A Dance with Dragons: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book Five

By any measure, George R.R. Martin’s “A Dance With Dragons” is one of the Big Books of the summer, and it comes to us trailing a host of outsize expectations.

This massive fantasy is the fifth installment in a projected seven-volume epic titled “A Song of Ice and Fire.” The popularity of the series — powerfully augmented by the recent HBO adaptation of the opening volume, “A Game of Thrones” — has increased exponentially from one book to the next. It’s safe to say that no work of fantasy has generated such anticipation since Harry Potter’s final duel with Voldemort. Adding to the pre-publication furor is the fact that the most recent entry, “A Feast for Crows,” appeared way back in 2005. This gap has fueled a flood of carping and sometimes vicious Internet commentary from an assortment of disgruntled readers.
Well, those impatient souls can finally take a breath. “A Dance With Dragons,” all 1,000 pages of it, is now in bookstores, nearly six years after its predecessor. And it was worth the wait.

The “Song of Ice and Fire” series is a hugely expansive narrative set in a variety of physical locales and told through an array of constantly shifting perspectives. The principal setting for all five novels is the continent of Westeros, home to a group of formerly independent realms that have coalesced into a loosely united entity called the Seven Kingdoms. To the east, across the Narrow Sea, lie a variety of colorful desert cultures featuring, among other elements, a thriving slave trade. To the north, a vast wall 700feet high separates the Kingdoms from a haunted, impenetrable forest and from the various terrors, human and Other, that live within it. A prominent feature of life in the Kingdoms is the protracted nature of the seasons, which can last for years at a time. As the narrative begins, a long, deceptively peaceful summer is coming to an end. And, as the characters repeatedly remind us, “Winter is coming.”

The plots and counterplots that drive this mammoth enterprise take place against a complex backdrop of history, legend and myth. The most recent and relevant historical drama concerns Robert Baratheon’s revolt against the mad King Aerys Targaryen. After successfully deposing the king and scattering or killing most of the Targaryen family, Robert ascends the Iron Throne and finds, as so many kings before him, that power exacts a very steep price. Dissolute and increasingly uninterested in the practical difficulties of running a kingdom, Robert commissions the only man he can trust — Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell — to serve as “Hand of the King,” setting in motion a chain of events with enormous and tragic consequences.

As readers (and viewers) of “A Game of Thrones” already know, Robert dies in what may or may not be a hunting accident, paving the way for a power struggle that forms the centerpiece of the series. A handful of contenders stake their claims to the Iron Throne, throwing the realm into chaos and affecting the lives of every major character in this densely populated saga. And there really are a staggering number of characters, many of whom disappear from view for long stretches.

“A Dance With Dragons” brings back several prominent figures who have not been seen directly since “A Storm of Swords” appeared in 2000. The most welcome of these is Tyrion Lannister, the sardonic dwarf who is perhaps Martin’s most vivid creation. Following a notorious act of parricide, Tyrion flees the Seven Kingdoms and travels to the east, where he hopes to offer his services to the exiled Daenerys Targaryen. Daenerys, sole surviving descendant of the deposed King Aerys and legitimate contender for the Iron Throne, currently holds court in the remote kingdom of Meereen, surrounded by enemies and accompanied by a trio of dragons.

Other returning figures include Jon Snow, illegitimate son of Eddard Stark and newly appointed commander of the Night’s Watch, which guards the Northern Wall; the devious and beleaguered Cersei, widow of King Robert; the dour, humorless Stannis Baratheon, Robert’s brother and self-proclaimed heir; and literally dozens of others. All of them play their large and small roles in the ongoing game of thrones. And all of them are vulnerable. Any player, however important, can be removed from the board at any moment. This simple fact lends a welcome sense of uncertainty to the proceedings and helps keep the level of suspense consistently high throughout.

