Fantasy and Vampire Book Club discussion

Admittedly I have never read this series and I'd love your opinions on it.
What do people think of this epic fantasy read?
Which do you prefer the TV series or the Books?
If you've seen the HBO series, what did the Hollywood execs change when they adapted this book?
I have heard that the books have rotating Narrators, How did they deal with the rotating narrators of the book?

i havent read it is it a good series???

I am in the same place as Layla, I've only read (listened to) the first four but they are good. The fourth is a bit lacking but that is mostly due to the author splitting it into two books so he could keep everything. I find that the show so far by seas sums up a book and they do follow all the main plot points. The casting is great. The story over all is very interesting but I feel that due to its length and the frequent character story shifts I often need to read something else before moving on to the next in this series. Which may sound odd because I do really enjoy these books its just long and can seem daunting when you are first starting a new one... until you reach the end and are hungry for more information.

Erin did you listen to the audio books or the read the books? Which one do you think is better.
I understand about taking a break before the next one. It was like that for me and the wheel of time series by Robert Jordan. For me it was like information overload. You get so into the series that you need a small break before starting the next, just so you can breathe.

I listened to them, and to be honest I think its easier that way since the character changes every chapter. The narrator for the audio book does a different voice for each so it makes keeping characters straight easy. Also the books are huge so reading them while traveling would be a hassle in my opinion just because of their weight alone.

Thanks, I might see if the library has them.

I just started the second book. So far I am really enjoying thing. Although some of the characters I would rather choke than hear their POV. But so far so good...

lol don't choke!!

when I went to the library, somebody had already borrowed it and it was to be put on reserve when the audio book is returned( from what I understood there is a little wait to get my hands on it). I might return to the search later on. for now I might save up the money to buy them.

Read em all in a very short space of time. First one had me hooked. Second was pretty good. Third was great. Forth was absolute pants. Fifth was very mediocre. Sixth....well dunno if I'll bother after the disappointment of four and five. He seems very, very slow in writing it also last date I heard was autumn 13.

Adele, there are some plot differences between the HBO series and the novels themselves, though most are minor. In the novels, Danae is much younger than her TV counterpart, and her personality reflects this. But the essential gist of the novels holds true.

This is definitely a series for those who enjoy immersing themselves in a fantasy world, so be aware of that. The pace can be frustratingly slow at times, be aware of that as well. But some of the characters (particularly Tyrion) are well-worth it.

I was able to obtain a copy of the first book in the library( it had been on waiting list).
wish me luck! I'll start reading it tonight.

Luck! :)

I've loved these books, and really enjoyed the series too. If you don't mind a very long, very complex read, then go for the books first. They are completely immersive, but Martin is weaving in a cast of hundreds, it seems. I think he's also suffering from his success - his editors seem to just be letting him write and write and write, and the fourth and fifth book suffer for it. If you want a fantastic weekend of fantasy eye candy, and can stand HBO throwing in gratuitous sex scenes, you'll be in for a treat with series 1 and 2 and no need to read the books to understand what's going on. My pick is one of the books, some scented candles, a pot of tea and a reaaaaallly long bath.

We watched the HBO series 1 & then I read book 1. I had trouble getting through it because I knew what was coming & didn't want to read some of it. I think HBO did a great job.

Then we read all 5 books & wasn't much interested in watching the 2d season on HBO, although my wife & daughter both were. I enjoyed what I saw, but had other things to do. The second book was the best, IMO.

The third book was good, but I wasn't very happy with the last two. I read right through them, but when I was finished, I didn't feel as if the story had advanced nearly enough. If they had been one book, I would have been happier.

I started reading the series when it first came out. All of the books are great in my opinion except the fourth. In fact, I'd argue that you could skip that one and not miss a beat in terms of the real action.

HBO has done a great job of translating the books to the small screen, and have for the most part been loyal to GRRM's vision. I don't know what they're going to do after season 5, because it took GRRM 7 years or so to write the last book,so he's unlikely to be finished in the next two years unless he really knuckles down.