A fun read that was penned long before the popularity of Game of Thrones, and it offers a neat twist on the vampire sub-genre! Here's a mild spoiler: Martin's vampires are quite distinct from the 'typical' ones. They are not contagious; instead, they are a separate race of humanity, known as the 'people of the dark', who live alongside the 'people of the light'. They have a need to feed on blood, and daylight is fatal to them, but otherwise, they are 'normal'.

The setting of Fevre Dream takes place mainly on the Mississippi river and its surrounding areas, including other connected rivers and towns. Our protagonist, Abner Marsh, owns a riverboat company, but he has遭遇 hard times. A cold winter froze the harbor where most of his boats were, and they were crushed, leaving him with only one old riverboat. One day, he is approached by a man who wishes to invest in the company and become the co-captain of a new boat. Although this man is strange and has some odd requests, Abner agrees, and the Fevre Dream is built - it becomes the best boat on the river!!

However, his new partner only comes out at night and has many strange friends...

There are so many reviews here, so I'll keep this brief. The portrayal of the riverboat'scene' around 1857, when this story is largely set, is excellent. If you have a liking for riverboats, you should really enjoy this. The vampire aspect is almost secondary to the life along the river, making it a fun read. Martin writes skillfully, and the story progresses well, with a great cast of characters. I would classify this more as an urban fantasy rather than a horror novel, although when this was written, the urban fantasy sub-genre didn't really exist.

After reading the last two pages,

When I saw that without understanding, I couldn't continue,

I realized how much I loved her.

The cruel captain who became unforgettable in my heart because of your beauty,

With the false filth that didn't come out of his mouth.

I would like to announce that the Simorgh Crystal Awards for "Best Book Start" and "Best Gothic Book of the Century" are being presented to "The Smog-Infused Novel" by Mr. [Author's Name].

What can I say about this book? Everything about it is outstanding. Its start is excellent, its progression is remarkable, its character development is wonderful, the subject matter is interesting, and the ending is truly extraordinary. What more could you ask for? Do I really have to tell you how good it is for you to go and read it? Just go and read it already. Thank you, haha.

Although I have made it obligatory for you to read it, I will also describe it a little for my own sake. You know, many books, when you start reading them, may not grip you for several chapters, and you read them slowly in the hope of a better continuation? But "The Smog-Infused Novel" comes to you with the magic of five hundred years from the very first line

I have read very few vampire books, and this one truly sets a very high bar.

Set by the Mississippi in the 1850s, this is storytelling at its absolute best. Martin masterfully evokes the era of the steamboat, with New Orleans serving as a vibrant melting pot of hard-living characters. There are slaves, freed slaves, pilots, steamboat captains, plantation overseers, and Creoles.

I found it extremely clever the way Martin utilizes his context to highlight the parallels between the slave owners and the vampires with their 'cattle'.

I adored Abner Marsh, who, in my mind, is the hero of this tale. He is characterized by his honesty, stubborn loyalty, pride, and courage. The questions that linger are: Is there hope? Can good triumph over evil? Was there any difference between the white man's dominion over slaves and the vampires' dominion over their thralls?

This is an absolute must-read for fans of vampire literature, and in fact, even if you're not. It's also wonderful to be able to confirm for myself that George R Martin has much more to offer than just The Game of Thrones. He is indeed adept at crafting a shorter and stand-alone story that is both engaging and thought-provoking.

3.5 Stars

This was a significant departure from what I'm accustomed to when it comes to GRRM. I'm not precisely sure what I was anticipating, but I don't believe this was it. It wasn't bad per se... just not what I had in mind. Nevertheless, I did enjoy it to a considerable extent.

The story is set in the mid-19th century, along the rivers that crisscross the South and in New Orleans, during the era of the slave trade, with 'people of the night'. The portrayal of these vampires (let's be honest here) was distinct and engaging... yet oddly less fulfilling than I would have expected, and it's difficult to pinpoint exactly what it was that left me desiring more.

