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Post by freyfamilyreunion on Sept 30, 2016 20:42:35 GMT
I'm a sucker for ebooks, and GRRM's ASOIAF series shows the advantages of ebooks over old school paper/ink/binding. It's easier to search for names, find specific passages in the text ect.
So I was very intrigued when I read on GRRM's website today, the availability of an "Enhanced" Edition ebook for Game of Thrones. It was touted to have illustrations, interactive maps and most intriguing annotations.
It's only 9 bucks so it didn't break the bank and I went ahead and got it. (Apparently it's only available on Apple's ibooks).
In case anyone else was considering it, here is my first impression. I was a bit disappointed. Most if not all of the illustrations that I've run across have been recycled from other formats, such as the World Book or various calendars. I'm unsure if it contains any of the illustrations that have been made for his upcoming illustrated edition of AGOT. If it doesn't then that's pretty bush league in my opinion.
The interactive maps are shown at the beginning of each chapter and shows where the character is at the time of his POV. The most interesting aspect of that is it gives a geographic location of the prologue and where the characters were north of the Wall. Another feature I liked, was each time a new character was introduced the name is in bold, and touching the name gives a brief bio of the character no matter how obscure.
What I was disappointed in was the "annotations". Unless GRRM has suddenly started writing in the third person, they weren't written by him. I couldn't find a credit for the annotations, but they smack of Elio. Most of the annotations are of the no shit Sherlock variety, and there are a few that reference some of the actual historical events that some of his story references. I was disappointed that the annotations didn't acknowledge the actual mythologies or literature that Martin also references. So far I haven't come across anything earth shaking. In the chapter of Eddard's toj dream, it put an interactive map of the location of the toj from the Lands of Ice and Fire supplement, but doesn't really give any hints or tips into the underlying mystery.
While the enhanced edition doesn't really add much to those already familiar with the series, it would probably be a pretty handy way for a novice reader to start the series since, the character bios would probably keep the reader from getting too overwhelmed by the sheer number of characters involved in the story.
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Post by jnr on Sept 30, 2016 22:14:32 GMT
Good review. I'm intrigued by the things that are possible with a digital book -- for instance, think how much easier it would be for new readers to understand the timeline if a visual timeline could be accessed by clicking on things like "hammer of the waters" or "Gendel" or "Long Night." But it sounds like this project falls a little short.
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Post by Ser Duncan on Oct 1, 2016 2:22:21 GMT
Just curious freyfamilyreunion does it have any annotations in places where Dany or Jorah reference things about Rhaegar? I can't remember if the phrase 'dying for the woman he loved' is in Thrones, or any other references of that sort, ie famously, the woman's name he supposedly says upon his death which the fapp insists is Lyanna.
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Post by freyfamilyreunion on Oct 2, 2016 12:45:41 GMT
Just curious freyfamilyreunion does it have any annotations in places where Dany or Jorah reference things about Rhaegar? I can't remember if the phrase 'dying for the woman he loved' is in Thrones, or any other references of that sort, ie famously, the woman's name he supposedly says upon his death which the fapp insists is Lyanna. The only annotations that mention Rhaegar are one that mentions how he and Robert were actually second cousins, one which mentions that Rhaegar was well thought of until his abduction of Lyanna, and of course an annotation to the famous Rhaegar didn't frequent brothels line. The annotation claims that by Ned comparing Robert unfavorably to Rhaegar it shows that Ned does not share Robert's rage towards Rhaegar and his opinion of Rhaegar might be quite complex. But like I said, not written by GRRM.
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Post by jnr on Oct 2, 2016 14:49:58 GMT
The annotation claims that by Ned comparing Robert unfavorably to Rhaegar Heh. This reminds me of the similarly popular fan interpretation that Lyanna beating her prepubescent little brother with broken branches translates into Lyanna as a Xena-like warrior woman.
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Post by Ser Duncan on Oct 2, 2016 15:42:31 GMT
The only annotations that mention Rhaegar are one that mentions how he and Robert were actually second cousins, one which mentions that Rhaegar was well thought of until his abduction of Lyanna, and of course an annotation to the famous Rhaegar didn't frequent brothels line. The annotation claims that by Ned comparing Robert unfavorably to Rhaegar it shows that Ned does not share Robert's rage towards Rhaegar and his opinion of Rhaegar might be quite complex. But like I said, not written by GRRM. Thanks FFR! All those seem fairly neutral. I wonder about the last one a bit, only because I didn't get the impression he was comparing Robert unfavourably to Rhaegar. But it's been a while since I've read that chapter.
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Post by wolfmaid7 on Oct 2, 2016 19:52:20 GMT
The annotation claims that by Ned comparing Robert unfavorably to Rhaegar Heh. This reminds me of the similarly popular fan interpretation that Lyanna beating her prepubescent little brother with broken branches translates into Lyanna as a Xena-like warrior woman. Yeah,eventhough the fangirl in be "chooses" to buy Lyanna as TKOTLT,i have to admit there's somethings about it that rings false.
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Post by wolfmaid7 on Oct 2, 2016 19:56:49 GMT
Just curious freyfamilyreunion does it have any annotations in places where Dany or Jorah reference things about Rhaegar? I can't remember if the phrase 'dying for the woman he loved' is in Thrones, or any other references of that sort, ie famously, the woman's name he supposedly says upon his death which the fapp insists is Lyanna. The only annotations that mention Rhaegar are one that mentions how he and Robert were actually second cousins, one which mentions that Rhaegar was well thought of until his abduction of Lyanna, and of course an annotation to the famous Rhaegar didn't frequent brothels line. The annotation claims that by Ned comparing Robert unfavorably to Rhaegar it shows that Ned does not share Robert's rage towards Rhaegar and his opinion of Rhaegar might be quite complex. But like I said, not written by GRRM. You know the more these things come out the more i get the feeling that the fans are being dupped.Its way past ambiguity in the series to people trying to make money by decieving the fanbase.At this time i kinda do wish it was Rhaegar + Lyanna=Jon because i get the sense people are going to feel very angry.It sounds like one persons perception on the reading,which by the way i should be asking...Who wrote it if not GRRM.Was it Elio and Linda?
