Sorry about that.
The upload of the new sample chapter from THE WINDS OF WINTER created so much traffic to my website and blog that the servers crashed. This is the first time I've been able to get up myself all day.
Anyway, it seems to be easing off some. And we are looking at ways to increase capacity.
The "reviews" of the chapter have been amazingly enthusiastic as well. Thanks. I am pleased that so many of you -- thousands and maybe tens of thousands, it would seem -- enjoyed "Mercy" so much.
I mentioned that this chapter had quite a history. It's true. The first draft was written more than a decade ago. Originally, it was intended to be the opening Arya chapter after the infamous "five year gap," her first appearance in A DANCE WITH DRAGONS as initially conceived. Then it was supposed to be a part of A FEAST FOR CROWS, after I abandoned the five year gap and split the books. Then it was going to be the concluding Arya chapter in A DANCE WITH DRAGONS. But it seemed more like an opening chapter than a closing one, so shortly before ADWD was published my editor and I agreed to remove it from DANCE and shift it over into WINDS. Of course, it has been revised, tightened, polished, and tweaked at every step of the way, so the version on my website has some significant differences from the "five year gap" version.
Some of you who enjoyed meeting Mercy may not have found the other sample we've put out there of late, a new Tyrion chapter. That one is live and available with the ICE & FIRE app, and can be found at
The upload of the new sample chapter from THE WINDS OF WINTER created so much traffic to my website and blog that the servers crashed. This is the first time I've been able to get up myself all day.
Anyway, it seems to be easing off some. And we are looking at ways to increase capacity.
The "reviews" of the chapter have been amazingly enthusiastic as well. Thanks. I am pleased that so many of you -- thousands and maybe tens of thousands, it would seem -- enjoyed "Mercy" so much.
I mentioned that this chapter had quite a history. It's true. The first draft was written more than a decade ago. Originally, it was intended to be the opening Arya chapter after the infamous "five year gap," her first appearance in A DANCE WITH DRAGONS as initially conceived. Then it was supposed to be a part of A FEAST FOR CROWS, after I abandoned the five year gap and split the books. Then it was going to be the concluding Arya chapter in A DANCE WITH DRAGONS. But it seemed more like an opening chapter than a closing one, so shortly before ADWD was published my editor and I agreed to remove it from DANCE and shift it over into WINDS. Of course, it has been revised, tightened, polished, and tweaked at every step of the way, so the version on my website has some significant differences from the "five year gap" version.
Some of you who enjoyed meeting Mercy may not have found the other sample we've put out there of late, a new Tyrion chapter. That one is live and available with the ICE & FIRE app, and can be found at
iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/george-r.-r.-martins-world/id570015223?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.randomhouse.woiaf
Enjoy the read.
- Current Location:Santa Fe
- Current Mood:
pleased
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grrm- George R.R. Martin
- George R. R. Martin
Page Summary
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Comments
Excellent chapter, maybe one of the best of the whole series so far. If the rest of TWOW can live up to that, it's going to be a wonderful reading experience.
One small question regarding the timeline of the story: Do the events in "Mercy" take place before or after Kevan's death in ADWD?
I can absoultely see how this would have been a great introduction to Arya after the five year gap: Her identity remaining hidden until the last paragraph would have been a great reveal / reintroduction to Arya, having not known her fate after ASoS.
It's great either way, and thank you for the sneak peeks :)
Edited at 2014-03-27 10:13 pm (UTC)
But I can't, because I think the servers are on fire or something.
By the way, what are the chances of Mercy paying a visit to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones? The draft is coming up next month and I honestly can't stand the thought of him doing more damage to a team that is (at best) hurtling toward a 6-10 season.
While reading the chapter, it mentioned that the Black Pearl was the lover of a "dragon king". My first thought was that this could have been the origin of Nettles (from The Princess and the Queen). Further research showed me that the original Black Pearl was one of Aegon IV's lovers and Aegon IV lived long after the time of the Dance. But it made me wonder if Nettles still had a similar Targaryen/Summer Islander orgin?
Keep up the good work!
That chapter was really, really good. It makes my appetite for Winds all the greater! Can't wait to hear from the other characters that didn't make it into A Dance with Dragons
I also realized a re-read of the first few might be necessary to appreciate all the subtleties of the next book. I caught some of the subtleties in this chapter, but I'm sure I missed many others.
She is patiently waiting now but I know she will enjoy as much as I did too. I got to say, the subject of the chapter is one that many of us are chomping at the bit to know more about. She's got to be number one for me, and there is a very close second. But I rather not say anything about that.
Thanks again GRRM, Enjoy the moment, and I grow in further anticipation of the new book.