It is the fifth book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by American author George R.R. Martin. Due to its length, it was published in some countries in two parts: the first is called Dreams and Dust, and the second is After the Feast. This title was originally intended to be the title of the second book in the series, as Martin assumed his series would only be a trilogy. It is worth noting that this novel is the first to be published after the start of the series on which it is based, Game of Thrones. The novel completes the paths of characters that were not featured in the previous book, as A Dance with Dragons and A Feast for Crows were supposed to be a single book, but due to its length, Martin divided the novel based on the characters' paths and time. Therefore, this novel takes place during the same time period as the events of A Feast for Crows.