Well yeah, Westeros is mainly medieval England with some vikings. And with Essos, it's everything else from ancient history renamed. Count me in as one of those guys that don't care at all about his history book. If I wanted interesting history, I look up actual history. I read the series for the characters but at this point I don't expect him to finish it anytime soon so I aint even mad.
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A Song of Ice and Fire -- **Unmarked Spoilers For All Books including ADWD**
- Thread starter Pollux
- Start date
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Well yeah, Westeros is mainly medieval England with some vikings. And with Essos, it's everything else from ancient history renamed. Count me in as one of those guys that don't care at all about his history book. If I wanted interesting history, I look up actual history. I read the series for the characters but at this point I don't expect him to finish it anytime soon so I aint even mad.
I really liked Braavos, Qarth and Volantis. The problem is not the setting per se, but rather that there are really few compelling characters in Essos and that the plotlines advance little there. But the locales theirselves are really fleshed out, I loved the crazy mixture of Rome and Thailand with a dash of proto - democracy that was Volantis. I really hope that these lands gets somehow dragged into the Westeros conflict for a Great War type of conflict.
PhoenixDark
Banned
I liked Barriston and the Martell POVs in Dance, but most of Dany's chapters were average at best. Lots of political machinations I just couldn't care about, and a puzzling level of obliviousness on her part in terms of occupying a city and throwing their customs out the window (not expecting blow back).
I also really liked Tyrion's chapters.
I also really liked Tyrion's chapters.
Seems like believable behavior of a 16 year old girl with a sense of entitlement because she's from royal blood and has command of 3 dragons.
arglebargle
Member
i know several people who are watching the show and have never read the books. i cant wait until the red wedding episode.
I can't wait for the red viper/mountain fight after the red wedding. People might quit the show after seeing both events ... assuming they'll both be in the same season.
arglebargle
Member
good point, that should also be great. especially if whoever plays the red viper does a good job.
i have only read the books once, but i am considering a reread. i was trying to hold off until we have a firm date on the winds of winter, but recently i have been really tempted. the more i think about the series the more i feel like i was blinded by stark love and lannister hatred and i think i would get more out of them on a reread, knowing what i do now.
hemtae
Member
I think that part will be in season four along with Joffrey's wedding.
Yeah I'm considering it also. I mostly want to get more glimpses into Ned's perspective in book 1 to see if I understand him/his dreams better.
Also the details between the show and the book are getting kind of blurry, it'd be nice to be reminded of small details I may have forgotten since the show came out.
arglebargle
Member
i just finished watching the show a few hours ago. some of the grander scenes from the book (blackwater, house of the undying) are pretty weak in the show. arya is consistently awesome though, which helps.
i also just think that knowing what i know now, i might notice different things in the books.
I thought they did a good job with Blackwater on the show. I've read ACoK a few times now, but I still tend to run through the House of the Undying chapter without getting that worked up.
Yeah I thought the shows Blackwater episode was pretty damn good for the budget they had, they can't do everything and it got the main storyline into the actual episode.
I was disappointed with the House of the Undying but I've only actually read that chapter once so the re-read may make it seem like they missed a lot from the actual book chapter.
Someone needs to lock this man in a room and not let him out till the last two books are done.
Jesus christ finish one story then go write your prequels.
At this rate I will be finishing the story on HBO long before the books are out, heaven help me when did I start reading.....
./rant faints..
Enosh
Member
it will be glorious
why the fuck does everyone like that guy? he didn't do shit until the whole fight part (where he got his ass kicked and only "won" (well more of a draw) due to poison), his popularity is so puzzling to me
arglebargle
Member
i should clarify. for the blackwater, i thought the part where they are on the water was pretty good (though different in strategy from how i remember the books; where was the chain?). once they were on land it just felt really small. especially once tyrion took stannis' forces from behind. once they flip over the ram there are like a dozen people on screen. i dont know anything about budget or whatever, just saying it felt a bit less impressive than it was in my minds eye. thats not really surprising though.
in the house of the undying there are far fewer visions than in the books. we get a lot of foreshadowing from that scene in the books that is completely absent from the show. also in the books a lot is made of the unimpressiveness of the house of the undying itself (i think, am i remembering this right?). it is pretty grand in the show, but that may be a bit nitpicky. my bigger complaint is the lack of content.
They have to budget a whole season which included the Blackwater episode so that's why it seemed small scale.
As to the House of the undying, I agree, I would've liked more but as it's been said above me, it's harder to translate it and I imagine putting a visual medium on that scene could spoil the book potentially.
RE the Red Wedding, it'll be awesome at first but then there won't be many people left in the world who hasn't seen/read that chapter so we'll get less of those awesome posts by people who have just read it and are in shock/raging!!
PhoenixDark
Banned
New Podcast of Ice and Fire ep, including an interview of Elio and Linda on the World of Ice and Fire novel. They're writing it alongside Martin
http://podcastoficeandfire.com/
PhoenixDark
Banned
Get ready for multiple chapters of her traveling with her new khalasar, goes back to Vaes Dothrak, then rides all the way back to Mereen. 7 chapters here we come!
Count of Monte Sawed-Off
un33dab@dpu$$y
That would piss off so many people, but I would love it.
pr0cs
Member
I like the way you think sir, Martin, put this man on payroll
BruceLeeRoy
Banned
These books are just sooo damn good. Dance with Dragons was so fantastic and unpredictable. I truly can't remember ever reading any series where every assumption and predication I think of is proven so completely wrong. I also can't think of any series with so many character story arcs that I love and enjoy. There isn't one storyline going on in ADOD that I would do without. Some highlights of course:
-Jon getting stabbed literally stopped my heart when I was reading. "For the nights watch" I was shaking during that part.
