George R.R. Martin/Game of Thrones

[the wicked child]

More Storm Of Swords

Spoiler:

**** yeah Jofferey is dead. Of all the Lannisters, I hated that little puke so much. Made me sad that he outlived Robb.

[the wicked child]

Finished Storm of Swords. What a book. I haven't enjoyed a book this much since I read Return of the King for the first time.

[the wicked child]

Huge, huge, huge Storm of Swords spoiler:

Spoiler:

I almost threw the book out the window after reading the Red Wedding. Totally did not see that coming, although I should have. I've never read a book where so many protagonists (or even sympathetic) characters die...but I picked the book right up and kept reading.

Finally was able to read this...

Spoiler:

I had a similar reaction. It made me feel kinda sick a the time.

[Digitalgypsy66]

Huge, huge, huge Storm of Swords spoiler:

Spoiler:

I almost threw the book out the window after reading the Red Wedding. Totally did not see that coming, although I should have. I've never read a book where so many protagonists (or even sympathetic) characters die...but I picked the book right up and kept reading.

Finally was able to read this...

Spoiler:

I had a similar reaction. It made me feel kinda sick a the time.

Spoiler:

Keep reading, I've got 300 pages left in A Dance With Dragons...and it gets better. In fact, I need to get off LGP and go read.

[the wicked child]

Huge, huge, huge Storm of Swords spoiler:

Spoiler:

I almost threw the book out the window after reading the Red Wedding. Totally did not see that coming, although I should have. I've never read a book where so many protagonists (or even sympathetic) characters die...but I picked the book right up and kept reading.

Finally was able to read this...

Spoiler:

I had a similar reaction. It made me feel kinda sick a the time.

Spoiler:

Keep reading, I've got 300 pages left in A Dance With Dragons...and it gets better. In fact, I need to get off LGP and go read.

Spoiler:

I don't think I need encouragement to keep reading at tis point.

Even though it made me feel sick, it made the subsequent deaths of Joffrey and Tywin that much sweeter.

[André]

HBO big shot sais they'll keep doing Game of Thrones as long as Martin keeps writing

[Digitalgypsy66]

HBO big shot sais they'll keep doing Game of Thrones as long as Martin keeps writing

I don't know how they are going to do some of this stuff on TV. No idea. But I can't wait to see it...

[eddysnake]

HBO big shot sais they'll keep doing Game of Thrones as long as Martin keeps writing

good to hear, but it's all going to come down to ratings. This show will get expensive and they won't drop the cash if they are not getting top of the line ratings. They vocalized their support for Deadwood and Rome too...

[the wicked child]

Assuming they don't screw the pooch with season 2, I'd be surprised if it fails to get ratings. But future seasons will definitely be more expensive to film... and they can't use any tricks to avoid battle scenes like they did in season 1.

[Digitalgypsy66]

OK, I finished Dance with Dragons. Now I am depressed about having to wait for book six.

I read the e-book version of it, so I was caught off guard when I turned to page 1020 on the e-book and came to the Epilogue, I let out a very loud "OH NO!" Scared the crap out of my wife, who was asleep next to me.

It was really good, but lots of cliffhangers.
Obvious spoilers are obvious:

Spoiler:

We haven't seen Rickon in 2-3 books, I figured he would make an appearance.

You know nothing, Jon Snow.

[Shyster]

OK, I finished Dance with Dragons. Now I am depressed about having to wait for book six.

I read the e-book version of it, so I was caught off guard when I turned to page 1020 on the e-book and came to the Epilogue, I let out a very loud "OH NO!" Scared the crap out of my wife, who was asleep next to me.

It was really good, but lots of cliffhangers.
Obvious spoilers are obvious:

Spoiler:

We haven't seen Rickon in 2-3 books, I figured he would make an appearance.

You know nothing, Jon Snow.

