Started: Feb. 4
Finished: Feb. 25
Notes: I'm well aware of the importance of this book and its series to modern fantasy, second only to Tolkien's works in popularity. I've been putting off this series because I wanted it to be finished, but that doesn't seem to be happening any time soon, so here we are. I did watch a few episodes of the TV show, so I am familiar with some of the characters and events, but to be honest I don't remember a whole lot and maybe it won't be ruined for me.
Mini review: It's a good book, with some of the clearest and cleanest prose I've found in a modern novel. Still, I'm not sure it deserves all the attention it's received. Maybe my thoughts here are biased because I had seen some of the TV episodes. Either way, though never bored, I also never felt overly excited reading this novel. I also rarely felt attachment to the characters, though a couple came close (Arya and Tyrion, for those interested). Concerning modern fantasy authors, I believe I prefer Brent Weeks for action writing and intrigue, and I prefer Steven Erikson for epic story and much more. All of this isn't to say Martin is not a good writer, because he most definitely is, but I didn't find this to be the great big be-all, end-all of fantasy literature that so many seem to think it is. Will I read further? Maybe, but probably not, at least not until the series is completed, which doesn't appear to be anytime soon.
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