My Random Rants

What happened to a Song of Ice and Fire. I still remember being gripped and hooked by the first three books in the series. The books were big but never long to read. I devoured the pages. Scenes still stick out in my head. I loved the way Martin confounded my expectations at every turn. How he twisted the characters and how the POV made everyone seem right. I enjoyed the way he turned Jaime Lannister around in a Storm of Swords. Martin was a writer at the height of his powers but then the inevitable fall began.  The downfall started wtih Feast and it was a torrid bore. It felt big, there was no tension, there was nothing I could take away from the book. Dance I thought would be better but it too disappointed with everyone just walking from point A to point B. I could hardly believe that this was the same Martin who penned scenes like the Red Wedding. The introduction of the Direwolves set everything up wonderfully. In that one scene you knew who the characters were, what sort of w

Absolutely bloody brilliant. Each chapter is beautifully written and the vast cast of characters is utterly memorable and compelling. The book is set in a mars that is being terraformed for human survival. McDonald plays with the characters, challenges your assumptions about what a Science Fiction novel should be and despite being around 20 years old it hasn't dated a bit. The Science rests mostly in the background but the more you notice it the more you realize that McDonald's research is impeccable.It just takes you on a ride, surprises you and then just when you think you have it figured out surprises you again. Page after page is filled with prose of the highest quality possessing a poetry, a rhythm and cadence to it that renders most other authors obsolete.  Its actually the most un Science Fiction like on Mars that I have ever read and as with most of McDonald's work I didn't think that it was possible to do what he did until I actually read it. You c