A Song of Ice and Fire

[Texican]

So, being a theology student, I relish my holidays. It is usually the time when I can read something other than Christology mingled with relational ontology or canon law. Not that Christology or ontology is bad. But sometimes it is best to read things for pure entertainment.

Now I'm a big fan of Tolkien. So, after talking to a fellow nerd here at seminary, I was given a list of things to read over the Christmas holidays.

Enter George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series...

These books have taken my leisure time. I've never been so engrossed in a series since I read Frank Herbert's Dune books.

So now my wife and I are addicted to the series. And my wife hates fantasy. The girl reads Kierkegaard for fun.

I'm almost done with "A Feast For Crows." When oh when will "A Dance with Dragons" come out?

Are any other badgers addicted to this? If so, are you about ready to slap Cersei?

 

[Hoos]

Another fan here. Just finished A Feast for Crows. I thought it was the worst of the series - seemed forced, over-reliance on exposition, and the ending. You'll see .

But I like it. Crows was published in 2005 and is supposed to be the fourth book in a series of seven. As alleged by some fans, Martin has been spending more time on other projects like marketing related to the series. In particular the upcoming HBO series based on Fire & Ice. I don't know if he's a writer for it, but he is at least consulting.

The refrain from fans is (usually affectionately) "write faster fat man!", particularly out of concern that he is not a spring chicken any longer.

I can see reasons why it may be slow in getting published (in addition to his other involvements). There's a lot going on, after a while many authors get tired of the characters they created or find it hard to move things along.

Edited to add: As for Cersei, just wait. Just wait.

 

[Texican]

Another fan here. Just finished A Feast for Crows. I thought it was the worst of the series - seemed forced, over-reliance on exposition, and the ending. You'll see .

But I like it. Crows was published in 2005 and is supposed to be the fourth book in a series of seven. As alleged by some fans, Martin has been spending more time on other projects like marketing related to the series. In particular the upcoming HBO series based on Fire & Ice. I don't know if he's a writer for it, but he is at least consulting.

The refrain from fans is (usually affectionately) "write faster fat man!", particularly out of concern that he is not a spring chicken any longer.

I can see reasons why it may be slow in getting published (in addition to his other involvements). There's a lot going on, after a while many authors get tired of the characters they created or find it hard to move things along.

Edited to add: As for Cersei, just wait. Just wait.

Well, I hope Martin doesn't end up like Robert Jordan (unfortunately, I've never even touched The Wheel of Time series. That's something I need to get around to before I die).

I've looked at Amazon and apparently it was supposed to be published back in '08? Come on.

I'm aware of the HBO series. I'd rather see the series brought to completion. It will probably end with Daenerys coming back to Westeros with her dragons and kicking major butt while everyone is fighting amongst themselves.

Edited to Note: As far as Cersei, I hope her comeuppances are delicious. Jaime though...I've actually started to feel respect for Jaime since the last book. I kind of wanted some romance with him and Brienne to blossom, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. Maybe I have a soft spot in my heart for ugly ducklings.

 

[Beau J.]

Very big fan!

My wife doesn't usually care for the fantasy genre but she read the first three books in one week. I'm really excited about the HBO series.

 

[Sullybob]

I loved the series up until A Feast for Crows, I didn't finish it for the reasons Hoos mentioned. When he finally puts out another book in the series I'll probably have to re-read the series including A feast for Crows.

A feast for Crows was supposedly so long that he had to had to break it into two books, the second book was going to be out shortly (I think within a year) after the first book.

 

[Texican]

Yeah. I'm not too pleased with some of the casting for this film. I cannot imagine Lena Headley as Cersei. I always pictured Katee Sackhoff as Cersei Lannister.

Though Sean Bean as Ned Stark. I can see that.

 

[Beau J.]

Yeah. I'm not too pleased with some of the casting for this film. I cannot imagine Lena Headley as Cersei.

I'm on-board with Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister

 

[Phog Allen]

Well now gentlemen. As someone who has been telling himself he needs to start reading fantasy novels again, this has me quite interested. I will most certainly be looking for these at the bookstore or library. Thank you.

