@asands123 So I discovered this series when they started advertising the series , I learned that they were books and I bought them and read them all in like a month . I just couldn't stop I stayed up very late every night reading . One thing I like is that the author doesn't seem afraid of killing popular charachters and making the storyline twist in any number of ways. That's awesome.....as long as he doesn't touch Tyrion Lannister that is XD
Hello, first off, I think this series is the most brilliant series of books I have ever read (even better than LotR). I read the first three books but I haven't read the fourth one yet, because I heard so many bad things about it. Should I read it through? or should I goto wikipedia. Btw, the gal is beautiful.
A Dance of Dragons is worse than A Feast for Crows. It is the most disappointing book in the series.
Dany epic-fails as a ruler and loses two dragons.
Tyrion is captured and sold by slavers.
Jon Snow is killed in a mutiny.
Actually, Chinese and Japanese have BETTER fantasy writers/novels than Americans and English. e.g., Jinyong (who pioneered the modern "wuxia" genre) is, IMO, a significant better writers than Tolkien (who pioneered modern fantasy). Too bad you guys can't read them.
@DarthMean25 Aegon Targaryen is alive and well, spirited away, raised and groomed for leadership by Valyrians under the orders of Varys. He lands in Stormlands with an army of mercenaries and begins his conquest of Westeros.
@DarthMean25 The abrupt reappearance of Aegon Targaryen confirms my suspicion: that George R.R. Martin did not really plan and plot out the entire series. He just makes up sh!ts and pulls craps out of his arse as he goes along.
@DarthMean25 good thing i read your comment first...almost read his whole post...i hate people who spoil shit for others...you get to read a book and its surprising and then you gotta ruin it for others
First of all, two pointers: George R.R. Martin's new book will be released in July 2011, Terry Goodkind's new book will be released in August 2011. Since both of your fave authors will be out one month apart, its time to be joyous, if you don't know already ;) Now, since I've seen the first 2 episodes of Games of Thrones, all I can say is... wow... cinematic tv at its best, counting the visuals and the dialogue together as one. And its been renewed already for a 2nd season!
Wow there... if you consider that kind of episodic television shit(e) :D then I wonder about your true taste. Legend of the Seeker, well, perhaps yes, normal TV with a normal budget, thus not so normal faithfulness to the books. But with Game of Thrones they are trying really hard. And a pointer for them is that they have George R.R. Martin's approval. Still you cannot judge them too hard. They are making TV, not cinema. But its good cinematic TV.
@iakovos265 i think you miss the meaning of the expression "the shit", in americans it means that it was awesome. If someone says it was shit then they mean that it was bad, which wasnt my message. hope this clear things up.
@asands123 Wow, that was fast, pretty girl. Ok, thanks for clearing that up... now I understand fully the "Americanism", although I had the original impression that you meant of course something else, since you put a smiley next to it ;) If you would like to talk some more in the near future about anything... you can always find me in FB as Iakovos Vlioras, since I don't know your full name (and I will not ask it here).
Iakovos:)
PS. Two months to go for the next book... getting close!!!!
I hate, hate, hate book series that just go on and on without end. It is like American daytime soap operas (General Hospital) or British TV series (Dr. Who) that drag on for decades without end (or until people stop watching them and then they get canned.)
I believe only English-language novels and TV shows do that sh!t. Spanish telenovelas do not do that. Neither do K-dramas. Nor J-dramas/novels. Nor Chinese dramas/novels.
@ktchong On the other hand, I just love book series that each time they show you something different. You might say that Goodkind repeats himself and that instead of 12 books, he should have written half of that, but I mostly like the romance within... especially with the sisters of the dark. And I can disagree. K-dramas, J-dramas and especially Spanish telenovelas tend to repeat themselves over and over again. The Spanish are a lot of them boring actually, with childish dialogue.
I believe Tolkien and George have two completely different writing styles. But as being one of the best Fantasy writers, yes I agree very much. A Song of Ice and Fire, most definately #1 reccomended book! And yes, mature young adults and up please.
Steven Erikison's series 'The Malazan Book Of The Fallen' is so much more complex and in-depth, his anthropological skills in describing how and why traditions and thought processes arise is infinitely more impressive than throwing some random incest or brutal rape and murder whenever the story slows
@Trustmeitsworthit i read steven eriksons first book and maybe its just because im blonde but i did not understand half of what he was talking about. i enjoyed his writing style and imaginsation but i thought the plot lacked a lot of explanation. anyways that was when it was first published so maybe i was too young and impatient :P do the books get better after the first?
it might be said that he's on the level of Tolkein, well, yes, GRRM wastes pages on hyperbolic descriptions of environment that last for pages and has the same feeling of the author getting lost in his own books. I'm not trying to say he's not a good writer but I think that people have grasped on to GRRM as the saviour of fantasy but unfortunately he's just not. As I said Patrick Rothfuss is a better writer by far, so is Robin Hobb.
the name of the wind was a damn good book. however, GRRM hasn't even updated his biog in about 2 years, dance with dragons has been put back SIX, SIX times! his world is full of pointless characters and impossibly made locations, nothing feels real, even the characters. they are only introduced for specific plot reason that are evident with they're first line of seech. the plots are easy to see from chapters ahead, with the occasional needless death of a major character.
Hi! Im on the second book now and I really agree on what you brought up about the series! Have heard that the third is the best! Can't wait to read that one...
In the bookstore 3 weeks ago i saw the cover of Game of Thrones then in home google it the title of the book and the actor (yes until 3 weeks ago i didnt who George Martin was im from Portugal so) and i found your videos and i was like (a pretty lady who likes the book) then i read about the plot i found interesting, in the next day i purchased the book and I LOVE IT, the characters the way he puts us into his world as you said he really is a "Damn good writer" im really adicted to this series:)
I was watching audition clips of GRRM's ASOIAF series and I figured you were auditioning for Daenery's lol.. You definitely have the look for the part :)
Anyway, this fantasy series is by far the greatest I've ever read, The vivid lifelike characters, the breathtakingly amazing medieval setting, and of course the greatest epic story ever written.. I love fantasy novels that don't feature a true main protagonist and Antagonist. This series has several, which I feel is awesome. :)
I was watching audition clips of GRRM's ASOIAF series and I figured you were auditioning for Daenery's lol.. You definitely have the look for the part :)
Anyway, this fantasy series is by far the greatest I've ever read, The vivid lifelike characters, the breathtakingly amazing medieval setting, and of course the greatest epic story ever written.. I love fantasy novels that don't feature a true main protagonist and Antagonist. This series has several, which I feel is awesome. :)
No joke i got to page 100 in game of thrones, got bored and read at the gates of darkness by Fiest now ive gone back to game of thrones its rather confusing to remember whats what again.
After you read the books get the audio books....The reader does an awesome job of bringing it to life..i only sugets it after reading though so that you know where all the places ae with the maps ect... pretty epic audio books.
I also read up to the fourth book. The fourth book really just lost me, I couldn't get into it but I think I will reread the whole series again simply because HBO is doing its show on the books now. Fact is, when Martin went the direction he did in killing off the family the way he did it BLEW MY MIND!!! I never in my life read something that literally shocked me to the point where my mouth hung open in shock. Awesome read, intense, and very gritty. LOVE IT!!!
ITS OFFICIAL!!! HBO has agreed to 9 episodes and the pilot for A Game of Thrones! Supposed to be done by next spring. The cast looks awesome!!!! I cant wait!!!!
As far as getting turned off by other fantasy authors after having read ASOIAF I agree. I do have two recommendations (which may already have been suggested) Scott Lynch's Gentlemen Bastard series beginning with The Lies of Locke Lamora and PAtrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind were both entertaining and were real page turners. Give 'em a shot if you find you can't find any new fantasy material.
I'm trying not to get excited, but he's been talking about Dance lately on Not A Blog. I feel like a kid waiting for christmas.
