re: Crackpot ASOIAF Theories SPOILERS

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I really, really don't want to hijack this thread, but I need a new book series to read. Finished my ASOIAF reread a month ago and read Abraham Lincoln Vampier Hunter after. It just couldn't grasp me anywhere close to ASOIAF. I've already read the Dunk & Egg tales. Does anyone have a suggestion of a book series that would keep my attention half as well as ASOIAF?

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For a basic fantasy breakdown for you to consider, a number of guys I dig a bunch:

Joe Abercrombie- First Law Trilogy, three followup books set in the same world. He's got a similar gritty low magic world to Martin, lots of grey characters and bastards abound, as well as a dark sense of humor.

Steven Erikson- Malazan Books of the Fallen. Huge 10 volume door stopper series. Opposite of Martin and Abercrombie in that it's very high magic. Tons of Red Viper style badasses abound, and probably the best world building of most any series I've read. Can be a bit difficult to jump into the first book or two since he's a show and not tell sort of author, but he's top notch to me. This series has the advantage of being finished.

Scott Lynch- The Lies of Locke Lamora, Red Seas Red Skies. Dude had a divorce and a mental breakdown after the second book, so he's taking about as long as Martin to get the third book finished, but The Lies of Locke Lamora is probably the best fantasy novel I've read in the past couple decades outside of ASOS. Sort of ASOIAF meets Ocean's Eleven. The second book was kinda average, but hoping the third returns to form once it's published.

Pat Rothfuss- The Name of the Wind, The Wise Man's Fear. Both his books in this series have been very good, but much like Martin he's taking forever to get them out, so who knows when you'll see book three.

Jim Butcher- The Dresden Files. A wizard detective series set in a modern day setting where fae, vampires, werewolves, etc are all real. Starts off as a basic detective style series and ramps up to one of the better overall plot driven series around. These are short books in the 400-500 page range, but there are currently 14 of a planned 24-25 out, and he puts them out one a year pretty much. The first 2-3 are solid but not amazing, but the rest are awesome and it's one of my favorite series along with Martin and Abercrombie atm.

A few others I would put below those above, but well worth reading:

Glen Cook- The Black Company series

Richard Morgan- Takeshi Kovacs series starting with Altered Carbon (this is sci fi rather than fantasy, but awesome).

Mark Lawrence- Prince of thorns, King of Thorns

Matthew Stover- Caine series starting with Heroes Die

Paul Kearney- Monarchies of God series.

R Scott Bakker- The Prince of Nothing series

Robin Hobb- The Farseer trilogy

KJ Parker- The Scavenger trilogy, The folding Knife

Long list, but I think Abercrombie, Erikson, or Butcher could keep you entertained for a while, and Lynch and Rothfuss are well worth reading even if it takes 3-4 years for their next books.

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Thanks a lot for all of the suggestions. I'm glad you pointed out the slow start to the Malazan books, because that is what prompted my reread of ASOIAF. I was about 150 pages in, lost and bored. I think I may try Scott Lynch.

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Yeah, many people recommend starting with the second book of the Malazan series, then bouncing back to the first after that. The first just kinda slings you in the middle of everything and can get people lost with WTF is going on. The second book has a smaller cast of characters and eases things in a bit more.

But Malazan isn't for everyone. It tends to be a polarizing series, I love the hell out of it, but your mileage may vary. It has a much bigger cast of characters than ASOIAF, and the world is gigantic and complex, so it can be easy to get lost.

Lies of Locke Lamora by contrast is a very fast and easy read.

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Seriously, Dany is definitely one of the most disappointing characters to me because she has soooooooooooooooo much potential and has just been incessantly lingering and bitching. I almost hoped her period was the bloody flux and that her arse was Dothraki grass at that point.

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Yeah but she's just a child. She said so in her last chapter in ADWD. But she is going to come around for sure...she knows she lingered in mereen for too long and for no reason. Ser Jorah told her that in the grass whispers...

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Wait...what? Mance was the singer..? How did I miss that?

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Well, we knew the 6 women with Abel were wildings, and that Jon Snow sent 6 spear wives with him. Not to mention Ramsay's infamous letter, which I don't see how he could know that unless he had actually captured Mance Rayder:

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Your false king lied, and so did you. You told the world you burned the King-Beyond-the-Wall. Instead you sent him to Winterfell to steal my bride from me.

I will have my bride back. If you want Mance Rayder back, come and get him. I have him in a cage for all the north to see, proof of your lies. The cage is cold, but I have made him a warm cloak from the skins of the six whores who came with him to Winterfell.

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A question just hit me.


Why wasn't cersei forced to appoint A knight of the kingsguard as her champion when Tyrion was accused of killing the king?

The only reasoning I can come up with is that they were not defending the king or the regents innocence. However you would still think that it would be a matter that the kingsguard would be involved in.

Solid post, but how can you deny Jon's parentage?

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Solid post, but how can you deny Jon's parentage?

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Yeah, rereading Game of Thrones has convinced me even more this theory has to be correct. Ned clearly think his lie has honor to it in sparing an innocent even from those closest to him, and that's surely a reference to saving Jon from Robert.

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The only other documented time that Ned forsook his honor was when he confessed to a crime he did not commit and for the sake of who?

An innocent family member

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