A Song of Ice and Fire

[The King in Crimson]

Yeah, the Reek chapters were great.  I found myself constantly looking forward to them.

The Dany chapters... god, it was like part of Wheel of Time found its way into the pages.  Thankfully, with the few chapters he got, Barristan Selmy proved himself to be a true badass.

[glaurung]

I haven't looked forward to a Dany chapter since maybe the beginning of Storm of Swords.

[Dimitrius]

Honestly, the high points of Jon's and Dany's arcs were in ASoS (so far).

[glaurung]

Jon's arc in ADWD did not disappoint but I would agree with you.

[Dimitrius]

It got better towards the end, but those first chapters were is just constant complaining... ugh!

[The King in Crimson]

Jon's arc in ADWD did not disappoint but I would agree with you.

Yeah, I agree.

[ClairvoyantCat]

Jon's arc in ADWD did not disappoint but I would agree with you.

*Honest, spoiler-heavy input*

I thought it kind of sucked.  If it had taken up a few chapters it would have been fine, but there was no need to fill up so much space with Jon being angsty about wildlings.  Having the only important event in a character's arc be a cliffhanger is not a very good way to go about things, if you ask me.  I don't think any better of the Daenarys arc.  At this pace, he's not going to have the series done for quite a while, if he ever lives to finish it.  What's the point of hearing about Hizzoo Yahtzee or whoever?  Martin really, desperately needs a new editor, if you ask me.  Any editor who let's an author meander for over a thousand pages and push all of the important events to the next book really isn't worth much.   

[Heretic]

WELP I started reading the series a few days ago and I can't put the books down.

[Dimitrius]

[hefdaddy42]

Re-reading.

[yorost]

Re-reading.

Did you ever get Dance?

[Olibu]

Jon's arc in ADWD did not disappoint but I would agree with you.

*Honest, spoiler-heavy input*

I thought it kind of sucked.  If it had taken up a few chapters it would have been fine, but there was no need to fill up so much space with Jon being angsty about wildlings.  Having the only important event in a character's arc be a cliffhanger is not a very good way to go about things, if you ask me.  I don't think any better of the Daenarys arc.  At this pace, he's not going to have the series done for quite a while, if he ever lives to finish it.  What's the point of hearing about Hizzoo Yahtzee or whoever?  Martin really, desperately needs a new editor, if you ask me.  Any editor who let's an author meander for over a thousand pages and push all of the important events to the next book really isn't worth much.   

I'll reply to this in a non-spoiler way: I get the feeling that nearly everything Martin introduces and meanders about has a point, aside from the food. Take that red priest in Dance for example.

[lordxizor]

I'll reply to this in a non-spoiler way: I get the feeling that nearly everything Martin introduces and meanders about has a point, aside from the food. Take that red priest in Dance for example.

I sure hope so, because there seemed to be a lot of pointless stuff in ADWD. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, but I honestly found myself not wanting to finish it. Hopefully things pick up in the next one. And hopefully I won't be 40 when it comes out.

[hefdaddy42]

Re-reading.

Did you ever get Dance?

No, but I believe it will be released soon in paperback.

[wasteland]

Bump for a not so new snippet from The Winds Of Winter.

SPOILER ALERT

Arianne chapter, discussing the coming of Jon Connington and A-VI to Westeros:

It was then that pasty, pudgy Teora raised her eyes from the creamcakes on her plate.  "It is dragons."     
      "Dragons?"  said her mother.  "Teora, don't be mad."
      "I'm not.  They're coming."
      "How could you possibly know that?" her sister asked, with a note of scorn in her voice.  "One of your little dreams?"
      Teora gave a tiny nod, chin trembling.  "They were dancing.  In my dream.  And everywhere the dragons danced the people died."

[Dimitrius]

nevermind

[yorost]

Martin had an update last month, he's about 1/4 of way on Winds of Winter. Dance was released two years ago with 100-200 pages of Winds of Winter already completed or worked on.

[wasteland]

We can just hope he found the right pace and will now have a few quiet years to finish the manuscript. The latest two have been hardly so. 

[yorost]

I'm fine if he takes his time, it just fascinates me in relation to the tv series. I've never thought he would beat it to the end and it's looking more and more like that is correct. What I dearly hope does not happen is that he is rushed to finish it because of that issue.

[Dimitrius]

I wonder if he's shooting for around 1000 pages for the book, because if he is with the 200 pages he took out of ADwD then he's really written very little.

But I'm betting I'm wrong.

[yorost]

He's shooting for 1500 manuscript pages, I think, and that is probably around Storm of Swords length. Already indicated he's not sure if. It will balloon bigger and need a similar split to happen.

[Cool Chris]

Just purchased these books, even though I am not a huge fantasy fan. Judging by their size, and my reading pace, I should be able to comment in this thread in about 17 years.

[cramx3]

Just finished reading aDwD after starting the series after the 2nd season of the TV show ended.  I am blown away at the moment about what just happened at the end.  Below are my thoughts and comments, spoilers below:

Dany's story kind of limped along and while what happened in Meereen ended with a bang, her overall story is still lingering.  I can't believe what happened to Jon, I dont blame the guys of the nights watch, but I so badly wanted him to bring an army of wildlings down on Ramsay and maybe that will still happen... Varys and Migister Ilrryio play a huge role in the background of what is going on. I found that to be the most intriguing about the book.  The deep underlyings of "the game of thrones".  I found the show is showing this a lot and the books only just got to this.  Selmy is a beast and I hope we get more of his POVs in the next book.  I do wonder who will give us POVs from beyond the wall, Tormund? Mellisandre? I also wonder if the battle outside of winterfell actually happened.  I totally get that Ramsay got Mance (disguised as the singer and the spearwives helped theon and jeyne escape) but did Mance tell Ramsay that Stannis had lightbringer and maybe he is bluffing that he won the battle?  I hope Stannis is still alive with his army and the two ironborn.  Also Davos' few POVs showed that Manderly is on the side of Stannis so I don't know.

[wasteland]

Just finished reading aDwD after starting the series after the 2nd season of the TV show ended.  I am blown away at the moment about what just happened at the end.  Below are my thoughts and comments, spoilers below:

Dany's story kind of limped along and while what happened in Meereen ended with a bang, her overall story is still lingering.  I can't believe what happened to Jon, I dont blame the guys of the nights watch, but I so badly wanted him to bring an army of wildlings down on Ramsay and maybe that will still happen... Varys and Migister Ilrryio play a huge role in the background of what is going on. I found that to be the most intriguing about the book.  The deep underlyings of "the game of thrones".  I found the show is showing this a lot and the books only just got to this.  Selmy is a beast and I hope we get more of his POVs in the next book.  I do wonder who will give us POVs from beyond the wall, Tormund? Mellisandre? I also wonder if the battle outside of winterfell actually happened.  I totally get that Ramsay got Mance (disguised as the singer and the spearwives helped theon and jeyne escape) but did Mance tell Ramsay that Stannis had lightbringer and maybe he is bluffing that he won the battle?  I hope Stannis is still alive with his army and the two ironborn.  Also Davos' few POVs showed that Manderly is on the side of Stannis so I don't know.

The outcome of the battle of ice is still uncertain, and one of the main loose eneds that will need to be tied up in the very first chapters of TWOW, pink letter and all. As for Jon, it's clear that he's not dead, or at least not gone for good like poor Robb and Ned are. He's the main character, we'll see more of him, in every sense possible. The Manderly chapters were just phenomenal, and completely justify the fact that the man has become the latest fan favourite! So, now we have to wait 2016 to see what's next.

[Tanatra]

Haha, Martin is totally just trolling his fans now.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/02/new-game-of-thrones-book-_n_3200498.html

[Scotto123]

Anyone think that Lady Stoneheart will be revealed at the end of Season 3? Catelyn's death/undoing was kind of downplayed as in the books she went insane. Thoughts?

[cramx3]

Yea I think that's a big possibility that she gets dragged out of the river and maybe found by Thoros to give the fans the hope of her being revived. That's a nice ending after what just happened. I've been thinking on how some of the storylines will end. Jon will get back to castle black I assume but do the wildings attack or do they just get to castle black and that's it. Do Sam and Gilly get through the wall or is their story done for the season? I think Brans would be done for the season. Dany probably starts her rule over Yunkai but not sure what else and in assuming yunkia takes over the place of meereen.

[TheVoxyn]

Just finished aFfC. I'm kinda tired of the series but I feel like I need to read aDwD as well, now that I am at it.

[wasteland]

Just finished aFfC. I'm kinda tired of the series but I feel like I need to read aDwD as well, now that I am at it.

It gets better. AFFC has been a trying experience for many readers, myself included. 

[TheVoxyn]

Just finished aFfC. I'm kinda tired of the series but I feel like I need to read aDwD as well, now that I am at it.

It gets better. AFFC has been a trying experience for many readers, myself included. 

I enjoy some storylines a lot Cersei, Jaime, all the Iron Island guys but others just bore the hell out of me Especially Brienne, good god I find her annoying. But overall it's just that fantasy isn't completely my thing and after 4500 pages of it, I feel like reading something different. I think I will read one or two different books now and then start with aDwD. It's not like I have to hurry up, seems like mr Martin doesn't writes very fast.

[yorost]

Just finished aFfC. I'm kinda tired of the series but I feel like I need to read aDwD as well, now that I am at it.

Ah, so you knew what happens to Tywin when you wrote that about him over in tv show's thread. That was because I thought you didn't know how close he was to getting offed.

[Dimitrius]

Just finished aFfC. I'm kinda tired of the series but I feel like I need to read aDwD as well, now that I am at it.

It gets better. AFFC has been a trying experience for many readers, myself included. 

I enjoy some storylines a lot Cersei, Jaime, all the Iron Island guys but others just bore the hell out of me Especially Brienne, good god I find her annoying. But overall it's just that fantasy isn't completely my thing and after 4500 pages of it, I feel like reading something different. I think I will read one or two different books now and then start with aDwD. It's not like I have to hurry up, seems like mr Martin doesn't writes very fast.

Did you noticed that Oberyn had poison Tywin? He truly got Elia's revenge!

[cramx3]

I must have missed that, how did he poison tywin? We all know the poison killed the mountain. And tyrion used the crossbow on tywin, but was the tip of the arrow poisoned?

[yorost]

Tyrion knew to find Tywin on the privy, possibly because he had figured out the poisoning. The poisoning is only hinted at, but a great case has been compiled for it. There are just too many hints. Tyrion is the question, did he figure it out or not? If so, why still kill his father? Satisfaction? Covering Oberyn's tracks?

[bertoltus]

Here, I found it:

https://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/67678-oberyn-poisoned-tywin/