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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Amph A Song of Ice and Fire Discussion Thread

Discussion in 'Community' started by -RebelScum-, Jan 3, 2006.

  1. Kyptastic

    Kyptastic VIP star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2005
    Has he been mentioned anywhere before? I can't quite place him
     
  2. MarcusP2

    MarcusP2 Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jul 10, 2004
    The Martells rule Dorne, that's where Tyrion sent Myrcella. Gotta read Feast for Crows for the lowdown on him, even though he's not actually in the book.
     
  3. JEDI-SOLO

    JEDI-SOLO Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Feb 12, 2002
    Which one is Quentyn? Not ringing a bell.
     
  4. MarcusP2

    MarcusP2 Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jul 10, 2004
    He's Arianne's brother, who was sent over the sea to marry Dany, in order for the Martells to ally with the dragons and kill the Lannisters for revenge.

    Anybody who has not read AFFC, please do not read that highlight.
     
  5. droideka27

    droideka27 Manager Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 28, 2002
    I am seriously depressed that Dance with Dragons keeps getting delayed over and over

    :( :( :(

    I need more Arya. she's my favorite!
     
  6. JEDI-SOLO

    JEDI-SOLO Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Feb 12, 2002
    It has been delayed more?
     
  7. droideka27

    droideka27 Manager Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    May 28, 2002
    I think this is the most recent info

    http://www.georgerrmartin.com/if-update.html
     
  8. Saintheart

    Saintheart Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2000
    I honestly didn't think I was going to like "Song of Ice and Fire" when I started reading the first chapter. On the other hand, I'd let my imagination muscles wilt after reading so much David Eddings and Forgotten Realms. If you're accustomed to travelogue fantasy, or square-jawed good guys and hand-rubbing bad guys, this series will irritate.

    But it does have that wonderful capability to immerse you in its world. Those with even a passing knowledge of medieval history snicker appreciatively with a House of York/Stark being thrown into contention against the House of Lancaster/Lannister, and Tyrion channelling Richard III at the beginning, but something happens somewhere around the end of "Game of Thrones" and the opening chapters of "Clash of Kings".

    You figure out that Martin has the same wonderful capacity for worldbuilding that Tolkien had, but he doesn't choose to make an encylopaedia of it like Robert Jordan--he always controls how much he wants you to know of his world.

    I think where it dawned on me that this was good stuff was in Dany's chapters; most other authors, I'd be tearing my hair out in frustration with whole lands described without the benefit of a map. But Dany and Viserys go tearing around these wild, alien lands, risking life and limb, and there's nary a mud map to be found. And you know what? There's no need for it. When we do start getting maps of the east around 'Storm of Swords', I find myself almost asking why we need to put them in at all.

    It's the same sort of thing when you come to the list of characters in the back of each book. Normally this makes my blood boil, since it indicates that the author's created too many characters when less would serve the same purpose, or that the names are all so appallingly similar you have to keep checking the back of the book to see who the hell is talking right now. Or that you don't really care for the characters. But Martin? Just a heraldric list of members of the families. And you hardly need the list at all. You find yourself just about memorising whole families without it.

    Magic: some people can grouse about the fact there's very little of it in the series, and say SOIAF is just medieval family drama dressed up as fantasy, but I think it actually works rather well. There's magic ... it's just offscreen, or subtle, or only used for maximum impact when it really counts (the Others, for example.) And Martin doesn't try to excuse the kissing-cousins closeness of Westeros to England/France; he doesn't try to justify or explain away the closeness of "Sir" to "Ser" and the use of heraldry on shields in both our world and his.

    And there's the greatest irony of it all: Martin, writing four novels of telephone-book thickness, is a master of restraint with the most overt elements of magic and fantasy. It's both refreshing--and also clever. Who around here could put up with 900-odd pages of wizards tossing fireballs around and causing rainstorms, no matter how good the plot? And the restraint grants us the author's greatest gift: our imagination fills in the blanks that Martin leaves.

    And I have to put a note in here as to the wonder of characters cast in grey rather than black and white. And more than that: in this genre, how often does a different character's perspective on the situation alter your own feelings towards the character in question(eg Eddard Stark's encounter with the Kingslayer sitting on the Iron Throne as opposed to Jaime Lannister's recollections of it)? This is fantasy at its best.

