[Metosblat]

Over the past 2 months i've been coming to this site there have been alot of well thought through arguments saying this author is best or that author is best. And still no-one can really agree as to which one rains supreme.
I just wanna know, of all the people who have read the song of fire and ice series, Who didn't like it?
because there's alot of people who love Tolkien and can't stand Jordan, and then there's the ones who love Jordan and can't stand Tolkien (me).
I don't really think i'd be able to find a person who has read Martin and (truthfully)doesn't at least like his style.
Correct me if i'm way off, but alot of my friends have read all three and seem to agree with me that no matter who your favourite author is(even if it isn't one of the above) Martin seems on average to have less of a "hate" audience than the other two.

[Pluvious]

I have personally never seen anyone who disliked Martin's current series. Some havn't read it, some don't think it is the best (although many do), but no one doesn't think it is good. When I visited amazon.com and read their reviews many hated Robert Jordan's current work, but none hated Martin's. That is high praise as far as I'm concerned. To me its like comparing a 40-year old adult to a 12-year old kid.

[FitzChivalry]

I actually met one guy on the net who didn't like Martin... but i don't consider his taste in fatnasy books very good.
He did like Melanie Rawn though.

[Rob B]

I also post on the Runelords (http://www.runelords.com) bulletin board (Runelords series by David Farland) similar to this and GRRM came up (surprise--surprise) and there was a person who did not like the series--they said that the first book was boring and didn't read the next two.

I'm no 12 year old kid, but I like WOT.

I personally think (start the flaming, he he)AsoIF may surpass LotR.

[This message has been edited by FitzFlagg (edited December 22, 2000).]

[FitzChivalry]

The Runelords is a pretty good series, the world and magic system are very original and plotline is ok, but i find it hard to relate to any of the characters and i think that the main hero's (forgot his name) philosophical ideas are a bunch of mambo jumbo.

Also, just another little thing that bothers me, i think the size of the armies there are too huge, hudreds of thousands warriors walk from place to place it's like World War 2 or something, how do they eat? what do they drink?

[Lady Fox]

I enjoy both Martin and Jordan. I prefer Jordan, but I can't say that I think his writing is any "better" than Martin's from a world building or characters standpoint. The fact that I like WoT better than ASoFaI is just a personal preference, though I have to admit, if Winter's Heart hadn't been any good, I would have been greatly depressed. PoD was a great disappointment to me and many other WoT fans.
BTW, I absolutely *hated* Runelords. I got about halfway through the first book and put it down. I couldn't finish it. It bored me to tears! I also didn't like the magic system. No way I would give up a part of myself so that someone else could be smarter or stronger or anything else. The character development wasn't all that great either.

[Thoughtcriminal84]

I think i'm the only person on this board who hasn't read Jordan extensively. Never even finished the first book of WOT; for some reason it was boring the piss out of me. Martin, on the other hand, grabbed me from the first page of Game of Thrones and didn't let up until I had burned through two books. (I have yet to read Storm of Swords, but i've a feeling that i'll be getting it for christmas, and I am a happy boy)
As for why that is, I could get analytical and talk about Martins strengths as an author, but that's been done to death...I think the most important thing is that he is presenting a excellent story that is in several ways unlike anything else (that i've read) on the market today. The genre is same old same old, but Martin is breathing new life into it, and that's something to cheer for.

[Thoughtcriminal84]

adding one little thought to what I posted...I think Robin Hobb is adding new elements to the fantasy arsenal as well...

[Cadfael]

Absolutely freekin' A... ThoughtCriminal!

One of these new element is unpredicability,okay... we know that probably we will have an happily ever after, but Martin and Hobb don't follow the norm to get us there...i.e.

#########SPOILER#########


Did you expect the demise of Edard Stark in book one of SoIaF? I didn't, that's for sure!


########END SPOILER#########

A break from the mould has been needed for a long time in fantasy, and with Martin and Hobb we have a start

[azaz]

I've just started reading, "A Game Of Thrones" a few days ago, I'm about 1/2 way through, and so far the book, has been excellent.

From most reviews, I have seen, about George Martins books, have been good, I do not really critize books that I do not like, because there are people out there who like them, But I do give reasons why I did not like a book, but I never tell a person not to read the book, as everyone has different taste. I think when a book becomes a big hit, there are many critics who look for something to complain about, and as everyone knows there is not a single book that is perfect. So when there is a book like LOTR, critics like to attack aspects of the book for some weird reason. So far I have enjoyed many books I have read, especially books that are in series. (for some reason I really like books with characters that you can easily get to know, with an excellent story line which has many twists, and I prefer they are a series, as the fun last longer, and you get to see much more of what happens to the character).