Is... is that Dave-y? The original Brit is back!

Shhh, don't tell anyone... :crossedlips:

I just did the same, re-read all the books in prep for number five.

Have to agree that Feast For Crows is the runt of the litter, but it didn't feel like a trudge, in fact, by the end of it I was left wanting more (it has some cracking cliff hangers).

I'm loving the show, and even more so the reaction by the internet. I hope they don't treat all the battles that way, Whispering Wood made sense as their was no POV in it, but the Trident battle in the book showed an interesting facet of the Tywin/Tyrion relationship that the show skipped, but when all is said and done, the show has exceeded my expectations.

PS hello again...

Hey Dave, welcome back.

I have only seen the first two episodes of the HBO series so I am not sure how these things have been handled. But I will get the DVD of this season and any further seasons once they are released.

And yeah, your comments on A Feast of Crows are fair. Holding it up to the other books makes it easy to kind of look down on it but it is still a solid book and most certainly creates some great cliffhangers. I think I hold a grudge against it because, first it took so freaking long to come out, and second, because Martin didn't address the POV/storylines of my two favorite characters at all in it (Daenarys and Jon Snow) But that just means those two should be heavily covered in Dance with Dragons right?

Holy cow. That is a big expense for a 4 book series that has been chopped up. I can't imagine why book 1 would be broken up into 5 paperbacks.

Indeed, especially considering that I bought all four books in trade paperback size for a bit more than $65.

why the Japanese versions?

My wife is Japanese. While she can converse fairly decently in English, there's no way for her to comfortably read something like A Game of Thrones in English.

But that just means those two (Dany and Jon) should be heavily covered in Dance with Dragons right?

That's the plan!

I also hope after struggling through these 'bridging' books the last two will flow from him more naturally and won't take so long to write.

I won't be holding my breath though.

That's the plan!

I also hope after struggling through these 'bridging' books the last two will flow from him more naturally and won't take so long to write.

I won't be holding my breath though.

Welcome back Dave; it's practically a Grand Reunionification around here of late. I hope life finds you well.

Welcome back Dave; it's practically a Grand Reunionification around here of late. I hope life finds you well.

Thanks Scott, can't grumble

After the interesting email about rules and regulations on Paul's board(!), how could I not resist popping in. Nice to see so many regulars still around.

And just to stay on topic, Game Of Thrones rocks!

And just to stay on topic, Game Of Thrones rocks!

More of a rock ballad for me, but worth a look for sure.

And yeah, your comments on A Feast of Crows are fair. Holding it up to the other books makes it easy to kind of look down on it but it is still a solid book and most certainly creates some great cliffhangers. I think I hold a grudge against it because, first it took so freaking long to come out, and second, because Martin didn't address the POV/storylines of my two favorite characters at all in it (Daenarys and Jon Snow) But that just means those two should be heavily covered in Dance with Dragons right?

You are correct, sir. The original book was called A Dance With Dragons, but by the time it was finished, it was much, much too long to be published as one volume. It just could not be printed up without making the text so small as to be illegible.

The publishers offered to split it up into two books, telling the first half of the story arc of all characters in volume 1 and the second half in volume 2, but Martin balked at that, preferring to instead tell the complete story arc for half of the characters in volume 1 (A Feast For Crows) and the complete story arc for the remaining characters in volume 2 (A Dance With Dragons).

AFFC focused on Kings Landing, Oldtown, and Dorne (The South) and ADWD will focus on the North and the Free Cities. I'm a bit frustrated right now because the release date was June 12th and I still have not received my preorder. I reread ACOK and ASOS in preparation, but I am saving AFFC so I can read both books side by side as they were intended.

You are correct, sir. The original book was called A Dance With Dragons, but by the time it was finished, it was much, much too long to be published as one volume. It just could not be printed up without making the text so small as to be illegible.

The publishers offered to split it up into two books, telling the first half of the story arc of all characters in volume 1 and the second half in volume 2, but Martin balked at that, preferring to instead tell the complete story arc for half of the characters in volume 1 (A Feast For Crows) and the complete story arc for the remaining characters in volume 2 (A Dance With Dragons).

AFFC focused on Kings Landing, Oldtown, and Dorne (The South) and ADWD will focus on the North and the Free Cities. I'm a bit frustrated right now because the release date was June 12th and I still have not received my preorder. I reread ACOK and ASOS in preparation, but I am saving AFFC so I can read both books side by side as they were intended.

The thing that bugged me most about that explanation from Martin is if he had the book pretty much done but it was that big, the plan to break it up into two books is fine, but why did it take 4 years in between the two books?

The first release date I saw for ADOD was in May and the most current I have seen is July 12th. It sure as hell better come out in July or I may revert to my bad opinion of Martin. But honestly I cannot wait to read that book.

The thing that bugged me most about that explanation from Martin is if he had the book pretty much done but it was that big, the plan to break it up into two books is fine, but why did it take 4 years in between the two books?

A good question, especially since Martin predicted at the time that ADOD would come out "soon" after the publication of AFFC. What's the answer? I don't know, obviously, but it has been curious (and a bit frustrating).

The first release date I saw for ADOD was in May and the most current I have seen is July 12th. It sure as hell better come out in July or I may revert to my bad opinion of Martin. But honestly I cannot wait to read that book.

You and me both. Martin has said that date was firm, but I have not gotten a notice saying my preorder has shipped yet. I'm starting to get a little nervous.