ASOIAF: Should I read the combined order of A Dance with Dragons and A Feast for Crows, or should I read them separately?

I first read them separately and enjoyed both. But I enjoyed them much more in the combined order. (I found a pirated e-copy that combined them online —as I had already bought the books twice I didn’t feel bad about downloading it.)

Personally —and it really is personal — I would advise reading the combined order, if you can deal with switching back and forth(or if you find a copy like I did where it’s done for you.)

It’s not just that you don’t have to go a whole book wondering what has happened to Tyrion, Jon Snow, Daenerys, Davos, Stannis and Bran.

It’s also that the book feels like a sequel to A Storm of Swords. The conversation between Stannis and Jon in Jon 1 feels fresher as it hasn’t been too long since we have seen Jon elected as Lord Commander. Whereas in the separate reading order, we have gone more than 800 pages.

Furthermore, I would say that the books work well together thematically — as one. . When viewed together there are a number of “story clusters” that harmonize:

• The Ruler chapters: Cersei, Jon Snow and Daenerys all groping for solutions to complex situations.
• The Learner chapters: Sansa, Bran, Arya. All of these young Starks are on a quest to self-empowerment in very different contexts and situations.
• The Wandering chapters: Jaime, Brienne and Tyrion. All characters being blown by fate in various directions as they deal with their own inner lives.
• The North Remembers chapters: (Reek, Davos, eventually Asha) in which the political situation of the North is explored as well as the fascinating character of Reek.
• Plus Dorne and Iron Islands.
The only thing is I hope you are patient. Combining the order makes for a 2000 page book. You can go a hundred pages between Tyrion chapters, for example. The chapters in those books, particularly in A Dance with Dragons are longer than earlier books.
For me the combined order makes for the best book of the series in some ways(though it is very much a building volume, a set up of things that are going to occur in future novels, much as A Game of Thrones was.)

Written January 10th