I agree, he's a damned good writer, but he ruined fantasy for me. Anything else I read feels campy and watered down. It's like driving a Ferrari for a month, and later finding out you have to drive a golf cart for the rest of your life.
yes he has that effect on me too...although hes slow as hell writing the books theyre still top quality books...if youre looking for other good fantasy Robin Hobb is a pretty good author as well...shes different than martin tho..but the two authors are fans of each others works and its not hard to see why :)
Have you read Imperium by Robert Harris - brilliantly written psychological and political story about Cicero's battle to become Consul, and also Monsoon by Wilbur Smith is cool - I've been looking for something like these or lord of the rings (especially) for a long time - just discovered R.R. Martin & hoping desperately that he achieves this
@purdeythedog no i havent but thanks for the tip. I, Claudius is also a really good book set in roman times and its about royal intrigue in augustus' reign in rome :)
@asands123 thanks; I've had a look - very cool. By the way if you want to get books cheap Abebooks.com is much better than Amazon and they've had the books I've looked for so far
I read the Martin to 'A Storm of Swords' but found the reviews for "A feast for crows" uninspiring and so stopped. I read 'I, Claudius' - liked it. Lustrum (the sequel to Imperium is now out and its v.good. Also, though its not fantasy or history I think you might enjoy Shantaram which is about an Australian convict (Autobiographical) who escaped a high security Australian jail and fled to India, immersing himself in the craziness of the Bombay underground; the rich and poor.
People like you upset me. How will you ever make anything of you life if you don't figure out things for yourself? To see someone not read a book because someone else thought it was bad is just sad.
I had sex last night and it wasn't that great. You shouldn't have it. There, maybe you will not produce kids now.
I like the spirit of your reply. Your point is well made, though there are too many kids (people) in the world already, and it wasn't one person but all the reviews I've read. I think the majority are generally 'right' (at least with book reviews). I meant to send the original to assands123 which is why it seems a bit of a non sequitur.
Have you read Imperium by Robert Harris - brilliantly written psychological and political story about Cicero's battle to become Consul, and also Monsoon by Wilbur Smith is cool (but these are historical) - I've been looking for something like lord of the rings (especially) for a long time - just discovered R.R. Martin & hoping desperately that he does it
I like your opinion and agree that this is the best frantasy series in the world... but you seriously have to stop mumbling and saying "uhm" all the time. I know it's hard, but it's really a LOT of times that this happens with you. And it would be sad if your thoughts and opinion wouldn't come across to your audience simply because you're unconcentrated or something. Hope this comment was understood as nice and constructive - just to make sure, I'll put a smiley right here : )
At the risk of being seriously attacked for this ( mind you I am a huge ice and fire fan) has anyone else noticed that George R.R. Martin really uses rape a whole hell of a lot in his books? I mean I understand the medieval connotation and how that was rampant..it just seems to be a seriously recurring motif in his books. I love them. Jon Snow is like my hero and I read the books just for him. Just posing a thought is all.
rape is a prominent theme in his books, as well as terry godkind..and those are two of my fav authors....connection maybe? ;)
I think that rape makes a character just more evil and maybe thats the point of using it. Men who rape in his books are almost pinpointed for horrible deaths ;)
Quite true. Its just there are some instances where the rape is so violent it really as you say..makes them more evil. Like Gregor Clegane when he is dueling in the circle and the other knight is shouting at him. Gregor says yes I raped her then smashed her head against the wall. That I think was one of the more grisly examples.
My problem with Martin's series is that it doesn't really go anywhere; I don't think he knows what outcome he's looking for so he tends to wander without much of a central plot. That's fine for a story about character dynamic, and while his characters are good, he kills them too quickly to take advantage of their dynamics. The result is a story that focuses more on characters than plot, but kills them off before they really fulfill the progression he intends for them.
just started reading the first book in german, but i guess i'll switch to english.
i've always been reading english books in english and now that first german book in a long while really distracts me with thoughts about idiomatic translation and this just ruins what already promises to be a great literary companion in my near future.
besides, german publishers broke up each book in two parts, so "a game of thrones" turns to a) " the lords of winterfell" and b) "the legacy of winterfell".
true, but amazon doesnt even list a book until it is nearing finalization and if you look amazon has the book listed already for preorder. Meaning the book is in the final stages now and probably only being held up by edititors at the publishing company. IF hbo clears this, they arent gonna let GRRM sit on his fat ass and take his sweet time for the last three books lol
Amazon has had it available for preorder for about 3 years now, constantly pushing back the dates. I would love to be proven wrong but all my hope is gone.
amazon has had it up there for years and always having it available for preordering but it keeps being pushed backed. I love the books and im willing to wait. plus, theres plenty of good authors other than george martin to read in the meantime :)
Which if he doesn't take his time on the books, it might actually be a bad thing. I don't want him to become another Salvatore, spitting out 3 or 4 books a year.
there i agree with you. I think it would totally crush my love of westeros if the last 3 books sucked, more than waiting. I know ALOT of people who have all "sworn off" ASOIAF just because of the wait but i know theyll be back when the next book comes out, and theyre just saying that because they are annoyed by the wait (which is understandable).
Have you considered listening to them in audio book? The voice actor is VERY good (understatement, imo). You might find it a nice change of pace after reading the novels. Also, did you know about the two shorts he wrote that take place in Westeros, before ASoI&F. One is called The Hedge Knight and the other Sworn Sword. Both come in audiobook and printed form. There are torrents for all of the audio stuff out there, if you can't find at the local library or can't be bothered with CDs.
I am not sure why there is so much hate toward A FEAST FOR CROWS. No it doesn't pick up right where STORM OF SWORDS left off and no, it doesn't feature some of the previous characters we've come to know and love. But the actions of the previous novels surely have fallout in the land of Westernos. The beauty of FEAST is it shows who damage done by the game of thrones to the normal folk living in the land. I like the way it shows how the actions of the royalty affects everyone in the land.
"people you dont expect to die, die..." you said it girl! a good review.
and check out that blue skin of yours hahaha. i remember going to ask doormates if they wanted to get out of their rooms and go eat and they'd be wrapped up in a blanket somewhere in the darkness with that blue skin lighting from their computers screens. you could like see the screen reflected off their eyes. it was spooky...
I love the number of characters! He presents them in a very clever way so, for me, there was never a "who the heck is this person?" moment.
You're right, you don't NEED to remember most of the names, but when they're brought up again in the next book or something, it's fun if you can remember "THAT'S THE GUY WHO DID _____!"
I was embarrassingly excited when I read the Hedge Knight comic, and then saw Duncan the Tall casually mentioned in the White Book (in A Storm of Swords). So awesome.
You got impatient waiting for a feast for crows!!......I hate to think how you must feel waiting for a dance with dragons, only 4 yrs late and counting.... :)
He really needs to finish the damn book already. I mean he had half of it done already when AFFC came out (or so he claimed)
My buddy recommended the series to me 2 years ago and I have been reading the series since.
The number of characters is fine. The major ones are the only ones you need to know. It's a back story like LOTR. With a whole bunch of families sworn to each other you need these names to get the scope of the world A storm of swords was a masterpiece IMO
first i just wana say its kinda unbleveable that such a cute girl reads nerdy books like SoIAF (thats way cool tho). . . u didnt like feast?. . i wasn't on board with Feast at first but the first sansa chapter just set the pace and it only got better from there. did u catch the little implications? . . like the last Sam chapter? my only quam with Feast was that it was so short 700 pages long whats that about.
I think the reason he stays so much in the polotics of the world and tells so many stories with different characters is to detract from the growing real problem. It's more realistic that way. So much going on in the world that most people are blind to the bigger pitcure. That's my take anyway. Love those books!
you say that he's on the level of Tolkien. i can't agree with it 100%. though Martin is a very complete writer and i enjoy him thoroughly....Tolkien FINISHED his story ;)
Martin's series has kept me hot on the trail to finish his books. i fear i may be done before he does get it done. currently i'm halfway through A Storm Of Swords. Martin is a genius. when he is DONE with his series i may well agree with you about the Tolkien comment. have you read C.S. Lewis?
lmao..probably the former than the later...but yeah..someone defintly needs to find him, kidnap him, and starve him till he finishes the series...mwahahaha
Send George a lot of healthy food..... don´t want the the crook to croak before he finishes the series! Also I feel compelled to point out that I´m from Greenland... dunno why or where that urge emerged from but never the less there you have it!
Also I am only half escimo as my father is a danish dentist... born outside marriage as it happens... so am am technically a bastard! YAY! Thanks to ASOIAF that is actually something I ao proud of! :P
Ouch! I am wounded! Is my heritage really that laughable! :P I can see that it does come of as a weird racial match but is it laughable? My proud heritage reduces to a LOL! Oh the agony oh the shame oh the PAIN!
