A song of Ice and fire discussion (spoilers incl A Dance with Dragons)

['thul]

HBO is one of the few channels that show decent series without canceling them for no good reason. Unlike many other channels, it appears to have adapted better to the modern world and the internet... These beings do not own a TV, let alone anything giving even hope of access to channels like HBO. Thus they find other means to watch.

[Albertosaurus Rex]

Aaaaaand we've got a new cover. I find it amusing how these long awaited books can go through multiple covers before they even see print. Good call, by the way, I already much preferred the US cover art over the UK art. A sword, how generic is that?

['thul]

a non-specific sword is indeed generic...

A sword that has important meaning for the story as a whole, is another thing... (the typical magical sword belonging to the main character, or as in certain discworld books, the purely non-magical sword...)

[redchild]

It's probably because someone pointed out that A Storm of Swords had a sword on the cover already.

On the tv version... I found Lloyd's Viserys a much more sympathetic and multi-dimensional character than the one in the books. Viserys in the book was always just plain crazy and vicious and I never really understood his character's motives. Theon's been given a lot more screen time which I suppose is actually a good choice as I found his actions in a Clash of Kings to have been difficult to grasp at first, since he was hardly mentioned in GoT.

It seems to me that these choices are a way of GRRM attempting to retrace his steps back to the beginning and change things that he now would have included after several more years worth of experience? I wouldn't really say that he's "fixing his mistakes" but rather is re-interpreting his original premise in a different medium. Of course, I can't forget that many other writers worked on the script as well, so this is not only George's work but includes others' interpretations as well.

[Albertosaurus Rex]

I'll reckon we're going to see that sword again though. The UK paperback edition might very well be split in gtwo, and they do still have that sword lying around for the second volume.

Concerning A Storms of Swords though: the US edition used to have a sword on it, but the new edition has the helmet of the UK edition and instead uses the sword that was supposed to go on ADWD for AGOT. It's a decision I don't really understand.

[Albertosaurus Rex]

I am so jealous. Especially since I am going on a two week vacation just a few days after ADWD's release and my copy might not arrive before I go. And I so want to read the book on vacation...

[redchild]

You can always camp out at the bookstore as a last resort

['thul]

These beings will get access to it a while after release... A copy that will only have been read once before they get it.

[joost]

Paperback won't be released until may 2012. I have the rest of the series in paperback, so I'm waiting for it.

[Albertosaurus Rex]

I usually tend to go for matching sets too, and I have all other books in paperback too, but I'm breaking my rule for this one.

Camping outside a store is not guaranteed to work. Dutch bookstores don't always have English books on the day of release. The most recent Robin Hobb books took as long as a week to show up in bookstores.