A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin

Why did they cut out most of this stuff from the show?!! The Young Griff plot, using the Wildlings to man the abandoned castles of the Wall, specifically knowing that Arya and Jon being wargs?? Would have fleshed out some of the last seasons a lot better. But that's why Martin is awesome and D and D fall flat. The sad part? Now I have to wait with the masses for the next book. So unfair.

Pages: 1125

A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book 2 in A Song of Fire and Ice series

This book was slow for me, especially in the first half. I enjoy the many different story lines, but they drug a bit. It lacks strong forward motion for a while, and that left me with a feeling of random wandering. In return, my attention wandered, and I cheated on this book with other stories, which slowed my pace.

However, I do love many other things about the story lines, characters, and world, so I am still debating whether or not to continue reading this series. I think I need to take a break before moving on to book 3. I want to know what happens, but I feel exhausted.

Pages: 761

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Since I'm late to this game, I'm not sure what I can add to the discussion on this novel.

In some ways, it's very Tolkien-esque, in that Martin definitely digs deep into the fantasy world building, and it's clear there are many layers of information hidden beneath the story that I will never even see or read. In fact, by the end of a novel by either author, I think I have probably forgotten more than I have learned, because it can be so difficult to file away all that information on a first read.

In other ways, it's nothing like Tolkien, in that Martin writes edgier, darker, bloodier, sexier, and more horrifying scenes and moments than Tolkien ever did. And I both like and hate that, at any given moment.

After I finished reading this, I watched the first season of Game of Thrones, and that worked great. The TV show stuck reasonably close to the book, and it helped me to see all the characters come to life on the screen before moving on to book 2.

Also, it should be noted that I listened to a lot of this on audiobook, and it's a particularly good recording. I think I almost prefer listening to it over reading it, though I did both, depending on what was convenient in the moment.

Last thought: I recommend this to anyone who digs deep fantasy. You have to be someone who can weather the storm of heavy descriptions, in-depth histories, an extraordinary number of characters, lengthy battles, and multiple, complex story lines. If you can tackle that, I think you'll find there's a lot here to love.

Pages: 835