A Song of Ice and Fire: the long-awaited Book 4 is nearly here

[Matt Flynn]

Martin's had five years. Hopefully this is a quadrilogy.



A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 4)


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0553801503/ref=pd_bbs_null_1/104-5614935-5988738?v=glance

[Piiop]

On his website (http://www.georgerrmartin.com/) he says that Feast for Crows was too long. Instead of splitting it into two parts, he split it into two seperate books.

"The focus in FEAST will be on Westeros, King's Landing, the riverlands, Dorne, and the Iron Islands...Meanwhile, all the characters and stories removed from FEAST are moving right into A DANCE WITH DRAGONS, which will focus on events in the east and north"

So, awesome that this one is coming out, sad that there's more I'll have to wait to read.

[rocketlaunch]

Last I heard, GRRM was expecting the series to go seven books. That's up from the originally planned six, thanks to Feast actually becoming two books.

[Slow Play Ray]

I love this series. I can't believe it's been 5 years...and I can't wait for the next one. But I've seen it bumped back so many times now I'm losing hope - will it really come out this time???

[flatline]

[ QUOTE ]
I love this series. I can't believe it's been 5 years...and I can't wait for the next one. But I've seen it bumped back so many times now I'm losing hope - will it really come out this time???

[/ QUOTE ]

It is definately coming out. It will focus on the southern part of Westros. A lot of big POVs from the first three books, such as those on the Wall, will not be seen. But I don't give a [censored], its a new ASOIF book, and that's all that matters. These are easily my favorite books, and anyone who can handle the brutal events sould read them.

BTW, George Martin is fooling himself. No way this wraps up in seven books. He should just go ahead and call it nine.

[The Ocho]

I really liked David Eddings' stuff (Belgarion and Sparhawk series') when I read them in middle/high school. I've been rereading them lately, and they feel a little "thin" (a little too cutesy and rinkydink in parts) compared to what I remember, though still enjoyable. Is this series by Martin somewhat comparable to Eddings, but perhaps a little more sophisticated?

[Matt Flynn]

I hope he does wrap it up quickly. All the other long-term series have degenerated terribly. Terry Goodkind became boring, and The Wheel of Time became unreadable 3 or 4 books ago.

[flatline]

This series is hardcore. Nothing cutesy about it. No magical wizards and shining knights. No clear good or bad guys. Any character can die or have a terrible injury at any moment. Brutal violence. Lots of sex. Read any ranking of Fantasy/Scifi books and ASOIF will be #1. Nothing else really compares.

[flatline]

[ QUOTE ]
I hope he does wrap it up quickly. All the other long-term series have degenerated terribly. Terry Goodkind became boring, and The Wheel of Time became unreadable 3 or 4 books ago.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't see how it can wrap up quickly. The main story has just started. The kids still have to grow up. The two invasions have to take place.

[The Ocho]

[ QUOTE ]
This series is hardcore. Nothing cutesy about it. No magical wizards and shining knights. No clear good or bad guys. Any character can die or have a terrible injury at any moment. Brutal violence. Lots of sex. Read any ranking of Fantasy/Scifi books and ASOIF will be #1. Nothing else really compares.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sweet.

Too bad the name of the series is so dorky. More people would probably read this stuff if the sight of it on your endtable didn't make girls think you sat in your cellar all day eating expired Beefaroni and rolling for experience points.

[flatline]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
This series is hardcore. Nothing cutesy about it. No magical wizards and shining knights. No clear good or bad guys. Any character can die or have a terrible injury at any moment. Brutal violence. Lots of sex. Read any ranking of Fantasy/Scifi books and ASOIF will be #1. Nothing else really compares.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sweet.

Too bad the name of the series is so dorky. More people would probably read this stuff if the sight of it on your endtable didn't make girls think you sat in your cellar all day eating expired Beefaroni and rolling for experience points.