I am just kidding :P Just felt like throwing a worldclass hizziefit!
I took a page out of Tyrions book and followed his advise to Jon Snow and so I amour myself in it instead of letting it wound me:) a rare and unique oddity with the gift of gap :P
Yup I really am half escimo! Well half inuit if you wanna be be politically correct but I am not a fan of that! And no I am not kidding! and to answer your last question "Escimo?" An escimo is a person coming from the native people of northern north America and Greenland!
I love these books...but i can't say he's a great writer because it takes him forever to write...I'm sick of waiting if it's not out this year...I just give up on the series.
I agree that he is a very good writer and he does take you there inside his world, I love this storyline and hope it leads to a even better ending. (Still waiting for next book must be the hardest part.) If you do like Martin you will also like David Gemmell may he rest in peace. Check the Waylander or Druss the Legend not like Martin but equally good and if you like then read the rest of the series which are great.
It's a great series without question. The characters are so well developed and so well written I couldn't put 'Crows' down for several days after I bought it. I actually sent off an email to Mr. Martin letting him know how much I loved his series. There's even an RTS video game currently in development based on the books!
I have a feast for crows right next to my bedside..and ive been telling myself I *will* read it before the new one comes out. i even reread asoiaf recently but too many other books have been coming out :P
asands, I don't know if you've read the late David Eddings' The Belgariad & Mallorean series of books. If not, then I highly, highly recommend them. It's another fantastic page turner filled with great characters, similar in scope to Martins A Song of Ice & Fire series.
of course ive read eddings :) no fantasy collection is complete without him. But I do think hes appeals to an entirely different age group than Martin. Eddings I would give to my neice of nephew while some parts of Martin make me even blush hehe
Leotard, I find him an appealing character, there's a heroic quality about him that I like; and I identify with him, do you get it? If you don't like his character, thats fine. Don't start instigating others just because they have different viewpoints. And tone down your comments will you?
I love George RR Martin's "A song of Ice and Fire" too. I'm just hoping that he finally finishes the fifth book and that the pilot for the show is a success.
Yeah he defintly is takinghis time with the books, which kinda sucks. I know he wants to write a good book but im afraid he wont write many books before he dies :-/
Geeze, I don't know how many times I've thought that same thing myself. If he's not careful he'll end up like Jordan with WOT, and I don't know of too many authors who could finish Martin's work.
although it's not finnished, u should try Tad Williams Shaddowmarch / shaddowplay series. it will the time till A Dance with dragons comes out, (hopefully soon!!!)
Hey, I saw that someone already recommended the Wheel of Time series; however I just wanted to second that since I hear nothing but good things about it--it's apparently the most epic fantasy series ever... according to my friend who may or may not be exaggerating. As for me, I'm a bit more than halfway through A Clash of Kings and I'm loving it. The only qualm I have with it is that GRRM writes such good stuff from Jon's perspective it's hard to read from the other perspectives at times. haha.
you never hear anything about WOT series? seriously? i ALWAYS hear about how WOT is the best series ever. and its defintly a good series and well written but its not the best IMO. I would give it a try.
John's one of martin's best but I think martin does best writing the anti-hero (Jamie, cersi, tyrion) etc
i would also recommend, as mentioned in my first post, The Dark Tower by Stephen King. Most people see Stephen King and think its a horror book. This series is definitly not horror, more of an Epic fantasy/adventure/sci-fi. I think the main character (Roland) is one of the greatest, most fasinating characters of all time.
without out a doubt one of the greatest fantasy epics, and it isnt even finnished. As far as my favorite I'd say its a toss up between this and The Dark Tower by Stephan King. Have you ever listen to the audio recordings? The first 3 are read by a guy with the perfect story telling voice and it really brings the characters alive. When I did a re-read in preperation for ADWD (which didnt come out) it made these great books 1000x better! (Jaquin Hagar especially)
thanks for the recommendation...i finished reading the entire 3 books about a month ago but ill defintly try next time around the audio..I just find it really difficult to pay attention to someone talking for that long of time lol. right now im reading robin hobb's new book, as it just came out here in the ntherlands. Another great fantasy writer
If you like GRRM, would recommend reading the Dying Earth and Eyes of the Overlord by Jack Vance who's GRRM's favorite all time author. One other book to I would recommend is Zothique by Clark Ashton Smith. Even though the the short stories written in it are over seventy years ago, their just as grim,nasty and even darkly funny like you would find in the Throne books.
LOL, ya it can be hard to listen too, but i have a long commute to work so I listen to it going back and forth. and you did mean you finnished reading the entire 4 books right?
the guys who reads books 1 - 3 just really has a voice like a Grandfather who knows how to tell a tale. The guy who reads the 4th book is not nearly as good but he kinda grows on you after a while. You would be surprised at how much you pick up listening to it that you may have not caught reading it.
I like this series alot, george r r martin is real in depth and doesn't micro manage like alot of other authors. Robert jordan though omG, it took me 2 months to get to page 75. But a game a thrones was good. I read it in about 2 weeks, loved it. 2nd book even faster, and when I waited for the 3rd book I was sooo happy lol, I was at barnes and nobles and was like YESSS BABY, and everyone looked at me funny but smiled lol. A wheel of time was my favorite until I read ice and fire.
This is my favorite book. I like how every character has realistic depth. i also like how the book isn't very cliche, although i was a bit annoyed when the dragons were first introduced, as i had been thinking before: finally, a fantasy book without dragons! i like that magic is in the background. you're usually never sure whether something 'magical' is really magical or has a scientific explanation. ex: the 'wildfire'.
I like how the dragons are more like flying dinosaurs than magical creatures, it makes them a little bit more believable than in some fantasy stories.
i think i have to read lotr again because everyone says it's the best book ever but i hated it. the writing style was hard to read and i found the characters to be flat with no depth and the story to be immensely cliche.
i loved harry potter. i'd probably hate the first 2 or 3 books now because i'm too old, but the world is extremely engaging. rowling writes using a simple style but for some reason it's more addictive than anything i've ever read, including a song of ice and fire.
It isnt too fair to label tolkien a cliche because he invented and expanded the fantasy genre in many respects. I do agree about the characters. Although I really loved Sam and pip etc. they were pretty flat if i look back at the books. I guess since lotr was like the first epic fantasy book I read and the fact I was 11 when I read it, it outweighed a lot of the faults.
i love George r.r Martin i think he's brilliant but you compare him to Tolkien i hate Tolkien i found it hard to read .... another author i love is terry Goodkind and his Sword of Truth series ... they are making a HBO series of George r.r. martin's Song of ice and fire... but i hope they do a better job with that series then the Legend of the Seeker series... with that series they moved away from the book
Ive also read terry goodkind and I really liked his books till about the 5th book. Naked Empire really ruined the series for me, b/c it seems like Terry goodkind started to steer away from writing fantasy and started steering towards his own philosophical ideas about how evil communism is (the empire) and how good captiailism is ( richard)...
I also tried watching the series and got to the 4th episode and just thought it was crap and i couldnt stand the ppl who played richardand kahlan :P
One of my friends insisted that I read this series so I picked up the first two books from the library. I've been pretty slow to start on the first one, but after watching this I think I might start it today.
I admit, it is pretty much about nothing the first 100 pages but in the end, its really good. the second and the third novels are even better than the first, so its well worth it IMO to hold in there :)
In the meantime; have you read all the books now?
In my opinion, his style of writing is uncompared. I haven't read an other writer with his style. Almost every chapters ends with a cliffhanger. After ADWD Martin still has to write two addintional books. He asks a lot of patience.
Couldn't dissagree with you more on Harry Potter, though.
First of all, they don't wave broomsticks, they wave wands, and that is corny, but I think it's very tongue-in-cheek. Rowling knows she's writing cliches, but it's a way of limiting the power so that the magic comes through an instrument rather than the wizard himself. (Think Gandalf's Staff, or something of that sort).
Besides, story is much more important to me than how the magic works, and HP's story is top-notch in my opinion.
