So I got handed “A Game of Thrones” several months ago and I muddled my way through the first one, then after a long break, got into the second and got to the third and just lost interest. I mean, it’s such an involved and entangled story that I can’t keep everyone straight. And now the fourth book has been out for a while and I am tempted to try book 3 again, but I realized that it would be hard to pick up the stories without going back through 1 and 2 and it’s just looking more and more like a lost cause.
Thoughts from anyone?
I read the first two books and thoroughly enjoyed them, though I couldn’t remember what the hell was going on half the time. I reread them right before the third book came out, and then reread all three right before the fourth book was supposed to come out. It finally came out over a year later, and I haven’t been able to bring myself to read it yet.
I definitely recommend the series, though. I find it interesting the way Martin has been able to turn around my opinions. Characters you hate in the first book are ubercool by the third, and vice versa. But I think, like many fantasy series, if it doesn’t hook you in from the beginning, it might be a lost cause.
I usually have a very hard time following plots, not to mention plots with lots of characters. I had no problems at all with the first three books. Feast of Crows wasn’t as good as the others, but I’m anxiously awaiting book five.
If it doesn’t grab you, it doesn’t. :shrug:
I don’t try to keep all the characters and plots straight. I like Martin’s writing, and I like the characters and the story.
Is fantasy getting darker and more complex? I’ve only been reading it for a few years, and it seems that way to me. Going from Robin Hobb to Steven Erikson was like going from the wading pool to the Pacific Ocean.
Go read the science fiction series Chung Kuo. After that, the Song of Ice and Fire books will be a breeze.
Seriously though, this is one of my favorite fantasy series. All of the characters have moral shades of gray and complex motives, which in Martin’s hands makes for a very compelling story. If you need help keeping track of characters and storylines, see this Wikipedia entry.