Finished it a few minutes ago. Keenly disappointed with it as a whole, but won't go into details now.
HBO producing A Song of Ice and Fire
- Thread starter John Reynolds
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I enjoyed the book, but have some problems too... very mild spoiler:
Okay, maybe the horror elements are getting a bit extreme too.
But there were some amazing memorable moments, the storytelling is still mesmerizing, the world is fascinating... It's just that the book should've had more of an ending instead of stopping with the story for a few more years.
Nearly all the plot threads are about building up momentum for some big meetings and conflicts and such - but most of them are abandoned right before it'd get really exciting.
For example at least four factions are trying to reach Dany - but only one gets there, and it's the least interesting. Several of the POV characters are abandoned in completely cheesy cliffhanger situations too.
For example at least four factions are trying to reach Dany - but only one gets there, and it's the least interesting. Several of the POV characters are abandoned in completely cheesy cliffhanger situations too.
I mean seriuosly, any reasonably decent lords of the north should've taken the head of all the Boltons long ago, right? It's beyond sick.
But there were some amazing memorable moments, the storytelling is still mesmerizing, the world is fascinating... It's just that the book should've had more of an ending instead of stopping with the story for a few more years.
You pretty much nailed my complaints, and I'd said those exact #s to a friend (1 out of 4 expected, so where's this massive Meereenese knot he complained of holding him up for years?).
Well, I'm sure we'll get more about that in some upcoming interview. I think the biggest part of it is left for book six though and that's why it doesn't make sense yet.
So this clearly needed some planning and failed attempts to pull it all together so that it makes sense. It doesn't look like a problem now because it's more or less resolved
The "Meereenese knot" problem was most likely that Victarion, Tyrion, the Martell boy and the Maester from Oldtown and now the Dothraki all to have to get together with Dany, in an order that makes sense and somehow gets her back into the action. Whatever the outcome may be, some of them have to give up their goals and maybe even die, others need to find a way to get into her entourage, and she needs to set a clear next step for herself.
For example, Valyria seems to be far more important than just an obstacle, but that's to the west; Asshai is to the east and Dany definitely needs to get there before the end, too; and it still looks like she's going to need two other Targaryens for the dragons, unless one of them gets killed.
For example, Valyria seems to be far more important than just an obstacle, but that's to the west; Asshai is to the east and Dany definitely needs to get there before the end, too; and it still looks like she's going to need two other Targaryens for the dragons, unless one of them gets killed.
So this clearly needed some planning and failed attempts to pull it all together so that it makes sense. It doesn't look like a problem now because it's more or less resolved
I also didn't like how Aegon got into the story; it's not that it'd be illogical or wouldn't fit with what Varys does and so on, but Martin has always hinted about everything well ahead of time, from Melissandre's appearance to Jon Snow's parentage and so on. Like, Tyrion is definitely going to meet Tysha again, too, there are guesses about who she could be from all the characters introduced so far.
But Aegon just came out of nowhere and it's a bit of a disappointment from this author.
But Aegon just came out of nowhere and it's a bit of a disappointment from this author.
There are hints when Dany was in the house of prophecy in book 2 about a false dragon and a lot of readers are interpreting this to mean that Young Griff really isn't Rhaegar's son, Aegon. We'll see. One interpretation for Jon being the Prince who was Promised as reinforced by Dance's events is that his gut wound was smoking, Bowen had tears, and Ser Patrek's heraldric device is that of a star. So if Melisandre, who in her PoV chapter kept looking for Azhor Azhai (sp?) and only found Jon (hint, hint), resurrects Jon, he's in a sense born under those signs. And GRRM was dropping hints about Aerys and Tywin's wife again, and Tywin did tell Tyrion that he was no son of his (with his pride, he might've allowed Tyrion to wear the family sigil if he couldn't outright prove he wasn't his offspring, his pride would've pushed him into avoiding any admittance of being a cuckhold), so there's your third Targaryen dragon rider. We'll see.
Yeah, those are possibilities I'm aware of, it's just that I don't like all of the popular explanations.
As for the knot, here's an interview:
http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/5431/
One thing I really love about these books is that travel is as slow and dangerous as it has to be in a middle ages setting, instead of people just teleporting or magically getting there quickly; and also how information moves slowly as well, and how unreliable it is. A lot of pulp fantasy just substitutes magic for our information technology and fast mass transportation, it's refreshing to see someone doing it right.
Just think about it, even LOTR had the Palantirs
Jon coming back as a warg in Ghost, or resurrected like Berric Dondarrion are both a bit too far fetched for me. Undead characters didn't really remain themselves enough to keep on caring about them in the previous books, and Ghost can't do much on his own. But his wounds aren't necessarily lethal so far and he might still be healed from them in the normal way... We've seen other POV characters in near-death situations before. Which is why I consider this one a rather cheesy cliffhanger, for now.
As for the knot, here's an interview:
http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/5431/
One thing I really love about these books is that travel is as slow and dangerous as it has to be in a middle ages setting, instead of people just teleporting or magically getting there quickly; and also how information moves slowly as well, and how unreliable it is. A lot of pulp fantasy just substitutes magic for our information technology and fast mass transportation, it's refreshing to see someone doing it right.
Just think about it, even LOTR had the Palantirs
