User blog comment:TheUnknown285/What Other Sci-Fi or Fantasy Do You Like?/@comment-2088100-20130220024355/@comment-2088100-20130220032324

I haven't read Children of the Sky, because I'd heard that it didn't really build into anything satisfying. I had a similarly unsatisfying experience with Rainbow's End, so I was going to skip it. If you enjoyed it though, I may need to have another look.

Regarding darkness/frustration in ASoIaF... that's what I like so much about the series. You are so heavily invested in characters that when things don't work out for the best, you're pissed off. Makes for some great drama.