[/ QUOTE ]

I can't really disagree with you there. The cover art used to be just as bad. They just changed it to make it more classic looking, though.

[bobman0330]

[ QUOTE ]
I hope he does wrap it up quickly. All the other long-term series have degenerated terribly. Terry Goodkind became boring, and The Wheel of Time became unreadable 3 or 4 books ago.

[/ QUOTE ]

Fantasy series are subject to a version of the hold-up problem.

Say an author has a solid 7-book series planned.

He writes 5 books and has a loyal following. Now, he can either write 2 more good books or 4 medium quality books. He sells more books and makes more money doing the latter. Say he writes two more medium quality books. He know has about a book worth of content that he can stick in two medium quality books or 4 shitty books, etc.,etc. The latest Robert Jordan book could be summarized on an index card worth of bullet points.

Terry Goodkind suffers from this effect, but to a lesser degree, because the series' gimmick makes it obvious how shitty his books are becoming. "Richard, you forgot the Wizard's Fourteenth Rule: 'Buy low, sell high'!" doesn't have the same quality as some of the earlier books.

I think Ice and Fire is going that way too, from this development.

[wayabvpar]

I am rereading them now- I am 3/4 of the way through book 2. I am catching a lot more the 2nd time through; before, I was hurrying ahead to see who was going to get killed or maimed next /images/graemlins/blush.gif

The original publish date for book 4 was mid-September, which is why I started re-reading when I did- I had it timed perfectly! The push back to November really screwed me. Bastards.

[Slow Play Ray]

[ QUOTE ]
I am rereading them now- I am 3/4 of the way through book 2. I am catching a lot more the 2nd time through; before, I was hurrying ahead to see who was going to get killed or maimed next /images/graemlins/blush.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I should re-read them too, for the same reason, but I don't have time before the next one comes out. Too many other good books to read. Maybe I will re-read them all after both of the next 2 come out, I'm sure there will be a loooooong lull again.

[flatline]

[ QUOTE ]
I think Ice and Fire is going that way too, from this development.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not saying you are wrong, because obviously I don't know yet. However, Martin could have made more money by releasing this book years ago. I hope that he spent all this time making the book stand up to the quality of the previous ones. I also think it is premature to accuse Martin of Jordanism before he actually publishes a sub-par book. Man, it would really suck if this series headed that way.

[icepick]

Release date is tomorrow, right?

[Paluka]

[ QUOTE ]
Release date is tomorrow, right?

[/ QUOTE ]

Dude, I got the thing from England weeks ago. I made a thread about it with a topic A Feast for Crows.

[KaneKungFu123]

matt,

your pm box is too large preventing me from pming you. i need your awesome advice on something.

[vulturesrow]

[ QUOTE ]
This series is hardcore. Nothing cutesy about it. No magical wizards and shining knights. No clear good or bad guys. Any character can die or have a terrible injury at any moment. Brutal violence. Lots of sex. Read any ranking of Fantasy/Scifi books and ASOIF will be #1. Nothing else really compares.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well said. Basically, its fantasy for grownups, which the genre is sadly lacking these days IMO.

[Matt Flynn]

my pm box will stay too large til i delete 400 messages. e-mail me at mflynn3@yahoo.com

[DrSavage]

Sadly, all the people I know who read it already have said that it sucks big time, and they all are huge fans of first three books.

[asofel]

[ QUOTE ]
Sadly, all the people I know who read it already have said that it sucks big time, and they all are huge fans of first three books.

[/ QUOTE ]

yea i hate hearing that. i know paluka said that it was a letdown...not that it sucks big time tho, hopefully it'll still have some decent parts....

it sucks to given that i'm mostly done with knife of dreams and it definitely sucks....i had heard it was good too...

[Slow Play Ray]

[ QUOTE ]
Sadly, all the people I know who read it already have said that it sucks big time, and they all are huge fans of first three books.

[/ QUOTE ]

/images/graemlins/frown.gif i hope this isn't true.