Review: Fevre Dream

I'm a big Game of Thrones fan, so I picked up this stand-alone by GRRM in between series, curious as to how he'd do venturing into a different type of fantasy setting. I've read my share of vampire books and 1800s settings, and there are plenty of things I enjoy about both. This book, however, did not deliver for me.

Told from the perspective of coarse and crass steamboat captain Abner Marsh, this book weaves mystery and history with the supernatural. Strangely alluring patron Joshua York convinces a down-on-his-luck Abner to captain the vessel of his dreams (his own creation, built-to-order) in exchange for obedience and a rather cliche "no questions  asked" type policy. Grateful to recover some measure of his former prowess, Abner agrees and is (not terribly) quickly swept up into the dark mysteries of Joshua and his unusual companions. Though he wants to keep his word, the old river trawler can't help but wonder about his passengers and their secretive mission.

Martin paints a vivid picture of late 1850s life on the Mississippi, with all the luxury and bitter competition inherent to the times. However, Abner is just not an engaging protagonist to me. Squat, grizzled, stubborn, cranky, and not particularly open-minded or bright, his lack of sufficiently redeeming qualities left me not particularly inclined to root for him. He's brave and chivalrous a time or two, but it didn't quite make up for the rest. Joshua and the other vampires are interesting, but there are too few revelations to allow the reader to get invested in them. In all, their representation felt stale and unoriginal.

All-in-all, this felt like a vanity project for Martin, with Abner being his own fictional (albeit deliberately unflattering) self-representation. I'm sure this book will appeal to others, but it didn't strike the right notes for me.