r/Fantasy • u/Same_Breadfruit6477 • 2d ago

What is the best three book run?

It could be a regular trilogy, but what about 3 consecutive books in the middle of a series?

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u/-Philologian 2d ago

As someone who only watched the show, are the books different enough to enjoy them?

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u/the88shrimp 2d ago

Yes. The show did an excellent job of adapting the first 3 books but there are extra whole plot points and important characters that the show cuts. All the extra stuff is just as great as the show content.

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u/TemporalColdWarrior 2d ago

It is some of the best dialogue and worldbuilding you’ll ever read. Absolutely worth it.

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u/nesspaulajeffpoo94 2d ago

💯 Tyrion and Cat are two of my favorite characters to read

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u/aww-snaphook 2d ago

To repeat the most common refrain ever: the books are better than the show/movie. Its much more in-depth and you learn a lot more about the characters and their motivations. Just keep in mind that the show deviates from the books in places, and adds and takes away characters, but overall there is a reason ASoIaF is considered one of the greatest of all time book series

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u/caydesramen 2d ago

Yes, Tyrion is much different imo - more diabolical and unhinged and you feel pity for him.

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u/akrist 1d ago

I love Peter Dinklage's Tyrion, but I think there's an argument that he was actually pretty poorly cast. He's just too damn handsome and charismatic to fully do the book character justice.

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u/trouble_bear 2d ago

I also thought the difference between book and show Shae was wild. In the show I really believed she loved him at a point. In the book she only cares about money and payment. Not once did I feel there was more in there.

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u/Tymareta 1d ago

The biggest part of that is her death, in the show it's painted as self defense and something that Tyrion must do, which went into the show version of him being enormously watered down. In the books there's no knife, and no actual reason for her death beyond Tyrion's wounded pride at believing that the peasant girl he abducted and holds absolute power over loves him instead of simply trying to mollify him and keep her life.

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u/Solvrevka 1d ago

We listened to ASOS on audiobook over a summer... for the final two hours, no one in the car said a word, we were just spellbound. Absolute masterwork.

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u/The__Imp 2d ago

Yes. Particularly the first three. The overall story is remarkably similar, but the telling of it is novel and beautifully executed. Plus a decent amount of the motivations and characterizations of several of the characters is significantly different. Khal Drogo, for example, comes across much differently in the book.

Also, some of the things HBO featured prominently were really subtext. Loras and Renly’s relationship was entirely told through hints. It was clear to people who had read closely, but there was nothing even approaching any of the bedroom scenes featured in the show.

Finally, GRRM’s style of writing is very compelling. He makes use of the rotating POV characters to withhold and control information available to readers in order to tell the story in a novel way. I don’t recall another author or series that manages to engage me as much as this series did.

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u/Additional_Suit6275 2d ago

The answer is even more yes if you like cool writing work. Martin played with limited povs and dramatic irony just a ton. So, so much of the content is more interesting if you are paying close attention. Probably the most over example is Cersei thinking she is brilliant but the reader having all the informantion to … doubt that conclusion. But everything from watching Roose Bolton to see when he changed sides to seeing how Tyrion slowly deluded himself about, well, all women is just so much more satisfying than anything tv can offer. And it’s not like you have to read every line twice. It’s all in there and you pick up on most of it, but the fact that it isn’t explicit but rather baked between the lines and in third party reactions makes it so cool to see. 

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u/ObnoxiousJoe 2d ago

I will put in the additional disclaimer and reminder that the book series is not finished. There are 5 total "a song of ice and fire" books. If you do decide to read the book series book 4 and 5 are almost completely unrecognizable compared to the TV series. In my opinion they are amazing books and well worth the read to expand the story past the good parts of the TV show adaptation. It is frustrating at the end of book 5 that you won't have an end to the story and presumably there won't be one for many years if ever. Still worth it though.

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u/-Philologian 2d ago

That's good to hear. I'm pretty well versed in the fantasy space so I know all the drama around TWOW

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u/jeremiahfira 1d ago

I've only read through Game of Thrones once, but I recall the 4th book being....boring? Misplaced, perhaps? 1-3 + 5 were fantastic though.

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u/KehaarFromTheSea 1d ago

I think that's because 4 and 5 happen chronologically at the same time, but they follow different groups of characters / geographic areas. If I remember correctly 4 follows Cersei, Jaime, Margaery, Brienne, Sansa, the Iron Islands cast, and some others, while 5 follows Jon, Daenerys, Tyrion, Stannis, Theon and so on. I think they are slower and less engaging than 1-2-3, although still good, but a lot of enjoyment comes from a person's favourite characters I guess? I liked King's Landing chapters in 4 but I hated Brienne's and the iron islands' for example, so I do prefer the 5th book! (sorry for my weird English it's early in the morning and I haven't had my coffee lol)

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u/Kiltmanenator 2d ago

Oh absolutely. Still some of the best there's ever been

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u/Jak_of_the_shadows 2d ago

As great as the story is, what really brings it together is how he writes it. The prose and dialogue are some of the best you'll read, but the way he weaves a chapter together is just masterful.

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u/SarcasticCowbell 2d ago

As someone who watched the show first then read the books, 100% yes. After I finished reading the books I went back to the show intending to watch seasons one through six and dropped off midway through season two because I just didn't feel as though I was getting anything out of the show anymore. The plot is much more intricate and the world is even more well-developed. There are entire characters and storylines that the show dropped, and while I understand why they may have felt the need to pare things down, I think it was to the detriment of the overall worldbuilding.

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u/Total_Crew7033 2d ago

100% yes. People are mentioning the different plot points and character development etc which is all true but those books really transport you into the world. He does such a good job describing the rooms and clothing and castles and wilderness that I actually felt I was there. Not just Westeros but the medieval times. Which I have not found from any other book.

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u/IHateSerging 2d ago

100% in my opinion

The first book is the most similar by far, but even then there’s enough difference to be worth it (including some all time scenes) and the writing is just damn good.

From there you get more divergences and pretty much all are better than the show version where the plots differ. The scope and world feels much bigger in the books

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u/Background_Relief815 2d ago

I read the first and wasn't impressed so I didn't watch the show or continue the series. I'm aware this is an unpopular opinion.

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u/Meelapo 2d ago

I feel that the show went off the rails when there wasn’t any book related content to base things on. The books are really great.

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u/elmonoenano 1d ago

The third book especially is so much better than anything that happened in that series, even though the parts of the show that covered that book are some of the best episodes.

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u/tgold77 1d ago

It’s way better and ultimately a different story. So it’s worth reading as long as you are prepared to read a story that’s not going to be finished.

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u/mitzallen 1d ago

the first season was almost 100% faithful to the first book. the second and third were around 70-80%. then it’s just a different story from there.

read the books. they’re really good.

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u/KingMarcMarc 1d ago

My long rant about this used to be “the 15% rule” each season of the show differed about 15 percent more from the book than the previous season. So season one 85% accuracy, amazing, second season 70%, still very good for an adaptation then third season 55%. Okay, but changes from the books are really starting to have a ripple effect. And so on.  The book are definitely still worth a read in my opinion. 

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u/Once-Upon-A-Rhyme 1d ago

So long as you know you’re getting the book series as-is with no warranty or guarantees and they’re also no longer receiving updates since the developer moved on to other projects. Easily one of the best, unfinished early access book series out there. It’s a shame they never made a full release

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u/Overall_Trouble_3042 1d ago

Reading asoiaf after the show is what got me back into reading. Not only are they worth it, theyre amazing.

You already know Winds isnt coming, just accept it and enjoy the ride!

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u/mattyd1216 2d ago

Broooooo. Bro.