Scots Taffer on 30/11/2006 at 07:14
Wow, wow, wow. Add that one to my list. Thank you oudeis.
Stitch on 30/11/2006 at 16:10
Quote Posted by Paz
It's a work of epic fantasy soap opera moderately full of pervy rape fantasies.
I'd also add "that turns to complete garbage by book four."
I'm about 400 pages into A Feast for Crows and I swear this shit was ghostwritten by Robert Jordan. If this is any indication of the direction the series is headed, I say Alchemist should stay the hell away.
The Alchemist on 30/11/2006 at 19:05
Quote Posted by Stitch
I'd also add "that turns to complete garbage by book four."
I'm about 400 pages into A Feast for Crows and I swear this shit was ghostwritten by Robert Jordan. If this is any indication of the direction the series is headed, I say Alchemist should stay the hell away.
Aww, I picked that one up yesterday. Say it aint so!
Low Moral Fiber on 30/11/2006 at 20:14
Yeah, all I can say about A Feast For (of?) Crows is that I can't remember a single thing that happened in it even though I read it last and can remember plenty of details from the first three books. Less than a year since I read it and I can't remember ANYTHING, I guess that's not as bad as remembering a bunch of really lame shit happening. Total filler book.
Scots Taffer on 1/12/2006 at 00:41
I agree. Book 4 dashed plenty of my hopes for the series. GRRM admits that his planned time-jump for the characters just wasn't going to work and so, as a result, he has manufactured lots of filler plots and goddamn did it show.
Paz on 1/12/2006 at 01:26
I'm going to defend book 4 (or maybe book 5, bizarre British publishing fans)!
Without wishing to go all SPOILERS .. it's all extremely minor and generalised, but here is your chance to TURN AWAY.
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I enjoyed the plot arc in Dorne, anything to do with PAYING THE IRON PRICE is a-ok with me, Cersei's Lady MacBeth act got a little silly but throws up enough questions/strands to still be interesting and Jaime's stuff was all fairly solid.
Not so great was Sam being far too Sam for his own good and the tedious non-adventures of Brieanne. But hey, the previous books had endless vexed Catelyn chapters.
It's certainly a bit of a "HI, I'M SETTING A LOT OF THINGS UP!" episode - which maybe if you've been hanging on for years would be a bit disappointing (I arrived late, so it isn't) - but I'm hopeful that some of the dead wood will ultimately shine in context. Much as Sansa's early stuff, which was arguably quite dull at the time, is now interesting in relation to her character development (which was another bit of AFFC I found perfectly fine).
Asoiaf fatigue hasn't set in for me just yet. The grande olde soap opera is rolling along nicely.
Scots Taffer on 1/12/2006 at 01:56
Generally, I think the book was entertaining on its own but it's definitely brought the series hype down a notch or three for me. I read them all successively and AFFC felt like a literal jump on the brakes. The big plots kind of screech to a halt, a few interesting subplots emerge, but for the most part it's plodding along with a few non-event development arcs. Jamie's plot was really the best part and even then, it was still weak.
I mean, honestly, a big part of the problem is that the main plots are just not present in this book - there's no wall, there's no dragons, so no ice and no fire, and that's ultimately what this series is all about!
Kalit on 1/12/2006 at 02:08
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (Sci-Fi), such a great book.
Stitch on 1/12/2006 at 02:41
The first half of <U>A Storm of Swords</U> sucked balls, too. Pretty much every view that doesn't belong to a Stark or a Lannister has been an utter waste of time, dragon chick excepted.
Martin's need for an editor is surpassed only by his need for a stairmaster.
Strangeblue on 1/12/2006 at 04:50
This is the problem with most fantasy "epics": the writers don't outline or set up the long-arc plot before they start, they just fly by the seat of their pants and hope the readers don't notice the depth of the bullshit until after they've paid for the next book in the series. (god I hate 'ologies and neverending series.)
