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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Had to read this after finishing "A Game of Thrones". Addictive stuff! But, incredibly violent and depressing. May want to read more of these novels, but I need to take a break from it right now.
Loveeeeeee this series, can't wait to start the next one! ☺️
I"m really liking this series, and I can't wait to read the next one. I'm looking forward to the next season of game of thrones.
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
DNF around chapter 30
What in the great fuck did I just read.
Honestly, I don't understand why people like this book/series so much. I'm an avid reader and am no stranger to large books/long series thick with characters and lore, but this was so boring that I struggled through each and every chapter. What awfully few characters are interesting, there aren't enough chapters about. The rest is wasted on twisted political intrigue that requires a codex to keep up with, feasts, murder, rape, feasts, pillage, rape, rape, pillage, feasts with rape, casual rape, background rape, rape rape rape.
I basically stopped after this:
What is the point of this story these sadistic douche canoes are telling? I get it, Martin, the world you are writing about hates women and doesn't see them as more than a prized sow for breeding or a cum dumpster to satisfy your male character's manly hungers in. In fact, it comes up so freaking often that I have to wonder if Martin doesn't feel this way himself. And it's one thing to drive home how gritty and dark his world is, but my god, every single chapter has some story or tidbit about women being raped, women being used to breed, women being forcefully fondled at feasts, inns being full of whores ripe to fuck bowlegged, etc. I mean, it just goes on, and on, and on in this fashion until it just made me too depressed and sick to continue.
And very few of the characters have any redeeming value. They're just trying to murder and rape their way up the proverbial social ladder. The one character that I actually enjoyed reading about is Daenerys, and so far she's had maybe two chapters in the entire book. TWO. Tyrion isn't half bad, and his chapters are more frequent, but god, he actually seems to like Shae but still wonders stuff like "How can she look so sweet and innocent looking but be SUCH A WHORE." What is the obsession here? Yes, yes, the tragic backstory about him being fooled into thinking he could marry a whore and his daddy did some twisted shit of having everyone pay to gangbang her, ah yes, so sad.
And it's a shame, too. I wanted to like this series, and put up with this gross rape-y nonsense in the first book thinking it'd get better. But no, Martin just has to drive home how much his made-up universe hates women and so violates them on almost every page.
And to those of you who are going to go: But that's how it was back in those days!
No, just no. There is no "back in those days" because this world is fictional. Although given how much of it is based on "War of the Roses" and how few magic/fantastical elements there are, it might as well be historical fiction.
And for those of you who are going to go: But it's grim-dark and gritty fantasy! How can you make it that way without rape!
Let me ask you this: Why don't we see little boys being raped? Or used as whores? Or any of that? Because that's definitely dark and gritty and that's definitely something that did happen in wartime situations "back in those days". What if every nameless/irrelevant female character (like in the story above) that was being assaulted was replaced with a nine year old boy, would you still be on board? Would you consider it necessary because it's so dark and gritty? No? Does it seem excessive and irrelevant then? That's what I thought.
What in the great fuck did I just read.
Honestly, I don't understand why people like this book/series so much. I'm an avid reader and am no stranger to large books/long series thick with characters and lore, but this was so boring that I struggled through each and every chapter. What awfully few characters are interesting, there aren't enough chapters about. The rest is wasted on twisted political intrigue that requires a codex to keep up with, feasts, murder, rape, feasts, pillage, rape, rape, pillage, feasts with rape, casual rape, background rape, rape rape rape.
I basically stopped after this:
"Ser Gregor, he wasn't paying no mind to none of our fun, but now he looks, you know how he does, and he commands that the girl be brought before him. Now the old man has to drag her out of the kitchen, and no one to blame but hisself. Ser looks her over and says, 'So this is the whore you're so concerned for' and this besotted old fool says, 'My Layna's no whore, ser' right to Gregor's face. Ser, he never blinks, just says, 'She is now' tosses the old man another silver, rips the dress off the wench, and takes her right there on the table in front of her da, her flopping and wiggling like a rabbit and making these noises. The look on the old man's face, I laughed so hard ale was coming out me nose. Then this boy hears the noise, the son I figure, and comes rushing up from the cellar, so Raff has to stick a dirk in his belly. By then Ser's done, so he goes back to his drinking and we all have a turn. Tobbot, you know how he is, he flops her over and goes in the back way. The girl was done fighting by the time I had her, maybe she'd decided she liked it after all, though to tell the truth I wouldn't have minded a little wiggling. And now here's the best bit . . . when it's all done, Ser tells the old man that he wants his change. The girl wasn't worth a silver, he says . . . and damned if that old man didn't fetch a fistful of coppers, beg m'lord's pardon, and thank him for the custom!"
What is the point of this story these sadistic douche canoes are telling? I get it, Martin, the world you are writing about hates women and doesn't see them as more than a prized sow for breeding or a cum dumpster to satisfy your male character's manly hungers in. In fact, it comes up so freaking often that I have to wonder if Martin doesn't feel this way himself. And it's one thing to drive home how gritty and dark his world is, but my god, every single chapter has some story or tidbit about women being raped, women being used to breed, women being forcefully fondled at feasts, inns being full of whores ripe to fuck bowlegged, etc. I mean, it just goes on, and on, and on in this fashion until it just made me too depressed and sick to continue.
And very few of the characters have any redeeming value. They're just trying to murder and rape their way up the proverbial social ladder. The one character that I actually enjoyed reading about is Daenerys, and so far she's had maybe two chapters in the entire book. TWO. Tyrion isn't half bad, and his chapters are more frequent, but god, he actually seems to like Shae but still wonders stuff like "How can she look so sweet and innocent looking but be SUCH A WHORE." What is the obsession here? Yes, yes, the tragic backstory about him being fooled into thinking he could marry a whore and his daddy did some twisted shit of having everyone pay to gangbang her, ah yes, so sad.
And it's a shame, too. I wanted to like this series, and put up with this gross rape-y nonsense in the first book thinking it'd get better. But no, Martin just has to drive home how much his made-up universe hates women and so violates them on almost every page.
And to those of you who are going to go: But that's how it was back in those days!
No, just no. There is no "back in those days" because this world is fictional. Although given how much of it is based on "War of the Roses" and how few magic/fantastical elements there are, it might as well be historical fiction.
And for those of you who are going to go: But it's grim-dark and gritty fantasy! How can you make it that way without rape!
Let me ask you this: Why don't we see little boys being raped? Or used as whores? Or any of that? Because that's definitely dark and gritty and that's definitely something that did happen in wartime situations "back in those days". What if every nameless/irrelevant female character (like in the story above) that was being assaulted was replaced with a nine year old boy, would you still be on board? Would you consider it necessary because it's so dark and gritty? No? Does it seem excessive and irrelevant then? That's what I thought.