Flare4War Posted August 13, 2011 Author Share Posted August 13, 2011 I did! It's just that Arya isn't, for the most part, what makes her chapters entertaining. Reek Reek it rhymes with geek! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Jovian Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 I just finished A Dance with Dragons. Overall it was good, but left me somewhat disappointed. It was much slower than I had hoped, with half the chapters being recaps of old events from new POVs, or else just not really going anywhere in general. Dany has far more screen time than she needed for what actually happened in her story, and Davos didn't get nearly enough. Jamie only got one chapter, and all it added to the story was that Brienne is probably still alive (though it might have been someone pretending to be her), while calling into question whether Jamie is still alive or not (since he's explicitly mentioned to have disappeared, and last we saw Brienne she was being given a choice between killing Jamie or dying). Jamie got way too much badass character development in the last book to not follow up on it this time around. Quentyn's subplot was interesting at first, but turned out to be entirely pointless, which made the whole thing seem like a retroactive waste of time. Bran's chapters didn't add much besides the fact that he's wargin' it up. Victarion's chapter was good, but there was only one. Jon had some good stuff, but ended on a cliffhanger. Which reminds me. Dear George R. R. Martin. Please stop ending every single chapter on a cliffhanger, especially when they turn out to be bullshit at the beginning of the next chapter by that character. We are already emotionally invested in your characters, and the series is sufficiently entrenched that you no longer need those sorts of cheap tricks to keep our attention. All they serve to do is annoy those of us who actually want a bit of resolution now and again. Major cliffhangers as of the end of Dance with Dragons: 1) Jon Snow 2) Stannis (plus Theon, Asha, and Jeyne with him) 3) Dany 4) Davos (okay, he's definitely still alive, but where the hell did Manderly send him -- and by extension, where are Rickon and Osha?) 5) Jamie and Brienne Major cliffhangers resolved by Dance with Dragons: 1) Tyrion 4) Davos (sort of) 5) Brienne (sort of, maybe.) You begin to see the nature of my complaint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flare4War Posted August 14, 2011 Author Share Posted August 14, 2011 I didn't really feel like I was left hanging with Daenery's. I thought he left his readers in a great place for temporary ending with her. I didn't really feel a lot of suspense with Stannis either. Probably because he's not that exciting of a character. With Asha I felt there was a little cliffhanger but with Stannis... not so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkeSword Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 I just finished A Dance with Dragons. Overall it was good, but left me somewhat disappointed. It was much slower than I had hoped, with half the chapters being recaps of old events from new POVs, or else just not really going anywhere in general. Dany has far more screen time than she needed for what actually happened in her story, and Davos didn't get nearly enough. Jamie only got one chapter, and all it added to the story was that Brienne is probably still alive (though it might have been someone pretending to be her), while calling into question whether Jamie is still alive or not (since he's explicitly mentioned to have disappeared, and last we saw Brienne she was being given a choice between killing Jamie or dying). Jamie got way too much badass character development in the last book to not follow up on it this time around. Quentyn's subplot was interesting at first, but turned out to be entirely pointless, which made the whole thing seem like a retroactive waste of time. Bran's chapters didn't add much besides the fact that he's wargin' it up. Victarion's chapter was good, but there was only one. Jon had some good stuff, but ended on a cliffhanger.Which reminds me. Dear George R. R. Martin. Please stop ending every single chapter on a cliffhanger, especially when they turn out to be bullshit at the beginning of the next chapter by that character. We are already emotionally invested in your characters, and the series is sufficiently entrenched that you no longer need those sorts of cheap tricks to keep our attention. All they serve to do is annoy those of us who actually want a bit of resolution now and again. Major cliffhangers as of the end of Dance with Dragons: 1) Jon Snow 2) Stannis (plus Theon, Asha, and Jeyne with him) 3) Dany 4) Davos (okay, he's definitely still alive, but where the hell did Manderly send him -- and by extension, where are Rickon and Osha?) 5) Jamie and Brienne Major cliffhangers resolved by Dance with Dragons: 1) Tyrion 4) Davos (sort of) 5) Brienne (sort of, maybe.) You begin to see the nature of my complaint. Methinks you're reading the wrong books. xD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flare4War Posted August 15, 2011 Author Share Posted August 15, 2011 You need to understand NJ, that there is in theory going to be two more novels to this series. Some cliffhangers should be expected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Jovian Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Sure, I don't expect absolutely everything to be wrapped up two books early. But the overabundance of cliffhangers that lead nowhere (eg, Tyrion drowning after falling into the river; nevermind, they just pulled him out) plus the complete lack of any sort of resolution when they actually end the book on those cliffhangers is annoying. Good: Kevan's death. You know what happened, you know what the implications are, but you don't know how it's going to play out. It creates anticipation and pulls you further into the story without leaving you feel like you have no idea what's going on. Bad: Jon's stabbing. Is he alive? Is he dead? We have no idea and no reason to believe one way or the