Filled with vividly rendered set pieces, unexpected turnings, assorted cliffhangers and moments of appalling cruelty, “A Dance With Dragons” is epic fantasy as it should be written: passionate, compelling, convincingly detailed and thoroughly imagined. Despite a number of overtly fantastic elements (dragons, seers, shape shifters and sorcerers), the book — and the series as a whole — feels grounded in the brutal reality of medieval times and has more in common with the Wars of the Roses than it does with “The Lord of the Rings.” The result is a complex summer blockbuster with brains and heart, a book with rare — and potentially enormous — appeal.


Sheehan is the author of “At the Foot of the Story Tree: An Inquiry Into the Fiction of Peter Straub.”

Official teaser poster from Christopher Nolan-directed movie "The Dark Knight Rises" has been revealed

Official teaser poster from Christopher Nolan-directed movie "The Dark Knight Rises" has been revealed. The image features skyscrapers in the Gotham city crumbling to the ground, and the iconic Batman logo being formed on the bright-light sky amidst the city-scale destruction.

A follow-up to 2008's critically-acclaimed "The Dark Knight", the action movie is going to be released in theaters across the United States in Summer 2012. Christian Bale is going to reprise his role as Bruce Wayne/the Dark Knight, and Anne Hathaway will play opposite him as Selina Kyle/Catwoman.

Some of the scenes will be filmed at Wollaton Hall in Nottingham, England, and some others will be shot in Carnegie Mellon University. In the latter, a prison break will be staged with "precision stunt driving, gunfire, atmospheric smoke, and controlled pyrotechnic explosions."

"Scenes outside the Fifth Ave. entrance of Mellon Institute include a standoff between two rivals that escalates into a riot. One character drives a motorcycle through the fourth floor lobby, out the front doors and down the steps onto Fifth Ave," it was explained on the university's official blog.

As American millionaire playboy Wayne, Bale will run errands around Gotham city in a Lamborghini Aventador, an upgrade to his 2008's on-screen ride Lamborghini Murcielago LP640. Also, he reportedly will fly a Batcopter, which is built from two attack helicopters in the same design as the Bat Mobile, when donning his Dark Knight costume.

Baseball has always been a game of fathers and sons

PHOENIX -- Baseball has always been a game of fathers and sons. Evidently, so is the Home Run Derby.
Robinson Cano shocked the slugging world last night, capturing the Home Run Derby at Chase Field. It wasn't his mighty swing that won the derby, Cano said.
"It was my dad."
With his father, Jose, throwing perfect pitches inside and low into his son's power zone, the Yankees' second baseman crushed 32 home runs, including 12 in the championship round to beat Boston's Adrian Gonzalez, who hit 11.
MR. 3000
PHOTOS: HOME RUN DERBY
With each home run his son blasted, Jose conducted a countdown, knowing A-Gone had 11 homers. "And I said, '10 more, nine more, eight more,' " Jose said, "and he got [to] the last one. I said, 'Just one, just give me the one, that's it."
Cano delivered the one. He also told his father, "I love you."
After being presented the trophy by his former manager, Joe Torre, Cano and his family celebrated in the corridor of Chase Field that leads to the clubhouse. Along the way, Jose Reyes came from the other side, and the Mets shortstop offered a huge hug.
"That was unbelievable, I've never seen anything like that," Reyes said of Cano's power display.
Cano was supported by Yankees teammates Curtis Granderson, David Roberston and Russell Martin, who offered encouragement and waved towels to cool him down. Cano, who is fast becoming one of the elite superstars of the game, also went into the trainer's room between rounds to stretch out and receive heat treatments for his back.
When he was asked about hitting home runs into the right-field stands, where there is a pool and other unique features, Cano offered that big smile of his and said, "Don't forget the Miller Lite sign."
Cano hit that sign, 472 feet from home plate.
"As a kid you dream to be up here like guys you watched back in the day like Sosa, Griffey, McGwire, Giambi, how much fun they had, it's the same thing," Cano said.
He said he was sad to learn teammates Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, and Mariano Rivera would not be at the All-Star Game, "but I know they have their reasons and I hope fans understand that it's not that they don't want to come."
Cano said he wished the trophy could be cut in half -- half for him, half for his dad.
"These are the things you share with your family, when you retire you can look back and say, 'Wow, I was good in the day," Cano said. "This is something I'm always going to have in my mind and my heart."
Something to share forever with his dad.

