A Song Of Ice & Fire - George R R Martin

[Kinslayer]

Has anyone else out there read this series? I'm just drawing to the end of "A Storm Of Swords: Steel & Snow" and it has to be amongst the best fantasy series I have read! rarely would I use the word "Epic" but that sums this up to a tee. I've looked on Amazon for this guy and see that he's got a new book due out called "A Feast For Crows" I hope this is some sort of follow up to these. What do other people who've read this think and is the final book a worthy close to the series? If anyone could give recommendations/descriptions of any of his other novels it would be appreciated.

[This message has been edited by Kinslayer (edited 10-11-2001).]

[jabidas]

The series is a an absolute fantasy masterpiece and George is probably shall we say the second best witer in the genre. I wrote a review in the Review bar Ill paste it but I feel it isnt overly positive enough I really liked this series especially Blood and Gold, that was mental. Took a while for ir to grow on me but now IM hooked.


Ok I recently read George R. R. Martins a Game of Thrones and well Im not quite sure if I really liked it or not, let me elaborate. Ill mention things im not really certain about first.
The charecters, main problem hear is there are very few likable ones for me it was Tyrion the funny dwarf or Jon Snow the guy on the wall they were both brilliant but everybody else was either boring or you hated them. I have to say all the charecters were all very good, as in they were developed with light and dark to them but the fact that the good charecters are written about far less is a major problem I have. There is no evil in the book just twisted people while this may be true of the real world in a very political fantasy book its tiresome sometimes. I would advocate deep charecters like this but you have to get to the point as well. Its contemporys would be say the farseer trilogy and perhaps the wheel of time. The farser charecters were better and all the books had growth, I know ive only read one of the fire and ice books but at the end of assasins apprentice I can say the charecters were better but there were less of them.

Ok the plot, it was very deep and complicated and hard to predict sometimes and everyone in the book was focused on the current conflict(minus 1 charecter Daenerys who will probably show up later) so you cant say it ever lost focus, the inevitable but comes now, but at the end of the book I didnt really care how things were turning out in the conflict(I am saying conflict BTW to avoid spoilers). This had to do with the charecters I mentioned not being likable, Id say the most talked about charecter Eddard was completly boring in the intriuge he had to carry out, he was too innocent and trusting so you got tired of watching him fumble, coming back to the farseer books again its closest match, I wanted Chade to do it , I wanted someone capable not Mr oh Im a good person and I m sorry you all have to smack your head in frustration over my ineptness. Eddard should be in wars there hed be great and tragic as opposed to finally figuring it out in the moment of doom. The plot was good but its main problem was it didnt make me care.

Magic another thing that can bring up the standard of a novel, most of the time magic dosnt come up in the book apart from certain swords so its oldfashioned politics the whole way. I am expecting great things though, Im referring to what Jon Snow is guarding against on the wall the time the Others attack is brilliant its very the white foxes in the Memory, Sorrow, Thorn books if you know what I mean. Very mysterious so things can only improve there.

In the end it is a vey readable book very graphic, descriptive and tense but hamstrung by a few niggles that I have no doubt will be worked out. It can be an effort to get through but its probably going to be worth.



------------------


jabidas = Sorcerer of clan Aerie thing

Also I will have nothing to do with sulpher powder and secret priesthoods so dont even try it.

And dont worry soon you shall all be part of my ever growing army of the undead.

[Sneeki Two]

I also agree. This is one of the best series going right now. If only he would write faster. I really like the characters. One momment you think they are the lowest slime to ever walk the earth, then the next, they are actually commendable.

Besides, you have got to love a book that has a knight called the Mountain that Rides, hehe.

Just my 2.

[Prime2U]

Originally posted by Kinslayer: Has anyone else out there read this series? I'm just drawing to the end of "A Storm Of Swords: Steel & Snow" and it has to be amongst the best fantasy series I have read! rarely would I use the word "Epic" but that sums this up to a tee. I've looked on Amazon for this guy and see that he's got a new book due out called "A Feast For Crows" I hope this is some sort of follow up to these. What do other people who've read this think and is the final book a worthy close to the series? If anyone could give recommendations/descriptions of any of his other novels it would be appreciated. [This message has been edited by Kinslayer (edited 10-11-2001).]

Couldn't agree more, this series if flat awesome! It is without a boubt one of the best fantasy series ever put out, and it's not even finished yet hehe. I'm not sure what A Feast For Crows is, but it's not the next in this series unless in not due out for a long while, I know that. As far as the final book...who knows! he hasn't written the final book yet there will be several more books before this series is finished. I figure that gives him time for every single noble on the planet to die so that Hodor is forced to become King and lead the fight against the Others. "The Others are coming sire, what shall we do?" "HODOR, HODOR HODOR HODOR!!!" Who knows, a big guy with a lil drool on his cheek yelling Hodor at me would make ME wanna run back north hehehe.

----
Prime

[Zbyszek]

I dont remember titles but there are also short stories in this series. I have read one or two and they are good (and short )
Zbyszek

[Sneeki Two]

I figure that gives him time for every single noble on the planet to die so that Hodor is forced to become King and lead the fight against the Others. "The Others are coming sire, what shall we do?" "HODOR, HODOR HODOR HODOR!!!" Who knows, a big guy with a lil drool on his cheek yelling Hodor at me would make ME wanna run back north hehehe.

LOL!!!

[This message has been edited by Sneeki Two (edited 10-14-2001).]

I chew my nails in anticipation of the next one. Excellent work!!!

[Kinslayer]

The one thing I'm surprised at in this series is the amount of leading characters that seem to be getting killed!
SPOILER - Storm Of Swords: Blood & Gold


I'm reading the most recent book and I can't believe that another major group of them has been massacred by the Frey's. I was sure Robb would end up as king of Westeros!

[This message has been edited by Kinslayer (edited 10-17-2001).]

[Sneeki Two]

SPOILER SPACE
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Yeh that Frey thing was pretty F'ed up. I didnt really see that coming (or didnt want to). I did love the duel between the Mountain and Prince Oberyn (The Red Viper). Had been waiting to see Gregor get his (though this didn't turn out quite like I thought either, the evil bastard).

Just my 2.

[Kresselack]

I got the 2 Storm of swords in one book and I like the story too.
Btw. Does anyone think that Jon Snow would turn out to the Bastard son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark? I heard from my friend that such things happen in fantasy books but I'm not sure if that will be a good thing for the story I think.