Halfway through book 3 and SoIaF is losing me...

[Gambit]

I think in Tommen's case Jaime is supporting his son, not just some false king. He also realizes that revealing this secret would most certainly mean Tommen's death. Whether or not you find honor in that decision is a personal opinion, but I think the point is Jaime is a more complex character now than he was at the start, it's hard to tell what motivates him sometimes.

 

[Werthead]

I'd say that pausing after ASoS is a valid idea. GRRM meant to have a five-year gap after the events of Book 3 which would have effectively turned the series into two triloges and, whilst few storylines are resolved, most are 'plateaued' or put into a holding pattern at the end of Book 3 that does not require immediate resolution.

So stopping at the end of Book 3 and coming back when the rest of the series is out is a perfectly valid idea. Naturally, it's easy for me to say that as I read ASoS on day of release and then waited five years and two months for AFFC, so for a long time I didn't have much choice but to stop at ASoS

 

[C Of K]

I think in Tommen's case Jaime is supporting his son, not just some false king.

Possible. Considering what's happened to the previous kings, support could mean getting him out of the whole mess. I think he's trying to hold on to all the power his family has gained. That seems to be what most people involved with the game of thrones would do.

He also realizes that revealing this secret would most certainly mean Tommen's death.

That might depend greatly upon who comes into power after the Lannisters. Someone like Ned, for instance, wouldn't have Tommen killed. He even tried to show mercey toward Cercei after he found out about the whole mess.

What is honorable may be different to different characters, but in their civilization somethings just aren't honorable. Deserting the Wall just isn't an honorable thing to do no matter who your son is, or what his situation is. Supporting someone who has no claim to the throne can hardly be seen as honorable by any of them.

 

[soulsinging]

I'd say that pausing after ASoS is a valid idea. GRRM meant to have a five-year gap after the events of Book 3 which would have effectively turned the series into two triloges and, whilst few storylines are resolved, most are 'plateaued' or put into a holding pattern at the end of Book 3 that does not require immediate resolution.

So stopping at the end of Book 3 and coming back when the rest of the series is out is a perfectly valid idea. Naturally, it's easy for me to say that as I read ASoS on day of release and then waited five years and two months for AFFC, so for a long time I didn't have much choice but to stop at ASoS

That's my plan. I've read the first 3 since September and think I kind of need a break. I've heard that it's a decent point to pause, and I want to wait and read AFFC and ADWD at the same time, since they were kinda supposed to be one book anyway. That will give me time to do some other reading... I can't decide if I want to read Elantris, or just try and clear Name of the Wind off my shelf... it's been there a while!

 

[soulsinging]

Wow... I just finished SoS and it might be one of the best novels I ever read. Epic doesn't even begin to describe it. I even had blown some of the spoilers (like the red wedding) but the book didn't suffer for it at all! As soon as I finished, I wanted to go right back to Game of Thrones and start the series over again!

Thanks to all those who let me whine and waffle endlessly about this series and for encouraging me to stick with it... it paid off in a huge way!

 

[Rolynd]

Wow... I just finished SoS and it might be one of the best novels I ever read. Epic doesn't even begin to describe it. I even had blown some of the spoilers (like the red wedding) but the book didn't suffer for it at all! As soon as I finished, I wanted to go right back to Game of Thrones and start the series over again!

Thanks to all those who let me whine and waffle endlessly about this series and for encouraging me to stick with it... it paid off in a huge way!

Good luck with AFFC

Hey my first thread (and post) in the GRRM section reached 5 pages

Thanks for warm welcome and interesting responses

 

[viZion]

I recommend reading AFFC right away. I didn't like it the first time I read it after waiting 4 years for it to come out butI didn't reread the first three books before reading it. It was really hard to get into and pay attention to after so long between books. However, when I reread the entire series last year I really enjoyed it. It seems to flow a lot better if you pick it up directly after ASOS. It's a nice change of pace after all of the intense action at the end of ASOS.

 

[soulsinging]

I recommend reading AFFC right away. I didn't like it the first time I read it after waiting 4 years for it to come out butI didn't reread the first three books before reading it. It was really hard to get into and pay attention to after so long between books. However, when I reread the entire series last year I really enjoyed it. It seems to flow a lot better if you pick it up directly after ASOS. It's a nice change of pace after all of the intense action at the end of ASOS.

i think I'm going to wait until ADWD comes out and read them together. I think the whole it missing a bunch of characters thing would be a problem for me, so I figure it might make more sense once I've got both halves of the story. Though it's possible I'll crack over spring break. I think I need a bit of time off though. I've got a ton of other books on my shelf I'm trying to get through, and I want to reread it so badly that I think I prefer to reread the whole series once ADWD is out and go straight through all 5.

 

[HareBrain]

I read FFC straight after SOS (following straight on from the first two) and I wish I'd waited. I'm not surprised many were disappointed with it if they'd waited four years to read it. I enjoyed it, but it left me feeling less satisfied than SOS did - the overall sense of progression was less, and there was no real conclusion to anything. In fact, I'm struggling to remember anything of significance that happened. So my advice would be to wait for DWD (or even for the end of the series, which is what at the moment I'm intending to do, but we'll see how long I last when that next book hits the shelves ...)

