Does anyone have a copy of 'A Dance with Dragons' that I can borrow?

Earlier today, I finished reading the fourth book in George R.R. Martin’s awesome “A Song of Ice and Fire” fantasy adventure series, “A Feast for Crows.” Of the four books in the series that I’ve read so far, this one isn’t my favorite, but I do think it has a cool title. That’s not to say that the story’s not good, but it just had a different feel than the first three.

First published in 2005, “A Feast for Crows” continues Martin’s epic tale from the viewpoints of Cersi Lannister, Jamie Lannister, Sansa Stark, Arya Stark, Samwell Tarly, Brienne of Tarth and a few others. Missing completely from this book are Tyrion Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow, except for a brief moment or so in the beginning. These characters pick back up in the fifth volume in the series, “A Dance With Dragons.” (By the way, does anyone have a copy of “A Dance With Dragons” that I can borrow? I promise to return it when I’m finished.)

“A Feast for Crows” spent weeks and weeks on the best-seller lists, including a debut in the No. 1 spot on the New York Times Best Seller list. And although it didn’t win any major awards, it was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Novel, a Locus Award for Best Novel and a British Fantasy Award for Best Novel. (“Spin” by Robert Charles Wilson won the Hugo that year, “Anansi Boys” by Neil Gaiman won the Locus and the British Fantasy Award.)

It’s been reported that Martin plans for the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series to include seven books, so he’s got two more to go and his fans have a lot to look forward to. I’ve been working my way through the early books in the series for the past several months, and every time I finish one of them I’m left wondering if the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series if better than J.R.R. Tolkein’s classic fantasy trilogy, “The Lord of the Rings.” It’s hard not to compare “The Lord of the Rings” and the “A Song of Ice and Fire” books. In fact, the two series draw so many comparisons that Martin has been called “America’s Tolkein.”

I like both series for different reasons, and it’s hard for me to say which one I like the best. “A Song of Ice and Fire” seems to be the more realistic of the two series. Its cast of characters is almost entirely human, and very little magic comes in to play, although it does rear its head from time to time. “The Lord of the Rings” seems to be more suitable for children. It’s not as adult-themed as “A Song of Ice and Fire” and takes place in an almost fairy tale-like world full of wizards, goblins, elves, dwarves, etc.

In the end, how many of you have read all or a portion of Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” series? What do you think about it? How does it stack up against Tolkein’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy? Let us know in the comments section below.