Given the setting and the presence of vampires, it was inevitable that comparisons would be drawn with Anne Rice's work... but for me, there is no comparison. This may not be my favorite GRRM story, but it is far superior to anything I've ever read by Anne Rice. I simply cannot abide her writing. Her ideas are wonderful, but her excessive description is too much for me, and I just can't bring myself to read her. GRRM does indeed do a fair amount of description in this book, and I'm not disputing that... but the difference lies in the quantity, impact, and purpose of the description.

Anne Rice describes merely for the sake of description. One could argue that it's to transport the reader into the world she's attempting to depict, but if that's the case, she's doing it incorrectly. I don't need to know the exact type of wood a door is made of, the number of curlicues carved into it, how long it took to carve, its thickness, height, or that it's a burnt sienna color, or how many millions of hands have knocked on it, or any of that mind-numbing minutiae to envision an old, beautifully engraved door. It's excessive, tiring, and a waste of my time.

GRRM uses description to reveal to the reader who his characters are, what matters to them, and what compels them to get out of bed in the morning. Captaining a steamboat is not just a job for Abner Marsh; it's his way of life, his livelihood, his dream, and his passion. He lives and breathes it. So, I'm fine with seeing the river and his steamboats through his eyes.

Similarly, Rice's and GRRM's vampires can be compared. Both wrote about vampires questioning their nature, which interests me, but again, where Rice delves into repetitive existential tedium, GRRM manages to continue telling his story.

I was intrigued by the vampires' stories, especially those of Joshua and Julian... I was also interested in the two main human characters, Abner Marsh and Sour Billy, and felt a bit sorry for all of these characters. Each, in their own ways, yearned for the one thing they couldn't have. But that made them interesting and seemed to draw them together repeatedly, even though they were working at cross-purposes. I always appreciate seeing both sides of the coin represented, and GRRM does an excellent job of making it difficult to choose sides, that's for sure.

Boy, oh, boy, does Mr. Martin possess an incredible talent for breathing life into his characters.

I have never before had characters seem so vivid and real to me as quickly as when I read from the perspectives of his protagonists. Abner Marsh, in particular, practically leaped off the page, and I found myself feeling as if I knew the steamboat captain on a personal level.

However, I must admit that in this book, the antagonists, who are some vampire folks, are not as strongly developed. They come across as rather generic, especially during the first half of the story.

This might potentially be attributed to the year it was written, 1982. Since then, we have been inundated with a plethora of vampire stories, some of which are excellent, while many others are not so great.

But if I had read these antagonists first, before being exposed to the countless vampire tales that followed, I could see how they might have been considered really cool and groundbreaking.

Anywho, the prose in this book is truly great. Martin has a remarkable ability to describe even the simplest of things, like coffee and breakfast, in such a way that they sound like the most wonderful things in the world.

Whenever Abner Marsh sat down for breakfast, Martin made it sound so enticing that he had me craving coffee, even though I don't normally drink it, and hungering for big meals.

This just goes to show the uncanny talent Martin has for beautiful descriptions.

The whole first half or so of the book had me completely captivated and wanting to give it 5 stars. However, it did slow down a bit in the second half, which led me to downgrade it to 4 stars.

Near the last 100 pages or so, I felt compelled to give it a 3 because not much seemed to be happening after such a great start.

I was worried that it would finish horribly, but fortunately, it picked up again and ended on a solid 4-star note. Overall, it's a good book and well worth a read if you have a penchant for vampires or are looking for more George RR Martin to enjoy after devouring A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE.

Sr. Martín, how happy and peaceful you would be if you stopped having so much winter and wrote more books like this. It is not possible for me to put any buts. For me, everything has been satisfactory. There is a great atmosphere, characters with roots that take you where they want, a really good story (a special mention to the chapter where the "origin" of one of the protagonists is explained), and a fantastic epilogue that doesn't come to bother as in many of the last cases I have found. My rating cannot be lower than great. You have my 5 stars.

This book truly stands out. The way the author creates the environment makes you feel as if you are right there in the story. The characters are so well-developed that you can't help but get attached to them. The story itself is engaging from start to finish, with unexpected twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. The explanation of the protagonist's origin adds an extra layer of depth to the story, making it even more interesting. And the epilogue is the perfect ending, tying up all the loose ends and leaving you with a sense of satisfaction.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good read. It is a must-have for any book lover's collection. Sr. Martín, keep up the great work and please write more books like this one!

