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#1 |
Ironworks Moderator
![]() Join Date: February 28, 2001
Location: Boston/Sydney
Posts: 11,771
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This guy has just become my favourite fantasy author ever. I thought Goodkind was good, and I love Salvatore and Cunningham, and I'm trying to get into Feist, but this guy wins hands down. Not much magic in his world, but what is there really makes an impact. And boy is it EVOCATIVE - he has a way of writing that really lets your imagination run wild. In my mind's eye I can see Eddard Stark facing Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, deadliest of the Kingsguard, in the round tower of joy at the foothills of Dorne. And his world seems much more REAL. Since I bought the Song of Fire and Ice series I have read and re-read and RE-READ them over and over and OVER again - I am so looking forward to the next one!! [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]
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#2 |
Ironworks Moderator
![]() Join Date: March 1, 2001
Location: Scotland
Posts: 2,788
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I know the name, but I've never read any of his stuff. On your recommendation, I'll check it out.
And just to reciprocate, I would recommend Sara Douglass. I've never read any of her stuff before, but as I'm having to take a break from my current task of reading all Simon R Green's "Deathstalker books in sequence, I grabbed one of her books called "The Nameless Day". Not bad at all [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]
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#3 |
Galvatron
![]() Join Date: January 10, 2002
Location: Upstate NY
Age: 57
Posts: 2,109
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Martin is right up there with Tolkien as far as I'm concerned (and imo NO ONE is ever up there with Tolkien). I'm very much looking forward to his next book and cannot recommend "A song of Ice and Fire' highly enough.
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#4 |
Ironworks Moderator
![]() Join Date: February 28, 2001
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Here's an excerpt from A Game of Thrones, the first book, told from the perspective of Lord Eddard (Ned) Stark, one of the principal characters:
<font color="silver"> He dreamt an old dream, of three knights in white cloaks, and a tower long fallen, and Lyanna in her bed of blood. In the dream his friends rode with him, as they had in life. Proud Martyn Cassel, Jory's father; faithful Theo Wull; Ethan Glover, who had been Brandon's squire; Ser Mark Ryswell, soft of speech and gentle of heart; the crannogman, Howland Reed; Lord Dustin on his great red stallion. Ned had known their faces as well as he knew his own once, but the years leech at a man's memories, even those he has vowed never to forget. In the dream they were only shadows, grey wraiths on horses made of mist. They were seven, facing three. In the dream as it had been in life. Yet these were no ordinary three. They waited before the round tower, the red mountains of Dorne at their backs, their white cloaks blowing in the wind. And these were no shadows; their faces burned clear, even now. Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, had a sad smile on his lips. The hilt of the greatsword Dawn poked up over his right shoulder. Ser Oswell Whent was on one knee, sharpening his blade with a whetstone. Across his white-enameled helm, the black bat of his House spread its wings. Between them stood fierce old Ser Gerold Hightower, the White Bull, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. "I looked for you on the Trident," Ned said to them. "We were not there," Ser Gerold answered. "Woe to the Usurper if we had been," said Ser Oswell. "When King's Landing fell, Ser Jaime slew your king with a golden sword, and I wondered where you were." "Far away," Ser Gerold Said, "or Aerys would yet sit the Iron Throne, and our false brother would burn in seven hells." "I came down on Storm's End to lift the seige," Ned told them, "and the Lords Tyrell and Redwyne dipped their banners, and all their knights bent the knee to pledge us fealty. I was certain you would be among them." "Our knees do not bend easily," said Ser Arthur Dayne. "Ser Willem Darry is fled to Dragonstone, with your queen and Prince Viserys. I thought you might have sailed with him." "Ser Willem is a good man and true," said Ser Oswell. "But not of the Kingsguard," Sir Gerold pointed out. "The Kingsguard does not flee." "Then or now," said Ser Arthur. He donned his helm. "We swore a vow," explained old Ser Gerold. Ned's wraiths moved up beside him, with shadow swords in hand. They were seven against three. "And now it begins," said Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning. He unsheathed Dawn and held it with both hands. The blade was pale as milkglass, alive with light. "No," Ned said with sadness in his voice. "Now it ends." As they came together in a rush of steel and shadow, he could hear Lyanna screaming. "Eddard!" she called. A storm of rose petals blew across a blood-streaked sky, as blue as the eyes of death. </font> One of my favourite passages. Very strongly recommended. [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] [ 05-13-2003, 04:42 AM: Message edited by: Memnoch ] |
