George R. R. Martin (as well as other recommendations)

[Gulp]

Originally Posted by Killometer

HBO's production of A Game of Thrones has finally motivated me to start reading the series (before I see the show ).

All it took was the prologue and I'm totally hooked.

You're going to freakin' love it! Game of Thrones and Buffy the Vampire Slayer are the top things I recommend whenever the opportunity arises. If only they were combined...

Buffy the Kingslayer

[Hahma]

Originally Posted by Gulp

You're going to freakin' love it! Game of Thrones and Buffy the Vampire Slayer are the top things I recommend whenever the opportunity arises. If only they were combined...

Buffy the Kingslayer

The wife and I really used to dig Buffy the Vampire Slayer when it was on TV. It was quite funny, especially Spike.

While I saw the first episode of Game of Thrones when it was aired, I don't have HBO and will wait to by the DVD release. I can't wait. The books are awesome and I'm in the middle of re-reading them.

Fantasy Flight Games has a Game of Thrones: Living Card Game that from what I hear is very very good. I'm jealous because I don't have have people near me that would be interested in that game, otherwise I'd be on it like flies on poop. I did get FFG's Lord of The Rings: Living Card Game and I really enjoy that. It can be played solo or co-op and I know people that will play that one and I can play it solo whenever I like. The Game of Thrones game isn't solo or co-op as it obviously wouldn't be thematic that way. You need to have other players to enjoy the great dynamic of the books.

[A_Train]

I'm going to get the Game of Thrones LCG soon, I saw it at my FLGS. I have at least one person who will play this game with me, but I've heard it excels at 3 or more players.

[Hahma]

Originally Posted by A_Train

I'm going to get the Game of Thrones LCG soon, I saw it at my FLGS. I have at least one person who will play this game with me, but I've heard it excels at 3 or more players.

Yeah, that's what I heard as well. Hopefully you can find a third and fourth player. I've read a lot of good things about it. Let us know how you like it.

[Jormi_Boced]

I would definitely say the more the merrier for the AGoT LCG

[Gulp]

I've got the Game of Thrones card game, and I think it's great. Especially if you're willing to commit to picking up some of the expansion packs.

In case you're not aware, the attacking is very interesting. It's sort of like magic in the attack phase, but you can choose three different types of attacks: military (a brute force attack), intrigue (spying and causing people to discard) and a power attack (vying for political power). You can attack with each different power once. That means that you have to decide who to commit to fights. If you let the attack go unchallenged then your opponent gets power tokens from the defending players house.

Plus at the beginning of the round you reveal one of the limited number of plot cards. You decide the order. Basically this determines who goes first, how much money you have to buy [mana-like lands] which provide gold to put units on the field, and there are other effects like where you have to pay money to be able to attack your opponent. It keeps it interesting and adds to the theme.

The GoT LCG is MUCH more interesting and fun that the LotR LCG (which I was very excited about).

This is a boiled down version of the game. Check it out!

[Hahma]

Originally Posted by Gulp

The GoT LCG is MUCH more interesting and fun that the LotR LCG (which I was very excited about).

This is a boiled down version of the game. Check it out!

I like the LOTR LCG a lot and I'm sure it will get better with Adventure Packs. It provides a nice niche for a solo and co-op game for me. However, I can see how AGOT LCG would be more fun as it's interactive with other players as opposed to playing against the Encounter Deck. I'm envious of those that have play groups that will play it.

[Jaz1597]

So...what did everyone think of ADWD? Spoiler-free of course....

I was pretty satisfied. Sure, there were some big cliffhangers, and the narrative was choppier than I might have hoped, but I still thought it was superbly well written.

[A_Train]

I thought it was almost as good as the first 3. For me, Feast for Crows was a bit of a let down, and lacked a lot of the intrigue of the first three. I don't know if it was a lack of favourite characters or what. It was still a very good book just falls short in comparison to the first three.

I can't do this spoiler free...

Spoiler Alert!

Really, if you haven't read, I'm spoiling a lot.

Spoiler Alert!

Bringing back Theon as a POV was a great surprise to me. And somehow, GRRM almost makes him into a character you can pity, despite some of what he has done. It's hard to imagine Theon ever regaining any joy out of a life, and it comes across as sad.

Jon executing Janos was a great start to the book and one I never saw coming.

While little Aegon not actually being dead is not a total shock, the way he was presented was. I wonder if it limits the surprise Dany would have had when she arrived.


Speaking of Dany, I really thought the series was going to end with her arriving on the shores of Westeros. Since she didn't, and in fact, did little enough with her dragons, I feel this book did not earn its title.
I've read a lot of complaints that Dany was boring, but I actually enjoyed her chapters. They just didnt get as far as I thought they would.


Bran. 10 years and we get a mere 3 chapters of Bran. That is disappointing. Bran has never been my favourite viewpoint to read, but he was finally getting somewhere . The reveal of the three eyed crow to be Bryden Rivers was amazing (if you haven't read the Dunk and Egg stories, maybe this wasn't as big a deal). We needed more. Will Bran leave this place? Did he speak to Theon when Theon was in the Gods wood?
More was needed from him.

I really expected one of Tyrion or Victarion to reach Dany. The fact that at least Tyrion did not was disappointing. He will have to do it early on in the next book I think.


Barristan was my favourite new viewpoint added since Storm of Swords, I think. He's great.


Quentyn Martell (thus far) was not a needed character in my view. He doesn't accomplish anything in this book. The only reason to have added him, may be the repercussions to his death (Dorne no longer supporting Dany per haps).

That's all I can think of off the top of my head, but would love to hear the thoughts of others who have read it.

[Jormi_Boced]

I am not quite finished yet. I have been trying to break after each chapter.

[A_Train]

I tried limiting myself to two chapters a night, but there were times I flat out ignored that. I definitely tried not to read two chapters from the same POV in the same sitting.

[Jormi_Boced]

I have been trying to read just one chapter and then do something else for a while. Last night I read 2.5 chapters in a row though