Chapters:
Tyrion: Most Tyr chapters were fantastic, while some went into "average" zone. From his first words to Illyrio to the introduction of Penny, I was entertained. I didn't get that feeling back until the auction block scene (which felt like his confession at the Aerie and I loved every second). I worry about the next book...I wish he could have reached Dany instead of just spending half the book staring at her walls.
My favorite chapters of his (and some of my favorite in the book, hell, entire series) was him on the river. Laid back with good friends one minute, checking out Ashara Dane's naked body the next (don't tell me she isn't AD, she's totally Dane), playing cyvasse with Halfmaester, giving Young Griff or Duck shit. Then some creepy scenes like the foggy ride through ruins or the lepers scene. Great stuff.
Bran and Arya:
I TOLD you it was Bloodraven! Bran's chapters were too sparse and few...same with Arya. That said, Brans were some of the best in the book and better than Arya's. I loved the reveal of the children and I loved Bloodraven.
And that chapter where they are racing to the mountain. I was holding my breath...I had a feeling someone wasn't going to make it out alive. At one point I swore Hodor was about to die...and when he left behind the Reeds I was like "NOOOOO". Great chapter, very tense.
Arya's skin changing...holy shit. Great scene. I could feel the blood running down my face.
Also, all the crying for the last 6 years when she was only blind for ONE chapter. LMAO
Dany: I think we all agree here. It felt more like a teen girl fantasy novel most of the time with her pining over her shiny douchebag. However it was nice to see her starting to lose control, ala Cersei, and unlike Cersei she was actually trying to fight it. It was strange to see her firm and intelligent (her meetings with her advisors) one minute and irrationally kind another (saving Tyrion/Penny, the plague victims). Also, as it was said by another, most of the people around her are boring and unnecessary. I mean, Shavepate and that K-something perfumed seneschal? The Green and Blue Graces (I'm still not sure what their purpose was) Did he really need to give her more characters, she already has enough as is.
I grew bored of her chapters and was very sick of Mereen in the end. However, her last chapter was her best since she was riding in her khalasar.
Barriston and Theon: The best chapters in my opinion.
I'm assuming Barriston "defeating the knot" was GRRM's way of saying he wasn't sure how to take Lizahr (sp?) out of power. Barriston took care of business like boss and that scene where he arrives to take out the king was extremely nerve-wracking: not only the scene where he has to fight an arena champion 1/3 his age, but also the parallels to Ned's betrayel. I kept waiting for Shavepate to betray him or the king to have been waiting for him to arrive so he could remove Barriston's head.
Theon...poor fucking Theon. Yeah, I said it because people are scared to say it. I hated him...from day one...even after finishing the first four books - to me he was a shitty person. But his line here when he realized that all he ever wanted to be was a Stark was tragic. Yes, most of the evil surrounding him when he took Winterfell was Reek and yes, he started it by taking the castle...but even re-reading Clash I started to feel sorry for him. He's confused about whether he wants to be accepted by his foster family or by his estranged father and he makes a ton of mistakes. I love his act of redemption by rescuing Jeyne...despite the fact that you know he'll be dying before the series is over.
Also, his treatment by Ramsay obviously...Jesus, Theon, he castrated you? :*/
Griff: I had his existance spoiled by GAF, but I was genuinely shocked about Young Griff's reveal. I had a feeling he was a Targ when Tyrion mentioned his hair, but when Tyrion said "...dead boy" and I was like "oohhfuuuuuck". The one fan theory I thought was ridiculous was actually true! And Connington's chapters were both great...declaring himself to the Gold Company and then the fantastic chapter when he took back his home castle. I'm rooting for him. Fuck Dany, take Westeros on your own.
Davos: A lot of people loved his chapters, but I found them kind of boring until the "trial" and then the last chapter when he was off to Skagos to find Osha and Rickon...which is awesome.
Jon: The spoiler I saw that made me want to leave this thread was Jon dying...I felt like I had ruined the books. But he's not dead. "Salt and smoke", blah blah. Yeah.
Jon's chapters were also kind of disappointing. The middle of his chapters was all about coordinating wildlings and Bowen Marsh and his followers disappointed with every move he made. Grew old after a while. I kind of got sick of seeing his name pop up.
I loved the first 1/3 of them with the death of Slynt finally! and the stockpiling of goods, then the last third with Tormund Fucking Giantsbane, a giant, and the death scene. And that letter! That fucking letter was awesome. (Stannis is still out in the snow, Ramsay caught Mance and is trying to goad Stannis's people to him...also fuck Mance for either turning cloak or running his mouth after being tortured - that was one guy I thought could handle Ramsay).
Cersei and Jaime: Loved these chapters, though Jaime basically walks in, signs a contract, and walks out, then goes off with Brienne...nothing major. Still was good reading...how some chapters can have action and be boring to me, but these chapters be exciting I have no clue. And Cersei's walk of shame was a great scene...her shrugging off that cloak was right alongside her character...and the fact that she only broke when people started to talk about how wrinkled and saggy she was beginning to get...fantastic.
And Gregor arriving to carry her gently to safety...it was a great contrast to him being this wild, murderous monster to suddenly being her creature...loving and devoted to her. I kind of "aw"ed at that, despite her being a murderous sociopath and him being a psychopathic rapist.
Epilogue/Kevan: NO, they killed my boy! After my re-read I actually started to LIKE Kevan. I was glad to see him being the one last Lannister in KL with a head on his shoulders and someone who could have controlled the chaos there. Why not kill Mance Tyrell? Because that wouldn't cause the chaos of Tyrell still being alive, right Varys? WELL FUCK YOU.
That said, I saw it coming a mile away. Not just because it was an epilogue, but also because it read like someone who was going to be knocked off at any moment. It read like someone who was going to be killed by something in the shadows. It read like the last half of the final season of Sopranos when you didn't know who was going to get killed and where.
Pycelle? Shocking...truly shocking. Didn't see that coming...don't care for him as a character, but he was there since the beginning so it will be strange to see him gone.
Overall:
I said that it was better than Storm while reading it. I will agree that the first half of the book is better than Storm. The second half...up until those cliffhangers at the end and a couple of good chapters with Theon, Asha, and Barristan, was dull. The second half of the book was very "Feast" like.
This book felt more symbolic and thematic to me. The main theme of the novel feels like "conversion". People experiencing new things and opening their minds to it. Tyrion as a slave, Dany just letting go of her feelings as she becomes a stronger queen, Victarion and Theon both finding new religion. The other is disease. Whether it's the literal plague (what a great final moment in Mereen: "they're going to throw bodies"), greyscale, or losing your mind (Theon/possibly Cersei).
I don't even know where I would put this on the scale...perhaps right after Storm and then Game.
