If you enjoyed the GoT books you should check out The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie - it's good! In the interview he notes GoT has a large influence.
They say Black Dow's killed more men than winter, and clawed his way to the throne of the North up a hill of skulls.
The King of the Union, ever a jealous neighbour, is not about to stand smiling by while he claws his way any higher. The orders have been given and the armies are toiling through the northern mud. Thousands of men are converging on a forgotten ring of stones, on a worthless hill, in an unimportant valley, and they've brought a lot of sharpened metal with them. Bremer dan Gorst, disgraced master swordsman, has sworn to reclaim his stolen honour on the battlefield. Obsessed with redemption and addicted to violence, he's far past caring how much blood gets spilled in the attempt. Even if it's his own. Prince Calder isn't interested in honour, and still less in getting himself killed. All he wants is power, and he'll tell any lie, use any trick, and betray any friend to get it. Just as long as he doesn't have to fight for it himself. Curnden Craw, the last honest man in the North, has gained nothing from a life of warfare but swollen knees and frayed nerves. He hardly even cares who wins any more, he just wants to do the right thing. But can he even tell what that is with the world burning down around him? Over three bloody days of battle, the fate of the North will be decided. But with both sides riddled by intrigues, follies, feuds and petty jealousies, it is unlikely to be the noblest hearts, or even the strongest arms that prevail. Three men. One battle. No Heroes.
It's a really awkward interview but..
Re: Game of Thrones (HBO) SPOILER ALERT!!!!
Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 2:02 pm
by skitz_0
kingGhost wrote:joffrey ends up getting poisoned, according to the books.
troll 'd
Re: Game of Thrones (HBO) SPOILER ALERT!!!!
Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 7:28 pm
by aspect-dubz
On the second episode at the moment and absolutely loving it
can't wait for the Lannisters to get fucked up, i mean i can already see it coming.
Re: Game of Thrones (HBO) SPOILER ALERT!!!!
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 5:12 am
by esfandyar
sigh. about to finish book 2. The books are pure crack cocaine. I read all day and night. The second book makes the first book's unfoldings seem like a child taking a shit. Shit is insane. Can't wait until I see how its transferred into film.
Fractal after reading this thread it seems you are the only person who values the books.
Re: Game of Thrones (HBO) SPOILER ALERT!!!!
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 10:36 am
by hutyluty
binged the whole series last couple of days
cant believe they killed sean bean and
zomfg that blonde girl is fit
Re: Game of Thrones (HBO) SPOILER ALERT!!!!
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 10:43 am
by Morrello
esfandyar wrote:sigh. about to finish book 2. The books are pure crack cocaine. I read all day and night. The second book makes the first book's unfoldings seem like a child taking a shit. Shit is insane. Can't wait until I see how its transferred into film.
Only just started the first book a couple of days ago but i'm already halfway through. I'm still undecided if i want to get the second book or wait for the next series to air first. I read something about the 3rd book being too big to cover in the tv series so they're apparently changing the story somehow, interested to see how that pans out.
Re: Game of Thrones (HBO) SPOILER ALERT!!!!
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 8:03 pm
by esfandyar
I could not wait for the shows
Re: Game of Thrones (HBO) SPOILER ALERT!!!!
Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 8:57 pm
by .onelove.
I saw the 1st series on TV then went straight to Clash of Kings (book 2)
At first I was a bit weary but ended up blitzing it and am already on the third. The HBO series is excellent but the text is better. I remember getting lost with the character names when watching, which doesn't happen when reading, you also get more background and understanding. I reckon reading the books will help you appreciate the series more, am already excited at how they'll depict certain scenes and locations in Season 2. Some of the new casting looks bang on, and they've supposedly scrapped a couple of weaker characters which I can't say I'm bothered about.
Re: Game of Thrones (HBO) SPOILER ALERT!!!!
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 12:21 pm
by pikeymobile
Only just started watching this. Two episodes in so far, and I fucking HATE that Joffrey kid so much.
That blonde bird is stupidly fit too.
Re: Game of Thrones (HBO) SPOILER ALERT!!!!
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 6:17 am
by myarmy
my friend and i just uploaded a podcast where we review season one of game of thrones. the first 29 minutes are spoiler free and then we discuss the show in further detail
topics include the possibility of gay dragons, our picks for the throne and a hot or not showdown between jon snow and robb stark
esfandyar wrote:sigh. about to finish book 2. The books are pure crack cocaine. I read all day and night. The second book makes the first book's unfoldings seem like a child taking a shit. Shit is insane. Can't wait until I see how its transferred into film.
Just bought the first two books off Amazon last week. I still have Stephen Fry's auto-biography to finish and another Abercrombie book (Before they were Hanged) to finish before I start them.
Books
Re: Game of Thrones (HBO) SPOILER ALERT!!!!
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 1:50 pm
by apmje
Not sure if I should get these or just wait for the TV series to start up again. Decisions, decisions.
I would normally just get the book but the TV series is so good.
Re: Game of Thrones (HBO) SPOILER ALERT!!!!
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2011 12:29 am
by esfandyar
firky wrote:Books
As tyrion says you got to keep your wits.
Re: Game of Thrones (HBO) SPOILER ALERT!!!!
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2011 12:32 am
by firky
I had a look inside them today with out reading. I knew they were thick but I didn't realise the text was so small as well! Good two reading, excellent, because the TV series doesn't come out for a year
Having said that I read Pillars of the Earth in about four days and thats probably the longest book I've read. But I was in hospital
The first one is really a world building novel, not very much goes on, just lots of atmosphere, scene setting and quite deep characters; with very complex personalities. Full of twists. I just stared the second novel on Wednesday and I'm already half way through it - it's that good! The first one explodes at the end in action and the second one pretty much hits the floor running from the previous - and it keeps on speeding up.
If you're going to read them I recommend you read the Trilogy before the stand alones. I got into the trilogy via the standalone novel Heroes; which is extremely good - but you'd get a lot more out of it having read the trilogy.
Haven't read fantasy this good for years. It's not full of pixes or any of that crap either, just violence, politics, and the fucked up human condition
Re: Game of Thrones (HBO) SPOILER ALERT!!!!
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2011 1:20 am
by esfandyar
I will have to check them out. I have really been on a fiction kick. It's really a special feeling to get lost in a book. It's very personal.
Re: Game of Thrones (HBO) SPOILER ALERT!!!!
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2011 1:52 am
by firky
Aye, I love films - but books are like music - cerebral and gratifying.
Re: Game of Thrones (HBO) SPOILER ALERT!!!!
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2011 2:37 pm
by Alty
Read the books a while ago. One of my favourite series! Weirdly I kinda think of it as the fantasy books that put me off fantasy...
As for the other recommendations of books mentioned in this thread, I saw recently a list of books recommended by GRRM himself, the Accursed Kings series is sounding very appealing to me
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