A Song of Ice and Fire Update. (was forum=28)Follow

Well, it's taken him ten months but George RR Martin has finally given us an update on when to expect "A Dance of Dragons". He's still plugging away at it, but hopes to have it ready by the beginning of summer and available in the fall. There is also a new sample chapter available at his website featuring Jon Snow.

At the rate he's been writing I'd guess it's going to be about twelve years or so before he finally finishes the series. I certainly don't want him to do a rush job and not put out the best product he is capable of producing, but damn, I want to read the rest of the story already. I picked up the first book about six years ago. Eighteen years is a long time to wait to read a good story.

I really like the series too.


KSR's Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars took 17 years for him to write. But at least they were all published within a few years of each other, so fans weren't left hanging for that long.

Yeah, I've been impatiently awaiting this book as well. I can remember back when he was stating that having it done "by the end of the year" in 2006 was still considered one of his goals.

Apart from it not being finished, I consider it very good fantasy.


It's one of those series with lots of main characters that end up going in different directions. Each new chapter swaps which character you are following. At the end of every chapter I go "nooooooo! Arrrrgh! I want to find out what happens next!" but it's all ok, because the new chapter with a different person is just as compelling and exciting as the last chapter.


Some people find it emotionally difficult that Martin kills off main characters, but I love the realism of that... these are not safe times! And so far there's more people alive than dead. Well, of the main characters, anyway.

This series is probably the best written series of books it has ever been my pleasure to read. The characters are so well done, they leap off the page. The politics are compelling, confusing and engaging. You will mourn every loss as if it's your own, share every joy, seethe in shared rage, and cackle maniacally with every sinister subplot. You will find your nails shorter, chapter by chapter, as you slowly gnaw them away.

The villians aren't necessarily VILLIANS, the heros aren't easy to find, and the innocents are even harder to define. You will find yourself wanting to declare yourself a fan of one person or another. And you will cry.

In other words: [CENSORED, but rhymes with Duck King] PHENOMINAL books.

I am just glad I only started reading this series a few months before Feast for Crows came out because if I was reading it early on it would probably be the death of me. I need to start reading series that are already finished.