A review by sampayn3
A Dance with Dragons 1: Dreams and Dust by George R.R. Martin

4.0

George R.R. Martin's prose remains as dense, graphic and vigorous in its delivery as before. This first part of A Dance With Dragons is a considerable improvement over the clunky previous volume, pulling the series towards the terrifying realities outside of Kings Landing and indeed Westeros. It is that beyond the Wall, and across the seas, that readers are instructed to fear most. As the title suggests, Martin returns to the fantastical elements of the series to regain that epic element which seemed lost in A Feast for Crows. As Tyrion's path becomes more and more obscure, Jon Snow and Daenerys taking centre stage: one seeking to return the now tattered Westeros to its former glory, while the other prepares to defend the realm from destruction. The author tale is far from complete; he must continue to wield the dragons, the dreams, and the dust to finally form a conclusion.