BlackTalon Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 and no troll could have been responsible for the thousands of one- and two-star ratings on Amazon. When even the hardcore fans are abandoning the series en masse, it's time to get a grip.I had the impression that most of these "reviewers" are suffering from some kind of attention span problem.... namely that it is no longer than that of an average amoeba.Dany constantly schlicking to Daario was a bit tedious after a while, I'll grant you that, but I thoroughly enjoyed every other paragraph in the book. For four books I had sooo wished to learn more about all the other sights of Essos, about the people, the cities, the culture, and here Martin goes and writes a book just for me.If you need something action-and swordfights- packed, nonstop thrilling page turner go read some thrash series guys, plenty of stuff out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ygrette Posted February 16, 2012 Author Share Posted February 16, 2012 I had many of the same thought. Without wanting to be spoiled for the events in AFfC or ADwD, I have heard they're supposed to be less exciting than ACoK and ASoS. I may be the only person who was actually relieved to hear that. I am obviously not built for "last man standing" kind of plots and will enjoy some quiet and peace after this blood feast.The more I think about it, the better chosen the titles of the books are. I expect AFFC to be some kind of "aftermath" of the slashing and hacking of ASoS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fylimar Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 ASOS was indeed very exciting. I'm amazed of how real Martins world feel, that anything can happen to anyone. I wouldn't have thought for example thatmost of the 'Kings' would be dead by the end of book 3 - Joffrey took me by surprise, Renly, too. Balon was somewhat anticlimatic and Robb - well that one didn't surprise me that much, because of Walder Frey being as easliy offended as he is and Greywind acting weird since they entered the Twins. It was sad nonethless. And more surprising still was Tywins death - I thought, he would play a major role throughout the story, but then he died quite hilarious ... and it wasn't even for some of the things he did as Lord of Lannister and the Hand, but for how he treated his family and in a position (political, not physical :laugh: ), where he seemed to be relative secure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winter's Lady Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I had many of the same thought. Without wanting to be spoiled for the events in AFfC or ADwD, I have heard they're supposed to be less exciting than ACoK and ASoS. I may be the only person who was actually relieved to hear that. I am obviously not built for "last man standing" kind of plots and will enjoy some quiet and peace after this blood feast.The more I think about it, the better chosen the titles of the books are. I expect AFFC to be some kind of "aftermath" of the slashing and hacking of ASoS.I'm glad someone does not take all of those negative reviews at face value. IMO a lot of hate for those books (especially ADWD) comes from the long wait in between.You have to realize that they are practically one book , running parallel, just split by POV.On my first read I found AFFC a bit boring, but on a reread it dawned on me that it is really the calm before the storm in a way and a fantastic peace of literature. Yes, the pace is slower than the previous books, but it helps so much in fleshing out the world, it helps understand the ramifications of war. It is now my second favorite book of the series, even if my favorite characters weren't even in it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ygrette Posted February 17, 2012 Author Share Posted February 17, 2012 I totally agree, I think it's a matter of attention span. I read a couple of Amazon reviews about ADwD and I immediately knew that their harsh reviews had nothing to do with the book being poorly written. It's all full of frustration about the long wait and I think it would have been different if GRRM had just released all 7 books at once. One of the reviews even said "title says dragons, but there were not a lot of dragons" and I couldn't help but laugh. How sad would it have been if the whole 5th book evolved exclusively around Dany and her dragons?No, I'm not easily scared off. I can watch 15 seasons of a TV series and still stay excited. And I find it kind of thrilling to be alive in a time where this awesome story is still being written.I just sometimes need a little time to work through all of the losses, because I tend to get very emotionally attached to stories. Not easy to catch my attention, but once I'm hooked, I'm pretty much married to a story. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fylimar Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Since I'm a huge Tad WIlliams fan, I'm used to long waits. And I rather wait a while for the next book, than have a half hearted story.About the dragons: they need a spin off - I'd like a dragon view on the events. :laugh:I'm looking forward to what happened in the next two books and I try not reading them as fast, as I had the first three.And I'm looking forward to a little more calm - I'm not a huge fan of battle scenes, especially not in books, I tend to skip through them (of course that wasn't really possible in ASOIAF, since tehre was so much going on beside the actual battle) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dany Nymeria Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 This is my first time using a forum; I need someone to talk to as no one around me is reading the books. I have just finished the part when Bran and the Reeds get to Nightfort. I am reading it on my Kindle and am about 65% through, according to the Kindle.I'm kind of on the same page as a few other posters - I don't know if I can handle any more deaths. I can understand why Robb Stark died and perhaps even why Catelyn had to die. But it still made me sad, very sad; I had high hopes for Robb. What bothered me most about the deaths was not really the deaths themselves, but the fact that Arya was so close to being reunited with her family after such a terrible journey.The character death doesn't bother me as much although yeah, it does make you not care eventually because you know they'll die.But along with the deaths, what really bothers me is the lack of relief or reward for the characters. They always stumble from one bad situation to another.I agree, HenryPotter - it just seems they move from one awful experience to another; can't there be some relief, even for a small moment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dany Nymeria Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Accidental double post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ygrette Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 Dany Nymeria,there will be relief! Keep reading! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dany Nymeria Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 Ygrette,I am hoping so. Thanks for support!I just finished the part with the royal wedding of Joffrey and am super glad about that outcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkash Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 If you knew what was coming at you at the end of Storm! ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackTalon Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 I just finished the part with the royal wedding of Joffrey and am super glad about that outcome!What? wasn't Joffrey´s wedding long before the Red Wedding? Like in ACOK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkash Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 No, Joff's wedding, the Purple Wedding is after the Red one ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackTalon Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 Wow, I´m getting old and senile.High time for another reread before season 2 starts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planetary Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 Lord Barristan, WHAT?Cat dies, too? Damn, damn, damn. *faints dramatically*Planetary,as far as I understand it, the "end" is already written or at least schemed. GRRM said at one point that his original plan was to "fast forward" some characters, because in order for the endgame to happen, they need to age. But instead of just skipping a few years, he decided to write about the years in between and so I was quite happy about that.Only what sucks is the fact that we have to wait for so long and keep ourselves busy with theories, discussions, the TV series, role playing... if we like the story enough.But I see your point. I have [...] about Sansa and Tyrion and even have lengthy dreams about the story, because it grieves me to see them suffar so much without any actual kind of relief in between. Arya's storyline is especially hurtful, because she never gets to be free. I don't expect her to fall into her mother's arms and everything is being pink, fluffy and unicorns from that point on, but freedom? At least a little bit of freedom, please? Or Nimeria showing up? Please?As far as my long term motivation goes, I am still motivated, because I see no point in judging the single books before I know the end. It's like cutting a movie in seven parts and judge part 3 or 5 on its own. It doesn't work for me. But I've always been a series kind of mind. I don't mind if the series takes a millenium to actually ever "get there", but I really do require some kind of relief or hope in between. There hasn't been something truly amusing or delightful in a while - as opposed to the first book which had lots of those elements. Dany is being awesome right now, but nothing that makes me laugh out loud.That may be my entire point. I truly need some laughter and it's hard to see the amusement in the face of so much fear and loss and fear of loss. Even Tyrion makes me sad.Greetings,StephI can understand wanting to read books four and five to know what happens, and don't get me wrong, I do want to read more about Arya, Danaerys, Jon Snow and company.Thing is, lots of fantasy readers have been through this before with The Wheel of Time, and that did not end well. Not only did the narrative slow to a crawl to satisfy greedy book publishers hellbent on milking the series for every dollar, but the author died before he could finish it. Now the series is in the hands of a seventh-rate writer who came up by way of writing movie adaptation novels, and the series became so unwieldy even that dude needs (needed?) three books to finish it off. I'll admit, I don't know if he did finish or if he's still writing, because I gave up long ago and I haven't really paid attention.When a project gets to that point, where it's a slog and reading it feels like effort instead of entertainment, that's the cue to put it down. There was a link on Metafilter once, years ago, that had statistics on how many books a person reads in a lifetime. The number was disturbingly low. There's a lot of great stuff out there. So instead of slogging through two books that will probably frustrate me, I moved on.I hope George R.R. Martin gets his inspiration and mojo back. If and when that happens, I'll jump back on board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nachoproblem Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 I admit that I agree with pretty much all the complaints that are voiced here. To sum it up, that is: I question the pace and the rewards because I question GRRM's choice to discard the potential of some characters (like Robb) by not having them do something more climactic "on screen" before they die, while with other characters dwelling too much on the parts of their stories that are not so interesting.I'm somewhat in the same boat as Ygrette, wondering if I should really press on. BUT, I have decided that I want to finish and see where it goes, no matter how it ends. I believe GRRM has earned that from me in spite of anything. And even if it does all end in an unrewarding mess, I don't think I could ever say that he wrote a "bad" series, considering that he was able to make me care so much in the first place.Unless he kills Tyrion, in which case, no quarter! :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtopher Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 COOOORN!!CORN CORN CORN! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nachoproblem Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Hodor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hookd Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Hi all,I have noticed that so many people have died so far that I am getting numb and fatalistic.Bah, what a rant. Sorry for the yapping. But I feel better now. A little.StephSteph,I totally hear you. I read ACoK in three days. I was really into the book. With ASoS, I struggled thru it for a week or two. It seems to me that all the 'good characters' and by that I mean honorable and root-worthy.. are getting hammered pretty hard.Frankly, I was lost with Catelyn's decision regarding Jaime. I still can't wrap my mind around it. This is a woman who kept Theon Greyjoy hostage for 10 years!!!!! Why would she believe that Sansa and Arya would be returned to her by the frakkin Lannisters who murdered her husband and brother-in-law and threw her son out a window? To me that is so unbelievable that it basically ruins to book for me. And when did that happen? The first chapters or two? And why is it that ravens are somehow sent telling her that Bran and Rickon are dead but she doesn't know that Tyrion has been injured and no longer Hand? Did Theon send a 'nanny-nanny-foo-foo' raven before the Boltons came in? But, big news like Tywin Lannister is the Hand again.. that can wait!!! I really don't get that.So far, I would not say that ASoS is the best of the first three. Not by a long shot. I don't know if I would really continue the series had it not been for Arya going off to Braavos. Well, honestly, I probably would because I have to know what happens. Nevertheless, I had to take a break from them before I continue on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hookd Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 sorry for the double post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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