Kevin's Watch

I'm about half way through "A Clash of Kings" and I'm really enjoying this series so far, so no spoilers please! However...

Is it just me or are some of the magical elements of the story a little hard to accept? The Others I can believe, maybe because they were introduced right at the beginning, but the birth of the dragons and Melisandra's magics feel like they've been sprung on us as an afterthought.

I will try not to spoil anything by saying this series is IMO the best fantasty series ever, so keep reading! I want to reread it myself (again), but I'm waiting for the official release date of the next book so I can time it right....I'm doing the same thing with Donaldson. I'd do the same with Erikson too, but he writes too fast! As for the use of magic in this series; it sure isn't as pretty as in LOTR, that's for sure. Other than that, I don't feel it was an afterthought.

Oh, I'll definitely keep reading!

I'm actually looking forward to re-reading them, now that I know who all of the characters are.

I personally find the magic makes sense. The birth of the dragons is a turning point--that much seemed obvious, because up until then dragons seemed extinct. At the same time the world is changing (Winter Is Coming), with prophecies starting to be fullfilled. Yeah, I bought it.

Me to. Hook, line and sinker!

I think that the magic is much more believable than the idea that A Dances with Dragons is going to be released in this decade.

Farm Ur-Ted wrote:I think that the magic is much more believable than the idea that A Dances with Dragons is going to be released in this decade.

A very good point.

Okay, this has got nothing to do with believability, I just have to vent!

I'm just over halfway through A Storm of Swords and I'm in shock...

Spoiler

Three of my favourite characters have just all got killed off in the space of two chapters!!!!!!

I suppose I could see it coming, I just didn't think he (Martin) would do it.

Audacious, isn't it?!?! Welcome to GRR Martin land!

Okay, this is officially one of my favourite fantasy series ever. Is it bad that I'm upset over finishing AFfC and want to go back and read the series all over again?

No but if you want to jump into another spectacular series I would recommend R. Scott Bakker's The Prince of Nothing Trilogy. It starts with "The Darkness that comes Before". For me, Donaldson, Martin and Bakker are all gods within the Holy Trinity of fantasy authors!

Thanks! I'll keep that in mind.

I've just started Steven Erikson's Garden's of the Moon but I'll keep an eye out for it.

IMO Erikson > Martin (and I *really* love Martin) but Gardens of the Moon was really tough for me to get through. Keep at it though and go straight into the next book and it is SO worth it.

I hope you enjoy it!!

Misteweave, I'm starting Gardens of the Moon as well and like Waddley, I had a hard time at first. So hard, in fact, that I put it down for a year and decided to pick it up again because Fist kept going on about what a great book it is.

Brinn, I agree with Donaldson and Martin but I've never read Bakker. I will have to pick him up now. Thanks for the tip.

But, Gardens of the Moon first.

IMHO, Bakker is leaps and bounds ahead of Erickson as an author. Gardens of the Moon was a difficult slog for me and, although the following books were better, the series just hasn't hooked me. I think the cast is much too broad and the chracterizations much too thin.

Erickson has improved as a writer since "Gardens" and he has an amazing imagination. I also applaud him on being able to handle such a vast and convoluted plot without getting lost (as Martin apparently has). Unfortunately, his prose doesn't impress me and all the characters feel like slight variations of one another. Once you've read Bakker I'd be interested in your comparisons.

Forgive my ignorance...but is Martin's stuff done as Series or Novel/Trilogy?

Martin's is a series. He's up to... six or seven books? Maybe five. It's been a while. If I had to put money on it, it'd be six.

caamora wrote:So hard, in fact, that I put it down for a year and decided to pick it up again because Fist kept going on about what a great book it is.

Exact same thing happened to me, 'cept I think it was Luc who made me pick it back up. And I'm really glad that I did.

Martin's series is supposed to be 7 books long. Originally it was supposed to be a trilogy, but he expanded it to 6 books, then Feast became too big so he expanded it to be 7.