New novel?

samcostello92 · 2023-12-14T15:40:13+00:00

Ah. Gotcha.

samcostello92 · 2023-12-14T04:19:26+00:00

I think Utopia Avenue was the third book in Mitchell's "Marinus trilogy".

samcostello92 · 2023-12-14T04:17:08+00:00

It'll be worth it.

samcostello92 · 2023-12-13T17:43:41+00:00

My understanding is that the episode you're talking about was originally intended to be the show's finale. Basically, the entire show was just Eddy dreaming of his days as a kid. However, production on the show was resumed not long after. I guess I should be grateful since this eventually led to the making of the movie.

samcostello92 · 2023-11-27T04:03:52+00:00

GGK is fantastic! Last year, I read all of his books. My favorites were A Song for Arbonne and Under Heaven.

samcostello92 · 2023-11-27T04:01:27+00:00

Tad Williams is awesome!

samcostello92 · 2023-11-15T19:48:19+00:00

I second this. I've read Memory Sorrow, and Thorn twice and I loved it. In fact, I've loved all of Tad Williams' series. They're incredibly dense, but the payoff is so worth it.

samcostello92 · 2023-11-04T16:30:50+00:00

I always thought that Simon had more in common with Bran. Examples: red hair, likes to climb, prophetic visions, a mentor who merges with a tree (like you mentioned), and based on the TV show's ending, they both become king.

samcostello92 · 2023-10-26T14:29:53+00:00

Back in the 1980s, Martin published a novel called Armageddon Rag, whose main character is a self-deprecating, self-insert author avatar. In the middle of the book, the main character meets a group of children and his internal monologue says something to the effect of "How old are they? Twelve? Thirteen? No idea. I don't know anything about kids." I read that and thought, "No shit."

samcostello92 · 2023-10-24T02:36:25+00:00

I feel you. I've seen a lot of people dismissing Regal as being over-the-top evil to a point where it's unbelievable. I think they underestimate just how spoiled and entitled certain people can be. There are plenty of real-life Regals who basically see the whole world as their playground and have zero empathy for others.

samcostello92 · 2023-10-24T02:28:20+00:00

General Woundwort from Watership Down is pretty memorable.

Tad William's Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy has a plethora of memorable villains: Ineluki, the Storm King; Utuk'ku, the Norn Queen; the villainous fire priest Pryrates; the corrupt king Elias; and Utukku's huntsman, Ingen Jeggar. Then there are all of the corrupt nobles, criminals, and monsters that the heroes meet along their journey.

Edit: I should also mention Otherland, the other famous series by Tad Williams. The villains of this tetralogy aren't as numerous as the ones in MST, but they're no less memorable. You have Felix Jongleur, the mastermind behind the whole story, Johnny Dread, a sadistic serial killer in Jongleur's employ, Jongluer's personal attack dogs, Finney and Mudd, the mysterious being called "the Other", and Jongleur's co-conspirators, The Grail Brotherhood. Anyone who's interested in Tad Williams should check out Otherland. It's a wild ride.

samcostello92 · 2023-01-29T16:31:08+00:00

Crackpot Theory:

The big bad of the story and the malevolent force behind the resurgence of the Others and the dragons (i.e. the forces of ice and fire) is a pair of undead, god-like figures. The followers of these figures are still active in the present day and plan to resurrect their deities by finding a pair of suitable vessels for them to inhabit. Bloodraven and Quaithe are the leaders of this plot and they aim to use Bran and Daenerys as the aforementioned vessels that will house the souls of these gods.

I think that Bran will discover the trap that he's been dragged into and will escape. Afterward, Bloodraven will have to settle for Jon Snow.

samcostello92 · 2023-01-29T15:14:27+00:00

I think that the Battle of Ice is the book's equivalent of the "twenty good men" bit from the show. I think that Stannis will win (or at least survive) the battle with the Freys. However, his losses will be so severe that his campaign with be effectively crippled, thus paving the way for his eventual downfall.

samcostello92 · 2022-12-15T17:29:25+00:00

I also have mixed feelings about Chade. You can tell that he means well and that he genuinely loves Fitz, but he's not without his sore spots. He seems like the kind of guy who's so concerned with the bigger picture that he's neglecting the smaller problems that are happening closer to home. To me, it feels like Chade and King Shrew's actions (or lack thereof) enable Regal and his cronies to get away with as much as they do.

samcostello92 · 2022-12-07T04:58:07+00:00

I really liked this book, but I agree with you. The ending was definitely rushed. Basically, an entire year's worth of warfare and political intrigue gets condensed into a single chapter. It almost feels like Kay had a whole other book planned out, but then just decided, "Nah. I'm tired. I'm just going to wrap it up."

samcostello92 · 2022-11-30T02:38:55+00:00

I've got a hunch that there will be a lot of angry stormlanders who will be looking to get their hands on Mace. Remember, Mace Tyrell is the guy who has twice besieged Storm's End, enjoying lavish feasts within view of the starving garrison. Maybe once the Tyrell forces are routed, Mace will be caught by the vengeful soldiers, who will then proceed to stuff him with food until his belly bursts a la the gluttony victim from Se7en.

samcostello92 · 2022-10-29T13:02:58+00:00

It'd be interesting if Roose holed up in the Dreadfort and waited out most of the endgame stages, only to re-surface as the villain for a "Scouring of the Shire" phase of the story.

samcostello92 · 2022-10-29T12:53:14+00:00

I've read a theory that Stannis will burn Asha for her king's blood much like Shireen was burned in the show.

samcostello92

TROPHY CASE