P.S. I have ordered the first book in this series, "A Game of Thrones" as part of my 'initiation' phase for the SCBF. I hope I enjoy this series as well as you seem to, because "Wheel of Time" is still hard for me to get into, and we know how critically acclaimed those books are, as well.
i admit ive only read the first book of the series and ive heard they get better, but honestly a main issue was rowling's writing style and use of cliches. By cliche Im talking about the aged old Arthurian theme of boy/girl who doesnt know he or she can wield or posses magic and discovers he/or she can and becomes a hero or powerful wizard. you see that theme in almost every fantasy series with georgemartin being one of the few exceptions
But Fantasy is supposed to follow the same formula. Read Joseph Cambell's "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" to see what I mean. So Fantasy tales about 'farm boy becomes wizard and overthrows evil dark king' have never bothered me, since I look at it as 'tradition' as opposed to 'cliche'
Unless you want to claim that LotR, Star Wars, Wheel of Time, etc. are all crappy stories, since they too follow these patterns, I don't see how this makes much of a point.
but like i said, im not here to bash opinions, its just hard to explain how different martin is without comparing him to the contemporaries. HP wasn't all that bad, i just found it extremely hyped up, like twilight (twlight being an even worse example) and expected that since so many people in the world like it, it should be the best literature out there. then again, im a fan of shannara, SOT, wheel of time and hobb, just to name a few few...and many people find those authors horrible!
Well, I can DEFINATELY agree with you when it comes to "Twilight". Ugh, what a horrible piece of purple prose.
And it's not that I think Robert Jordan is 'horrible', it's just that I find him to be very long-winded when describing things. His stories are top-notch, but his style gets a bit tedious sometimes, at least for me. I have the same problem when reading Stephen King; he'll sometimes take five full pages to describe a necktie.
IIRC, George RR Martin has a nice graphic novel about the hedge knight (dunk and egg series). Hmm... I'll prolly pick up a copy to bide the time until ADWD gets released.
"The Hedge Knight" graphic novel is based on a novella he wrote of the same title. There is a second novella with the same characters called "The Sworn Sword" and he plans more for the future. "Hedge Knight" is really an amazing story - I'd read the novella before the graphic novel, if I were you. Sworn Word is good too, but Hedge Knight is better.
do you identify more with sansa, arya or dany? I think you would portay a great Dany. can't wait for the HBO series to come out. they begin filming in Oct. Tyrion has been cast, ALSO: ADWD will be out sept 29.
like most people i abhor sansa but as the series progresses, i kinda admire her. mostly because she knows how to be tactic and keep her mouth shut when she should. arya reminds me a lot of myself when i was younger. mostly cause all my friends were boys and i loved being outside. I think dany is a really interesting character because shes really unpredictable and ruthless (even if just) sometimes shes like a mixture of her "good" brother and her ruthless father. but thats the dragon in her :)
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ktchong 7 months ago
@asands123 So I discovered this series when they started advertising the series , I learned that they were books and I bought them and read them all in like a month . I just couldn't stop I stayed up very late every night reading . One thing I like is that the author doesn't seem afraid of killing popular charachters and making the storyline twist in any number of ways. That's awesome.....as long as he doesn't touch Tyrion Lannister that is XD
Rhadamantys2011 7 months ago
Very informative. Thanks.
unabomberman 7 months ago
Hello, first off, I think this series is the most brilliant series of books I have ever read (even better than LotR). I read the first three books but I haven't read the fourth one yet, because I heard so many bad things about it. Should I read it through? or should I goto wikipedia. Btw, the gal is beautiful.
VanillaSnow23 8 months ago
Nothing really happened in A Feast for Crows except a few hundred girls got raped. The book's only saving grace was the baller known as Patchface.
darkjeshush 8 months ago
A Dance of Dragons is worse than A Feast for Crows. It is the most disappointing book in the series.
Dany epic-fails as a ruler and loses two dragons.
Tyrion is captured and sold by slavers.
Jon Snow is killed in a mutiny.
Actually, Chinese and Japanese have BETTER fantasy writers/novels than Americans and English. e.g., Jinyong (who pioneered the modern "wuxia" genre) is, IMO, a significant better writers than Tolkien (who pioneered modern fantasy). Too bad you guys can't read them.
ktchong 7 months ago
@ktchong what's wrong with you, stop with the spoilers
DarthMean25 6 months ago
@DarthMean25 Aegon Targaryen is alive and well, spirited away, raised and groomed for leadership by Valyrians under the orders of Varys. He lands in Stormlands with an army of mercenaries and begins his conquest of Westeros.
ktchong 6 months ago
@ktchong you are a bad person
DarthMean25 6 months ago
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ktchong 6 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@DarthMean25 The abrupt reappearance of Aegon Targaryen confirms my suspicion: that George R.R. Martin did not really plan and plot out the entire series. He just makes up sh!ts and pulls craps out of his arse as he goes along.
ktchong 6 months ago
@DarthMean25 good thing i read your comment first...almost read his whole post...i hate people who spoil shit for others...you get to read a book and its surprising and then you gotta ruin it for others
asands123 4 months ago
@ktchong You're a miserable person, I wonder how anyone can stomach you.
RedDawnIsBreaking 4 months ago
First of all, two pointers: George R.R. Martin's new book will be released in July 2011, Terry Goodkind's new book will be released in August 2011. Since both of your fave authors will be out one month apart, its time to be joyous, if you don't know already ;) Now, since I've seen the first 2 episodes of Games of Thrones, all I can say is... wow... cinematic tv at its best, counting the visuals and the dialogue together as one. And its been renewed already for a 2nd season!
Cheers,
Iakovos:)
iakovos265 9 months ago
@iakovos265 the first two episodes were the shit :D patiently waiting for the next book
asands123 8 months ago
@asands123 You can call me Jack ;)
Wow there... if you consider that kind of episodic television shit(e) :D then I wonder about your true taste. Legend of the Seeker, well, perhaps yes, normal TV with a normal budget, thus not so normal faithfulness to the books. But with Game of Thrones they are trying really hard. And a pointer for them is that they have George R.R. Martin's approval. Still you cannot judge them too hard. They are making TV, not cinema. But its good cinematic TV.
Iakovos:)
iakovos265 8 months ago
@iakovos265 i think you miss the meaning of the expression "the shit", in americans it means that it was awesome. If someone says it was shit then they mean that it was bad, which wasnt my message. hope this clear things up.
asands123 8 months ago
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iakovos265 8 months ago
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@asands123 Wow, that was fast, pretty girl. Ok, thanks for clearing that up... now I understand fully the "Americanism", although I had the original impression that you meant of course something else, since you put a smiley next to it ;) If you would like to talk some more in the near future about anything... you can always find me in FB as Iakovos Vlioras, since I don't know your full name (and I will not ask it here).
Iakovos:)
PS. Two months to go for the next book... getting close!!!!
iakovos265 8 months ago
@iakovos265 Terry Goodkind. Yuck.
I hate, hate, hate book series that just go on and on without end. It is like American daytime soap operas (General Hospital) or British TV series (Dr. Who) that drag on for decades without end (or until people stop watching them and then they get canned.)
I believe only English-language novels and TV shows do that sh!t. Spanish telenovelas do not do that. Neither do K-dramas. Nor J-dramas/novels. Nor Chinese dramas/novels.
ktchong 7 months ago
@ktchong On the other hand, I just love book series that each time they show you something different. You might say that Goodkind repeats himself and that instead of 12 books, he should have written half of that, but I mostly like the romance within... especially with the sisters of the dark. And I can disagree. K-dramas, J-dramas and especially Spanish telenovelas tend to repeat themselves over and over again. The Spanish are a lot of them boring actually, with childish dialogue.
iakovos265 6 months ago
i read david gemmel books :drenai tales and they are incredibly good enough to stay at the same lvl as "a song of fire and ice
"
dibellos100 9 months ago
@ktchong
read the book, and don't talk rubbish. Jon has nothing to do with Targaryens
AvatarOfScythe 11 months ago
I believe Tolkien and George have two completely different writing styles. But as being one of the best Fantasy writers, yes I agree very much. A Song of Ice and Fire, most definately #1 reccomended book! And yes, mature young adults and up please.
