Arriving In Westeros; or, I Just Started the Song of Ice And Fire Novels
 

So, after being driven mad by the constant and neverending internet praise seeing quite a few people online recommend it, I was finally persuaded to try the novel A Game of Thrones. As it turns out, it's not too shabby.

• I was somewhat impressed by the decision to off Ned Stark near the end, but not necessarily that surprised. After seeing him basically try and use shame, of all things, on Queen Brotherfucker I decided he was too stupid to live.
• Arya's a pretty cool kid, isn't she? I hope she grows up to be the bitchinest rapier-wielder in Westeros. ...Of course, now that I like her, she's probably gonna end up raped and murdered, isn't she?
• Similarly, I kind of like Tyrion--he's like a smaller version of Edmund Blackadder from Blackadder II. So he's probably going to do something absolutely reprehensible that spoils my enjoyment forever, right? That's generally how this goes.
• Fuck yeah, Daenerys. She really took off as a character once she finally got shed of her pissant brother with what I can only snickeringly refer to as a "golden shower". She's another one I like/expect nothing but horrible things to happen to because this is grimdark serious fantasy, dammit.
• Catelyn Stark--this book's Marge Simpson. "Oh Homie Eddard Robb, you really shouldn't do that." Not that she's not right most of the time, but that doesn't make her a very compelling character.
• Joffrey's a shit. I know he comes by it honestly (from both parents, ahem) but still.
• Man, Martin doesn't half like to write some sex scenes, doesn't he? And when there's no sex, there's usually somebody just strutting around bare-ass nekkid for the flimsiest of reasons. Man, I don't even know.

So, anybody else read these? Anybody else like these? Any insightful critiques of the series? Favorite characters? Are we taking bets on how many years it takes before the latest installment actually gets finished?

I've never read these books, but this seems a likely outcome.
 

Not necessarily in that order!

There is pretty much no way I am reading these books until the author has officially finished the last one, and by that I mean the actual author, not "the author dies before he finishes the goddamn series and they get some entirely different dude to write the end instead".

To be fair, a lot of the first book is just setting things in motion. By the time book three rolls around, it get's pretty damn compelling.


*Well, just remember that it was Joffery's idea. The queen wanted to keep him alive as a pawn. That Joffery is a pretty cool guy, eh? He executes people and doesn't afraid of anything.
*Arya is one of my personal favorites. I think she certainly has the most unique of the storylines.
*Your enjoyment of Tyrion (my personal favorite) depends greatly on how well you can sympathize with someone who wants things to be nice and peaceful so he can entertain the ladiez.
*Dany is hit or miss for me. I tend to like the supporting characters around her more than herself.
*Catelyn Stark's strengths are shown more as time goes on. The first book doesn't really give her anything to work with. But her character is always very much a mother figure.
*You have not yet begun to despise him.
*I see what you mean, but it's usually because that is usually something people do. It's just that Martin treats it as part of the scene.
I really like the series. It manages to deftly weave together a large cast into a coherent narrative that rides roughshod over the characters. Even when characters survive, they bear scars and memories of what happened.

The novels are "inspired" by the War of the Roses so it certainly has a lot of rich material to draw from. Oh, and zombies, ice demons, and sorcery to make for some interesting twists in the fabric.

My favorite characters are Tyrion, Arya, and, surprisingly, Jaime (though it takes a while).

And I like to think that the tv series will hopefully spurn the author to finish by 2016(HA!).

Hehe, also worth noting the incredible emphasis on the detail of the feast scenes that are frequent in the story. Apparently Martin doesn't have any type of food he dislike he something. :3

Anyhow, things are going to take a long time according to TVtropes. Martin started this series because he wanted something he could write about for a long time, but the story exploded on him and now it's not something he's 100% inspired about. Fans have pestered him about not writing on the books 24/7 and saying he has a responsibility to get the series done quickly as opposed to the most current situation with the most recent book taking around 5 years, when he's getting burned out with the series.

Also, the fourth book is quite different from the other three (it only features half the normal cast of main character POV) because he wrote so much that the contents couldn't fit in the bindings, even with the tiny font and all. So he shelved many of the characters including some of our favorites for the next book. Which is one of the reasons for the fan's dismay, considering they haven't read anything great about Tyrion or Daenerys since book 3. It's taking toll on their patience...

Although not mine, since I only started like 3 months ago. ^^

Anything I could say would probably spoil things, let me just say that by the end of A Clash of Kings Tyrion is the baddest motherfucker in existence, and by the end of A Storm of Swords Arya is on her way to becoming the baddest motherfucker in existence.

Also, as for the sex scenes, I think a lot of weird fetishes kind of work their way out of Martin's head, especially Martin's penchant for nipple twisting. And breast milk, in one scene from A Feast of Crows that will gross you the fuck out--but you can't look away!

A little in-joke of mine regarding character deaths is that whenever you see Martin having a character's nipples twisted, you know they're going to be around for a while! Otherwise he wouldn't bother having them get their nipples twisted.

Just started A Clash of Kings a few days ago. I'm not finished, of course, but one first impression that stood out so far: When you get right down to it, Shae and Tyrion actually have a pretty good series of transactions relationship (no matter what he tells himself).

On a scale of 1-10, how much should I feel compelled to read these novels?

It does provide some very good insight into his character.

1 if you don't like political intrigue, hardcore fantasy (meaning both very swords and magic, but also with many adult themes), or well written characters.

10 if you are interested in some damn good books.

And now is a good time since the latest is due out in a few months.

10 it is.