Convince me to keep reading "Game of Thrones"

[boogiemomz]

I picked it up at the library based on rave reviews here and the popularity of the HBO series (haven't seen it). Granted, I tend to get easily distracted and bored at the very beginning of a book before I'm really engaged in the story, but I'm kind of scratching my head with this one. I'm getting a LOTR vibe... a cult following and great storytelling, but maybe just not my thing (I liked the LOTR movies well enough, but couldn't get through the books). Will I be able to get past the crazy hybrid animals and medieval sword play? I'm gonna need some extra motivation to push through, I think.

[elektra]

SPOILER ALERT:




I just finished this book two nights ago. I too started after hearing about it on the BBB, and then from a few people IRL.
I was shocked when I hit the last page. There is so much unresolved! I guess I need to read the whole series to find out what happens. I was going to come post about today actually.
The story is good and i did get very into it, and the end was very climactic but again, there was so much left unresolved, even for a series.

[robinsmommy]

Well, this latest book isn't the last one is it? For me, who started the series when it first came out, I intend to wait until it is done to re-read all the ones I've read and read the ones I haven't. It just takes him too long to churn them out to be satisfying to wait.

I guess I have two big worries - that Martin will die with the series unfinished (not sure how old he is, but at the rate he writes it seems possible)

or that it will go the route of Terry Goodkind and become the series that does not end, and goes downhill......

the reviews on the latest one aren't great on Amazon, people are saying it doesn't live up to the first books. So I am back-burnering it for awhile. Maybe it'll be done by the time my oldest is out of the nest....

[BabyBearsMom]

The first book is definitely the slowest IMO. The story is vast so the entire first book is just setting up the characters and locations. The second and third books are phenomenal. I just finished the 4th and it was another "set up" book for books 5-7, so also not my favorite, but the middle 2 are worth it.

It isn't really like LOTR. It is a book that takes place in a faux-midevil period, but the similarities stop there, IMO. There isn't a great journey with pages upon pages upon pages of walking like there is in LOTR. Also, I think that the fact that all of the main characters are human makes it different. Some of the most interesting plot lines in the series are when they are exploring the brutality of humans in a time of upheaval. The character development is exceptional in the series and I will argue to anyone that Tyrion Lannister is the best character in modern fiction. Even most of the characters that start out a little annoying in the first book (Sansa for example) become much more interesting as the books progress. I would say that this is one of the most worthwhile series I have read in a long time.

[BabyBearsMom]

Originally Posted by elektra

SPOILER ALERT:




I just finished this book two nights ago. I too started after hearing about it on the BBB, and then from a few people IRL.
I was shocked when I hit the last page. There is so much unresolved! I guess I need to read the whole series to find out what happens. I was going to come post about today actually.
The story is good and i did get very into it, and the end was very climactic but again, there was so much left unresolved, even for a series.

All of the books end with a cliff hanger. I just started book 5, and I am afraid to finish it because who knows when 6 will come out. A lot of the plot lines in the first book start to wrap up, but he does a great job of developing them and sprouting off from them into other areas. I can't imagine how he keeps it all straight!

Originally Posted by robinsmommy

Well, this latest book isn't the last one is it? For me, who started the series when it first came out, I intend to wait until it is done to re-read all the ones I've read and read the ones I haven't. It just takes him too long to churn them out to be satisfying to wait.

I guess I have two big worries - that Martin will die with the series unfinished (not sure how old he is, but at the rate he writes it seems possible)

or that it will go the route of Terry Goodkind and become the series that does not end, and goes downhill......

the reviews on the latest one aren't great on Amazon, people are saying it doesn't live up to the first books. So I am back-burnering it for awhile. Maybe it'll be done by the time my oldest is out of the nest....

There are going to be 7 books total according to what I have read. It is scary to think that GRRM might die before they are done, but with HBO breathing down his neck, I am hoping he will speed up his writing (didn't it take 6 years for him to do this last book!). I started 5 and it seems good so far. It is getting excellent reviews from most of the book critics (a lot of whom slammed the 4th book).

[boogiemomz]

Ugh... I'm SO not good at hanging in there for the boring first 400 pages... I managed to get through Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and I enjoyed it in the end, but it was barely worth dredging through the first half of the book for me. I'll try though... these are some glowing reviews!

So, to reiterate--even though I'm not generally crazy about all the fantasy/medieval stuff, I'll still like it once I get into the story?

[SkyrMommy]

I agree that the first book took some time to not only get through, but also for me to sort the characters and their links out.

I just finished reading book 5 on my Kindle and when I got to the last page I couldn't believe it!!!! I kept double checking that I was at the end, because I was gripped!

[robinsmommy]

Originally Posted by BabyBearsMom

It is getting excellent reviews from most of the book critics (a lot of whom slammed the 4th book).

Hmm - it does get excellent reviews from critics on Amazon, but the readers' reviews give it only 3/5 stars with over 600 reviews. Not sure what to make of that. I haven't found too many authors who managed to make a long series work really well, and I'd be a bit surprised if he can make a tidy ending with only 7 books. So many authors, even great ones, just start to lose it past book 3 or 4.

I *love* Elizabeth Moon's "Deed of Paksenarrion", and while I enjoy the latest books (I think there are now 2/3 along with the original trilogy and two prequels that she is trying to weave together) they aren't as good as the first trilogy. It's like an author has to top some already great books and will end up doing a literary "jump the shark" kinda thing.

I guess I'll just wait and see.

ETA: GRRM is I guess 62. So he is getting up there.

[BillK]

I'm almost done with the 5th book now and I see already there's still a LONG way to go with resolution.

I just hope by the time Martin gets #6 & 7 done I'm still interested enough to worry about reading them.

I liked books 1, 2, 3 while 4 was just mehhh for me. 5 is better than 4 but not as good as 1, 2 or 3 imo. LOTS of new characters introduced in 4 & 5.

[wellyes]

I don't normally read magic and dragon type books, but I loved this series . I think they're really worth reading. I had a hard time getting into the 1st and but was totally enthralled once I was deep into the series.

I think the thing Martin is best at is upending expectations. There were at least 3 points in the first book that SHOCKED me by going in a totally different direction than I expected. That continues on in the series.

VAGUE SPOILERS
People you think are minor characters become central, people you think are central are killed, storylines change direction, people you think are villians turn into heroes, and vice versa, over and over, and it actually makes sense in context. It's brilliantly done.