Title: A Dance with Dragons (Song of Fire and Ice #5)

Author: George R.R. Martin

Publisher: Bantam 2011

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 1152

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual (NPR Scifi/Fan); Read My Own Damn Books; 52 Books - W14

In the aftermath of a colossal battle, the future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance once again--beset by newly emerging threats from every direction. In the east, Daenerys Targaryen, the last scion of House Targaryen, rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has three times three thousand enemies, and many have set out to find her. Yet, as they gather, one young man embarks upon his own quest for the queen, with an entirely different goal in mind.

To the north lies the mammoth Wall of ice and stone--a structure only as strong as those guarding it. There, Jon Snow, 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, will face his greatest challenge yet. For he has powerful foes not only within the Watch but also beyond, in the land of the creatures of ice.

And from all corners, bitter conflicts soon reignite, intimate betrayals are perpetrated, and a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, will face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Some will fail, others will grow in the strength of darkness. But in a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics will lead inevitably to the greatest dance of all. . . .

It took me almost two weeks, but I finally finished the last book that's been published in A Song of Ice and Fire. And it was amazing! I was concerned at first because the beginning moved fairly slowly. Once I fully dove in, I was hooked. I loved catching up with Dany and Jon and Tyrion. They were always my favorite characters in the series. Plus we get to see more story from Aria and Davos and some other great characters. Martin has a way with crafting a compelling storyline and characters. I couldn't even predict what was going to happen in the story and that's why I loved it. Martin surprised me at every turn. And that ending was one hell of a cliffhanger. I cannot wait until The Winds of Winter.

A Song of Fire and Ice:

• #1 A Game of Thrones
• #2 A Clash of Kings
• #3 A Storm of Swords
• #4 A Feast for Crows
• #5 A Dance with Dragons
• #6 The Winds of Winter