Major Dance spoilers:

Spoiler:

Rickon? We’ve been waiting for Howland Reed to show up and spill what he knows ever since Ned feverishly dreamed of the Tower of Joy in book one. Where the heck is that frog-eater, anyway?

I think Jon Snow is dead, but only in one sense. I believe his short-term fate can be divined from two other bits of foreshadowing. First, Melisandre repeatedly warned him to keep Ghost close to him. Not that he was going to be assassinated, but to keep his wolf close. Second, the prologue to the book is all about a warg shifting into an animal as his own body dies. I think Jon is going to be spending some time as a silent albino direwolf.

And how will he get back into human form (and possibly not his original body)? Bran might be able to do so one he learns all about greenseerin’ from Bloodraven. If you’ve read The Sword Sword, it’s immediately obvious that the last greenseer is the one-eyed Brynden “Bloodraven” Rivers, one of the Great Bastards of Aegon IV, the half-brother of Daeron II, the Hand to Aerys I, and the eventual Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch after his great-nephew Aegon V shipped him off to the Wall. The fact that he was a greenseer certainly explains his legendary spying ability, which led to the song about him, “A Thousand Eyes, and One.” Targaryens seem to be popping up all over the place in this book.

On that, (he who would be) Aegon VI came as a total surprise. I may need to go back and double-check the various prophecies and visions in the series, but I had no inking that Rhaegar’s son might still be alive. It does certainly explain exactly what angle Varys and Illyrio Mopatis are working. I wonder if they ever really intended Viserys to gain the Dothraki, or whether that was a way to get him out of the picture. Viserys was cruel and vain, and he wouldn’t have taken it very well to learn of his nephew’s existence, especially as that nephew comes before him for the Targaryen claim to the Iron Throne.

[Digitalgypsy66]

Major Dance spoilers:

Spoiler:

Rickon? We’ve been waiting for Howland Reed to show up and spill what he knows ever since Ned feverishly dreamed of the Tower of Joy in book one. Where the heck is that frog-eater, anyway?

I think Jon Snow is dead, but only in one sense. I believe his short-term fate can be divined from two other bits of foreshadowing. First, Melisandre repeatedly warned him to keep Ghost close to him. Not that he was going to be assassinated, but to keep his wolf close. Second, the prologue to the book is all about a warg shifting into an animal as his own body dies. I think Jon is going to be spending some time as a silent albino direwolf.

And how will he get back into human form (and possibly not his original body)? Bran might be able to do so one he learns all about greenseerin’ from Bloodraven. If you’ve read The Sword Sword, it’s immediately obvious that the last greenseer is the one-eyed Brynden “Bloodraven” Rivers, one of the Great Bastards of Aegon IV, the half-brother of Daeron II, the Hand to Aerys I, and the eventual Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch after his great-nephew Aegon V shipped him off to the Wall. The fact that he was a greenseer certainly explains his legendary spying ability, which led to the song about him, “A Thousand Eyes, and One.” Targaryens seem to be popping up all over the place in this book.

On that, (he who would be) Aegon VI came as a total surprise. I may need to go back and double-check the various prophecies and visions in the series, but I had no inking that Rhaegar’s son might still be alive. It does certainly explain exactly what angle Varys and Illyrio Mopatis are working. I wonder if they ever really intended Viserys to gain the Dothraki, or whether that was a way to get him out of the picture. Viserys was cruel and vain, and he wouldn’t have taken it very well to learn of his nephew’s existence, especially as that nephew comes before him for the Targaryen claim to the Iron Throne.

More such spoilers for those who haven't read Dance

Spoiler:

I assume that no one is really dead in this series, unless the Silent Sisters attempt to take the body for burial.
I assumed Jon would still be alive, and probably as Ghost makes the most sense.

I forgot about Howland Reed completely.

About the prequel novellas: Have you seen the graphic novel versions?

