I must admit, I was a little disappointed in this one - not enough to give it less than four stars, but it wasn't a five for me (like the previous three were).

In each of the first three books, a lot happens. We're introduced to many characters, plenty of people die, there's lots of action, politics, and intrigue.

In book four, not so much. There's plenty of travelling, plenty of posturing, and plenty of just plain waiting.

It can't really be helped, I get that. The War of the Five Kings is all but over. Or, rather, I should say it's at a stalemate because there's still no clear winner. Joffrey's dead, Robb's dead, Tywin's dead, and Tyrion's missing.

The aftermath of war is everywhere you look. Corpses float along waterways or hang from dead trees. Buildings are in disrepair. People are paranoid. In that respect, the title of this book is very apt: it really is A Feast For Crows.

And that's why this book still managed a four-star rating from me. The writing is immaculate (I don't think I spotted a single typo), and the settings are described beautifully, as always. As you read it, you can smell the carnage, and feel the desolation, loneliness, and despair. It's a very bleak book.

It's also only one part of the story, containing only half the characters we've come to know and love. Apparently, the next book in the series overlaps this one (although I'm not sure by how much), so it's the same time period told from the point of view of all those other characters.

Hopefully, those characters' stories will be a little more eventful. I can't wait to find out.