Anni Dewani told sister of Dewani's 'sex ban'

Just a week before British millionaire Shrien Dewani's final extradition hearing, British media are reporting that his murdered Swedish bride, Anni, sent SMSs to her sister in which she complained that he refused to sleep with her.

Dewani, whose extradition hearing starts on Monday, also allegedly paid for sex with a man at a fetish club.

According to the UK's The Sun newspaper, Anni sent several messages to her sister complaining about Dewani's refusal to sleep with her on their wedding night.

Anni was murdered in what was claimed to be a hijacking in Gugulethu, Cape Town, while the couple were on their honeymoon in November.

She was found dead with a bullet wound in the neck.

Dewani was arrested after the driver of the vehicle in which they were travelling, Zola Tongo, told a court that Dewani had asked him to hire hitmen to kill Anni.

The Sun reported yesterday that Dewani did not sleep with his 28-year-old bride before their marriage or on their wedding night in Mumbai.

A BBC Channel 4 programme was poised to reveal last night that Anni "cried herself to sleep alone on a sofa on their wedding day following a blazing row".

Anni's sister, Ami Denborg, admitted that she thought Dewani's pre-marriage sex ban was "strange" but said the family assumed he was just being a good Hindu, The Sun reported.

Dewani has denied all the allegations.

The National Prosecuting Authority is confident that the UK court will extradite him to face trial in South Africa.

One of the hitmen allegedly hired to kill Anni, Xolile Mngeni, recently had an operation to remove a brain tumour and is "gravely ill". "All I have heard is that there are grave concerns for his recovery," Tongo's lawyer, William da Grass, said.

Mngeni's grandmother, Zanyiwe, said authorities at Pollsmoor Prison, had denied her access to her grandson.

Mziwamadoda Qwabe is the other accused in the killing of Anni Dewani.

Kylie Minogue’s Aphrodite Live Tour 2011 at Sun City this weekend

Twitter was flooded with gushy tweets on Kylie Minogue’s Aphrodite Live Tour 2011 at Sun City this weekend.

So did it live up to expectations?

Fans exited the Sun City Superbowl tingling with excitement, while belting out (off key, mostly) All The Lovers. Kylie gave them serious fever.

Not to take anything away from her career achievements to date, I must confess that I wasn’t completely bowled over. Then again, I’m more a curious than a die-hard fan.

I was, however, suitably impressed with the jaw dropping Greek-themed décor on stage, the agility of the dancers, the dazzling costumes and the Aussie singer’s amiable disposition.

To say that the pop icon was impressed by her fans would be a gross understatement. In fact, during her fifth act when she serenaded the crowd with an impressive unplugged version of If You Don’t Love Me, she was so overwhelmed by the love she was getting from the crowd that she had to pause during the song. It was a truly poignant moment!

Getting back to the concert, which started on time – kudos to Kylie and her team for being such consummate professionals, the video display of dancers underwater was eye-catching. Taut, beautifully sculptured bodies captured at their acrobatic best left the audience (especially the feather boa-lovers) salivating.

Accompanied by two exceptionally talented backup singers, Kylie aptly opened with Aphrodite and the crowd went wild and whipped out their phones to take out pictures. Her set comprised a melange of current favourites with old hits that brought on the nostalgia.

Spinning Around, Get Outta My Way, Can’t Get You Out of My Head, In My Arms, Put Your Hands Up and On A Night Like This were among the tunes Kylie belted out.

The gorgeous pint-sized actress, dressed in Dolce & Gabbana designer outfits that hugged her frame beautifully and complemented her curves and bust, was also the envy of fashionistas for her sparkling designer stilettos.