TheLadyKaylah 1 year ago
SEI UNA GNOCCA NORDICA PAURA
gnomopazzo 1 year ago
So, who's the third surviving Targaryen? Daenerys is one. Jon Snow is the other. Who's the third?
ktchong 1 year ago
Steven Erikison's series 'The Malazan Book Of The Fallen' is so much more complex and in-depth, his anthropological skills in describing how and why traditions and thought processes arise is infinitely more impressive than throwing some random incest or brutal rape and murder whenever the story slows
Trustmeitsworthit 1 year ago
@Trustmeitsworthit i read steven eriksons first book and maybe its just because im blonde but i did not understand half of what he was talking about. i enjoyed his writing style and imaginsation but i thought the plot lacked a lot of explanation. anyways that was when it was first published so maybe i was too young and impatient :P do the books get better after the first?
asands123 1 year ago
it might be said that he's on the level of Tolkein, well, yes, GRRM wastes pages on hyperbolic descriptions of environment that last for pages and has the same feeling of the author getting lost in his own books. I'm not trying to say he's not a good writer but I think that people have grasped on to GRRM as the saviour of fantasy but unfortunately he's just not. As I said Patrick Rothfuss is a better writer by far, so is Robin Hobb.
Trustmeitsworthit 1 year ago
the name of the wind was a damn good book. however, GRRM hasn't even updated his biog in about 2 years, dance with dragons has been put back SIX, SIX times! his world is full of pointless characters and impossibly made locations, nothing feels real, even the characters. they are only introduced for specific plot reason that are evident with they're first line of seech. the plots are easy to see from chapters ahead, with the occasional needless death of a major character.
Trustmeitsworthit 1 year ago
Hi! Im on the second book now and I really agree on what you brought up about the series! Have heard that the third is the best! Can't wait to read that one...
Andorbolt 1 year ago
In the bookstore 3 weeks ago i saw the cover of Game of Thrones then in home google it the title of the book and the actor (yes until 3 weeks ago i didnt who George Martin was im from Portugal so) and i found your videos and i was like (a pretty lady who likes the book) then i read about the plot i found interesting, in the next day i purchased the book and I LOVE IT, the characters the way he puts us into his world as you said he really is a "Damn good writer" im really adicted to this series:)
StraightJohn19 1 year ago
good review!
jzillarock 1 year ago
wow, a beautiful woman who loves good literature. I hate to be tempted so, lol
nobleprime 1 year ago
I was watching audition clips of GRRM's ASOIAF series and I figured you were auditioning for Daenery's lol.. You definitely have the look for the part :)
Anyway, this fantasy series is by far the greatest I've ever read, The vivid lifelike characters, the breathtakingly amazing medieval setting, and of course the greatest epic story ever written.. I love fantasy novels that don't feature a true main protagonist and Antagonist. This series has several, which I feel is awesome. :)
shauwn78 1 year ago
I was watching audition clips of GRRM's ASOIAF series and I figured you were auditioning for Daenery's lol.. You definitely have the look for the part :)
Anyway, this fantasy series is by far the greatest I've ever read, The vivid lifelike characters, the breathtakingly amazing medieval setting, and of course the greatest epic story ever written.. I love fantasy novels that don't feature a true main protagonist and Antagonist. This series has several, which I feel is awesome. :)
shauwn78 1 year ago
"The next book will come out in about a month or so"
More than a year later we are still waiting.
Im not in a hurry though. Im reading the second book right now.
What a great series.
I cannot wait for the tv show
XxDrevokxX 1 year ago
No joke i got to page 100 in game of thrones, got bored and read at the gates of darkness by Fiest now ive gone back to game of thrones its rather confusing to remember whats what again.
sonofhendrix 1 year ago
Im currently reading all his books at the same time, its quite confusing!
sonofhendrix 1 year ago
After you read the books get the audio books....The reader does an awesome job of bringing it to life..i only sugets it after reading though so that you know where all the places ae with the maps ect... pretty epic audio books.
gregg008 1 year ago
I also read up to the fourth book. The fourth book really just lost me, I couldn't get into it but I think I will reread the whole series again simply because HBO is doing its show on the books now. Fact is, when Martin went the direction he did in killing off the family the way he did it BLEW MY MIND!!! I never in my life read something that literally shocked me to the point where my mouth hung open in shock. Awesome read, intense, and very gritty. LOVE IT!!!
elfelixg 1 year ago
Excellent discussion, learning about sex from fantasy books ;)
Autotragisk 1 year ago
"Comes out in a month or so" hehe. if it comes out in 2010, I'll be stunned. I just hope the man can complete series.
Watercr3ss 1 year ago
greetings from sweden, i really love these books as well
Botjer1 1 year ago
ITS OFFICIAL!!! HBO has agreed to 9 episodes and the pilot for A Game of Thrones! Supposed to be done by next spring. The cast looks awesome!!!! I cant wait!!!!
stonewall554 1 year ago
As far as getting turned off by other fantasy authors after having read ASOIAF I agree. I do have two recommendations (which may already have been suggested) Scott Lynch's Gentlemen Bastard series beginning with The Lies of Locke Lamora and PAtrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind were both entertaining and were real page turners. Give 'em a shot if you find you can't find any new fantasy material.
Dantilus66 1 year ago
lies of locke lamora was good too...scoot lynch reminds me a lot of brian sanderson..ill have to check out the other authors tho!
asands123 1 year ago
@asands123 check out the already suggested The Name of the Wind by P. Rothfuss. It's brilliant
Forve 1 year ago
@Dantilus66 Exactly the same situation. Read Lynch, thank you for Rothfuss.
TrTveT 1 year ago
I'll check out Hobb. Read a bit about her, I like the idea of traditional medieval fantasy rather than a book loaded with magic.
Halcyonwanderer 1 year ago
Yeah, hes slow compared to other writers... but ASOIAF is a masterpiece. Guys like Jordan and Eddings don't even compare.
It took Tolkein almost 15 years to write LOTR.. a book roughly 1/4th the size of the current Song books.
Halcyonwanderer 1 year ago
I'm trying not to get excited, but he's been talking about Dance lately on Not A Blog. I feel like a kid waiting for christmas.
I agree, he's a damned good writer, but he ruined fantasy for me. Anything else I read feels campy and watered down. It's like driving a Ferrari for a month, and later finding out you have to drive a golf cart for the rest of your life.
Halcyonwanderer 1 year ago 2
yes he has that effect on me too...although hes slow as hell writing the books theyre still top quality books...if youre looking for other good fantasy Robin Hobb is a pretty good author as well...shes different than martin tho..but the two authors are fans of each others works and its not hard to see why :)
asands123 1 year ago
Have you read Imperium by Robert Harris - brilliantly written psychological and political story about Cicero's battle to become Consul, and also Monsoon by Wilbur Smith is cool - I've been looking for something like these or lord of the rings (especially) for a long time - just discovered R.R. Martin & hoping desperately that he achieves this
purdeythedog 1 year ago
@purdeythedog no i havent but thanks for the tip. I, Claudius is also a really good book set in roman times and its about royal intrigue in augustus' reign in rome :)
asands123 1 year ago
@asands123 thanks; I've had a look - very cool. By the way if you want to get books cheap Abebooks.com is much better than Amazon and they've had the books I've looked for so far
purdeythedog 1 year ago
I read the Martin to 'A Storm of Swords' but found the reviews for "A feast for crows" uninspiring and so stopped. I read 'I, Claudius' - liked it. Lustrum (the sequel to Imperium is now out and its v.good. Also, though its not fantasy or history I think you might enjoy Shantaram which is about an Australian convict (Autobiographical) who escaped a high security Australian jail and fled to India, immersing himself in the craziness of the Bombay underground; the rich and poor.
purdeythedog 3 months ago
@purdeythedog
People like you upset me. How will you ever make anything of you life if you don't figure out things for yourself? To see someone not read a book because someone else thought it was bad is just sad.
I had sex last night and it wasn't that great. You shouldn't have it. There, maybe you will not produce kids now.
