So I just finished book 5 of A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin. I’d been stretching it out as long as I could, as the next book isn’t due out in the foreseeable future, but I couldn’t wait any longer to find out. Besides, even though I was done 4 out of 5 books, there were still spoilers floating around on Facebook.
Here’s my impression of A Dance with Dragons:
I absolutely love Game of Thrones. I love the rich characterization and made-up history. I love that Martin keeps surprising me. And he managed to do that yet again, a few times, in book 5. I loved it!
That being said, I feel like George is spreading himself a bit too thin. I managed to work my mind around book 4 and book 5 being parallel stories, but the fact is, there just might be too many characters to keep track of. Though the story is rich and varied, the overall timeline of the story advances very little in this book. We visit our favourite characters very seldom, making room for ever more new faces and their own baggage. And can we say cliffhangers? I estimate about the last 10 chapters end in serious unresolved problems!
Perhaps this is just great strategy on George R. R. Martin’s part. After all, I’m joining my voice with the masses of anxious fans asking “When?” Hurry up, please, Mr. Martin! We can’t wait for book 6.
Erin E. M. Hatton 
I think each book should resolve all the issues brought up for the characters. Otherwise, the reader is left feeling unsettled. To me, this is a bad way to deal with selling another book in the series. I appreciate your frank revelation.
I can definitely see where you’re coming from, though personally I enjoy a good cliffhanger … if the next book is ready at hand. 🙂