Hitting its peak too early?

[Visual909]

Clearly the next book is going to end with dany almost ready to set sail for westeros. As soon as she takes care of a few things like...

1 tame Drogon

2 raise a bigger army

3 learn to paddle ball

4 find valleria

5 learn 9 dead languages

6 slap daario

7 slap victarian

8 anything else that could possibly prevent her from leaving essos

9 say fuck it and conquer essos

with these nine simple tasks out of the way she could totally almost make it there by book 8

[PhoenixFlame]

Eh, the last book can be the big fantasy climax and denouement, put through the GRRM meatgrinder. TWOW can be the gritty less fantastical climax.

[Azor Ahoy!]

Eh, the last book can be the big fantasy climax and denouement, put through the GRRM meatgrinder. TWOW can be the gritty less fantastical climax.

This. Why does everybody think GRRM's gonna need 3 more books? In TWOW he can more or less resolve the game of thrones (i.e. who has the throne) and in ADOS he can resolve the Others and all that (i.e. if there will be an Iron Throne).

[Razha]

This. Why does everybody think GRRM's gonna need 3 more books? In TWOW he can more or less resolve the game of thrones (i.e. who has the throne) and in ADOS he can resolve the Others and all that (i.e. if there will be an Iron Throne).

Of course Martin CAN resolve everything in 2 and even 1 book, but WILL he? :)

[Eli Stark]

This. Why does everybody think GRRM's gonna need 3 more books? In TWOW he can more or less resolve the game of thrones (i.e. who has the throne) and in ADOS he can resolve the Others and all that (i.e. if there will be an Iron Throne).

He's already taken a set of books he thought would be a trilogy and turned it into seven books. AFfC and aDwD were supposed to be one book and turned into two. GRRM himself has said he intends to only do two more books, but he could also see himself ending up with 1800+ pages of manuscript for a book, so he may simply get carried away and write too much to fit into 2 books. Plus its that deep seeded fear in fans that he is getting older, shit happens, and what would happen if he never got to finish (knock on wood).

[~Shiera Seastar~]

Of course Martin CAN resolve everything in 2 and even 1 book, but WILL he? :)

Agree. He can just kill half of the characters or not give more chapters to unnecessary POVs and focus more on the important ones. But he loves details.

[grod823]

Being that parts of this book were originally set for ADWD. There looks like to be major happenings in the beginning of TWOW. But what makes GRRM so great is that he keeps it compelling even in the aftermath of major events in the story. :drool:

[total1402]

OP

Yes, its a case of early ejaculation. The events that will start WOW are battles that he spent over a thousand pages building up to (some in AFFC like Vic reaching Slavers Bay or Cerseis trial even longer) and then another five or seven years until the book comes out. Because of that those battles will dominate what happens in this novel regardless of what the man does. Martin could massively speed up the plot so that we have events like Stannis burning the Twins or Aegon taking Kings Landing. But the investment just won't be there or comparable to what was buiult up to be a massive deal in ADWD. For instance if Dany wins Mereen but all of a sudden its like taking this or that city I've just heard about is going to be the decisive factor would just feel really false and just filler.

The single event which could top it is of course the Others breaking the wall and entering Westeros. Because obviously thats had an even longer build-up and wait. Seven books just so we get to see Snow elves with zombies and what all the fuss is about....

IMO I agree with others who have said that he will likely spread all these resolutions out across the entire book and drag them out with filler. So we might only start the Slavers Bay fight a quarter through the book or get Cerseis trial towards the end.

[Malcolm of House Tucker]

How is The Winds of Winter not going to be full of excitement from beginning to end? You have the Battle for Winterfell and the Battle for Meereen to kick things off, but consider also the following storylines:

Davos making his way (or fighting his way) through an island of cannibals and then possibly meeting up with Cotter Pyke's Night's Watch fleet that was making for Hard Home and the troubles facing it. Wights! Wights on waves!

Cersei's trial with the Faith and its disastrous results. I think it's safe to say that Lannister influence is going vanish quicker than Tyrek.

The sack of King's Landing. It's got to happen. Between the Tyrells overcoming the remaining Lannister forces in the city, Lord Bronn scheming with his own band of loyal sellswords, and Aegon furthering his own conquest, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms is due to fall. George R. R. Martin has said that more than one butt will sit the Iron Throne before the end of the series, so I expect that trend to start here, rather than wait and have everyone play musical thrones in the final book.

Jaime's trial with UnCat and the Brotherhood Without Banners, and Brienne's role in how that comes about and pans out. I have no clue what will happen with this storyline, which makes me all the more excited for it. For good measure, I think we can expect to see a couple more Freys hanged.

Oldtown. The Ironborn are attacking it. Sam's probably soiling his smallclothes. But we will learn more about how war is going for King Euron. We will learn more about the order of Maesters and why they want magic gone from the world. And Jaqen H'gar is up to something.

Bran, weirwood trees, ravens, and Others. We will finally, hopefully, learn more about Others, White Walkers, and any other Big Bad Bosses lurking North of the Wall and why they appear to be such a big deal despite barely having a presence in the first 5 books.

Plus, we have things heating up in Dorne and the Vale. Personally, I hope Sansa becomes gifted with some power and authority in this book because she is in an excellent position to acquire them. The Riverlands may also revive its efforts in the war for the Iron Throne, but I don't know if we are going to see much from that area unless Mr. Martin either gives us a new POV character (like the Blackfish) or else keeps Jaime and Brienne involved in that area.

Finally, we have Dany and her Ever-Growing Company of Awesome. I predict her story to initially be the most boring part of the book (honestly, who really wants to see her have a side adventure with the Dothraki when Tyrion, Barristan, Ser Jorah, Victarion and Moqorro are all eagerly awaiting her return to Slaver's Bay?) I think the book will end with Dany landing in Westeros. If she travels East by Asshai, then it stands to reason she will land on the Western end of Westeros, possibly at Casterly Rock/Lannisport. I hope the book ends with her burning the last bastion of Lannister power. And if she takes over the gold mines, why, she can actually start paying her soldiers and any sellsword companies she brings with her.

[Blutrabe]

TWOW might be a bit like The Empire Strikes Back. Big battle in the beginning, character-oriented drama in the rest.

[Rashtibram]

More like Dance has hit it's peak too late! Am I right, fellas?!?

Exactly. I think that those battles and stuff should have happened at the end of season 5 but the book grew too long. I think we can rest assured that TWOW will have its own epic moments toward the end.

[Rashtibram]

there hasn't been a big kill-off since book 3....a major character is bound to get offed this time around

agreed. i thought it was Jon, but now everyone is saying he's still alive, so... it will probably be somebody like Sansa or Jaime.