[A note before we begin: I wrote this article less than twelve hours after finishing the last chapters of A Dance With Dragons, at an absurd hour of the morning on Wednesday. What follows is a somewhat rambling account of my experiences so far with this compelling series of novels; I’m basically just working through my thoughts, in writing, and attempting to come to terms with the many sudden twists and surprises that occurred at the end of ADWD.... PS - I promise there are no spoilers!]
Many of you have most likely heard a thing or two about George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy series by now; with HBO’s TV adaptation of A Game of Thrones last year and the second season airing in a few months, and the highly anticipated release of the fifth book in the series last summer, it seems A Song of Ice and Fire is everywhere. My own journey with the series began with HBO’s Game of Thrones mini-series last spring. I had heard about the books when I worked at a local bookstore, but hadn’t had a chance to read them before the series began, and I was determined to wait until I’d read them all before watching the show. My mind was changed, however, when I heard from friends of mine who were watching the show how good it was. I had not heard such acclaim for a fantasy series since The Lord of the Rings, so I decided to heck with it - I’m watching. [It also helped that I read a scathing and highly inaccurate review of the series from a certain journalist at the New York Times, which made me even more intrigued by the show... for a critique of that author’s critique, check out my blog’s archives - it’s easy to find!]
What has followed that decision to watch the show has been a months-long emotional roller-coaster as I watched the show, then dove head-first into the novels and finished the first four over the summer and last night, finished the fifth (the delay was caused by my university studies taking over my life).
