The Reading Rainbow Coalition discussion

I have been hearing good things about this series for about 5 years now, and I finally started reading the first one, A game of Thrones, last week. Holy CRAP is this book good. It's like Robert Jordan's dragon reborn mixed with Shakespearean drama. Every chapter is compelling and the characters are all *fascinating*, with real motivations and faults. It's deep, deep stuff, no easy morals or happy endings, and no cop-outs. I'm almost finished and I can't wait for the next one. If you like fantasy or politics or just well written drama, you MUST read this.

Noooo, I can't bear to read (or even read about) these books again. The perpetual delays of A Dance With Dragons are simply heartbreaking. Even just seeing the books on my book case causes me to go into compulsive fits of checking Mr. Martin's Not a Blog for the teeny-tiniest little update.

Hopefully it will be out not too long after I finish the current ones.

The books are great and remain my favorites but the last book that came out was a little disappointing considering the wait. Hopefully the next installment will be good but honestly it's annoying that it's taking so damn long. I know the creative process takes a long time but COME ON. I'm not sure why his publishers are putting up with it.

My worst fear is that he'll suffer the same fate Joss Whedon did--basically garnering a rabid fan base who elevate him to god-like status only to be crucified when his latest attempt doesn't live up to the fans' imagined/inflated memories/standards.

I can't wait for the T.V show. I am going to torrent the shit outta that thing. As for Joss Whedon, the man is only human, he made an awesome T.V show, a couple I didn't care for and A bipolar Roller coaster that I can't believe ever got made.

And while you're waiting for the next Ice & Fire instalment, some of his other work is excellent: I highly recommend Fevre Dream, and when he's on top form his short stories (Sandkings, The Pear-Shaped Man etc.) are among the best out there.

I've read "Fevre Dream" and Windhaven, both excellent books.

Almost done with book 2. Oh god I never want this to end.

Oh Max, I almost feel bad for you, for the disappointment you are about to face when you realize that we have been waiting years for the next book.

I've been championing ASoIaF for more than a decade, and every time I read through the series (that'd be about 4 or 5 times now) I discover or rediscover new clues into the unanswered questions that really drive the narrative for me. It pains me that these questions are not, and likely will never be, fully answered, and yet it still engages me to dig deeper into the text. Who is John Snow's true father? Theories exist, but will we ever know for sure?

I also really enjoy the play of magic in the series. Largely, magic is nonexistant until a pivotal point at the end of the first book, and ever so slowly more magic reemerges into the world, not fully understood by any character.

I have lots of feelings about this series, and it makes me literally giddy to just think about the story. I used to read Jordan's Wheel of Time, but the more I read the less satisfied I became with the lack of character development, and the introduction of legions of secondary characters. ASoIaF has introduced new points of view, and they seem to bring the characters new life, and enrich the story more than I would have thought they could have. Unlike with WoT, I'm happy to wait for the next installment of ASoIaF because the quality is just there, unparalleled by any other epic story, LotR included.

>Who is John Snow's true father?

...Thanks for the spoiler.

Cameron wrote: "Who is John Snow's true father?"

Did you mean "mother"? I didn't realize there was controversy around who his father was.

Bill wrote: "Cameron wrote: "Who is John Snow's true father?"

Did you mean "mother"? I didn't realize there was controversy around who his father was."

The beauty of this "spoiler" is that it's hotly contested and uncertain. There's no clear answer to date. I have my theories on his parents, but I can't be sure. Sorry if you think that's a spoiler. It's a question I didn't come up with until my second read through the series.

A Game of Thrones just got picked up by HBO for a series!

I can't wait! So excited! Fantasynerdgasm!

Check out this picture from the first ep! http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.c...

Ok, so I am stuck about 80% of the way through and I haven't so much as looked at it in the last week. I really don't want to keep reading, it just keeps getting worse.

@Max - Worse? How so, in writing or in plot?

@Denise Plot mainly but also writing. I actively dislike most of the main characters in this book right now.

Max wrote: "@Denise Plot mainly but also writing. I actively dislike most of the main characters in this book right now."

Nooo, it's so goooood. Are you still on the first book, or have you moved on? If it helps, my boyfriend had the same problem but still managed to make it through them.

I should have specified, i am about 80% through the last book. I love the previous ones but have been struggling with this one.

I think you hate it for the same reasons I love it. Everything got turned completely upside-down, you start liking people you thought were "bad guys," etc.

I will say I was bothered that he only used half of the POV characters, but I understand he was under pressure to get something out and it was already longer than he wanted it to be.

I don't like most of the main characters, and my opinion of them hasn't changed much.

I still want to hear the theories as to John Snow's parentage.

Jon and I are just starting to read this (by which I mean, I will be reading this book outloud to him while we drive).

Self-propelled wrote: "I still want to hear the theories as to John Snow's parentage."

Here's a link to the original thread on the Westeros.org forums. I'll shorten it to hide the title of the thread, since that may be a spoiler for those who don't want them. (Again, sorry if I spoiled that stuff!)

http://tinyurl.com/ykqoq82

tactfully done, thanks!

Cameron wrote: Here's a link to the original thread on the Westeros.org forums. I'll shorten it to hide the title of the thr..."

OOO SHINY. That makes a lot of sense. Thanks for sharing. :)

Dustin' off this thread.

@Max - how's the reading going? Still powering through?

I finished a while ago and was underwhelmed with the direction the books have taken.

The teaser for the HBO series aired last week during the True Blood premier. Thought you guys would be interested... not that it really shows anything...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Mophf...

Denise wrote: "The teaser for the HBO series aired last week during the True Blood premier. Thought you guys would be interested... not that it really shows anything...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Mophf..."

Ah, but it does feature Sean Bean's creepy voice. I'm interested to see an adapted version of the story, but I'm really more interested to finish reading the story in my lifetime. Here's hoping.

WANT: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553...