Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
The books
-
01-05-2020 11:18pm#1
Comments
-
Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 18,255 CMod ✭✭✭✭
Join Date:Posts: 16286
Very much so; there are significant gaps in the series and characters are not actually cardboard cut outs (looking at you final season) with both strengths and flaws and the Dorne stuff is actually decent (compared to the atrocity in the show which was written like a poor porn movie). Only be warned that a) the books are not finished yet (and may never be) and b) it gets more and more wordy towards the end of the series. In many way the adherence to the books is summed in a picture like this; first seasons being the closest to the book (but still not including all the nuances) and diverging more and more over time.
0 -
-
-
-
-
Advertisement
-
-
TLDR: The first couple are good fun but the padding becomes more of a chore as they go on (IMHO of course)
I was reading them as they came out from book 2 onwards and have given up at this stage. I'm sure he won't miss my 15 quid or whatever but I won't be buying the next book if it ever comes out. Not out of pique or anger. I just don't care anymore about the characters or the storyline. As has been said, many fantasy book series tend to fall into a few traps (I have tried to make the spoilers as light as possible for the OP but OP, this does state where the current books stopped so you may want to avoid looking.......... Seriously because it highlights pointless storylines that you may follow):- The series (Usually starting as a trilogy) is expanded into more and more books. Either because of poor editing or business decisions (Especially if a series becomes a hit part way through: Why have 3 books when you can have 5).
- These extra books require more and more characters that you know are going to be superfluous to the story. Assuming people have watched the series, remember, right now, in the books. All these storylines 100% pointless regarding the end. In the books, after 4197 pages and 24 years (Not an exaggeration) this is where we stand Last warning OP/non-readers:Tyrion still hasn't even MET Dany.So instead of cutting out the dross, their editor says: Let's make each larger than the last one but actually moves the plot along even less than previous: Bring in more characters, spend another two paragraphs on the food, have favourite characters go on pointless side missions. I'm all for world-building but there comes a point where it moves from building to padding.
Sam seemed to spend about 3 miserable and depressing years with a crying baby and STILL hasn't access to the Citadel. Hanging around with a mate who you knew wasn't going to change a thing.
Sand Snakes and potential other Targaryan.
Sand snakes in general. WHAT did they contribute?
Viking election/pages upon pages upon pages upon pages about elections, their religion, how unlikeable Euron is
Jon Connington. The one storyline that was interesting. Now we know is defunct.
Jon Snow has JUST "died". And, unlike Rob, we instantly knew that was BS.
Lady Stoneheart or whatever her name is.
Ramsey and "Sansa"
Arya has JUST been made blind - The first two books were good fun (In standard Thrones bleak fashion
) They were tight enough for GRRM. Maybe cut 10% out of each. The third was bloated but did have some stunning (at the time) sections. But still could have cut at least 25%. Book 4: Now we know how much is irrelavant and only there for padding? A good 45% could be cut. - Sometimes the authors just tie themselves up in knots. Where do you go when you have killed off half your good guys and most of your primary-focus bad guys before you reach half way?
- Authors also lose interest and move on to other projects. (Sound familiar?)
Regarding these specific books, As I said above, book 1 and 2 are good fun. Book three keeps you going with genuinely interesting twists and turns but is still a slog from time to time. And book 4 was a chore.
It was quite interesting to see how the series/books quite traditional arc became more and more obvious as it went on: Anyone who has read fantasy could easily pick out the standard tropes:
The bastard/farmboy/orphan/whatever who is hiding (Either knowingly or not) his royal lineage.
Beautiful but cold/dangerous dragon queen/elf
Badass female knight/assassin
Badass warrior race (Usually silent except to impart ancient wisdom )
Unrealistically noble king/leader who dies early to kick it all off.
The Undead
A dwarf
A noble/wise drunk
About the only thing it didn't rely on (In the series anyway. It's hinted at in the books.) is magic. I mean, you could have (And most did) called Jon's lineage by the end of book 1.
I'm coming across harsher than intended. The first couple are fun but there are better series of books out there with a better chance of being finished.0 -
TheIrishGrover wrote: »TLDR: The first couple are good fun but the padding becomes more of a chore as they go on (IMHO of course)
I was reading them as they came out from book 2 onwards and have given up at this stage. I'm sure he won't miss my 15 quid or whatever but I won't be buying the next book if it ever comes out. Not out of pique or anger. I just don't care anymore about the characters or the storyline. As has been said, many fantasy book series tend to fall into a few traps (I have tried to make the spoilers as light as possible for the OP but OP, this does state where the current books stopped so you may want to avoid looking.......... Seriously because it highlights pointless storylines that you may follow):- The series (Usually starting as a trilogy) is expanded into more and more books. Either because of poor editing or business decisions (Especially if a series becomes a hit part way through: Why have 3 books when you can have 5).
- These extra books require more and more characters that you know are going to be superfluous to the story. Assuming people have watched the series, remember, right now, in the books. All these storylines 100% pointless regarding the end. In the books, after 4197 pages and 24 years (Not an exaggeration) this is where we stand Last warning OP/non-readers:Tyrion still hasn't even MET Dany.So instead of cutting out the dross, their editor says: Let's make each larger than the last one but actually moves the plot along even less than previous: Bring in more characters, spend another two paragraphs on the food, have favourite characters go on pointless side missions. I'm all for world-building but there comes a point where it moves from building to padding.
Sam seemed to spend about 3 miserable and depressing years with a crying baby and STILL hasn't access to the Citadel. Hanging around with a mate who you knew wasn't going to change a thing.
Sand Snakes and potential other Targaryan.
Sand snakes in general. WHAT did they contribute?
Viking election/pages upon pages upon pages upon pages about elections, their religion, how unlikeable Euron is
Jon Connington. The one storyline that was interesting. Now we know is defunct.
Jon Snow has JUST "died". And, unlike Rob, we instantly knew that was BS.
Lady Stoneheart or whatever her name is.
Ramsey and "Sansa"
Arya has JUST been made blind - The first two books were good fun (In standard Thrones bleak fashion ) They were tight enough for GRRM. Maybe cut 10% out of each. The third was bloated but did have some stunning (at the time) sections. But still could have cut at least 25%. Book 4: Now we know how much is irrelavant and only there for padding? A good 45% could be cut.
- Sometimes the authors just tie themselves up in knots. Where do you go when you have killed off half your good guys and most of your primary-focus bad guys before you reach half way?
- Authors also lose interest and move on to other projects. (Sound familiar?)
Regarding these specific books, As I said above, book 1 and 2 are good fun. Book three keeps you going with genuinely interesting twists and turns but is still a slog from time to time. And book 4 was a chore.
It was quite interesting to see how the series/books quite traditional arc became more and more obvious as it went on: Anyone who has read fantasy could easily pick out the standard tropes:
The bastard/farmboy/orphan/whatever who is hiding (Either knowingly or not) his royal lineage.
Beautiful but cold/dangerous dragon queen/elf
Badass female knight/assassin
Badass warrior race (Usually silent except to impart ancient wisdom )
Unrealistically noble king/leader who dies early to kick it all off.
The Undead
A dwarf
A noble/wise drunk
About the only thing it didn't rely on (In the series anyway. It's hinted at in the books.) is magic. I mean, you could have (And most did) called Jon's lineage by the end of book 1.
I'm coming across harsher than intended. The first couple are fun but there are better series of books out there with a better chance of being finished.
Agree with this 150%. I slogged my way through all of them, but honestly think I slept read through the last couple at least..0 -
Advertisement