George has updated!!

[TK-421]

I see where this is going...I'm off to buy plant food now.

[the smiling weirwood]

I meant their opinion is not a valid literary criticism.

[C Of K]

There is nothing wrong with The Curious Orange hoping that ADWD is a better book. I hope it is the best book I ever read until the next volume in the series comes out of course.

Valid literary criticism or not, AFFC didn't appeal to everyone the way some of GRRM's other books have. That is every reader's own personal decision to make. I certainly have my favorites.

[Werthead]

Bad news from the latest update: GRRM is pessimistic about hitting the end-of-June date.

Good news: GRRM confirmed the presence of one of the AFFC POVs in ADWD, which some people are very pleased about.

[Boaz]

People are pleased about Arya or Sansa?

[Werthead]

Sansa. This is the first we knew of her being in the book.

[viZion]

I'm actually pleased about Arya, too. I mean, I've only seen words to the effect that Arya would "probably" be in the next book and that he would "probably" include a few POVs that would tie up the cliffhangers in AFFC. For me, this is the first time I've seen confirmation from GRRM himself that Arya would be in the new book.

[Werthead]

He said back when the books were split that some of Arya's chapters were being saved for ADWD for reasons that would become clear once we read ADWD. She's been on the official, confirmed ADWD POV list since then. Maybe I should have reposted that here, but it's a big spoiler so I decided not to.

Sansa was the big news and some have taken it as an indication we may see Brienne, Cersei or other AFFC POVs in the new book, at least briefly. I wouldn't go that far, but it is intriguing.

[Boaz]

Wert, I salute you for keeping your ear to the ground.

[Valko]

He's taken so long completing ADWD that I recognise the names but I've completely forgotten where they fit into the story now.
Most active authors have published 2-3 books since AFFC.
He must be suffering some serious writer's block or as I've said previously, he's too busy to write due to merchandising and promotion of other projects.

Too many irons...

[pan naranus]

Had it occurred to you that possibly he is actually sitting and writing, and re writing and re writing everything to perfection?
Ever tried your hand at a one thousand pages masterpiece? Apparently it takes time.
Jordan wrote faster books of similar volume, but they weren't that good. (No offence intended).
I wait eagerly for the dance, but I prefer a complete, subtle, complex and deep writing in the standards of SOI&F, than a book that smells like a deficit in a writer's bank account and pushy editors.

[Boaz]

I second that, pan.

[Adasunshine]

Originally Posted by Werthead

Bad news from the latest update: GRRM is pessimistic about hitting the end-of-June date.

Good news: GRRM confirmed the presence of one of the AFFC POVs in ADWD, which some people are very pleased about.

Damn! I just got all excited because the bloke in Waterstones (who was also a huge GRRM fan - I bought Dreamsongs today) told me that their release date was 1st November 2008...

*sighs*

Ah well, looks like I'll just have to wait a wee while longer...

Chuffed that Arya and Sansa are definites though...

xx

[Boaz]

Hey, Ada. Long time, no see.

Not to beat a dead horse, but Mr. Martin has said he'll post the minute he's ready to send his manuscript to the publisher.

A Song of Ice and Fire Update.

On this webpage he states, "I probably won't update this page again for quite a long while, so let me close by saying once again that when A DANCE WITH DRAGONS is finished, I will post that news here. The moment I finish the book, I will log on and make the announcement. You guys will be the third ones to know, right after Parris and my publishers."

[Adasunshine]

Hey Boaz! Good to see you too! I pop in here every now and then to read the debates from afar... as soon as ADWD is out, I'll be joining in with gusto!!!!

I know GRRM said that but I still (against my own wishes) hope that the sellers might, one day, be right about the date!!!

xx