Well, sort of
amazon.com has a release date of July 26, which, finally, seems plausible.
That is a strange way to do things. I don’t know if it will work for me. I hope he doesn’t take forever writing the second half (he will probably go over on that one too). Well at least the story seems to be pouring out of him, that is always a good sign.
Well, I got ready to scoff, since Amazon has been publishing bogus release dates for years, but sure enough, Martin himself confirmed it. Woo! Better start rereading the first three…
About time, too! I don’t mind having the book split in two by character rather than chronology. If it comes out quicker I don’t care if he releases it 3 chapters at a time, you know, whatever works for him. But really, apart from the first one, I don’t think they had such a definite novel structure (introduction, rising action, climax, wind-up) that he had to worry about producing two half-novels. My copy of Storm of Swords is one of those two-parters that he mentioned, and it’s not a problem.
Why are authors so reluctant to edit? I know they love their characters and want to tell us everything about them, but there’s something to be said for getting on with a focused story. Fantasy authors are particularly bad with this. While waiting for Feast of Crows I’ve been reading some Octavia Butler (the Patternmaster novels, sci-fi), and it’s such a pleasure to read a story that doesn’t give me the entire lifestory of a person, but leaves some things to my imagination.
Enough bitching. I’m sure this will be fantastic, completely contradict all of my fondly-held theories about my favourite characters, and leave me speculating for weeks about what’s happening with Dany et al. My partner and I will probably buy two copies so we don’t have to wait to read it when it’s released. Yay!
I’m slightly annoyed that we won’t be seeing anything of Arya, Bran or Dany in the next book, but I can understand the reasoning behind what they’re doing. This will be one of the few books that I’m actually going to put up with the bother of a hardcover book – usually I can wait for the paperback to come out.
About time. George, don’t go all Robert Jordan on us now, y’hear?
YAY!
I swear, I just checked the website on Saturday and the January message was still up. I’d just gotten my Game of Thrones back from a friend and loaned her my Clash of Kings, and thought I ought to see when I needed to start rereading.
Interestingly, I’m having a hard time getting through Game of Thrones again - because I’m coming up on the first of the “Big Deaths” and I’m so drawn into the story that I just can’t bear to read it.
Hmm.
My first thought was that splitting it by character, rather than timeline, was a stupid thing. But then I started thinking about how, in the first reading, I’d speed through certain chapters because I wanted to get back to a certain character’s story. I think splitting it up by character will actually be better - I’ll be able to savor each individual’s story, and not skip over Char X because I happen to be enthralled by Char Y.
Plus, I don’t care HOW he does it, I just want another book to read.
The biggest downside to this split is Tyrion is probably not going to have a big part until the next book. I was looking forward to where Martin was going with him…
Wha? Martin’s sample chapter on his website for awhile was an Arya chapter.
Re: the OP - PRAISE THE LORD!
wantbookwantbookwantbook!
Okay, now I’ve read the author’s note and am now absolutely freaked that his list of locales doesn’t include the Wall. I am dying to know what happens to Jon!
Grr.
Yeah, this seperating business is going to hurt if the wait is long. But I’m still excited :).
- Tamerlane
Me too! It’s going to be tough to wait and see what happens to Arya and Jon also but hey, I’m not going to complain–it’s been such a long wait that any storyline we can get at this point is going to be worth the wait, I’m sure.
Hot damn! The existing three books are now moved to the top of my pile of bedside reading in order to have a properly refreshed memory by release day.
I have the exact same problem. I love the series and dearly want to read it again - but knowing what’s coming up is really making it hard to read. Their happiness is so easily and quickly shattered by such selfish cruelty.
I still harbor a faint and futile hope that Eddard Stark is really alive and in hiding somewhere, waiting for the right moment to strike back. After the events of Storm of Swords, I don’t think that’s really possible, but still the idea lives on.
Finally! And I’ll be in Britain when it comes out, not stuck in stupid Korea with its stupid late releases. ::whines:: but I wanna know what happens to Jon and Arya and Bran!
According to some reports from the convention Martin was at this past weekend (where he talked about the structure of A Feast for Crows), Arya will be in the book. See the bottom of this link for a list of what POV will be in each book.
I don’t remember where Jord…cough… Martin said this (I believe on his website), but he had said that when he began work on Book 4, he realized that it was ACTUALLY Book 5, and so he needed to go back and write 4 before he finished 5.
My question, “So does that mean less wait for what was 4 and is now 5?” remains unanswered.
Gimme book. Want book.
Actually, that has been answered. Martin says that he’s at least half done with book 5 due to the shifting in the message on his site.