Any action?

[biodroid]

Does GRRM ASOIAF have action in it, like through out the book not just at the end? Is it as fast as Eriksons Malazan books or is it more character based? One thing I can't stand and Eddings did it in one of his books and I immediately put it down after that, is the author describes a scene where a battle or fight is going to take place and just as its a bout to start he skips it and tells you the outcome with no action scene eg. "He pulled out his sword to fight the evil dudes and he jumped through the air to lay a striking blow on dude one, then yay we all overcame the baddies and I didn't even have to tell you about it, it was just the good guys were so good they did not need to be shown how they fight because they weren't going to die any way" then I place the book into a fireplace and light it up, burn that sucker, it does not deserve to be sold to a 2nd hand dealer. Excuse the ramble it just ticks me off. Feist is also a culprit of it with his Krondor series.

 

[Culhwch]

I'd say it's a good balance of character-driven story and action. There is certainly at least one set-piece battle per book (if not more, it's been awhile since I read them, so I can't remember exactly which battles fall in which books), and plenty of minor skirmishes in-between. Though I can remember one instance of a character hearing a battle rather than seeing it, though I don't think it was any less effective - in fact, it was probably more effective in many ways...

 

[Boaz]

biodroid, I'd recommend that you start out with a copy from a used book store. In my estimation the action is very good, but somewhat scarce. Most of the best action sequences take place around the character Tyrion... and he's not really an @$$ kicker, okay he's a dwarf. But he is put on trial twice and both times he demands trial by combat... and both times he convinces real warriors to stand for him. These combats are extremely well done. Tyrion is also in the thick of the two biggest battles described in the books so far... and he fights, maybe not so well, but he fights nontheless. There are a number of battles that take place away from the narrative but are mentioned by characters. If you're looking for Conanesque hack'n slash or Tolkien's description of the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, then I think Martin will disappoint you. But if loving or despising a character will greatly heighten the tension of the action for you, then Martin is your man. There are few characters that any readers are ambivalent about.

I read Eddings in my teens and Feist in my twenties. They don't write the hack'n slash of Howard or Burroughs, but there is constantly stuff going on. Even though there is action, I never got the feeling that Garion, Pug, nor any of their companions were ever in real danger. Even when Durnik, the farmer, finally dies, he's brought back to life... as a magician! That's real fantasy... it's completely unbelievable.

The lure of ASOIAF for me stems from two things. First, it's a story of grand political scheming. You get to see nobles and pretenders to the throne plotting their strategies... the battles are secondary to the scheming and back stabbing of rivals. My favorite chapters tend to be mainly dialogue...

Second, the story is unpredictable. At least half a dozen main characters (heroes or villains that would obviously last until the end of any other fantasy writer's story) have died, have been executed, or have been murdered in the first three books... and only one was brought back to life... as an undead, psychopathic b!@tch. This story does not follow the basic simple formula of most other fantasy. The story is an emotional roller coaster. I find it to be very realistic and believable fantasy.

I'd also like to add that the world of ASOIAF is very violent. It's a nasty place. That being said, it may seem strange to say but I've never felt that the author was gratuitous in the use of murder, rape, child abuse, torture, or executions. Martin uses violence in the proper context and thus it never feels like he's glorifying or condoning brutality. It's always chilling.

 

[biodroid]

Cool, seems like he uses violence when its necessary not for gratuitous effect.

 

[Ghost of Harrenhal]

They aren't action books. They are books that tell the story of a few select people in a world of betrayal and backstabbing, at least in my opinion. Sure there are action scenes in them but they are few and far between. In the first book I remember 4, possibly 5 actual fight scenes that didn't last that long and one scene where a character hears a battle and pictures it in her head.

The best part about the battles in these books is that they are so real that you don't need a first person account to realize how epic they are. In one moment in the first book there is a council of lords discussing the recent battles and how they completely lost an entire host just like that because of the lay of the land and the enemy's element of surprise. It was much more effective than putting a character in the middle of the battle and the whole chapter just being:

"He stepped left, the giant hammer crushing the ground where he just stood. He raised his sword and plunged it into his enemy's face, just as a new opponent charged him from the right."

There is little of that. And when it appears it is mostly small groups fighting or even one on one duels.

 

[Rainswept]

You're going to find ASOIF much darker than Feist and especially Eddings. Reading those you might think how amazingly cool it would be to be like Pug or Garion, or how amazing and interesting the worlds they live in are. I mean Edding's worlds are all controlled by gods who make sure things turn out ok.

