So!

It has been awhile since I updated. This is mostly because I have not really got much to update. I don't feel like talking about what I'm doing, where I've been, because it's just depressing and I don't want to think about it more than I have to. I am tired, you see. Tired and feeling trapped. So instead, I shall wax eloquent about some books I just read, namely, the existing Ice and Fire series.

First of all, I have to say, I understand why they call G.R.R. Martin the American Tolkien. He basically took the epic scope and huge number of players (seriously, characters just randomly pop up and proclaim that they have, say, 10,000 spears and pledge fealty to a growing number of claimants to the Throne of Westeros) and added sex, murder and explosions. (Like the Transformers guy!)

Okay, so there weren't too many explosions, but there was a lot of sex (and rape) and untold murders. It was sordid, and dark. And frankly, I felt that the characters are all pretty stupid, except for Littlefinger and Varys, and those two are mysterious, plotting and kind of skeevy. I will also say, I watched the HBO show first and was furious at how STUPID Ned was. In the book you can hear his inner thought process which explained why he did the things he did, but I still think he was pretty dumb. I also don't quite see how this series is that different from other high fantasy, except that it is grittier and magic plays a lesser role, although that role is increasing. I think I enjoyed them; I'm uncertain because I certainly would not like to live in Westeros, but I wanted to find out what happened next, so I guess I was hooked. They reminded me a lot of Robin Hobb's Farseer series, a trilogy of trilogies, featuring many similar plot devices (including wolves, bastards, and creepy, enemy "Others." Also: bringing back dragons).

In conclusion: probably not the best reading choice for this sad juncture of my life. I am interested to see how G.R.R. intends to tie it all together, though. I think it will probably be disappointing no matter what he does because his narrative has gotten extremely vast. Also, he could cut down on the number of perspectives he uses. Some of them just got really boring. The repeated phrases by a few characters got very irritating as well:
"You know nothing, Jon Snow."
"I am just a young girl, unskilled in the arts of war [but imma doing what I want anyway]"

OMG shut up!

End rant.