The last book was one of my favorites of the entire series, so I don't think the quality will necessarily dip as much as people's expectations will be unrealistic. Everyone is going to be looking for notable deaths in every chapter and thats just not the way these things work. The closing sequence of book 5 was just amazing. Dannys city is going to complete sh!t, she is being ousted as ruler, the locals are taking over, her Dragons are becoming a liability.....and then she rides one off into the middle of the largest Dorthraki horde on the planet and they all kneel and start chanting Khalisee or whatever.
Going to be very disappointed if Jon is not dead. If somehow Bran is the one who gives him life back then I would be OK with it. But as much as GRRM will take things to the mystical realm (especially in the North), the book pretty clearly paints a picture of Snow getting Caser'd to death by an entire group of people, all with daggers. Then again Jon Snow seems to be his favorite character and he has relied HEAVILY on him. Maybe that makes it all the more jarring though. Keeping Jon alive just opens up more story lines to close, so from a completion angle - killing him off makes the most sense, you don't have to answer any questions surrounding him, Ned, Ned's sister, and Rhaegar.
Side note - have you read any of the new Brandon Sanderson books? I think the series is called The Storm Light Archive. I read the first 2 and its as good if not better than GoT.
I didnt start reading until a few years ago, but I have been plowing through books (I read at work and before bed everyday now).
I have completed
Storm Light Archives - 2 books
King Killer Chronicles - 2 books
Game of Thrones - 5 books
Wheel of Time series - 13 books
Malazan Book of the Fallen - on book 9 of 10
EDIT: He will absolutely finish the series - he may wait for HBO to write it for him and then just copy it, but it will definitely get done
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