J's Pages

by George R. R. MartinThis book was a long one. It wasn't exactly a slog, but I was propelled as much by my desire to finish the book as I was by my desire to find out what happens next. The book focuses mostly on the shenanigans up in the north of Westeros and the shenanigans in the eastern lands of Valyria. Both storylines moved too slow for my tastes and both were left hanging at the end of the book. But despite my whining, I'll probably pick up the next volume of the series to see what happens next. Anyway, now that I'm all caught up with the series, I may have to check out that "acclaimed HBO® series".

Labels: GeorgeRRMartin, SongOfIceAndFire, WaitingRoomMaterial

by George R. R. Martin

This one is another, lesser sequel. It's fine waiting room material, but I think it's only psychological momentum that will make me read the next volume. I didn't find A Feast for Crows all that much fun to read. A number of the regular POV characters from this series are absent in this volume. This was a choice by Mr. Martin to keep the book a reasonable size, and the missing characters will be telling their stories in the next installment. The problem is, almost all of my favorites fall into that category. So it was a slog to read through those sections about characters I don't really like. (Though Mr. Martin did do a good job of adding some depth and internal conflict to one of those.) The overall saga progressed, but it really seemed to drag.

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Labels: GeorgeRRMartin, SongOfIceAndFire, WaitingRoomMaterial

by George R. R. Martin 

In book three of A Song of Ice and Fire, the threat in the northern lands of Westeros becomes a reality as the men of the Night's Watch face assaults on the Wall. Meanwhile, the kings and lords to the south are caught up in their own wars and bloodsheds, and Daenerys Targaryen follows her own path in the east. I found this volume a bit less enjoyable, mainly because I didn't like that Mr. Martin killed off some of the characters I liked and added twists that prolonged the storylines of a couple of others. I'm still planning on reading the next book, though, so I have to recommend you check it out. 

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Labels: CheckItOut, GeorgeRRMartin, SongOfIceAndFire

by George R. R. Martin

Labels: CheckItOut, GeorgeRRMartin, SongOfIceAndFire

by George R. R. Martin

I confess. I am one of the few who have not seen "the acclaimed HBO® series". But all the hype and scuttlebutt about the acclaimed HBO® series did lead me to pick up and read this book, the first installment in an ongoing series. The series is set in the land of Westeros, which is divided into a number of kingdoms, ruled by a high king. It's a world where seasons can last for years, and autumn is waning. A threat is developing in the wild lands to the north, and political intrigues are afoot in the civilized lands of the south. Which will result in more bloodshed remains to be seen. The intertwining stories are interesting and the characters are compelling--even the vile ones. This book did not make me want to see the acclaimed HBO® series, but it did make me want to check out the next volume of the saga.

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Labels: CheckItOut, GeorgeRRMartin, SongOfIceAndFire