I do / don't like George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice & Fire series

[Dr Midnight]

King_Stannis threw his book across the room when he read the Red Wedding, out of anger and shock. As for me, I read through nervously, thinking that certainly it was a dream sequence or some other trick. It took me two more chapters to realize it had really genuinely happened.

Ahhh... That and the purchasing of the Unsullied just make for some of the greatest twists I've ever read.

"A dragon is no slave."
*whip, scream, attack, kill, victory*
"MOTHER! MOTHER! MOTHER!"

Man it's all so good.

 

[jdavis]

King_Stannis threw his book across the room when he read the Red Wedding, out of anger and shock. As for me, I read through nervously, thinking that certainly it was a dream sequence or some other trick. It took me two more chapters to realize it had really genuinely happened.

If the good guys always win it gets boring, from now on I'm sure people will be ready for anything. It definatly keeps people on their toes, and this is one of the few times when I have hoped that one of the bad guys doesn't get off easy with just dying, I actually look forward to reading about their violent and painful (and hopefully slow) deaths.

 

[Dr Midnight]

OH yeah. I mean, if Walder Frey doesn't die in the worst and most terrible way possible, squeaking and bubbling with impotent fear, I'm going to... ... ...shrug and keep reading, I guess, but I'll be disappointed.

I'm looking forward to Father Frey's comeuppance almost as much as I'm looking forward to Danaerys roaring into Westeros in a hell of blood and dragon fire. FIRE & BLOOD indeed.

 

[Gizzard]

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I find it odd when people seem suprised by how it turned out for Ned, I saw that one coming from the very start of the book...

This was the point that shook everyone I know awake and said, "Naptime is over, kids. This book isnt going to do things the same old way. If you were expecting white knights and pretty flowers and maybe a perfect unicorn prancing about - well, you better think again."

I checked Amazon.com and they have that date as the expected date too. I couldn't find the book on B&N.com but since I work at a B&N retail store (we're two different companies) I'll check when I get to work since I know that the book listing was there before.

If you go to GRR Martin's site, he says, "In recognition of the fact that the book has not yet been completed or delivered, my publishers both in the US and UK have finally changed the April pubdate to something more realistic... but until such time as I actually deliver the book, any publication date is pure guesswork," which I thought was nicely understated. ;-)

 

[Squire James]

Actually, I kinda favor the idea that the (primary) victim of the Red Wedding and a dire-wolf's head is not necessarily an unviable combination when "the magic" gets involved! I imagine Walder Frey might be a bit... um... unsettled by something like that!

All this sort of presumes a level of magic not yet stated in the series, but there seem to be an awful lot of people who are supposed to be dead walking around.

I'm not quite willing to put my "Jordan fears" to rest yet! After all, Jordan himself was fine through 3 books, and I don't see anything resembling an end after 3 books here any more than I did for Jordan. Hopefully, GRRM will learn his lesson from Jordan and Finish His Darn Series before rigor-mortis sets in, but that remains to be seen.

 

[ssampier]

I love these books!

I am a fairly picky reader (if I don't get interested in the first six pages I quit reading) and I just love the series.

The writing, the pacing, the excitement. I think someone said it was a "rollercoaster" ride and I agree!

I am on book nine of Jordan's series and I grew bored with it. There is only so many pages that can be occupied by

1) women's stream of consciousness indicating all men are woolheads
2) men's stream of consciousness indicating how women bully them
3) some non descript dark friend gathering plotting against so and so.

As for Martin's series, the characters seem so real. As I have seen in SF-Fantasy reviews that this is not a typical fantasy novel where a farmer boy discovers his 'hidden talent' and saves the world. Far from it, my friends.

The thing that trips me up is George R.R. desire to tell the story from several vantage points. Ocassionally I have to stop and figure out what happen when and where. Generally things are caught up in a few chapters, however.

The first book I read four times two summers ago and I couldn't get enough. I was only able to read the last two once. Now I'm going to re-read them and get the hardback copies to boot. Jordan's series I didn't even keep my old paperbacks (not to mention they were falling apart anyway).

Excellent. I am kinda worried about what to did to the series in the upcoming Dragon and the CCG, however.

 

[Harp]

A re-read is in order

I've been avoiding rereading this series for fear that it wouldn't hold the same magic as the first time through, but this list has inspired me to dive back into it. For one, I take comfort in reading that others have said the second time through was as good or better than the first. And secondly, the reflections and speculations that have been bandied about on these boards have more than once had me scratching my head and saying, "Hell, I don't remember that."

And it sure beats trying to find something worthwhile to read on the bookstore shelves...

 

[tleilaxu]

best fantasy of recent years