After massive upheaval in the third book of the A Song of Ice and Fire series, The War of the Five Kings has ended with an uneasy truce. Queen Cersei rules as Queen Regent in King's Landing but her fears lead to choices that threaten the alliances that hold her in power. Meanwhile, new competitors willing to play the game of thrones vie to fill the empty vacuum of power left behind.

Having shaken everything up in A Storm of Swords, Martin is forced to reset the story in A Feast for Crows. Martin made the unusual choice to have book four and five ( A Dance with Dragons) cover the same timeline but for different characters, with the story converging in the end of book five. Yet, I felt like this was a poor choice since A Feast for Crows as all the weaker storylines and almost no big twists to throw at you. The split format leaves you with an excess of Cersei and Jaime Lannister, a few token chapters about the Stark sisters, the addition of several storylines, and a desperate desire to hear more about your favorite characters.