[Frilansare]

OK, I've heard that his books are very good now and I was just wondering what they are about. Anyone got something thats not good about his books let me hear it to.
Heh. thanks

[Barbarossa]

The "song of ice and fire series" will be 6 books long when finished. So far there are three books:

The books are written from multiple points of view, and are set in a land called the seven kingdoms (they have only one king, but grew together out of seven).

One charcteristical pecularity of this world is that seasons have no fixed lenghth but vary a lot and may last years.

This makes especially winters very dangerous.

The books start some 15 years after a civil war toppled the old dynasty, at the end of a very long summer.

In the center of the plot are members of the families Stark (rulers of the north, and strong supporters of the new king), Lannister (the kings in laws) and Targeryan (the old overthrown dynasty).

I don't want to bring too many spoilers but i think it's safe to say that during the first three books we get another civil war with multiple parties. We also get hints of a far mor dangerous threat that slowly builds up in the background.

Personally i would say the books are just perfect. Most people just love them. Criticisms you sometimes hear:

- To much (graphic) sex szenes

Personally i think they are part of the plot but some people mind them.

-Too many characters, too complex a plot
For me it can't be to complex and it never bogs down as with Robert Jordan

-The books are dark and gritty, Martin like Tolkien uses magic very sparingly, slowly (very slowly) increasing the amount of magic in the books.

[Eventine]

Just a note on all this pressure to read GRRM - I held out for months. People on the baord where raving. Calling him a great. Best ever. Other hyperbole.
I didn't read him just because I figured he couldn't actually be that good.

Then one day at the book shop, not knowing what to read, I picked up the first book. And became an official convert to his cause. It was exactly the style of fantasy I like - sweeping plot, interesting characters and magnificent twists.
Now I am just wondering whether he can keep it up for the rest of the series...

[jasers]

hey all, i'm a newbie here. The first fantasy books I ever read (not including books I read when I was much younger, i.e. C.S. Lewis's Narnia series which I still think was cool) were Jordan's WOT series. I read the first 8 and I, like most apparently from reading some of these posts, thought it started out awesomely and just dragged on and on. Then I read Goodkind's SOT series. I thought those were pretty entertaining reads, nothing special, but I didnt' feel like I wasted my money buying those books.

Then I read Martin's A game of thrones, and I was just amazed. To be fair, my favorite types of fantasy are those taking place in medieval times type environments, but I just thought it was a great book. The second book was just as good. I've yet to read the 3rd one, but from what I hear, it is great too. I only hope that Martin knows what he is doing and knows where he is going with his series, and does not drag it along. After all, I thought Jordan's series started spectacularly as well. I hope this board is fun, it sounds like it is filled with great, interesting people with differing opinions.

Jasers

[sueVee]

I have been reading science fiction/fantasy for 36 years. I started with the oldies of Hienlein, Bradbury, LotR,anyone but me remember "Let's build a spaceship guys!" type of book? ...at any rate IMHO Martin is one of the BEST I have ever read! Now granted I will read almost anything and have!!!! But this writer grabs you and holds you and keeps you.

[allanon]

Well,some info-GRRM's "A Storm of Swords" won a Locus Award in Friday,7th of Jule.Every book of ASoIF has this Award.

[Rhaegar]

Here's some very interesting news concerning George R.R. Martin's next book in his ASoIaF series. Book 4, as most of his fans know, was to be titled "A Dance with Dragons". But apparently this has changed. According to GRRM's UK publisher, book 4 is now called "A Feast for Crows". "A Dance with Dragons" will now be the title of book 5. This hasn't been confirmed by GRRM himself yet, but the people who run the biggest GRRM board on the net claim to have confirmation from GRRM publishers. Hmmm... "A Feast for Crows"... I like the sound of it.

[Keyoke]

Dont know if anyone knows of this site, but, just in case..
http://www.georgerrmartin.com/

[FitzChivalry]

I hope that name won't come instead of A Time for Wolves, i think ATfW is a better name...

[azaz]

George R R Martin is one of the best going.

Bad bits:
- Too much sex scenes, which I think only a few of them play anything in the plot.

- *Maybe Spoiler* I keep having to support new characters, as he keeps killing my Favourite ones.

- Waiting time between books can get frustrating. 2 years.

- You really need to read it a hundred times, and even then you will continue to discover new stuff. Well I soppose this is good, because you are really getting more than your monies worth.

That all I can think of.