauseIlovehowitdescribesthe
soldiers.Theyareallsohuman.Andmanyofthemaincharactersinthebookhavebeenorare
soldiersorknights.Theyareallhuman,theyareallimperfect,andtheempathythatisinspired
bymomentslikethatmakeboththesoldiersbeingtalkedabout,thepersondoingthetalking,and
thepeoplebeingtalkedtosorelatable.
Irecommendthisbooktoanyfansoffantasy.ItisalsowidelydiscussedontheInternet
andhasaplaceinpopculture,withitsownacclaimedtelevisionseries.So,anyonewhowantsto
understandabigpartofmodernpopcultureshouldtrytoreadthisbook.Itisrelevantinmany
societies,havingbeentranslatedin26countries.Finally,bewary,asitisthelongestbookinthe
seriesandisviewedinfamouslybyfansoftheseriesasbeingboring.