Adwd First reactions (spoilers inside)

[Peeves]

Okay, i'm more or less 1/3 in the book.
And i'm starting to wish Dany drops dead this instant.
I can only hope she redeems herself in next 2/3 of the book.

To me she is like a child playing at queen.
She's mucking things up left and right.
I've never was all that fond of her character, but is seems like her
personality and her own maturity has regressed back into some adolescent teen. Which admittedly she is, only you'd expert more from one who has seen and been through all she has been through.

[Tansy]

I'm about the same point as you

She does seem to have turned hormaonal, its a bit late for her to get boy mad, hopefully she works it out now a certain person is heading back to her

[Peeves]

I've just read the Jon chapter where he recruits wildlings.
This chapter does not sit well with me, you see i've got the stinking feeling Jon's fate is doomed.
That Bowen Marsh seems to be getting more unhappier by the day with him, and the mood with the NW's was grim to begin with.
Damn.

[Peeves]

Minor complaints so far:
-A bit too many pointless descriptions, wilst it's fun to learn more about the free cities, Martin goes a bit oberboard sometimes.
-Too much repeating of certain sentences.
- It seems he's dumbing down lots of characters.

[Tansy]

on the plus side there is a lot more Dolorous Edd

I'm about 50% through at them mo and just got the the bit where Tyrion ends up on piggy back

Ii pulled an all nighter, it's taking some getting through but its entertaining, part of me doesn't want to finish as I may have to wait another 6 years for the next installment

[IlliferThePenniless]

I just finished and as someone who's liked her throughout the series I was super annoyed with her throughout.

[Peeves]

Okay, Jon just made a pact with wildlings and Melisandre whilst having advised king Stannis. he basically went against all the NW stood for.
I suppose i should thank GRRM for making it clear Jon is a goner.
All that is left is too find out how he dies. With bran becoming a tree, Sansa at heart a southron, and Arya (well i don't know yet what has happened to her), she somewhere in the free cities) all thats left is Rickon.

Why am i suddenly happy that he at least seems to have the wolfblood in him, and is guided by Osha.

Can you tell i liked house Stark?

By the way, i'm constantly thinking after learning more about the Boltons i find myself constantly thinking : They've doomed themselves.
What with Ramsay killing of Roose trueborns, theyre only 1 true Bolton left. And once Roose dies, Ramsay won't hold out long, whilst cunning, he's too bloodthirsty for the north too accept overlong.

[Peeves]

Okay, whereas i still think it could have been edited better, and some characters actions are not-so-smart or asking-for-betrayal the book is growing on me. or rather around the halfwaypoint the book gets better (and better), more interesting. The plots and intrigues come together.

I've just read the part of Jon's pact with Tormund, and the wedding. fact is his thoughts make sense. If he does not bring the wildlings on their side, he will be facing them as wights. He's just selling it wrong.

[IlliferThePenniless]

I don't know that there is a way to sell it to the Bowen Marshes of the world. Jon's plan is pretty self evidently good, there are Just an awful lot of folks who don't want to see it though.

[Niolani]

I've decided neeps is the new nuncle. What are neeps anyway?

Other than that, I just think some aspects seem out of character and other things seem to deviating. I just don't see Roose being so chatty, for example. I can't see Tywin suffering such an affront from the Mad King (can't remember his name right now) and then wanting to marry Cersei to his son without bringing about the Mad King's destruction 1st.

I like it better than AFFC, it feels more like the other books where AFFC didn't but there's still something off. On the plus side, I think the dragon with 3 heads is all set out, IMO it's obvious who they are now.

[Boaz]

Neeps must be some vegetable. I decided they were short for turnips and just pressed on

[Needle]

Originally Posted by Tansy

on the plus side there is a lot more Dolorous Edd

I'm about 50% through at them mo and just got the the bit where Tyrion ends up on piggy back

Ii pulled an all nighter, it's taking some getting through but its entertaining, part of me doesn't want to finish as I may have to wait another 6 years for the next installment

I am finished with ADWD and I had the same problem here! Started reading at my usual fast pace then thought "slow down! as soon as you finish you have to start waiting again!!"

Loved Tyrion pig jousting! Tywin is screaming in his grave!

Originally Posted by IlliferThePenniless

I just finished and as someone who's liked her throughout the series I was super annoyed with her throughout.

Guessing your talking about Dany here, she definitely needs a good swift kick!!

Originally Posted by KiwiBird

I've just read the part of Jon's pact with Tormund, and the wedding. fact is his thoughts make sense. If he does not bring the wildlings on their side, he will be facing them as wights. He's just selling it wrong.

Jon definitely has the right of it. It is just that the wildlings have been considered the scum of the earth so long that people have willfully forgotten the "gaurd the realms of MEN part!"

Originally Posted by Boaz

Neeps must be some vegetable. I decided they were short for turnips and just pressed on

I have decided that neeps are a cross between beets and potatoes. Probably nasty but there are worse things!

[Mesanna]

Neeps are swedes (the vegetable, not the people), i.e. a type of turnip. Don't know if swedes have different names in different parts of the world? Here in Scotland, Haggis Neeps and Tatties is probably our national dish (that's Haggis, swedes and potatoes for those of you who don't speak the lingo!)

[Tansy]

neeps are turnips, slightly different to swedes? same family though i think

[Gry Wnd]

So what does everyone think? There aren't a lot of reviews or reactions to whole book in this thread.

I am personally too conflicted to even try yet, have to let it settle. I finished it on the 17th and still don't really know what I think.

Well I'll say this much. It's a GRRM book so you gotta love it but I don't put it in the class of ASOS (don't put anything in that class). I think it's on par with the others in series, but the Jon (hopefully cliffhanger) and my expectations after reading the reviews, and the wait, sabotaged my ability to be objective, I think..