ASOIF is a malevolent universe. Most anything bad that can happen will, and at no time will you get that lighthearted relaxed feeling you get from most fantasy. When you read Edding you might wonder "How is Garion going to get out of this one" when your favorite characters are in trouble in ASOIF you think "omg omg please don't die". The characters are very realistic and complete, and you come to care for them very much.

Boaz, remind me to never ask you about a story. You give away far too much.

 

[khankill]

I have gotten 6 people to read it with this method. "Read the first 75 pages, if you don't what to read more, I will never bug you about it again."

All of them now await ADwD.

 

[Wiggum]

I have gotten 6 people to read it with this method. "Read the first 75 pages, if you don't what to read more, I will never bug you about it again."

All of them now await ADwD.

Lol, that's pretty much what I say verbatim.

And Martin's defence of The Wall is the best fantasy action sequence I have ever read.

Erikson's Battle of Capustan in second.

 

[Boaz]

Boaz, remind me to never ask you about a story. You give away far too much.

Rain, you have no idea of how much restraint I actually showed in my post. When you punch the right buttons, I'll talk all day.

 

[vervain_ashe]

I have gotten 6 people to read it with this method. "Read the first 75 pages, if you don't what to read more, I will never bug you about it again."

All of them now await ADwD.

Yes, I've several converts now too!

 

[Weasel Soup]

Rainswept's "omg omg don't die" couldn't be more accurate. With the circle of my friends who have read his work we have all described certain points as "book throwing moments". There is alot of Martin just did what?!!

While there are battles, duels, seiges and fights, they never seem "thrown in" to "spice it up a bit". The outcomes of these events are also very much in doubt, and I have even found myself at points rooting for both sides (again individual character driven). I want this side to win but not that character to die.

Largely it is political intrigue, with a sort of mysticism approach to magic underlying (there are not all powerful socerers) with some very well choreographed fights. (It going to possibly be made an HBO series came as no suprize, as the fight scenes actually play out realistically. It is refreshing to read a fight where physics applies and so does endurance.)

The other thing that is wonderful about the action in Martin, unlike some other authors I have read is that A character who picks up sword for the first time in the first "chapter" is not the greatest swordsman in all of westeros 2 "chapters" later.

The other interesting diversion that Martin takes to much of the genre, the most powerful people are not necessarily the greatest warriors. While brawn wins some intrigues, it is largely the brains, the strategists and players more so than the battle tacticians that drive the plot.

And agreed, Westeros is a very violent world, but again, it does not seem gratutitous (to me) with the story arc of the plot.

Boaz likes to compare the writing to Clavell, which I would say is very fair.

 

[Boaz]

LOL!!! I just want Aegon to know that I did not solicit that comment from WS!! But like ASOIAF, Shogun is not driven by action... it's driven by characters. That's not to say the action is not good, in fact the action is heightened by the intensity of the characters. Remember Rodrigues trying to drown Blackthorne? How about Yabu cutting off the hands of that ronin? Or the Anjin-san strangling Lord Ishido? The ninjas, samurai, ritual suicide, escapes, earthquakes, and executions were all spaced out very well.

My one complaint about Shogun was that it was too short... only 1210 pages in paperback. I wanted the intrigue to go on and on and on.

 

[Wiggum]

Is Shogun anime?

 

[Boaz]

Is Shogun anime?

Well, the film version had Richard Chamberlain...

Seriously, the film is live action. It was an early 80's mini-series starring Richard Chamberlain, the King of Mini-series, and Toshiro Mifune (if you have not seen Kumonosu jo, aka Throne of Blood, or Shichinin no samurai, aka The Seven Samurai, then I highly suggest you do so). I think it's around eight to ten hours long. I've never seen it.

I think this thread has seen more hijackings than a Steven Segal movie.

 

[Koopa]

The book is all about blood and gore, with sadistic rape scenes, sm scenes, child abuse, swearing, pisscontests, axe throwing, ... Its a hoodlum filled book full of death and gore, the occasional prayer to all kinds of evil gods, a couple of eunuchs, megalomania everywhere, people thinking there beasts, warging in beasts, pyromancers, (girl) child soldiers, golddigging, and lots of other fun stuff.

BELIEVE IT, CAUSE IT'S TRUE (depending on how you look at it.)