other. Kevan's death leaves you going "oh shit, what the hell is going to happen next?" Jon's stabbing leaves you saying "oh shit, what the hell just happened?" That's the difference. That said, I did like the book. I just didn't like the ending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleck Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 NJ is right - cliffhangers aren't bad, but the nature of the various cliffhangers, combined with the incredibly sluggish pace of the story, is mostly irritating. It wasn't so bad in the previous books, but this book was basically nine hundred pages of nothing happening, and then one hundred pages of empty cliffhangers and a tiny bit of actual plot advancement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flare4War Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share Posted August 16, 2011 I dunno... I'll admit there is a lot of cliffhangers (Jon Snow's kinda pissed me off as well) but it's really just the way the guy writes. I didn't think it degraded the book that much really (again, with the exception of Jon's story) and saying it was bad is like saying he shouldn't write the way he writes and honestly I think he's just a fantastic writer so... Yeah Bleck, you're right. There are more cliffhangers in Dance than the previous books but fuck; it's a really big project and I think the only short coming is that he takes way too fucking long to bring on more of the story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleck Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 I just hope he doesn't do a Robert Jordan on everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Jovian Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 I'd be okay with that if it meant Brandon Sanderson finishing off the series. No, I don't mean that I hope GRRM dies. I just really like Brandon Sanderson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flare4War Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share Posted August 16, 2011 (edited) I'd be okay with that if it meant Brandon Sanderson finishing off the series. No, I don't mean that I hope GRRM dies. I just really like Brandon Sanderson. Is Brandon Sanderson's writing similar or at least have some of the same characteristics? I've been wondering this. What I'm asking is, does his writing the raw unnerving descriptions that GRRM's has? Edited August 17, 2011 by Flare4War Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkeSword Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 Sanderson wouldn't be a good fit for Ice and Fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Jovian Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 But but but, he's awesome! Wait, A Song of Ice and Fire doesn't have cool new systems of magic or types of deities for him to mess around with. You're right. Damn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flare4War Posted August 18, 2011 Author Share Posted August 18, 2011 GRRM just needs to not but a dink and finish the project before he goes into cardiac arrest or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkeSword Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 But but but, he's awesome!Wait, A Song of Ice and Fire doesn't have cool new systems of magic or types of deities for him to mess around with. You're right. Damn. Yeah he's a brilliant writer but Ice and Fire just isn't his style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixto Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 Just finished Dance. UGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleck Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 yeah basically Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moomba Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 UGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH. That's a pretty accurate summary! Now to wait another five years for the continuation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monobrow Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 This is why I am not going to read it yet. I've been waiting for a conclusion to it all really since I picked up the first book like fifteen years ago... I can wait 5 more without getting all back into that universe and then having to wait MORE AND MOOOOOOOORE. I'd rather just take it all in at once when it finally finishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkeSword Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I was the same way after the second book but then the TV series started and I wanted to feel superior to all the TV show fans so I made sure to catch up with everything really fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moomba Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I was the same way after the second book but then the TV series started and I wanted to feel superior to all the TV show fans so I made sure to catch up with everything really fast. Yes, there's something very entertaining about saying "You'll see" with a smug face as others speculate about what will happen next. All the more entertaining since so many people entered the TV series innocent without the knowledge of GRRMs general brutality with his characters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkeSword Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I love the reaction everyone has to the major death that takes place in Game of Thrones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleck Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I like how you said major death instead of major deaths Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moomba Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 I look forward to seeing how people react to the Red Wedding when it comes about in the adaption. Also curious to see how they go about doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkeSword Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 As far as I'm concerned there is only one MAJOR death in Game of Thrones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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