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#5 |
Ma'at - Goddess of Truth & Justice
![]() Join Date: November 15, 2001
Location: Asheville, NC
Posts: 3,253
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LOL Apparently there is a LOT of anticipation around his new novel, so much so that he actually put a note on his website asking people to NOT keep asking when the next book will be released. [img]smile.gif[/img]
Memnoch, I agree. Martin is a shining star. His books are excellent! I just wish they would come out faster!!! [img]smile.gif[/img]
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#6 |
Ironworks Moderator
![]() Join Date: June 27, 2001
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Age: 44
Posts: 6,763
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George R.R. Martin's "A song of Ice and Fire" series and Sara Douglass's "Axis" And "Wayfarer: Redemption" series are my favorite books ever. Those two authors are my Idols.
I love those books so much I keep talking about them every ocasion I get. I can't even rember how many time I mentioned them just in this forum. I even own all those books both in French and English.
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#7 |
Zartan
![]() Join Date: July 18, 2001
Location: America, On The Beautiful Earth
Age: 51
Posts: 5,373
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ME! I'm gonna reread the previous books next after I get through my annual read of the Narnia series.
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#8 |
Ironworks Moderator
![]() Join Date: February 28, 2001
Location: Boston/Sydney
Posts: 11,771
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Here's a synopsis of what's coming up in Book 4: A Feast For Crows. Warning: some spoilers here only if you haven't read Books 1-3. If you have then there's no problem, read on - highlight the text between the lines to read.
-------------<font color="#3D2F1B"> Continuing the most ambitious and imaginative epic fantasy since The Lord of the Rings The action in Book Four of A Song of Ice and Fire begins the day after the end of A STORM OF SWORDS. While the remaining northern lords war endlessly with each other and the ironmen of the isles attack the Dreadfort, Sansa becomes a skilled player in the game of thrones with Littlefinger as her mentor, Arya a skilled assassin, and Bran a magician and shapeshifter of great power. All seek to gain revenge for the death of their parents and Robb Stark, whose head was cut off and replaced with the head of his direwolf. Valar morghulis. All men must die, and wolves, too. Danerys trains her growing dragons and learns from Barristan the secrets of her father, her brother Rhaegar, and other matters that will culminate at Starfell. And Jon Snow is the nine-hundredth-and-ninety-eighth lord commander of the Night's Watch. The Wall is his. The night is dark, and he has King Stannis to face. The cold wind is rising, and still there are inhuman powers gathering in the north. </font> ------------- I can't wait... [img]graemlins/smokybounce.gif[/img] [ 05-19-2003, 10:52 AM: Message edited by: Memnoch ] |
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#9 |
40th Level Warrior
![]() Join Date: July 11, 2002
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 11,916
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Thanks, Memsie. I guess Littlefinger's murderous ways atop the Eyrie will finally "break" Sansa and turn her into a player, rather than "break" her spirit as a playee. Well, she needed a little toughening. I like Arya a LOT, but I coulda come up with a MUCH better hit-list given three deaths to dole out. I wonder what happens to Sandor Celgane? [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img] Jon's probably my favorite, but that's because we have the same name.
![]() Anywho, you will have to wait. Mr. Martin is behind schedule a bit. ![]() |
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#10 | |
Ironworks Moderator
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Posts: 11,771
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