[Shyster]

More such spoilers for those who haven't read Dance

Spoiler:

I assume that no one is really dead in this series, unless the Silent Sisters attempt to take the body for burial.
I assumed Jon would still be alive, and probably as Ghost makes the most sense.

I forgot about Howland Reed completely.

About the prequel novellas: Have you seen the graphic novel versions?

Still more Dance spoilers:

Spoiler:

I know they exist, although I haven't seen them in person. While I am a fan of manga and the like, in this case I'd rather read the actual text. Martin has said something about consolidating all of the Dunk & Egg stories into a single book in the future. He's not done writing them either. IIRC, Martin said in an interview that the next one will have Ser Duncan the Tall in Winterfell.

Also on the fate of Jon Snow, I forgot one of Melisandre's visions. She saw the face of John Snow shift from a man to a wolf to a man, all while surrounded by skulls (meaning death). That also supports the view that he warged into Ghost at his death.

I wanted to pull my hair out when Tyrion finally got within shouting distance of Dany, only to end up separated. She desperately needs Tyrion. Even if he doesn’t turn out to be one of the “three heads of the dragon,” his tactical knowledge and general scheming abilities are probably the only things that can keep her alive. So close, dammit!

Something I missed myself that I saw on a message board: The tax on prostitutes in King’s Landing was called the “dwarf’s penny” after Tryrion. Tyrion now find himself in the company of a dwarf called Penny.

[the wicked child]

About halfway through Feast.

It's decent, but I definitely miss certain characters.

[eddysnake]

About halfway through Feast.

It's decent, but I definitely miss certain characters.

I have about 80 pages to go. The last half really picked up, I really enjoyed it, there were maybe 3 or 4 chapters total I didn't care for in the beginning, but they got better.

[AlexPKeaton]

Dolerus Ed for President in 2012.

[the wicked child]

Finished Feast last night (or early this morning I suppose).

Ended up being fairly good. Dance should be here in a couple days.

[AlexPKeaton]

Assuming they don't screw the pooch with season 2, I'd be surprised if it fails to get ratings. But future seasons will definitely be more expensive to film... and they can't use any tricks to avoid battle scenes like they did in season 1.

The ship scenes especially will be expensive to film. I wonder if they will cut the Greyjoy stuff out. Oh, they need to hire the chick from Camelot (Eva Green) to play Asha Greyjoy.

[the wicked child]

Gemma Whelan has been cast as Asha. Though apparently she has been renamed to Yara.

[Digitalgypsy66]

I didn't even realize (from reading that article) that Robert Arryn was renamed to Robin.

Spoiler:

I know he was called "sweetrobin" later in the series, as a term of affection though

Halleyne the Pyromancer has been cast by one Roy Dotrice, who coincidentally did several of the audiobook versions of the series.

http://grrm.livejournal.com/231396.html ... #t14435300" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[the wicked child]

I saw DwD was hard cover when I ordered, but I wasn't expecting it to be as big as it is. (TWSS)

It's like the size of 2 of the paperbacks from the original set.

[the wicked child]

Almost 200 pages into DwD... I have to keep reminding myself that these chapters are taking place back at the end of the 3rd book and/or beginning of the 4th. Definitely screwing with my head a bit.

[AlexPKeaton]

I finished Dragons, wasn't a big fan. Probably unquestionably the 2nd worst book in the series. Not enough plot moved along.

[André]

Dance theory:

Spoiler:

Melisandre revives Jon just like Thoros of Myr has with Beric Dondarrion. Thoros is a red priest too, but likely not as powerful as Melisandre. This could happen through fire somehow, making the Azor Azai (spelling) prophecy fit Jon even more.

[André]

I finished Dragons, wasn't a big fan. Probably unquestionably the 2nd worst book in the series. Not enough plot moved along.

Yeah. If I grade the books it's probably something like 4.5, 5, 5, 3, 4.

I'm glad Dance got back to the right focus, however. Whereas Feast just took off in way too many directions.