 

[Raven]

I read FFC straight after SOS (following straight on from the first two) and I wish I'd waited. I'm not surprised many were disappointed with it if they'd waited four years to read it. I enjoyed it, but it left me feeling less satisfied than SOS did - the overall sense of progression was less, and there was no real conclusion to anything. In fact, I'm struggling to remember anything of significance that happened.

Well, let's see - Maester Aemon died, but not before revealing that Dany was the PwwP (and it does not get much more 'significant' than that). Cersei was overthrown. Sam went to Oldtown and Arya went to Braavos. New and important characters were introduced. Brienne was mutilated. And of course, Winter arrived.

These and many more things are 'significant', IMO. I think you'd have a point in saying that nothing spectacular happened. There aren't any big battles, or other set-pieces of that kind, which there are in the other books. I know a lot of people were disappointed about that, and about the absence of Jon and Dany, which limited the amount of 'significant' developments that were possible.

Personally, I liked AFFC better than ASOS, but I understand why many people liked it less.

 

[Boaz]

Good luck with AFFC

Hey my first thread (and post) in the GRRM section reached 5 pages

Thanks for warm welcome and interesting responses

Rolynd, you're welcome.

I'm not sure if you've read AFFC or if you'll wait for ADWD and read it along with AFFC. I think that's valid... Wert's post on page five presents this case well. But unless you're going to read one chapter from AFFC and then one chapter from ADWD repeating until you finish, then I think you might still be slightly disappointed with the content of AFFC.

I say this because the pov's of AFFC might not be exactly what you want... and there's just no getting around this. GRRM introduces eight new pov's in AFFC. To put this in perspective, he introduced us to eight pov's in AGOT, two new pov's in ACOK, and two new pov's in ASOS. That's twelve character's to follow, well ten after Eddard's and Catelyn's deaths. So the addition of eight new characters in AFFC made me feel that I was starting all over from scratch. Again, Wert's comments regarding a double trilogy makes the introduction of so many pov's make sense.

In fact, I admit I was not eager to start learning and understanding the new pov's from the Greyjoys and Martells. I'm pretty much an unabashed fan of ASOIAF, yet I found myself sort of rushing my reading of Aeron's and Asha's pov's so that I could get back to Jaime and savor a pov that I knew and loved.

Upon rereading AFFC, I was able to pause and try to connect with the new pov's from the Iron Islands, Dorne and King's Landing. I wold have liked more from Areo, Asha and Victarion. I confess that I did enjoy Brienne's pov very much. She's a great foil for Sandor.

soulsining, I'm glad you were thrilled with ASOS, but I apolgize if I spoiled some of it. The are spoilers on every page of this forum.

Now without spoiling anything from AFFC, Raven is right in saying that there are major story developments... major. But there are precious little plot resolutions, if any. My favorite parts are the character developments of Brienne, Sansa, and Jaime... espcially Jaime.

 

[HareBrain]

Well, let's see - Maester Aemon died, but not before revealing that Dany was the PwwP (and it does not get much more 'significant' than that). Cersei was overthrown. Sam went to Oldtown and Arya went to Braavos. New and important characters were introduced. Brienne was mutilated. And of course, Winter arrived.

And that's it? In a 900-page book? "Sam went to Oldtown"?

The prosecution rests, m'lud.

I'll repeat, though, I did enjoy it.

 

[Wiggum]

The Ironborn's Kingsmoot, Euron and the horn, the reveal of the machinations of Doran Martel, the telling statement about the strength of the Spears of Dorne, the rise of the Sparrows, The Sandsnakes, Qyburn in the Black Cells, introduction of Areo and Darkstar, Jon sending off the babe to avoid Mel's fire, Littlefinger and Sansa, and everything else mentioned above, and then on, and on, and on......

I understand if people in general didn't like it as much as they thought they would, but the complaint that not much happens just doesn't hold water.

 

[soulsinging]

soulsining, I'm glad you were thrilled with ASOS, but I apolgize if I spoiled some of it. The are spoilers on every page of this forum..

Oh, nobody here spoiled anything for me. Everyone here does a great job of giving heads ups for spoilers... I spoiled it for myself during one of my doubting periods when I went to the Towere website and read the prep for AFFC because I was planning to give up and wanted to see how things shook out. I need to learn more patience!

 

[soulsinging]

The Ironborn's Kingsmoot, Euron and the horn, the reveal of the machinations of Doran Martel, the telling statement about the strength of the Spears of Dorne, the rise of the Sparrows, The Sandsnakes, Qyburn in the Black Cells, introduction of Areo and Darkstar, Jon sending off the babe to avoid Mel's fire, Littlefinger and Sansa, and everything else mentioned above, and then on, and on, and on......

I understand if people in general didn't like it as much as they thought they would, but the complaint that not much happens just doesn't hold water.

Does Littlefinger play a large part in AFFC? He's one of my favorite characters.

 

[Boaz]

Does Littlefinger play a large part in AFFC? He's one of my favorite characters.

Not really, he dies on page 5.

 

[Ursa major]

But by page 17, he is replaced by his evil** twin brother; who, on page 734, is discovered to be Petra Baelish, Littlefinger's cross-dressing sister.


But none of this has much effect on the plot; although a consummation with any of his/her five wives is a bit of a problem.


But Boaz will know the details.





** - How, you may ask, can you tell the difference...?