A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Throne Books. Spoilers)

[quadz08]

Ooh. Cool.

[Rhinox]

Finished ASoS. Started AFfC.

I agree that ASoS was more fun to read overall than ACoK.

[quadz08]

^5

[Rhinox]

I'm gonna be sad when I get through a dance with dragons and realize it will be years before the next book will likely come out

[quadz08]

welcome to the club

[Sudo_Nym]

Please. There's no way GRRM is going to finish the series before he pulls a Robert Jordan.

[zoraster]

maybe. except a better author is unlikely to come along to finish GRRM's series.

[Sudo_Nym]

In GRRM's case, at least we have confirmation from the author himself that he's told other authors the way the series is going, so that there's a chance the story will be finished the way he intends. Possibly.

[zoraster]

my recollection is that he told the show runners how it'd end, but he doesn't want anyone to finish the books for him.

Robert Jordan had copious notes and stuff about the end of his series, I thought? Plus his wife, obviously.

[Sudo_Nym]

I'm not sure. I kinda stopped reading before I reached the author switch point.

[zoraster]

I haven't read that far either, but that was my understanding. And from my admittedly limited read of Jordan, I'd take Sanderson every day of every week.

[Swift Justice]

Robert Jordan had copious notes and stuff about the end of his series, I thought? Plus his wife, obviously.

Correct.

I'm not sure I'd say Sanderson is better though, his best wheel of time book doesn't match Jordan's. Not sure his best book does, yet. The Stormlight Archive shows promise, though.

[Tierce]

Not sure his best book does, yet.

Really? I'd argue that the Mistborn series is far better written, has better intrigue, and much better world building than anything in Wheel of Time, as lovingly detailed as the latter is. I've even come to peace with the plot resolution in the trilogy (really, there wasn't another alternative on power level with how the story was building).

(Currently reading

Warbreaker

. I'll get back to you, but already in love with the magic system.)

[Faraday]

Yeah, I'd definitely disagree with that. (I thought Dragon Reborn/Shadow Rising/Fires of Heaven was STRONG throughout) and probably better than anything Sanderson has done. The Gathering Storm is his strongest Wheel of Time book, at any rate.

I do think the first mistborn novel is very good, and probably close. It is by far, the stand out to me, though. He's certainly improving a lot though, considering I thought Elantris was actually kind of...sucky? Had some really cool ideas but pulled them off a little cliched and miserably.

[Faraday]

I fucking LOVED the first book of the stormlight archive, though. I lost my hardback copy though Or maybe it's back in Ireland, but I don't think so.

Wheel of Time is like my first fantasy love so it's possible I'm overrating it (Although I'd take stuff like The Lies of Locke Lamora over it now, I think. Speaking of~ New Gentleman bastards book in October I believe)

[zoraster]

i mean, obviously we'll have to see how Stormlight Archives turns out because it's the immediately comparable series of Sanderson's, but I prefer Way of Kings to any book in Wheel of Time I have read by a large margin.

I haven't read Memory of Light, etc. because I'm not that far into the books, but I easily prefer Sanderson. It's not surprising that Sanderson finishing the series wouldn't be as good, though. It's hard to match tone, work in a world you didn't create, and so forth.

Mistborn, Book 2 in particular, is actually may be my least favorite thing I've read by Sanderson , I think. Though it's my wife's favorite as she likes the whole Jane Austen vibe. I liked Elantris a great deal. And I thought the short story set in that world was excellent (Soul of the Emperor). I thought his latest YA book was a lot of fun (Rithmatist).

I'm currently rereading the Locke Lamora books for the October release. Exciting times.

[Tierce]

I saw Soul of the Emperor at B&N yesterday. Other than not feeling like paying so much for such a short book, the concept looked *really* cool and I'll have to get my hands on that book.

Mistborn 2 is perhaps the weakest of the set; I didn't really have patience for

the romance or Zane in general; Vin at parties is only entertaining because it's a heist

. But give me book 1's intrigue and the overarching story of the series and I am a ridiculously happy camper.


I have a feeling I derailed this thread.

My mother-in-law is reading ACoK, loves Jon and Tyrion and the feel of the world, is still unsure about this whole Targaryen thing, and I've found out all over again that I can describe ASoIAF events better than most historical ones.

[zoraster]

let's go to the main book thread.

[Rhinox]

Feast for crows is kinda slow going so far... is it going to pick up or is it pretty much going to have a clash of kings pace throughout?

[Mina]

YMMV, but

A Feast for Crows

is my least favourite book of the five. If anything, I found it slower than

Clash

(which I enjoyed despite the meandering plot). Some of the new PoVs are dry as dust (Areo Hotah, most of the Iron Islands characters) while others drag on a lot, it mostly focuses on irrelevant side plotlines, there aren't any big "WOW!" moments like the end of ASoS, and the story doesn't really build to anything. It's still worth reading for continuity and for some of the character moments, though.

[Eddard Stark]

AFFC introduces the best POV character in the series, so it's definitely worth it.

[chesskid3]

Reek it rhymes with leek

[Faraday]

Next book.

But seruously AFFC might be my least favourite too, there's enough awesome stuff in it though I think?

Spoiler:

Every Arya chapter is great.
Sansa's POV in the eyrie is actually really strong -- finding out LF's plans and stuff
VICTARION is an GOAT POV + The Iron Islands chapters are good, love the kingsmoot.
Vengeance.Justice.Fire and Blood. Areo and Arianne are pretty fucking dull though. We also get parody level Darkstar which is so bad it's good.
Cersei has shitty POV's LOL SHE IS SO PARANOID XD TYRION IS COMING. Fuck off.
Jaime's an awesome POv character
Brienne starts out kinda "dull" then becomes more and more awesome as her POV goes on.
Sam has a fat pink mast :/
The epilogue with "Pate" is also kind of an OH SHIT moment.

There's also some good writing (Arys Oakenhart's chapter is very well done imo)

It's probably the weakest, although I'm not sure I'd say it's not better than Clash of Kings? Cersei POV's did get very tiring, though.

[Amrun]

Some of the new PoVs are dry as dust (Areo Hotah, most of the Iron Islands characters)

you are a woman after my heart

[Eddard Stark]

areo hotah's pov in affc is

better than dany's in adwd

<--- book spoilers I GUESS