    I'm still working my way through Part 1 of 'Storm of Swords' (I'm up to the part where Danerys 'purchases' her army of Unsullied ... well, nobody asked poor little Drogon what his opinion was of being sold, now did they?) and after the (somewhat guilty) elation that followed that chapter, I'm looking forward to the rest of my journey through Part 2 and the Feast of Crows ... :D
     
  9. Alpha-02

    Alpha-02 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 14, 2006
    ASOFAI is right up there with my favourite fantasy works, although it's hard to pin down why (in less than several paragraphs which I don't have time for) it is just totally epic. The complexity of the plotlines and the sheer number of them which are being slowly weaved together is something most authors probably dream of, they just don't the patience/skill/imagination/whatever to create something of such a magnitude.

    Although there are no direct spoilers in the highlights if you haven't read up to the point where you're waiting for Dance, if you intend to read ASOFAI at some point I wouldn't highlight them.

    Another thing that impresses me about GRRM is his ability to kill off seemingly irreplaceable characters and come back with even better and more interesting characters (both new and expanded old characters) in the next book, keeps both the readers guessing and the story fresh. I know not all people do, but I love the no-one is safe type of stories far more than the heroes can never die stories. Couple that with his ability to transform the reader's opinions of his characters, how many people hated Jaime until he became a central character with his PoV chapters now think very differently about him, I know I do for one. I used to hate him every time he appeared, now I find myself looking forward to his chapters more than almost any other.
     
  10. MarcusP2

    MarcusP2 Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jul 10, 2004
    I have a feeling you were supposed to hate Jaime. Since his run in with the Companions he's a very different person. Heck, his first appearance in the book was attempted child murder.
     
  11. Alpha-02

    Alpha-02 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 14, 2006
    Agreed, re-reading I didn't make myself very clear, I was refering more to GRRM's ability to develop his characters in realistic, but unexpected ways. Who would have thought that a man who throws children out of windows to protect his secrets could actually develop a conscience and do it in such a way that it remains believeable.
     
  12. NYCitygurl

    NYCitygurl Manager Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jul 20, 2002
  13. MarcusP2

    MarcusP2 Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jul 10, 2004
    George was hoping to have finished Dance by now. Obviously he hasn't...I hope it's not too far off [face_praying]
     
  14. Kyptastic

    Kyptastic VIP star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Sep 10, 2005
    I was stoked when I heard September 30 as the release date, but now it seems that it won't be out until towards the middle of next year. :(.
     
  15. JEDI-SOLO

    JEDI-SOLO Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Feb 12, 2002
    WHAT??!!

    Delayed again? I was so happy with the Sept release date.
     
  16. NYCitygurl

    NYCitygurl Manager Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jul 20, 2002
  17. Sniper_Wolf

    Sniper_Wolf Jedi Grand Master star 4

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    Nov 26, 2002
    So I'm starting A Clash of Kings. I'm just wondering, as spoiler free as possible, what are your chaps' favorite novel in the series so far?
     
  18. Kyptastic

    Kyptastic VIP star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Sep 10, 2005
    For me, it's Storm of Swords by far. It continues what's great about the first two, adds a couple of interesting PoV characters and really changes the fortunes of a lot of high profile characters.
     
  19. Ashandarei

    Ashandarei Jedi Grand Master star 4

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    Oct 21, 2004
    Either Game of Thrones, simply for being an awesome beginning that left me in a frenzy to buy the other three, or Storm of Swords, because so much happens with so many different characters in it. A Feast for Crows is great, too.

    Anyone else an unmitigated Arya fan? I want to see her in some position of power by the end.
     
  20. Lord_Riven

    Lord_Riven Jedi Master star 4

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    Nov 13, 2001
    Any book with Tyrion and Jaime POVs are bound to be worth it for Martin's wit and humour.

    That said, Dany still bores me to death.
     
  21. NYCitygurl

    NYCitygurl Manager Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jul 20, 2002
    Really? I only read the first book, but she was one of my favorite characters.
     
  22. Ashandarei

    Ashandarei Jedi Grand Master star 4

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    Oct 21, 2004
    I can see that. I personally love her storyline, but she's probably the closest to a stereotypical fantasy protagonist out of any of the characters, with the possible exception of Jon.
     
  23. Kyptastic

    Kyptastic VIP star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Sep 10, 2005
    I find I can only really enjoy Dany's story if I read her chapters consecutively. If I read some of the more exciting chapters I often find myself skipping hers, especially as they're so far removed from the rest of the story.
     
  24. MarcusP2

    MarcusP2 Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jul 10, 2004
    I am, she's awesome. Some of the worst things in the series happen to her and she deals with it amazingly.

    SoS is my fave.
     
  25. NYCitygurl

    NYCitygurl Manager Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jul 20, 2002
    I love her. She's got spunk.

    I'm predicting rotten cabbage being thrown at me, but I didn't really enjoy Tyrian (though I've only read the first book).