What other fantasy books do YOU read?

[Galadriel55]

I just started reading A Game of Thrones, from the series of A Song of Ice and Fire, and I already love it!

A few pages into the first chapter Finlandmoot suddenly started to make sense...

Edit: and Shasta's recent WW game too... Winter is comming...

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

I just started reading A Game of Thrones, from the series of A Song of Ice and Fire, and I already love it!

A few pages into the first chapter Finlandmoot suddenly started to make sense...

Please don't tell me you believe that stuff about Jon Snow being a self-pitying twat. He isn't really so bad even though some people try to portray him in a bad light.

I recently reread The Etched City by K.J. Bishop and if I had to name one book as my Favourite Ever, chances are good I'd pick this one. It tells the stories of a surgeon and a gunslinger who escape to the city of Ashamoil after a revolution gone awry. There's blood, mysteries, love, crime - and above all, Art. It is a truly beautiful, well-written and fascinating book.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Aganzir

Please don't tell me you believe that stuff about Jon Snow being a self-pitying twat. He isn't really so bad even though some people try to portray him in a bad light.

Not me. He's probably my favourite character so far.

All I meant was that now I understand where all the references came from.

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Not me. He's probably my favourite character so far.

All I meant was that now I understand where all the references came from.

Fair enough.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Aganzir

Fair enough.

Can you (or anyone else who knows) just tell me, how in the names of all their seven gods does "Eddard" shorten to "Ned"?

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Can you (or anyone else who knows) just tell me, how in the names of all their seven gods does "Eddard" shorten to "Ned"?

It's about as logical as the English language. How does Richard shorten to Dick?

There might be some weird linguistic stuff behind it. Or then it's relevant for the plot and, at the end of the 7th book, the entire world is saved because of that little irrelevant thing. In other words, I don't know.

[Bêthberry]

Okay, I'm going to change the topic just slightly.

Has anyone else read Patrick Rothfuss? I've read The Name of the Wind and was quite entranced by it. There's travelling players with a wry, robust sense of the world, a school of magic, wizards, an orphan coming of age, strange mythology and legends, the spell of music, layers of narrative, a shrewd look at an heroic age--all well and tightly written--and very clear homage to Tolkien (without being derivative at all).

You can read an excerpt here if you're a wee bit curious: Chapter Eight

The sequel (and second book in a projected trilogy), The Wise Man's Fear, came out last March but I haven't had a chance to look at it yet.

Anyone interested?

[Galadriel]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Not me. He's probably my favourite character so far.

All I meant was that now I understand where all the references came from.

My second-favourite. Number one is Tyrion Lannister

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Galadriel

My second-favourite. Number one is Tyrion Lannister

I changed my mind after some more chapters. Jon is second. Arya is first. The Imp is annoying. But less so than Theon: he's Viserys all over, just on the other side of the world.

I really like GRRMartin's style of writing. Although it has LOTR written all over it, it feels like a cross between Tolkien and Rowling. It has more day-to-day details like Harry Potter, but doesn't sound modern, and the plot and characters are much more Tolkien than Rowling. The style of writing is his own though. It's not as "ancient" as Tolkien's, but it's definitely not Rowling's modern style. It's different from both authors. Somehow it has HP's addiction and LOTR's beauty.

There is only one thing that really buggs me, though. So many names are similar to Tolkien/Downs names. It gets me confused about the characters. I still can't get my head around Lommy being a boy. (this one is from the next book in the series - A Clash of Kings)

[Galadriel]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

I changed my mind after some more chapters. Jon is second. Arya is first. The Imp is annoying. But less so than Theon: he's Viserys all over, just on the other side of the world.

I liked Arya, too. That is, until the middle of the second book. Then she started to ANNOY me. I admit, Tyrion was initially not high up on my list, but after the second book...man, I think Martin put a lot of thought into this guy! And I can't believe I'm saying this, but...Jaime Lannister is slowly working his way up, too!

Can't wait till the next book comes out! Martin left us some huge cliff-hangers in the fifth book.

[Lalwendë]

Tyrion also gets very irritating after a while, there's only so much wise cracking you can take! I think that's one of the best things about Martin as a writer though - his characters change quite a lot. I don't think I could idolise any of the characters in A Song Of Ice and Fire, not even Ned Stark, it's not a world of heroes and villains.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

That was a joke, G55.

Why do I always take jokes seriously and joke about serious stuff?

Originally Posted by Galadriel

And I can't believe I'm saying this, but...Jaime Lannister is slowly working his way up, too!

After a certain chapter of (supposedly) truthtelling, he went up my list as well!

Theon is the lowest on my list. He's such a low treacherous arrogant ungrateful big-headed coward!

Originally Posted by Lal

I don't think I could idolise any of the characters in A Song Of Ice and Fire, not even Ned Stark, it's not a world of heroes and villains.

I agree. Although I loved him for all his honourable traits, he deserved what he got. (do I hear some muttering? ) At Winterfell, where he and his justice ruled, he did fine - and got proper respect for that. But down south money is worth more than all his goodness and justice and etc. He couldn't get used to such a way of life, and wasn't fit for the game of thrones. But what really made him grey instead of white in my eyes was how he didn't stick to his honour till the end. Fine - if you value virtues above your life and the lives of those around you, so be it, don't listen to that fat ugly man telling you that you should turn around and lie to yourself and to others saying that you lied before to save your skin! And if you value truth so much, don't let it die with you! He belongs in the north, and that's that.

However, despite this, I have to give Ned his due respect for doing what he thought was right. He couldn't help it if what he thought and what others thought did not match, just as he couldn't help asking if honesty was always right.


Stannis is quite the intriguing character in the second half of the second book. If he'd only listen a bit more to some people around him! (You know, he, Viserys, and Theon remind me of the Hamptons - both father and son - from P&A :-D )


I have a feeling I'm getting as obsessed with talking about the Song of Ice and Fire as I was about a year ago with talking Tolkien. :/