Tower of the Hand

George R. R. Martin has received a lot of criticism lately from readers who lament the pace at which he's delivering his A Song of Ice and Fire novels, and from fans who wonder if he's chasing the easy money with all his side projects. It's understandable, but sometimes we forget that GRRM's success has been rightly earned. Take it from the perspective of bestselling author Pat Conroy (The Great Santini, The Prince of Tides). Conroy has written a lengthy testimonial about finally reading A Game of Thrones, having long avoided the genre, and about meeting GRRM for the first time. He offers the highest praise for him as a writer, and as a man whose success has not routed the best parts of his nature. If you're feeling down on GRRM, this is well worth the read.