-Danaerys last chapter was riveting
-Prince of Dorne getting bbq'ed
-Jon getting stabbed literally stopped my heart when I was reading. "For the nights watch" I was shaking during that part.
-Danaerys last chapter was riveting
-Prince of Dorne getting bbq'ed
ConsumerSquare
Member
I thought Dany's last chapter sucked. Hooking up with a new Khalasar after taming a dragon? And this after sitting through all the Meereen nesting and Daario nonsense... Ugh. The best part of the Dany stuff was getting Selmy POVs. I love that guy.
The Quent stuff would have been a bit more shocking if every reference of him hadn't been about how weaksauce he is. The writing was on the wall for the Frog when Dany met him and couldn't think about anybody but Drink.
The Quent stuff would have been a bit more shocking if every reference of him hadn't been about how weaksauce he is. The writing was on the wall for the Frog when Dany met him and couldn't think about anybody but Drink.
KuwabaraTheMan
Banned
Dany's last chapter was awesome, and I'm really looking forward to seeing where things go. Dany swore vengeance against Jhaqo and Mago way back in the first book (saying that they would die screaming), and I think that should provide her with some good direction in her arc.
Drogon's gonna fuck em' up.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
"I promise you that, by the old gods and the new, by the lamb god and the horse god and every god that lives. I swear by the Mother of Mountains and the Womb of the World. Before I am done with [him], Ko Jhaqo will plead for the mercy they showed Eroeh."
Drogon is gonna eat him and Dany will claim his Khalasar.
ConsumerSquare
Member
They found her knawing on a horse bone with a dragon at her back. I doubt they see her as a rape prospect.
Just fucking head towards Westeros for fucks sake!
Edit: Jon Connington (who?) is considered more of a threat than Daenerys Targaryen at this point!
Just fucking head towards Westeros for fucks sake!
Edit: Jon Connington (who?) is considered more of a threat than Daenerys Targaryen at this point!
Count of Monte Sawed-Off
un33dab@dpu$$y
At the time I read it I was still bitter at Jon's "death" and yet the most boring girl in the world still lives and has explosive diarrhea to boot. I really need to reread ADWD. I started a reread of the series this summer, but got to ACOK when I realized I've read this series way too much and stopped. AFFC/ADWD in order may be in the near future though.
Steelyuhas
Member
I think I'm going to read those two in chronological order. It should be interesting.
hemtae
Member
Does the khalasar's line of succession work like that? I thought after the khal dies they splinter up and follow the bloodriders.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
Mother of Dragons, etc. They'll follow her.
Count of Monte Sawed-Off
un33dab@dpu$$y
Unless the Khal murders her, which he won't.
KuwabaraTheMan
Banned
Things seem to be pointing at Dany fulfilling the Stallion that Mounts the World prophecy, rather than her son. That would put her at the head of the largest Dothraki horde in history. Getting her revenge on Jhqo and Mago and showing their khalasar that she doesn't fuck around will just be the start of that.
PhoenixDark
Banned
I hated Dany's last chapter. I was still reeling from Jon's death, and had realized Dany had the last chapter (outside of the epilogue). It starts off so bad, with some questionably written descriptions (you know the one I'm talking about). I was so upset that the alleged prophesy coming true didn't even occur to me
It was pretty awesome when Drogon showed up and she found the khalasar though. Still, I couldn't help but feel like the entire book wasted a lot of time in her arc. I thought she would be going back to Mereen ready to rumble. I wasn't particularly upset Tyrion didn't meet Dany, but I was upset the battle didn't occur. It's even more frustrating when you consider it was removed from the novel, as was the Winterfell battle. Imagine a better edited ADWD with fewer Dany chapters and both battles - it would probably be the best novel in the series, or at least on par with ASOS.
That's not to say I didn't like ADWD: I think it's great. But I didn't like a lot of Dany's chapters, which felt repetitive to me. It felt like Martin was slowing her story down to prepare for upcoming events (Quentyn arriving, the assassination attempt, her flying away, etc).
It was pretty awesome when Drogon showed up and she found the khalasar though. Still, I couldn't help but feel like the entire book wasted a lot of time in her arc. I thought she would be going back to Mereen ready to rumble. I wasn't particularly upset Tyrion didn't meet Dany, but I was upset the battle didn't occur. It's even more frustrating when you consider it was removed from the novel, as was the Winterfell battle. Imagine a better edited ADWD with fewer Dany chapters and both battles - it would probably be the best novel in the series, or at least on par with ASOS.
That's not to say I didn't like ADWD: I think it's great. But I didn't like a lot of Dany's chapters, which felt repetitive to me. It felt like Martin was slowing her story down to prepare for upcoming events (Quentyn arriving, the assassination attempt, her flying away, etc).
timetokill
Banned
It does suck that Dany's solution is just dropped into her lap like that.
I can't wait until her dragons die
"God's Beard!"
Member
Isn't Melisandre supposed to be like the best priestess ever or something? She's really incompetent compared to Victarion's human weather vane.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
Can Victarion's human weather vane birth shadow babies? I think not.
I don't think so. According to whom? All the people she comes into contact with would have no way of qualifying that, since they've likely never seen any other red priest or priestess with any power. So, to them, she might be the best ever. But to the other followers of R'hllor, she might be average, at best.
ConsumerSquare
Member
Mil is definitely bush league.
A POV from one of the black brothers would have been interesting. I guess it would have given away the surprise, but you could build a pretty solid case for intervening against our protagonist Jon. I can see why they thought he was going to ruin the Watch.
A POV from one of the black brothers would have been interesting. I guess it would have given away the surprise, but you could build a pretty solid case for intervening against our protagonist Jon. I can see why they thought he was going to ruin the Watch.
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