Somebody had to do it . . . are you dancing with dragons?

I was sooooo disappointed with A Feast For Crows. To all you folks already tearing through A Dance With Dragons, what do you think so far? Has Martin struck gold again? Or is it pyrite?

I'm delighted with it, but then I wasn't so negative about AFFC. Having Jon, Tyrion and Dany back is wonderful.

Nope. I've tried reading the series, but I guess it isn't my flavor. I'll try again, later. I open the first book every couple years.

Well I'm excited. I am going to re-read the previous book just to remind myself (cos of the wierd split thingy) of what's happening then I'm getting my dancing shoes on! the only problem is it's been so long waiting for this book that I have developed all theories in my head of what I think is going to happen and what I want to happen and if the reality is too far from that now I might be dissapointed :P (Jon Snow = Lyanna+Rhaegar anyone? or is that just me?)

I'm thinking it may be a while before I read it, as it's one of those books I'll want in french because I'm not the only one around reading it, and I'll probably be waiting for the MMP.

I just hope this time they'll publish the whole book as they've been doing with the reprints of the earlier parts of the series, and skip that "oh we're so going to scissor that into 3" extra-step, grrrrr...

#6: I'm surprised to hear you're reading it without reading the previous books, I wouldn't recommend doing it like that, I don't think they really stand alone as seperate books, but that's just my opinion. If it does get too confusing I would suggest you try Game of Thrones, rather than give up on the series all together.

Yeah, Dance isn't really a good place to start for jumping into Westeros. I'd pretty highly recommend starting at the beginning.

I read Dance, cover to cover within a couple days of release, and it was good... honestly, it felt more like simply completing the half of the story that we were missing with Crows rather than really accomplishing anything new, but it was a solid continuation of the series!

Now here's hoping we don't have to wait another six years to find out what happens.

#8 'Now here's hoping we don't have to wait another six years to find out what happens.'

Someone on another thread had an interesting idea about that, have you ever read the Stephen King book Misery? Now where did I put my mallett..... ;P

I had planned to read the others again before reading Dance but wasn't finished when it came out, and I couldn't wait. I thought it was good - not really pleased with a couple of the characters and he really leaves you hanging! And yes, PLEASE don't let it another 6 years before the next one.

I am half way through now, I thought he couldn't surprise me any more but I was SO wrong!
Ha ha I have a bad feeling about those pork pies ;)

Lord Manderly is awesome.

Yup

Have finally finished! Brilliant if slightly traumatising. Right, when's the next one out then?

More than slightly traumatizing. But yes, brilliant. As usual, "I didn't see that one coming" said about 6 times...

Ehhh, I wasn't too impressed after reading Dance. Just too much travelling and most characters not really getting anywhere. There some bright spots - Barristan, Griff, Victarion, Bran - but they, for the most part, made up far too small a portion of the novel.

It's like the story has been in a holding pattern for the last two books. Things SHOULD finally kick off again in the next novel but I'm finding it increasingly hard to see how the story can be wrapped up in just another two books.

I agree there wasn't nearly enough Bran but I enjoyed the book still. Though I will say this is definatly not the sort of series where you could read any of the books as a stand-alone and enjoy it, it really is just one narrative lopped into chunks. I don't think it would matter so much if there wasn't such big gaps between books. Just think in the future there will be lucky people who have not yet got into them who will be able to just read the series right through to the completed end in one go! lucky bastards.

>17 KayEluned:

I am resisting reading it now and waiting for at least one more book... especially considering that I am switching languages and I plan on rereading the previous ones...

Good plan AnnieMod, it will be worth the wait believe me : )

Oh, that I know :) And knowing myself, I will probably end up reading them before the next one is out but will see.

About a quarter of the way through. It's great to have Tyrion back in action. But poor Theon...uh, I mean Reek. Rhymes with: good grief! Wasn't expecting that at all. It will be a long, long wait for the next one.

Yes, poor Reek. In a lot of ways he deserved what he got and more, but I still can't help but feel sorry for him. The bastard of Bolton is a bad, bad man.

I felt really sorry for Theon, I know he betrayed the Starks but still, no one deserves that!

I just have 100 pages left before I finish the book, and it's too hard to think we will have to wait for YEARS to read the next one.

I have just read the Selmy POV, with the story of Ashara, and I can't help but think she is Jon's mother.

Seven hells ! Where is sweet Sansa ? What is going on with Cat-ghost, Brienn, Jaime ?

My favorite character is by far Tyrion, and he has a lot of chapters in this book, for my greatest pleasure. GeorgeRRM never gets a character where he is supposed to go.

I really appreciate his way to describe the dragons. They are beasts, wild, but they can recognize names, people, they seem smart and soo dangerous. A bad step and you are cooked.

Is it just me or I have a lot of trouble to identify the different meerenese/astapori/yunkai people ? they have very similar names. It's funny, in a Quentin POV chapter, his friends has the same problem as me :)

I haven't finished the book, so there is some possibilities still, but I find it weird that Melisandre stays at the Wall. She knows something, she want to stay with Jon, something will happen. I think I have to finish this book TONIGHT !

Winter is coming !

(sorry for bad english)

I just finished A Dance with Dragons and am already going crazy wondering what comes next. Martin can't finish the next book fast enough. I am so thoroughly into this series. I enjoyed A Feast for Crows, too, if enjoy can be considered the right word. ;)

As for the characters not seen in this book, mainly Sansa and Bran, I figure not much is happening with them to be worth writing about. I expect we'll see a lot about them in the next book.

Three years and still counting.
To KayEluned:
I am also in favour of Jon Snow being the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar , but you know George, he may have something up his sleeve.
Perhaps part of the delay is finding something bad enough as a fate for Ramsay Bolton that George can write and not throw up all over the keyboard. I have not thought of anything myself.

Tyrion for King!

#26 DinadansFriend

I have a problem with Ramsay Bolton now, when I read the book he was clearly 100% loathsome and I couldn't wait for him to meet a horrible end. But then the TV series cast Iwan Rheon in the role! (I apologise for my lowering the intellectual tone here by reference to the idiot box) Obviously the character is still evil but in an oddly charismatic way? Or is that just me....

To Kay
I think that to put any recognizable human form on Ramsay would improve his status, especially the nice kid from "Misfits", but still, Ramsay is a truly Satanic being. you have to be morally strong and decide whether you have forgiven poor Theon as well. I'm still hoping RB dies of Dragon fire, an inch at a time.

I'm now in my eighties and despair of reading the final books. I'd like to kick Martin up his fat backside for leaving us high and dry after Dance with Dragons. The TV series ending was an insult.

I think we'll see the next book, but the last? Maybe not under Martin's pen at this rate. Despite the accolades and money he pulled in, I'm sure there's days in front of his keyboard when he regrets having been quite this ambitious as a younger man twenty-odd years ago.

I've not watched the show besides a handful of episodes from the first season, and have no intention of doing so. Not surprised the last season went off the rails when they ran out of source material to work from. That's tightrope walking without the rope.