Ein grimmiger Feind, ein treuer Freund

I now understand why this series is unfinished. Books 1-3 are veritable masterpieces; sadly, book 4 is a big step down, and book 5 gets better, but nowhere near the quality of books 1-3. If I were George R.R. Martin, I’d also be terrified about releasing books 6 and 7. Books 4 and 5 should have been just one 1,000-page book, trimming a lot of unnecessary fat, and I think the series could be masterfully finished with just one more final book. However, it could be the biggest letdown of the century instead. Sadly (or gladly?), we’ll likely never find out.

After finishing this book and seeing just how many stories, characters and arcs need to be finished. I do not have faith in Martin finishing this series. I suspect he will need two more big books, as opposed to one. its just too vast of a world. I am disappointed.

I got this when it came out.  I've tried to read it multiple times but only got half way before setting it down.  Finally I finished it. I still found it very boring.  A lot of setup for a book we may never get.