A Song of Ice and Fire (Book discussion)

[Rulke]

I may have said this earlier, but Bran is a character that has really grown on me, but it took the events of the last book to do so. Now that he is "out and about" with his little group I find myself interested to see what he discovers and what happens to him.

[Palin]

If someone told you that there was a Kingsmoot on the Iron Islands you could probably skip the Damphair chapters until it actually takes place. God damn that guy was annoying. We get it, you serve the Drowned God and try to kill people to save their soul/

[geno]

Yeah he was my least favorite PoV by far. God damn damphair.

[noblemountain]

I honestly didn't mind it because it allows you to see inside some of the thinking of the people of the Iron Islands. I enjoy out of the ordinary view points...it gives you access to a characters mind who you wouldn't expect. I enjoyed seeing how crazy Cersei really is, for example. Writing in third person limited is a great style for keeping people in the dark about plots and subplots that the POV character wouldn't know about...but also is limiting, so you have to take POVs that aren't that exciting to explain things further in your story. I think his writing style makes you more involved in the game of thrones and feel more passionately for the characters that he wants you to feel for...(Ned especially in the first book)...whereas if you saw the world from Littlefingers POV in the first book or Varys, the whole thing would be ruined because they know far too much.

[Tyr]

I just finished the first book. Holy shit...

Spoiler: show

What the shit happened...everywhere? The last 3 huge events (Ned / Drogo / Dany) have my head spinning...

Also, is the discussion in here about the other 3 books? I don't want to ruin anything for myself =/

[Odesseiron]

I just finished the first book. Holy shit...

Spoiler: show

What the shit happened...everywhere? The last 3 huge events (Ned / Drogo / Dany) have my head spinning...

Also, is the discussion in here about the other 3 books? I don't want to ruin anything for myself =/

Yes, it's all discussed with no spoiler tags, so avoid at all costs.

[aduidarnenye]

Also, is the discussion in here about the other 3 books? I don't want to ruin anything for myself =/

The last book was published more than 5 years ago so most people don't see the point of spoiler tags anymore. You have a month to finish the next three until book 5 comes out! Then you can go back and read the thread.

I read an interview where Martin stated that Sandor Clegane is "pure evil with no redeemable qualities" and that he was "an extremely unsympathetic character". I never thought that. Gregor Clegane I thought was along those lines but not Sandor.

[tyven]

Sandor is my ace. he saved arya at the red wedding

[aduidarnenye]

In A Clash of Kings when Arya is with Yoren and the men being recruited to the Night's Watch they are attacked at the holdfast by the lake by some of Lannister's men. During the battle Arya goes around shouting "Winterfell!" a bunch. Why would she do this? It doesn't really make much sense. She has had no proper knight's training and hasn't been in a huge melee like that before. There's no reason to suggest she'd just go about shouting Stark words in a battle naturally, especially since she knew it was Lannister men out there and if they heard someone shouting "Winterfell!" that would make them fight even stronger. A minor point, yes, but always irritated me when I read that bit.

[noblemountain]

She knew that's what knights did in battle. She never made a lot of good decisions in the novels...up until the end of book 4 even when she made her worst mistake.

[Bweigelt]

The last book was published more than 5 years ago so most people don't see the point of spoiler tags anymore. You have a month to finish the next three until book 5 comes out! Then you can go back and read the thread.

I read an interview where Martin stated that Sandor Clegane is "pure evil with no redeemable qualities" and that he was "an extremely unsympathetic character". I never thought that. Gregor Clegane I thought was along those lines but not Sandor.

I've seen that interview and I'm pretty sure it was Gregor he was talking about not Sandor.

As for Arya it's mentioned several times in the book that she likes to hang around with the soldiers, especially Jory, and often liked to talk to squires and servants. It's not surprising that once everyone else started yelling something she would shout Winterfell. With the adrenaline of the battle going she's not going to stop and think "hmm maybe I shouldn't yell that".

[Rhinox]

Just started book 3.

Cat makes me rage hardcore. Use to feel sorry for her and even appreciated the fact that she seemed to know wtf she was doing but my god...

[aduidarnenye]

Just started book 3.

Cat makes me rage hardcore. Use to feel sorry for her and even appreciated the fact that she seemed to know wtf she was doing but my god...

Welcome to the Catelyn Hatred Club. It only gets worse.

[noblemountain]

Welcome to the Catelyn Hatred Club. It only gets worse.

until it gets better.

[Rulke]

Welcome to the Catelyn Hatred Club.

/brofist

[Andalusian girls]

philistines

[aduidarnenye]

I've been thinking about the discussion concerning Melisandre and her power. I was under the impression that her power was the same as that red priest who follows Beric Dondarrion and the firemancer that Daenarys saw in Qarth. Their power had increased when Daenarys hatched the dragons and all their magical power comes from the dragons. I never got the idea that Melisandre was very powerful before the dragons were born and always believed she was just talking out of her behind most of the time.

[FailureMidgard]

I've been thinking about the discussion concerning Melisandre and her power. I was under the impression that her power was the same as that red priest who follows Beric Dondarrion and the firemancer that Daenarys saw in Qarth. Their power had increased when Daenarys hatched the dragons and all their magical power comes from the dragons. I never got the idea that Melisandre was very powerful before the dragons were born and always believed she was just talking out of her behind most of the time.

I'm not sure that's the correct cause>effect relationship, but I definitely agree with the premise she did not have said power a year prior. Something re-awakened the magic powers that be in the world before the events of Game of Thrones, which allowed the magical creatures and people of the world to bloom. Since the Others are a part of this magic (I think?), I don't think the dragons can be the cause, but are rather just another effect (even if some characters may believe they draw power from the existence of dragons). I think without whatever surge occurred, the dragons would have never been able to hatch (It's not like the Targaryens didn't continue to try to hatch more dragons from eggs at the end/after the death of the last dragon). Basically, I don't see them as the cause because I believe the "effects" began to occur before they were hatched.

That being said, Thoros of Myr most definitely is a follower of the same deity as Melisandre, and I definitely agree there was little/no power there during/before GoT.

[aduidarnenye]

I'm reading the second book right now and I just got through the part where Tyrion is preparing King's Landing for an attack by Stannis Baratheon. He ordered the firewater from the alchemists of King's Landing and the head alchemist who comes to talk to him (Hallyne?) asks Tyrion quite clearly if there are any dragons alive again because he knew the magic had disappeared with the last of the Targaryen dragons. He says that they are able to make firewater much faster because the spells are working better (which suggests they worked before Danaerys' dragons but not very well or strong). I'm not sure that the Others mix into this but perhaps they are Ice Magic and the dragons are Fire Magic, hence the song of ice and fire.

(Which is very silly because everyone knows that Thunder is stronger than Ice and Fire!!)

[EternityEnd]

(Which is very silly because everyone knows that Thunder is stronger than Ice and Fire!!)

Tell that to the remnants of House Baratheon. Stormlords indeed. I am curious why the new advent of Dragons would spark magic, when the Others apparently don't. They're clearly magical creatures.

It would be interesting if something happened in, say, Asshai recently that was actually the catalyst. Unfortunately, I have to doubt that, though, because we're probably never going to visit Asshai or learn more about it in any way other than Melisandre's presumed flashbacks in ADWD. Maybe dragons are just special!