Final summary: Yeah, okay, this is the other half of the book from 2005. Good to have... but now I want *book five*. This was book four-and-a-half, and spent almost its entire running time playing catchup in situations where I *knew* nothing major could happen because if it had, we would have seen it in book four.
Catching up on Tyrion, yay! Catching up on Daenerys, sort of yay, mostly not because the most interesting thing about her is the dragons and they are Sirs Not Appearing In This Book for 95% of it. Which means we spend a ton of time on Daenerys being *boring* and reactive and not accomplishing much. Also not appearing in this book: Sansa! WHOOOOO! Best Ice And Fire book EVER, just for that! And things actually went less wrong (because, no Sansa) but still went wrong DESPITE no Sansa, so it is remotely possible that my theory that everything bad that happens to anyone in Westeros is directly and personally her fault may need a slight adjustment.
People are still remembering her and thinking about her, though, so that might be why bad things are still happening.
1) Almost nothing happens in the early parts of the book, 2) A few things of note early... do not get played out (Jaime / Brienne) 3) We get several major things crammed in late of seemingly great import. 4) Almost all of those things either re-write prior events (Davos, Quentyn), or set us up for repeats of events I don't want to see (Crazy Cersei again, some more). 5) Really, we needed another Targaryen? Or to bring Connington back? Or to start killing Connington off? It's a cast of 1,000 + 1 now 6) As much as I understand Varys' plan, and think he is absolutely correct that the longer Cersei is in charge, the better it is for the dragon loyalists... I don't really need the callback to the Dark One letting the Lord of Chaos rule.
It is, almost completely, a set-up book, with a little sprinkling of spice at the end to make it seem like it's worth the wait. Not sure I think it was. And, while I'm interested in how things all play out... I can't say that I'm interested in any of the *characters* all that much anymore. The deconstruction of Tyrion is interesting... but not if it doesn't lead anywhere.
Funny summary I saw elseweb:
"omg there's so much snow" "omg Meereen's in trouble" "omg what are we going to do with these Wildlings" "omg how am I going to get to Dany" "omg there's so much snow" "omg Meereen's in trouble" "omg what are we going to do with these Wildlings""omg how am I going to get to Dany" "omg there's so much snow" "omg Meereen's in trouble" "omg what are we going to do with these Wildlings" "omg how am I going to get to Dany" "omg there's so much snow" "omg Meereen's in trouble" "omg what are we going to do with these Wildlings" "omg how am I going to get to Dany" "omg is Stannis really dead?" "omg those slavers are going to get what for!" "omg is Jon really dead?" "omg how am I going to get to Dany" The End
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(no subject)
Date: 2011-07-16 04:44 pm (UTC)Catching up on Tyrion, yay! Catching up on Daenerys, sort of yay, mostly not because the most interesting thing about her is the dragons and they are Sirs Not Appearing In This Book for 95% of it. Which means we spend a ton of time on Daenerys being *boring* and reactive and not accomplishing much. Also not appearing in this book: Sansa! WHOOOOO! Best Ice And Fire book EVER, just for that! And things actually went less wrong (because, no Sansa) but still went wrong DESPITE no Sansa, so it is remotely possible that my theory that everything bad that happens to anyone in Westeros is directly and personally her fault may need a slight adjustment.
People are still remembering her and thinking about her, though, so that might be why bad things are still happening.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-07-18 03:12 pm (UTC)1) Almost nothing happens in the early parts of the book,
2) A few things of note early... do not get played out (Jaime / Brienne)
3) We get several major things crammed in late of seemingly great import.
4) Almost all of those things either re-write prior events (Davos, Quentyn), or set us up for repeats of events I don't want to see (Crazy Cersei again, some more).
5) Really, we needed another Targaryen? Or to bring Connington back? Or to start killing Connington off? It's a cast of 1,000 + 1 now
6) As much as I understand Varys' plan, and think he is absolutely correct that the longer Cersei is in charge, the better it is for the dragon loyalists... I don't really need the callback to the Dark One letting the Lord of Chaos rule.
It is, almost completely, a set-up book, with a little sprinkling of spice at the end to make it seem like it's worth the wait. Not sure I think it was. And, while I'm interested in how things all play out... I can't say that I'm interested in any of the *characters* all that much anymore. The deconstruction of Tyrion is interesting... but not if it doesn't lead anywhere.
Funny summary I saw elseweb: