A Song of Ice & Fire Collection - George R R Martin

TayWax

The bit when he is trying to get in under the castle i believe it is. With the secret entrance and more specifically the way he gets in. Lol

judethedude

I've just started reading book 5 "A Dance With Dragons" (Part One) and have reached the chapter featuring Jon (Snow) which has left me somewhat confused. At the end of Book 3 (part 2) Jon Snow sent Maester Aemon, Sam and Gilly away from the wall and the three's travels featured quite exstensively throughout book 4 "A Feast For Crows". However, in the first chapter featuring Jon Snow in Book 5, Maester Aemon, Sam and Gilly are still at the wall ! Have I missed something ?

Courtjezter

Yep, the books happen concurrently. Rather than one after the other.

judethedude

Thank you for the response Courtjezter. Concurrently with what as effectively, book 5 is therefore a step back in time from book 4 !

judethedude

Ok, I've done some research and get it now (I think) !  I just assumed the books would follow a "normal" timeline but, obviously not

Courtjezter

So books 4 and 5 happen over the same time period and are split by geography except for the last  fifth or so of ADWD which moves beyond the timeline of AFFC.

Smurfin

Took me 3 months to read Dance of Dragons, imho GRRM is really going off the boil.  The series peaked with A Storm of Swords, with an epic end to the book.  But at a time where I felt the narrative needed to tighten to the eventual conclusion, instead of pulling the various threads together Martin just introduced a shed load more characters and broadened it even more.

I've not really been keeping up with the series, or what's going on behind the scenes with GRRM, but I have a horrible feeling his contract with HBO will mean we end up watching the last two volumes of the series, rather than reading them.  That's if he can bring it to a close rather than running to 10 books (which he'll die before finishing)...

Courtjezter

I see where your coming from it is my understanding that both A Feast For Crows and A Dance with Dragons are improved by a re-read.  I am certainly finding that with a Feast for Crows.  Martins initial plan, was to skip a number of years with the books and sections of AFFC and ADWD would be told in flashback.

We have already outpaced the books with some elements of the TV series, there is one scene in particular this season that felt very much like a spoiler for the next book.  But both are highly enjoyable when taken on their own merits.

Courtjezter

I have just finished a re-read of AFFC and can testify it reads better the 2nd time, i feel it explores the impact that the war has had on the smallfolk better than any of his previous novels, which focus more on how it is affecting the highborn.  There also some little things that i picked up on that i didn't notice the first time i read the book.  The whole Gravedigger thing completely passed me by

judethedude

I finished AFFC a few months ago and can't remember anything about Gravediggers ! Can you please advise which chapter/page it was on so I can refresh my memory