Declining Quality in the Series

[rhysny]

I just finished book five and I am very disappointed. I was hooked from the first chapter of the first book. I was enthralled by the depth of character and the story line of the second book. At that point things turned soft. It felt like padding was being applied, hundreds of pages going nowhere. Mr. Martin get a grip man, knuckle down and get back to the tighter story lines of books one and two and finish this damn thing! Anybody else feel this way?

[Res ipsa loquitur]

No. I love the books. I also liked Briennes trek through Westeros, which many people did not because GRRM did show the plight of the common people, the smallfolk so vividly and so eloquently. I think his writing is some of the most passionate that I have ever read. I love his books, and I enjoy every word he writes.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

The purpose of the fourth and fifth books was to set up the finale. If you notice, a lot of characters are "getting into position" for what will be the conclusions of their arcs. They're not action-packed or too forward-moving because, simply, they weren't meant to be.

[Howling Mad]

aFfC and aDwD are the middle acts, it should really start to pick with tWoW and hit stride with aDoS.

[Lummel]

No I find the writing of AGOT too sparse and prefer the style and pace of AFFC and ADWD.

[Dragonstar]

Think of how complex and complete a world one man has created in a series of 5 books. No forced action, no quick fixes, no dues ex machina.

I think the action of AGOT reaches its peak in aSoS. aFfC & aDwD are set up as a classic middle acts. I'm guessing the action picks WAY up in tWoW and the "finale" happens around midway through the last book. I think the second half of the last book will be denouement.