Usurpationblitz 1 month ago
I like the spirit of your reply. Your point is well made, though there are too many kids (people) in the world already, and it wasn't one person but all the reviews I've read. I think the majority are generally 'right' (at least with book reviews). I meant to send the original to assands123 which is why it seems a bit of a non sequitur.
purdeythedog 1 month ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Have you read Imperium by Robert Harris - brilliantly written psychological and political story about Cicero's battle to become Consul, and also Monsoon by Wilbur Smith is cool (but these are historical) - I've been looking for something like lord of the rings (especially) for a long time - just discovered R.R. Martin & hoping desperately that he does it
purdeythedog 1 year ago
@Halcyonwanderer I concur.
blackprincess82 1 year ago
I like your opinion and agree that this is the best frantasy series in the world... but you seriously have to stop mumbling and saying "uhm" all the time. I know it's hard, but it's really a LOT of times that this happens with you. And it would be sad if your thoughts and opinion wouldn't come across to your audience simply because you're unconcentrated or something. Hope this comment was understood as nice and constructive - just to make sure, I'll put a smiley right here : )
Linguana13 1 year ago
At the risk of being seriously attacked for this ( mind you I am a huge ice and fire fan) has anyone else noticed that George R.R. Martin really uses rape a whole hell of a lot in his books? I mean I understand the medieval connotation and how that was rampant..it just seems to be a seriously recurring motif in his books. I love them. Jon Snow is like my hero and I read the books just for him. Just posing a thought is all.
DrakkonTiger 2 years ago
rape is a prominent theme in his books, as well as terry godkind..and those are two of my fav authors....connection maybe? ;)
I think that rape makes a character just more evil and maybe thats the point of using it. Men who rape in his books are almost pinpointed for horrible deaths ;)
asands123 2 years ago
Quite true. Its just there are some instances where the rape is so violent it really as you say..makes them more evil. Like Gregor Clegane when he is dueling in the circle and the other knight is shouting at him. Gregor says yes I raped her then smashed her head against the wall. That I think was one of the more grisly examples.
DrakkonTiger 2 years ago
@asands123 If you're ever in NZ you should message me!
blackprincess82 1 year ago
@DrakkonTiger Not really. There's perhaps only one or two instances of rape per volume, and it's never gratuitous or author appeal.
Flackon 1 year ago
My problem with Martin's series is that it doesn't really go anywhere; I don't think he knows what outcome he's looking for so he tends to wander without much of a central plot. That's fine for a story about character dynamic, and while his characters are good, he kills them too quickly to take advantage of their dynamics. The result is a story that focuses more on characters than plot, but kills them off before they really fulfill the progression he intends for them.
AMcGrath82 2 years ago
no way the 3rd is the best in the series!
generalnawaki 2 years ago 2
You're pretty cute, but the second and third book are not better than the first. IMO.
KyeHA7X 2 years ago
Personally, I'd love to see what they've done with the HBO show.
ancalites 2 years ago
just started reading the first book in german, but i guess i'll switch to english.
i've always been reading english books in english and now that first german book in a long while really distracts me with thoughts about idiomatic translation and this just ruins what already promises to be a great literary companion in my near future.
besides, german publishers broke up each book in two parts, so "a game of thrones" turns to a) " the lords of winterfell" and b) "the legacy of winterfell".
y00th00p 2 years ago
What part of the South are you from? I am from South Carolina.
carcon14 2 years ago
HAHAHAHAHAHA
A Dance with Dragons is never coming out. Martin is too busy blogging about football and Wildcards and eating himself to death.
hobowithashotgun48 2 years ago
its only like 8 months from release actually.
MrAmericanpatriot18 2 years ago
Its been a few months from release for 5 years now. The promised release dates come and go.
hobowithashotgun48 2 years ago
true, but amazon doesnt even list a book until it is nearing finalization and if you look amazon has the book listed already for preorder. Meaning the book is in the final stages now and probably only being held up by edititors at the publishing company. IF hbo clears this, they arent gonna let GRRM sit on his fat ass and take his sweet time for the last three books lol
MrAmericanpatriot18 2 years ago
Amazon has had it available for preorder for about 3 years now, constantly pushing back the dates. I would love to be proven wrong but all my hope is gone.
hobowithashotgun48 2 years ago
amazon has had it up there for years and always having it available for preordering but it keeps being pushed backed. I love the books and im willing to wait. plus, theres plenty of good authors other than george martin to read in the meantime :)
asands123 2 years ago
I was not aware of that. Who else would you recommend a fan of GRRM read?
MrAmericanpatriot18 2 years ago
Which if he doesn't take his time on the books, it might actually be a bad thing. I don't want him to become another Salvatore, spitting out 3 or 4 books a year.
jordaniac89 2 years ago
there i agree with you. I think it would totally crush my love of westeros if the last 3 books sucked, more than waiting. I know ALOT of people who have all "sworn off" ASOIAF just because of the wait but i know theyll be back when the next book comes out, and theyre just saying that because they are annoyed by the wait (which is understandable).
MrAmericanpatriot18 2 years ago
You're cute and you'll read the whole collection in no-time
D3s0L 2 years ago
Have you considered listening to them in audio book? The voice actor is VERY good (understatement, imo). You might find it a nice change of pace after reading the novels. Also, did you know about the two shorts he wrote that take place in Westeros, before ASoI&F. One is called The Hedge Knight and the other Sworn Sword. Both come in audiobook and printed form. There are torrents for all of the audio stuff out there, if you can't find at the local library or can't be bothered with CDs.
savagestranger 2 years ago
I am not sure why there is so much hate toward A FEAST FOR CROWS. No it doesn't pick up right where STORM OF SWORDS left off and no, it doesn't feature some of the previous characters we've come to know and love. But the actions of the previous novels surely have fallout in the land of Westernos. The beauty of FEAST is it shows who damage done by the game of thrones to the normal folk living in the land. I like the way it shows how the actions of the royalty affects everyone in the land.
ChrisConrad 2 years ago
i actually havent read it yet...i have it lying on my bookshelf....arghhh why cant i bring myself to finish it??
asands123 2 years ago
"people you dont expect to die, die..." you said it girl! a good review.
and check out that blue skin of yours hahaha. i remember going to ask doormates if they wanted to get out of their rooms and go eat and they'd be wrapped up in a blanket somewhere in the darkness with that blue skin lighting from their computers screens. you could like see the screen reflected off their eyes. it was spooky...
bloodpressurenotgood 2 years ago
He needs to hurry up and put out the next book.
mwells219 2 years ago
I love the number of characters! He presents them in a very clever way so, for me, there was never a "who the heck is this person?" moment.
You're right, you don't NEED to remember most of the names, but when they're brought up again in the next book or something, it's fun if you can remember "THAT'S THE GUY WHO DID _____!"
I was embarrassingly excited when I read the Hedge Knight comic, and then saw Duncan the Tall casually mentioned in the White Book (in A Storm of Swords). So awesome.
Itsonlygargle 2 years ago 2
i need to read martins other works...its just a matter of ordering them...theyre quite hard to find in stores
asands123 2 years ago
I actually found the comic at my local library, but I haven't seen anything else from him. I'd like to find more to read as well.
Itsonlygargle 2 years ago
You got impatient waiting for a feast for crows!!......I hate to think how you must feel waiting for a dance with dragons, only 4 yrs late and counting.... :)
Plenty of time to re-read them all.
wioletta01 2 years ago
She looks like Cersei Lanister....
Brahms777 2 years ago
@Brahms777 No way, she looks too innocent! Cersei is a bitch and honestly, thats why I love Cersei, even though she is sick.
locoender 2 years ago
i always imagined me to look like catelyn stark except im blonde :P
asands123 2 years ago
Well he's working on an hbo series for A song of Fire and Ice right now.
gurbir69 2 years ago
He really needs to finish the damn book already. I mean he had half of it done already when AFFC came out (or so he claimed)
My buddy recommended the series to me 2 years ago and I have been reading the series since.
The number of characters is fine. The major ones are the only ones you need to know. It's a back story like LOTR. With a whole bunch of families sworn to each other you need these names to get the scope of the world A storm of swords was a masterpiece IMO
Great review! 5 stars!
sauron9990 2 years ago
first i just wana say its kinda unbleveable that such a cute girl reads nerdy books like SoIAF (thats way cool tho). . . u didnt like feast?. . i wasn't on board with Feast at first but the first sansa chapter just set the pace and it only got better from there. did u catch the little implications? . . like the last Sam chapter? my only quam with Feast was that it was so short 700 pages long whats that about.
666SomethingKrazy9 2 years ago
I think the reason he stays so much in the polotics of the world and tells so many stories with different characters is to detract from the growing real problem. It's more realistic that way. So much going on in the world that most people are blind to the bigger pitcure. That's my take anyway. Love those books!