She went on to enthral her audience by making eye contact with the fans on the crowd, complimenting several on their sparkly attire and, the cherry on the top, was when she took a personal song request and belted The Loco-Motion to, by this stage, a complete gaga crowd.

Every act of the show boasted a magnificently choreographed dance routine, some with breathtaking high-flying aerial stunts, and props like Kylie poised on horse-god, Pegasus, that gorgeously offset the theatrical feel.

Bottom line – Kylie came, fans went… and they are now reliving her Can’t Get You Out of My Head hit.

Meanwhile, the Mother City is anxiously waiting to host Kylie, who ends her tour there this week.

For the Cape Town Grand Arena, tickets start at R466 and go up to R1570 for the 8pm shows on July 13 and 14. Tickets are available at Computicket outlets.

Two months after putting his Hollywood return on hold following a damaging sex scandal, Arnold Schwarzenegger

(Reuters) - Two months after putting his Hollywood return on hold following a damaging sex scandal, Arnold Schwarzenegger is ready to get back into the saddle.

The former action star turned politician is scheduled to start shooting the Western movie "The Last Stand" in September, a film industry source said on Monday, despite being embroiled in what could be a messy divorce from his wife, Maria Shriver.

"It's an old-fashioned Western specifically designed for a 63 year-old broken-down guy with a moral decision...We always needed an iconic figure for it," an unnamed movie executive told industry website Deadline Hollywood on Monday. Deadline Hollywood first reported the story, and Schwarzenegger's participation was also confirmed by Entertainment Weekly magazine.

Representatives for the former "Terminator" star, 63, declined comment on the reports, as did a spokesman for the Lionsgate film studio that is behind the movie.

But an industry source who asked to remain anonymous confirmed to Reuters that the movie was going ahead as planned with Schwarzenegger in the lead role.

Schwarzenegger said in May that he was halting discussions for a new "Terminator" movie and all other Hollywood projects in order to focus on personal matters following an admission that he fathered a secret child 13 years ago with his family's housekeeper.

The former California governor's wife last week filed for a divorce to end their 25 year-old marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. The couple have four children together.

Schwarzenegger was ridiculed in the media after revealing he had a child out of wedlock that he had kept secret from his family until now.

A Lionsgate executive told Deadline Hollywood that Schwarzenegger was "still a big piece of news".

"The Last Stand", to be directed by South Korea's Jee-woon Kim is expected to be released some time in 2012.

Before the housekeeper scandal broke in May, Schwarzenegger was also working on a movie called "Cry Macho" and had announced plans to voice a superhero with a double life in an animated TV comic book style series called "The Governator."

Production on "The Governator" was halted and "Cry Macho" has been put on hold for the time being.

Schwarzenegger was California governor for seven years until his second term ended in January. He was last seen on screen in a cameo role in the 2010 action movie "The Expendables."

Huge crocodile 'Brutus' thrills tourists in the Northern Territory the Adelaide River, 100km south of Darwin, this week

BRUTUS is missing a leg, but the saltwater crocodile is keen to show he is not lacking power.

The 5.5m giant shocked and delighted a boatload of tourists when he surged out of the Adelaide River, 100km south of Darwin, this week.

Photographer Katrina Bridgeford captured the moment, and said her 11-year-old son Dylan had two words for the awesome sight: "Holy crap!"

The huge crocodile is a favourite with tourists on the Adelaide River Jumping Croc Cruises because he loves his meal of buffalo meat and always puts on a good show for it.

"There was a lot of oohs and aahs and oh my god," Ms Bridgeford said.

"I wasn't expecting anything like this. I couldn't believe how close it got to us. If you put your hand out, you would've touched it."



Jumping crocodile cruises are a major tourist attraction in the territory with several operators providing their services along the Adelaide River.

But Brutus doesn't always get it his own way.

Cruise operator Harry Bowmancom said the 80-year-old crocodile lost his front right leg in a shark attack.

"But Brutus copes pretty well without it," Mr Bowman said.