Hi! I am a member of Ran's board and a curious rumor has sprung there, one I hope you can clarify. It seems that at amazon.co.uk, there is a book written by you called "A Feast for Crows" that will be published November 4 2002, with 704 pages. The number of pages matches that of "A Dance with Dragons," but ADwD is now listed August 5 2002. What's going on? Have your publishers there decided to split the book in two parts?
No, I changed the game plan. A DANCE WITH DRAGONS will now be the fifth book. A FEAST FOR CROWS will be the fourth.
And while I'm at it, I might as well ask a few (well, okay, more than a few) questions, if you don't mind...
1- Are you still holding to your "six books, no more no less" vow?
That's my intent, yes.
2- Will ADwD come out later in the US than in the UK (I hope not!)?
Based on the past two books, the Brits will probably get theirs out first again.
3- I know you've answered no to this question before, but it could have changed... Will there be a new PoV in ADwD? (A new thread speculating on who it would be springs up from time to time on the board.)
Two new viewpoint characters. One of them will be Cersei.
4- How is ADwD progressing?
A FEAST FOR CROWS is coming slowly.
5- Do you expect that it will reach bookstores before Winter 2002?
About a year from now, I hope.
6- Do you still aim at making ADwD "slimmer" than ASoS (I hope not - I want all ASoIaF books to be as fat as possible! :-)
I'd like a book the size of ACOK, but whether I achieve that remains to be seen.
7- When will Dany and her army arrive on Westeros in ADwD (beginning of book, middle, end)?
No comment.
8- If Jon wanted to, could he continue the training regimen he had set for himself at the end of ASoS despite being Lord Commander? I ask this question because I hope Jon will be one of the best swordsmen around come ADwD. Some people have argued against it on the board, but it has been pointed out that Ser Barristan was a Lord Commander, too (and thus had to take time away from training to sit on the small council), and did quite well at the Hand's tourney.
Jon can train as much as he wants, though he will have some real fighting to do as well.
9- Just where is Tyrion's ship taking him (some people think he'll end up in Dorne)?
No comment.
10- Will there be more important weddings (and funerals) in ADwD?
A big funeral right to start with in AFFC.
11- The Crown owes a lot of money to the Lannisters. Now that they've have taken power and the war is over, will they start squeezing the land dry to recover on that debt?
The Crown owes money to a lot of people. It's the debts to the Faith and the Iron Bank of Braavos that should concern them, not the one to Casterly Rock.
12- Is it a valid possibility that Littlefinger might covertly support the Brotherhood without Banners to harass the Freys to get back at them for Cat and get them in line (Littlefinger is now Lord Paramount of the Trident IIRC, and the Freys aren't likely to be the most obedient of subjects)
With Littlefinger anything is possible.
Keep reading.