This book leaves me very torn. It's part of ASoIaF so I am bound to love it, and it brings us all the fan favorites that were sorely missed in AFfC. The writing is good and engaging, as gritty and gripping as ever. Some expressions were unfortunately way too repetitive, useless like the oft-mentioned nipples on a breastplate. I couldn't stop reading, but it's not a 5 star book.

My major gripe with this book is that the pacing felt totally off. In the middle you slog and slog through chapter after chapter. I have to say, I was almost rejoicing everytime a 'minor' PoV chapter was happening, as opposed to the glacial Dany or Jon chapters. Almost all Mereenese chapters did absolutely nothing for the story. Sure, they were colorful, they illustrated how much Danaerys was struggling and trying so hard to keep the peace but I could have done without that particular bit of color. There was a lot of traveling in chapters, of all the various characters heading towards Slaver's Bay, and yet, not all were really necessary. Quentyn's travels didn't really do anything for me. So it took a long time, they had to masquerade as mercenaries, and off-camera some of their companions had died. Same with Victarion's travels, though they seemed less pointless than the Dornish group. Only Tyrion's chapters made any sense, because he's a fantastic character, and had the most interesting voyage.

The pacing was a similar issue at the Wall. So many chapters, so little action. I was however surprised how much I enjoyed the Reek PoV. I don't know if enjoyed is the right term to use. The transformation of Theon to Reek and back was startling and disturbing. I hated Theon from the first book onwards, and now I can feel nothing but pity for him. I am probably most aggravated that we do not get any resolution for the Winterfell going-ons.

Fortunately, the pace picks up in the last part of the book, stuff begins to happen, and it feels like it ends too soon, because you want more of the crack. Only now we'll have to wait years again to get all those cliffhangers resolved, if at all. So many unresolved plots.

Surprisingly, my favorite PoV in the end was probably Ser Barristan. What a loyal Queensguard. Or should I say leal?