Start with book 1, then read book 2, then read book 3, then read book 4, then read book 5. Then wait. Forever.
Take your time. Don't speed read. There is so much info to process that you're sure to miss something, but enjoy the ride.
Do the audio books. Also, don't forget the novellas hedge knight....not sure what order I'd recommend reading the novellas in. Lastly, do the recombine on books 4 and 5. I found it waaay better that way. Also, try to get someone to read it with you. Me and my roomy started them at the same time back in 98. Best part was talking about it as we were both going through it. Man that was good times.
I meant...where would you insert them as you were reading 1-5? After completion? In between? I'd think in between but not exactly sure where.
I have A World of Ice and Fire sitting on my coffee table (good conversation starter) and whenever I get the itch I read the history of 2-3 Targ kings
Ive only read them once. Waiting on the WoW announcement to start again. Really looking forward to it, now that I kind of know what to look for, and have to spend less time trying to remember names, relationships, locations, ect. My best advice to a first time reader is to just take your time to digest everything. Much easier said than done
I would consider reading Dunk and Egg after book 3 Spoiler Makes the book 4 Brienne chapters a lot better
Same. I know I didn't pay as close attention as I should have. I started right after season 4, so it was a mix of the seemingly overwhelming amount of new characters not in the show and wanting to get to some new material asap. Reading all the theories connected a LOT of dots for me though. Like others I'm waiting for WoW first
I've red the series twice but GoTs 5 or 6 times. It's so good once you know what's coming up and you find all the foreshadowing in it.
This was me. I hate ingesting the same material twice, since the first season followed the book so closely it was almost a struggle. I ended up trying to fly through it and probably missed some key dialogue that was very important. I couldn't put them down once I got to the new material, I finished all five books within a month a half. Now I'm stuck here starving for more like everyone else.
I finished a reread last summer. Reading through a second time with context from the first read was like reading brand new material. You pick up on so much.
re-watching some season 2-3 and man, if he doesn't explain the Lord of Light and why people get brought back and this remains forever like goddamn Tom Bombadil I'm gonna scream. if he brushes it off as some deus ex machina bullshit it would cheapen his writing immensely so I'm really hoping there's some even faint hint of explanation as to all of that because there's no way we're getting it from the show. "I killed off two major characters and needed a way to bring them back so I thought to myself 'zombies!'" would be just the worst.
Its not deus ex machina when its an established event or ability. If Jon Snow was resurrected without Beric, you could make that argument. Its a plot device that was initially used for side characters (Beric and LSH) then used on Jon, because one interpretation of the prophecy is he had to die and come back like Jesus.
I'm a little disappointed in resurrected Jon so far. He seems about the same as before he died really aside from the episode where he hung the traitors. It was almost like they weren't ready to have him leave and continue the story so he's just been chillin. Maybe he will be better once we see him in combat, but a little disappointing just to have him return as the same guy...
Curious as to why you expected a big change? I think we'll see a big change when he finds out who he is.
Waiting for Samwell Tarley's parents to tell him about the time Ned Stark brought him from the ToJ now. The ultimate GRRM.
Arya's going to kill the Waif with Needle, yea? I feel like there's no friendly ending to that relationship and it would be a good way for her to hop a ship back to Westeros(maybe after stealing a face or two). It also makes sense if someone is going to Spoiler do RW 2.0 with the Freys
eh I don't think so. If she betrays the FM I think she'd be dead before she made it to the docks at Braavos. I'd be more inclined to believe she is given a target in Westeros and then goes rogue.
I don't think Arya is going to kill the lady. She's going to have a change of heart and then go rogue. I'm not sure what the Faceless Men do at that point. They either let her go or have to kill her if she's not going to obey and be nobody. Needle is there for a reason. I assume Waif tries to kill her and she kills Waif and escapes? Who knows what she does from that point.
Not sure what her motivation is for killing the Waif. Bitch is mean and such, but she's breaking her down and training her. I could see, as part of Martin's "bittersweet ending," Arya being sent to Westeros, killing her target and then avenging her family on the side, but her story ending with her death at the hands of the FM. She's involved with an organization as powerful and rich as any we've come across in Westeros, I don't see her surviving a betrayal.
That would be a good death for her, but who exactly is she going to kill? Tommen? Kinda doubt it. Cersei? She has the Volanqar coming for her already. Mountain? Doubt it. Frey? Stoneheart's on it.