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Publishers Weekly has the first DANCE WITH DRAGONS review Werthead Send a noteboard - 03/06/2011 07:26:00 PM
CAUTION: The review has a couple of plot spoilers. Nothing too major, but if you want to remain totally spoiler-free, I've repeated the non-spoilery bits below:

A few images recur in the enormously complex fifth installment of Martin's massively multicharacter epic: the chess-like game cyvasse, small rivers flowing into larger ones, ships and armies battered by terrible storms. These themes suggest that readers should think strategically, be patient as the story grows, and brace for a beating. Martin's fans, however, are hungry for more action and purpose, their appetites whetted by a six-year wait and the recent HBO adaptation of A Game of Thrones. Dance was originally the second half of 2005's A Feast for Crows, sometimes criticized for shifting from battles and intrigue to slow trudges through war-torn, corpse-littered Westeros. The new volume has a similar feel to Feast and takes place over a similar time frame; Martin keeps it fresh by focusing on popular characters Tyrion Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen, and Jon Snow, all notably absent from the previous book. The heart-hammering conclusion hints that the next installment will see a return to the fiery battles and icy terror that earned the series its fanatic following. Even ostensibly disillusioned fans will be caught up in the interweaving stories, especially when Martin drops little hints around long-debated questions such as Jon's parentage. Author tour. (July)

It's unclear how many more reviews there will be before release, so this is an interesting one. The 'feel of AFFC' seems hard to quantify, but the tone indicates a slow-burning plot with an explosive conclusion, which would also be a reasonable description of ACoK. But ultimately the review is a little vague.
PW Review
This message last edited by Werthead on 03/06/2011 at 07:26:43 PM
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Publishers Weekly has the first DANCE WITH DRAGONS review - 03/06/2011 07:26:00 PM 1346 Views
Re: Publishers Weekly has the first DANCE WITH DRAGONS review - 03/06/2011 08:28:33 PM 820 Views
Hmm... - 03/06/2011 10:56:31 PM 616 Views
They make it sound like another AFFC *NM* - 04/06/2011 12:39:21 AM 331 Views
Such wonderful lukewarm sentiments... - 04/06/2011 07:53:04 AM 634 Views
I had no problem with AFFC, so that's fine *NM* - 05/06/2011 05:58:11 PM 237 Views

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