Regards, Todd

 

[Hoos]

For anyone interested, there's a website called Westeros, with their own forums and other stuff.

One part of that website that helped immensely with keeping people straight (especially when something in book three would refer to something that happened in book one) was their wiki.

Be forewarned, though, that you may get spoilers from the wiki - e.g., looking up a character will give you the character's entire development through the books. Not just to where you've read.

They also have several user-made maps, which are handy if you are reading ebooks.

 

[Texican]

I'm on-board with Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister

Not sure I like Sibel Kekilli as Shae. Personally, I would have casted Jamie-Lynn Sigler. I can just see her cooing "my giant of a Lannister."

 

[Sullybob]

Well now gentlemen. As someone who has been telling himself he needs to start reading fantasy novels again, this has me quite interested. I will most certainly be looking for these at the bookstore or library. Thank you.

Regards, Todd

Todd,
Head to a used book store and pick up the first book "A Game Of Thrones" for a couple of dollars. If you like fantasy or liked it in the past you will like this book.

 

[professorchaos]

Yet another fan ... one who is rather impatiently waiting for "A Dance with Dragons." Going on four or five years now so I'll have to re-read the series to enjoy "A Dance..." if it ever comes out. No small undertaking.

In the meantime, I've kept myself entertained with stuff like Joe Abercrombie's First Law Trilogy and Before They Are Hanged.

 

[Johnny_Z]

The next part of the series comes out the day after doomsday. Maybe two days after. We've been waiting, what, four years now for that book?

 

[maxman]

I'm a huge fan of the series.
I love fantasy novels and used to read them all the time.
Concerning a Feast of Crows, it was originally part of a larger novel.
Martin had to split it in two because it was getting too big and cumbersome.
It focuses only on half of what's actually going on.

I read that directly on his site many years ago.
It's frustrating as all can be because he publishes so infrequently.
The gaps between his novels are huge.

My first love will always be the Dragonlance series (Chronicles and Legends).
That was the first fantasy I ever read. I still have my original Chronicles omnibus edition that I got 22 years ago. The cover has been taped on many times, but I still read it every once and a while.

 

[David in Boston]

...being a theology student...

Not to pry into your personal life but where are you going to school?

 

[auk1124]

No offense to any fans but with all the talk of female characters in the casting discussion above, and the fact that this series apparently appeals to women, I am suspecting it is something I would not enjoy. My wife accuses me of being a sexist pig in my reading choices, and I do not deny the charge. Female-oriented, or even books with female lead characters, do not appeal to me at all.

Is this series more like Dune (if so I may try it) or more like True Blood (if so I will skip it)?

 

[BlackAngus]

I read the first one when it came out, and it was pretty good. But I realized that is was going to be like the Wheel of Time. It's not a series, it's a LIFESTYLE. I played that game with Jordan up till about book 8 or so, then gave up.

 

[ink]

Yet another fan ... one who is rather impatiently waiting for "A Dance with Dragons." Going on four or five years now so I'll have to re-read the series to enjoy "A Dance..." if it ever comes out. No small undertaking.

In the meantime, I've kept myself entertained with stuff like Joe Abercrombie's First Law Trilogy and Before They Are Hanged.

+1. Huge fan of Ice and Fire, hopefully we'll see Dance at the end of this year. Also a huge Abercrombie fan. Currently reading his latest book The Heroes and it is awesome. Could be his best work to date.

 

[dmachine]

I love A Song of Ice and Fire and I am excited to see to HBO series. I remember reading on Martin's blog that part of the reason for the delay is that he has written such a contradiction in the book and he has not been able to figure a way out of it. I believe what others have said and that he has become distracted with editing other projects and "Dance" has fallen by the wayside. Hopefully his wife and publisher have someone in mind to finish the series as I fear Martin is going to pull a Jordan on us.

While waiting for A Dance with Dragons I've been reading A Tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson.

 

[ink]

A Tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson.

Another great series. Last main series book comes out March 1st. So many good things coming out soon.