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Post by jnr on Oct 2, 2016 20:14:49 GMT
there's somethings about it that rings false The objective truth for this mystery IMO is that GRRM left it ambiguous and thus, there are multiple possible explanations. Same with the Robert/Rhaegar/brothels thing. So the only way to guess wrong, at this stage, is to insist that there's only one possible explanation. Which is exactly what many folks on Westeros seem determined to do.
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Post by Ser Duncan on Oct 2, 2016 20:54:40 GMT
The objective truth for this mystery IMO is that GRRM left it ambiguous and thus, there are multiple possible explanations. Same with the Robert/Rhaegar/brothels thing. Glad to read I'm not the only one to interpret the R/R/brothel scene differently. To peg it as one thing, seems to me, to be deliberately pointing at something the reader is missing. Well, if the reader hasn't already figured out that Ned's reaction to the Targs is strange to say the least, I don't think this annotation is any help at all. On the KotLT though, while it is ambiguous, it seems again to me, a waste of time if it's not Howland. Or at the very least Ned. Otherwise what the hell is he telling his kids the bleeding story for? And why would the kids themselves think that Ned's sprogs would've heard it a thousand times before as well?
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Post by Ser Duncan on Oct 2, 2016 20:58:46 GMT
.At this time i kinda do wish it was Rhaegar + Lyanna=Jon because i get the sense people are going to feel very angry. Nah, really? I'd rather enjoy seeing certain folk get angry about it. Mind you, there are others I would feel bad for, if when RLJ turns out not to be true.
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Post by wolfmaid7 on Oct 2, 2016 21:35:35 GMT
there's somethings about it that rings false The objective truth for this mystery IMO is that GRRM left it ambiguous and thus, there are multiple possible explanations. Same with the Robert/Rhaegar/brothels thing. So the only way to guess wrong, at this stage, is to insist that there's only one possible explanation. Which is exactly what many folks on Westeros seem determined to do. I'm a back and forth with Sweetrunsy who seem to take issue with a claim that i've made when it came to his arguement.At one time before i decided to study Public Health i really wanted to be a Physicist.Carl Sagan is still one of my heroes,but if he knew what his "Absence of evidence,doesn't mean evidence of absence" quote would have wroth on a site called Westeros.org,he might not have said it.I will add there's still no evidence of intelligent life out there in the cosmos besides here on the "blue and green" and at time i wonder about that. For every valid point that is brought up these people hit with"What if" or i'm sorry playing the "Devils advocate"card in such a way its ridiculous.I've seen how Devils advocate arguements end up.We et things like Septon Maribald most definitely marrying Rhaegar and Lyanna.After a while people start speaking about it as if its fact totally ignoring other arguements.I'm very steamed at the moment because to me what the frack good comes out of... "Maybe Brandon taught her to Joust while they were riding in the rills.
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Post by wolfmaid7 on Oct 2, 2016 21:38:09 GMT
.At this time i kinda do wish it was Rhaegar + Lyanna=Jon because i get the sense people are going to feel very angry. Nah, really? I'd rather enjoy seeing certain folk get angry about it. Mind you, there are others I would feel bad for, if when RLJ turns out not to be true. I'm saying this because i think the next WW will be fough over GRRM lying to the fans,or allowing his " go to folks" to release information with his blessing.Would folks be able to differentiate between what Elio and Linda did from what GRRM did? Or is it going to be one big shit storm for GRRM? How are Elio and Linda going to take it.
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Post by Ser Duncan on Oct 2, 2016 22:41:18 GMT
Nah, really? I'd rather enjoy seeing certain folk get angry about it. Mind you, there are others I would feel bad for, if when RLJ turns out not to be true. I'm saying this because i think the next WW will be fough over GRRM lying to the fans,or allowing his " go to folks" to release information with his blessing.Would folks be able to differentiate between what Elio and Linda did from what GRRM did? Or is it going to be one big shit storm for GRRM? How are Elio and Linda going to take it. It'll one big shit storm for both Martin, and the fans that have been fighting with RLJers. Tell the truth, it's Elio and Linda that I'd feel most sorry for, precisely because the die hard fans will not be able to differentiate between their interpretation and what Martin actually did.
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Post by wolfmaid7 on Oct 2, 2016 23:55:02 GMT
I'm saying this because i think the next WW will be fough over GRRM lying to the fans,or allowing his " go to folks" to release information with his blessing.Would folks be able to differentiate between what Elio and Linda did from what GRRM did? Or is it going to be one big shit storm for GRRM? How are Elio and Linda going to take it. It'll one big shit storm for both Martin, and the fans that have been fighting with RLJers. Tell the truth, it's Elio and Linda that I'd feel most sorry for, precisely because the die hard fans will not be able to differentiate between their interpretation and what Martin actually did. Very true...The app has come up again on the If Lyanna as TKOTLT thread.I'm just trying to get a straight answer from people like Sweets and Ygrain on who wrote the freaking app they so praise.I'm wondering why GRRM hasn't told them they should stop this,you would think that seeing as they've been with him so long he might give them a piece of advice.
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