Swidhelm 2 years ago
yah I agree. i love it !
asands123 2 years ago
you say that he's on the level of Tolkien. i can't agree with it 100%. though Martin is a very complete writer and i enjoy him thoroughly....Tolkien FINISHED his story ;)
Martin's series has kept me hot on the trail to finish his books. i fear i may be done before he does get it done. currently i'm halfway through A Storm Of Swords. Martin is a genius. when he is DONE with his series i may well agree with you about the Tolkien comment. have you read C.S. Lewis?
ventekid 2 years ago
I had a dream that George Martin had in fact finished Dance of Dragons and when I woke up...I felt sooo SAD.
I am seriously beginning to wonder which will come first...the Second Coming or Dance of Dragons.
FaustianDreams 2 years ago
lmao..probably the former than the later...but yeah..someone defintly needs to find him, kidnap him, and starve him till he finishes the series...mwahahaha
asands123 2 years ago
Tyrion rules.....G.R.R Martin is a genius.....I have a book signed by him when he came to Portugal...
S2ug 2 years ago
Send George a lot of healthy food..... don´t want the the crook to croak before he finishes the series! Also I feel compelled to point out that I´m from Greenland... dunno why or where that urge emerged from but never the less there you have it!
Also I am only half escimo as my father is a danish dentist... born outside marriage as it happens... so am am technically a bastard! YAY! Thanks to ASOIAF that is actually something I ao proud of! :P
El Torso Grande Snow.... I like the sound of that
eltorsogrande 2 years ago
You're half escimo? Are you kidding? Escimo?
lonestartrek 2 years ago
half escimo LOL!
asands123 2 years ago
Ouch! I am wounded! Is my heritage really that laughable! :P I can see that it does come of as a weird racial match but is it laughable? My proud heritage reduces to a LOL! Oh the agony oh the shame oh the PAIN!
I am just kidding :P Just felt like throwing a worldclass hizziefit!
I took a page out of Tyrions book and followed his advise to Jon Snow and so I amour myself in it instead of letting it wound me:) a rare and unique oddity with the gift of gap :P
eltorsogrande 2 years ago
Yup I really am half escimo! Well half inuit if you wanna be be politically correct but I am not a fan of that! And no I am not kidding! and to answer your last question "Escimo?" An escimo is a person coming from the native people of northern north America and Greenland!
eltorsogrande 2 years ago
I love these books...but i can't say he's a great writer because it takes him forever to write...I'm sick of waiting if it's not out this year...I just give up on the series.
mindlikewarp 2 years ago
Everyone knows that Jon Snow is the son of Eddard's sister, Lyanna, and Rhaegar. So, Jon is actually Eddard's nephew.
mimixownzall 2 years ago
What? Really? How do you know this? That would be awesome. What a plot twist.
lonestartrek 2 years ago
thats just speculation. . . Martin only implies thats possible but he never confirmed anything
666SomethingKrazy9 2 years ago
Girl your cool points just went up. Great taste for sure..
fadeyi 2 years ago
I agree that he is a very good writer and he does take you there inside his world, I love this storyline and hope it leads to a even better ending. (Still waiting for next book must be the hardest part.) If you do like Martin you will also like David Gemmell may he rest in peace. Check the Waylander or Druss the Legend not like Martin but equally good and if you like then read the rest of the series which are great.
KevinLamG 2 years ago
David Gemmell is da sh*t :)
asands123 2 years ago
I agree, then you must have read some of his work. All or which of the series.
KevinLamG 2 years ago
It's a great series without question. The characters are so well developed and so well written I couldn't put 'Crows' down for several days after I bought it. I actually sent off an email to Mr. Martin letting him know how much I loved his series. There's even an RTS video game currently in development based on the books!
My favorite character by the way: Jon Snow.
malloryrtrns 2 years ago
I have a feast for crows right next to my bedside..and ive been telling myself I *will* read it before the new one comes out. i even reread asoiaf recently but too many other books have been coming out :P
asands123 2 years ago
asands, I don't know if you've read the late David Eddings' The Belgariad & Mallorean series of books. If not, then I highly, highly recommend them. It's another fantastic page turner filled with great characters, similar in scope to Martins A Song of Ice & Fire series.
malloryrtrns 2 years ago
of course ive read eddings :) no fantasy collection is complete without him. But I do think hes appeals to an entirely different age group than Martin. Eddings I would give to my neice of nephew while some parts of Martin make me even blush hehe
asands123 2 years ago
oh come on jon snow? why does everyone like him? i only started liking him when he hanged the fat douche in the DwD sample chapters.
leotard9696 2 years ago
Leotard, I find him an appealing character, there's a heroic quality about him that I like; and I identify with him, do you get it? If you don't like his character, thats fine. Don't start instigating others just because they have different viewpoints. And tone down your comments will you?
malloryrtrns 2 years ago
I love George RR Martin's "A song of Ice and Fire" too. I'm just hoping that he finally finishes the fifth book and that the pilot for the show is a success.
darkerboo 2 years ago
I really hoped they did movies for each book but I know you cant cramp all that in a 2-3 hour movie, but it would have a hit either way.
KevinLamG 2 years ago
Definitely amazing books. Good to see that Martin has cute female fans as well, not just males!
The HBO series is in the works, and the cast has been chosen!
But don't hold your breath for the next book. It's been almost 5 years since the last one, and he's still not finished.
evilagent 2 years ago
Yeah he defintly is takinghis time with the books, which kinda sucks. I know he wants to write a good book but im afraid he wont write many books before he dies :-/
asands123 2 years ago
Geeze, I don't know how many times I've thought that same thing myself. If he's not careful he'll end up like Jordan with WOT, and I don't know of too many authors who could finish Martin's work.
saintjst7 2 years ago
although it's not finnished, u should try Tad Williams Shaddowmarch / shaddowplay series. it will the time till A Dance with dragons comes out, (hopefully soon!!!)
suth2984 2 years ago
tad williams is also good series
asands123 2 years ago
Hey, I saw that someone already recommended the Wheel of Time series; however I just wanted to second that since I hear nothing but good things about it--it's apparently the most epic fantasy series ever... according to my friend who may or may not be exaggerating. As for me, I'm a bit more than halfway through A Clash of Kings and I'm loving it. The only qualm I have with it is that GRRM writes such good stuff from Jon's perspective it's hard to read from the other perspectives at times. haha.
JFragster 2 years ago
you never hear anything about WOT series? seriously? i ALWAYS hear about how WOT is the best series ever. and its defintly a good series and well written but its not the best IMO. I would give it a try.
John's one of martin's best but I think martin does best writing the anti-hero (Jamie, cersi, tyrion) etc
asands123 2 years ago
i would also recommend, as mentioned in my first post, The Dark Tower by Stephen King. Most people see Stephen King and think its a horror book. This series is definitly not horror, more of an Epic fantasy/adventure/sci-fi. I think the main character (Roland) is one of the greatest, most fasinating characters of all time.
stonewall554 2 years ago
without out a doubt one of the greatest fantasy epics, and it isnt even finnished. As far as my favorite I'd say its a toss up between this and The Dark Tower by Stephan King. Have you ever listen to the audio recordings? The first 3 are read by a guy with the perfect story telling voice and it really brings the characters alive. When I did a re-read in preperation for ADWD (which didnt come out) it made these great books 1000x better! (Jaquin Hagar especially)
stonewall554 2 years ago
thanks for the recommendation...i finished reading the entire 3 books about a month ago but ill defintly try next time around the audio..I just find it really difficult to pay attention to someone talking for that long of time lol. right now im reading robin hobb's new book, as it just came out here in the ntherlands. Another great fantasy writer
asands123 2 years ago
If you like GRRM, would recommend reading the Dying Earth and Eyes of the Overlord by Jack Vance who's GRRM's favorite all time author. One other book to I would recommend is Zothique by Clark Ashton Smith. Even though the the short stories written in it are over seventy years ago, their just as grim,nasty and even darkly funny like you would find in the Throne books.
fafmouser 2 years ago
LOL, ya it can be hard to listen too, but i have a long commute to work so I listen to it going back and forth. and you did mean you finnished reading the entire 4 books right?
the guys who reads books 1 - 3 just really has a voice like a Grandfather who knows how to tell a tale. The guy who reads the 4th book is not nearly as good but he kinda grows on you after a while. You would be surprised at how much you pick up listening to it that you may have not caught reading it.
stonewall554 2 years ago
wow ur cute....
ps gorge rulez XD
nenodavid 2 years ago
Nice summary. If you haven't hear, HBO is making a series of this book, and Sean Bean (Boromir from LoTR) is playing Ned Stark.