One of the best books I have ever read is this one.

The book drew me so deeply into its world that I almost cried at the end because the characters and their fates got under my skin.

Never before has any book touched my heart so much, and this is a book about vampires.

ABOUT VAMPIRES and I almost cried like a burning teenager over Twilight.

This book has a unique charm. The story is full of twists and turns, and the descriptions of the characters are vivid and detailed.

It makes you feel as if you are actually in that world, experiencing everything along with the characters.

The author has done an excellent job of creating a believable and engaging vampire universe.

Overall, it is a must-read for anyone who loves good literature and the supernatural.

Every day, we make choices from the options in front of us.

The interesting point of the story is about tolerating differences among friends.

The book begins with the collaboration of two completely different people. A rough, ugly, and bad-tempered person teams up with a well-dressed, calm, and refined European nobleman, one is human and the other is from the people of the night (vampire). In the end, despite these differences, the collaboration turns into friendship. So deep that each is willing to sacrifice for the other.

This story shows us that even with great differences, true friendship can blossom and grow. It teaches us the importance of looking beyond the surface and seeing the true essence of a person. We should be open to different people and experiences, as they can bring us unexpected joys and growth.

In our daily lives, we often encounter people who are different from us. We may have different cultures, backgrounds, personalities, or beliefs. However, it is through these differences that we can learn and expand our horizons. Just like in the story, we should strive to understand and accept others, and build meaningful relationships based on mutual respect and trust.

At first, it was attractive, but then it became very tiring and took away my energy.

The text is disorganized and jumbled. In my opinion, the characterization in the book was very weak and could not be associated with anyone. The author tried so hard to bring out the characters that they all became artificial and superficial.

If we don't consider its verbosity, it's a book that can be tolerated, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. And even though Dracula is not my favorite, it's much better than this.

I had to spend 180 tomans on food.

Also, it didn't have a proper translation, especially in terms of descriptive translations.

One of the best, if not the absolute best, vampire stories I've ever read in my entire bloodydamn life.

If you're a fan of Martin, then read this book. If you're a fan of the horror genre, then read this book. Even if you're into bloody stories, you should still read this book.

For now, I'm not going to write anything else because I know there's more reading to be done.

If I'm still alive, of course.

This vampire story has truly captivated me. The way the author weaves the plot, creates the characters, and builds the atmosphere is simply masterful. It's not just a typical vampire tale; it has depth, complexity, and a certain charm that keeps you hooked from the very first page.

Whether you're looking for a thrilling read, a spooky adventure, or just a good story to sink your teeth into, this book has it all. So don't hesitate, pick it up and start reading. You won't be disappointed.

The night has quietly passed, but that memory, sir, has never faded.

Ferve Dream is the story of Abelner March, a steamboat pilot who has run aground. His boat is damaged, his debts are piling up, and he is at a loss. One day, he receives an offer that is hard to refuse from a mysterious young man named Jochua York. He offers to be a partner with March to build the best steamboat in every waterway, and there is only one condition: during the journey, March must not refuse his strange requests, no matter how unreasonable they may be, and must never enter his room on the boat without permission. Finally, he will only come out to meet March and the crew in the middle of the night!

Although March is hesitant about York's condition, he accepts this sweet offer that will take him to meet the wonder he will never forget.

In this volume, Uncle Martin plays with the strangeness and otherness of the characters. When we look at others who are not like us, what will we do with them? Eliminate those who are different or try to find a way to live together with the differences? Through the story told in the atmosphere of "not to be trusted" of the events, characters, and dialogues, we can know that there is nothing in this story that can be trusted at all. It is a great way to create a tense and exciting atmosphere for the readers.

Uncle Martin still leaves his mark on easily killing off characters one by one. The characters who should have survived die like that, making it difficult to predict the plot and it can be reversed at any time (wow! Applause).

It is another quality work of Uncle Martin. After the end of the GOT series, this story is just right to be made into a series immediately.