Oh the Irony... (no April fool content)Follow

I gave up years ago. When one of the 600-page novels spanned only a week of time or something. It just got too complicated and I couldn't be bothered to keep up with it all anymore. That and with so many years between books, you inevitably lose interest.

The above makes me very happy I just finished reading GGRM's books now, and only fond out that book 5 has been, like, 6 years in the making. >.> Least I didn't start them years ago.

I first started reading GRRM November-ish? with talking books. I put them on my mp3 player on my way to and from classes and really enjoyed it. (If you can do this, do so, Roy Dotrice is amazing and GRRM hand-picked him to read them. I read the first half of 4 printed and was not nearly as engaged as when having it read aloud.) Seeing as my commute is an hour each way, I was glad to find such a great (and long) series. The fact that the books are about 50 hours long was really nice. I just finished 4 a couple weeks ago and the consistent rumor (according to GRRM himself, but he's promised this before) that fall is still the probable date.

Until then, I'll find another series to read, or go back to all my Robin Hobb books for the summer. Haven't read the Soldier Son trilogy again yet. Think it'll make 4 or 5 for Fitz though. Maybe I'll read the Liveship trilogy again with the other six this time, but I didn't enjoy them nearly as much.

Then again, I graduate library school in a month, so once I find work (gawd help me there, it's impossible to find library work where I am), I won't be at a loss for books. :p

I think I couldn't read Liveship again was because of the depth. I hated so many characters and really cared about others... Except I didn't really like Althea at all. I figured out pretty quickly who Amber was, but the sea serpents and Kevin and everything being so completely grey turned me off. None of the characters except Wintrow and and end-of-the-series Kevin and the crew turned me.

I'll probably read it again this summer depending on if I can get work, but I prefer the Fitz stories - they're traditional and fun and are the usual "adventure".

That and I have an incredible fear of drowning (near-drownings as a child do not make water a friend) and do not like ships at all. Althea's brooding and Kyle's complete lack of character but for his purpose of having the ship really bothered me. Near the end you find out that there's a bit more to him than what you think, but it still wasn't enough.

Favourite part of the series is when everyone's in Bingtown at the end with Tintaglia(spelling?) and her and Wintrow. I think Hobb just wanted to write a series in which every character was as tortured as humanly possible.