Zubirrex 2 years ago
really!?hes a good pick for Ned.
leotard9696 2 years ago
I'd Say it should be NC-17, the sexually explicit scenes are very graphic.
darkcolmar 2 years ago
Im in love
Vitomanz 2 years ago
I like this series alot, george r r martin is real in depth and doesn't micro manage like alot of other authors. Robert jordan though omG, it took me 2 months to get to page 75. But a game a thrones was good. I read it in about 2 weeks, loved it. 2nd book even faster, and when I waited for the 3rd book I was sooo happy lol, I was at barnes and nobles and was like YESSS BABY, and everyone looked at me funny but smiled lol. A wheel of time was my favorite until I read ice and fire.
yankeemoe 2 years ago
This is my favorite book. I like how every character has realistic depth. i also like how the book isn't very cliche, although i was a bit annoyed when the dragons were first introduced, as i had been thinking before: finally, a fantasy book without dragons! i like that magic is in the background. you're usually never sure whether something 'magical' is really magical or has a scientific explanation. ex: the 'wildfire'.
alyssa0089 2 years ago
I like how the dragons are more like flying dinosaurs than magical creatures, it makes them a little bit more believable than in some fantasy stories.
asands123 2 years ago
i think i have to read lotr again because everyone says it's the best book ever but i hated it. the writing style was hard to read and i found the characters to be flat with no depth and the story to be immensely cliche.
i loved harry potter. i'd probably hate the first 2 or 3 books now because i'm too old, but the world is extremely engaging. rowling writes using a simple style but for some reason it's more addictive than anything i've ever read, including a song of ice and fire.
alyssa0089 2 years ago
It isnt too fair to label tolkien a cliche because he invented and expanded the fantasy genre in many respects. I do agree about the characters. Although I really loved Sam and pip etc. they were pretty flat if i look back at the books. I guess since lotr was like the first epic fantasy book I read and the fact I was 11 when I read it, it outweighed a lot of the faults.
asands123 2 years ago
i love George r.r Martin i think he's brilliant but you compare him to Tolkien i hate Tolkien i found it hard to read .... another author i love is terry Goodkind and his Sword of Truth series ... they are making a HBO series of George r.r. martin's Song of ice and fire... but i hope they do a better job with that series then the Legend of the Seeker series... with that series they moved away from the book
i think i ramped enough
BlueHavic 2 years ago
Ive also read terry goodkind and I really liked his books till about the 5th book. Naked Empire really ruined the series for me, b/c it seems like Terry goodkind started to steer away from writing fantasy and started steering towards his own philosophical ideas about how evil communism is (the empire) and how good captiailism is ( richard)...
I also tried watching the series and got to the 4th episode and just thought it was crap and i couldnt stand the ppl who played richardand kahlan :P
asands123 2 years ago
how can you not like Craig Horner? :P
moonlight9283 2 years ago
One of my friends insisted that I read this series so I picked up the first two books from the library. I've been pretty slow to start on the first one, but after watching this I think I might start it today.
0talkingbird 2 years ago
I admit, it is pretty much about nothing the first 100 pages but in the end, its really good. the second and the third novels are even better than the first, so its well worth it IMO to hold in there :)
asands123 2 years ago
In the meantime; have you read all the books now?
In my opinion, his style of writing is uncompared. I haven't read an other writer with his style. Almost every chapters ends with a cliffhanger. After ADWD Martin still has to write two addintional books. He asks a lot of patience.
ajaxrules1975 2 years ago
Couldn't dissagree with you more on Harry Potter, though.
First of all, they don't wave broomsticks, they wave wands, and that is corny, but I think it's very tongue-in-cheek. Rowling knows she's writing cliches, but it's a way of limiting the power so that the magic comes through an instrument rather than the wizard himself. (Think Gandalf's Staff, or something of that sort).
Besides, story is much more important to me than how the magic works, and HP's story is top-notch in my opinion.
P0mt3 2 years ago
P.S. I have ordered the first book in this series, "A Game of Thrones" as part of my 'initiation' phase for the SCBF. I hope I enjoy this series as well as you seem to, because "Wheel of Time" is still hard for me to get into, and we know how critically acclaimed those books are, as well.
P0mt3 2 years ago
i admit ive only read the first book of the series and ive heard they get better, but honestly a main issue was rowling's writing style and use of cliches. By cliche Im talking about the aged old Arthurian theme of boy/girl who doesnt know he or she can wield or posses magic and discovers he/or she can and becomes a hero or powerful wizard. you see that theme in almost every fantasy series with georgemartin being one of the few exceptions
asands123 2 years ago
But Fantasy is supposed to follow the same formula. Read Joseph Cambell's "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" to see what I mean. So Fantasy tales about 'farm boy becomes wizard and overthrows evil dark king' have never bothered me, since I look at it as 'tradition' as opposed to 'cliche'
Unless you want to claim that LotR, Star Wars, Wheel of Time, etc. are all crappy stories, since they too follow these patterns, I don't see how this makes much of a point.
P0mt3 2 years ago
but like i said, im not here to bash opinions, its just hard to explain how different martin is without comparing him to the contemporaries. HP wasn't all that bad, i just found it extremely hyped up, like twilight (twlight being an even worse example) and expected that since so many people in the world like it, it should be the best literature out there. then again, im a fan of shannara, SOT, wheel of time and hobb, just to name a few few...and many people find those authors horrible!
asands123 2 years ago
Well, I can DEFINATELY agree with you when it comes to "Twilight". Ugh, what a horrible piece of purple prose.
And it's not that I think Robert Jordan is 'horrible', it's just that I find him to be very long-winded when describing things. His stories are top-notch, but his style gets a bit tedious sometimes, at least for me. I have the same problem when reading Stephen King; he'll sometimes take five full pages to describe a necktie.
P0mt3 2 years ago
Wow, you sure are pretty! :D
P0mt3 2 years ago
this was pointless
aimtcb 2 years ago
yeah its about as pointless as your comment
asands123 2 years ago
i havent got into graphic novels b/c im not sure whats good to read. any suggestions?
asands123 2 years ago
IIRC, George RR Martin has a nice graphic novel about the hedge knight (dunk and egg series). Hmm... I'll prolly pick up a copy to bide the time until ADWD gets released.
bugsbane 2 years ago
"The Hedge Knight" graphic novel is based on a novella he wrote of the same title. There is a second novella with the same characters called "The Sworn Sword" and he plans more for the future. "Hedge Knight" is really an amazing story - I'd read the novella before the graphic novel, if I were you. Sworn Word is good too, but Hedge Knight is better.
bluechao 2 years ago
do you identify more with sansa, arya or dany? I think you would portay a great Dany. can't wait for the HBO series to come out. they begin filming in Oct. Tyrion has been cast, ALSO: ADWD will be out sept 29.
bugsbane 2 years ago
like most people i abhor sansa but as the series progresses, i kinda admire her. mostly because she knows how to be tactic and keep her mouth shut when she should. arya reminds me a lot of myself when i was younger. mostly cause all my friends were boys and i loved being outside. I think dany is a really interesting character because shes really unpredictable and ruthless (even if just) sometimes shes like a mixture of her "good" brother and her ruthless father. but thats the dragon in her :)
asands123 2 years ago
but if i could be any character, i would defintly choose ygritte. shes just adorable and wild :F
asands123 2 years ago
...trying to imagine you with flaming red hair, a pug nose and buck teeth... ('taint working)
I can see why Ygritte's character piques you though... but what do I know, like Jon, I prolly know nothing.
I wish you actually do influence your friends to read the books. GL.
bugsbane 2 years ago
lol..if only you wouldve seen me in puberty...big buck teeth and messy hair :P i definitely have her spirit tho
asands123 2 years ago
Incest is OK as long as your sister is really hot
asands123 2 years ago
I'll give it a read
swiv2d 2 years ago