Jon: We begin to see now just how lonely Jon is. He sends the last of his friends away to other towers, his troops don't really trust him all the way, either for being a warg or being too close to Stannis, or too young, and doom appears to be at his door in the form of wildings and zombies. Plus, he believes the bulk of his family to be dead. Other than duty, there just doesn't appear to be a whole lot going for him there. Still, I kind of wonder how things would have gone if he's married Val, taken a few thousand wildings with him south of the wall, and reclaimed the north as a Stark. Lord knows there's a reckoning that needs to happen there with the Boltons.
Dany: Her frustration is certainly getting the best of her. I like that Barristan is teaching her about the Starks and the Lannisters. It's pretty clear that she simply has no idea how things really went down in Robert's war. If she thinks the Lannisters and the Starks are the same, she really doesn't get it. The Lannisters stayed out of it until the last minute, and only hopped in at the end to sneak into the city and murder innocent women and children. The Starks got into it from the beginning because Aerys burned half their family alive, and Rhaegar kidnapped one as well, plus Aerys wanted to kill Ned as well. The Starks were as justified as it gets. She needs to understand that before she arrives. It's disappointing and sad to see the state of her dragons as well. Drogon has run away, and the two that are left are chained in a pit. The two that are left would seem to be under her sway still, but something has to give. She has to figure out how to train them and bend them to her will, otherwise they are just a random disaster waiting to happen, and she loses a great deal of her power.
Reek: At first I was wondering why we were getting a chapter from Ramsay's point of view, but when I realized it's Theon, I perked up a little bit. He's been tortured to the point of basically having his entire identity erased. If Theon is the lens we have to use to view what's happening in the north, then so be it. What would be interesting, actually, is if Theon somehow came across Osha and Rickon while he was out and about. He's one of only two or three people that know Rickon is still alive, or knows what Osha looks like. Jaime did terrible things, but on some level, once they really got into his character, you realized there was so much more going on, that some of it was simply youth and bravado, and then tried to redeem himself, and while I don't forgive what he did, I feel like as a character, he's earned some mercy from me as a viewer. Theon did really terrible things, though what he did was considerably worse than throwing Bran out a window. And he's not at all apologetic for it. His treachery was that much worse, too, since he was raised at Winterfell. If he's searching for redemption, saving Rickon is a place to find it, but, I think he deserves much of what the Boltons are doing to him.
Bran: Finally! After a couple books of reading about him doing absolutely nothing, we get something pretty big. Part of me was somehow hoping that Bran would be able to walk again, but, this is a pretty huge step he's taking with the three-eyed crow. I think it's interesting that there's some sort of whole nest of Children of the Forest. I think we had to know that we'd meet them eventually. The three-eyed crow, whatever it is, it's interesting that the weirwood appears to be grown directly into him. That makes me wonder if he feeds off it somehow, so he can be wherever he wants without needing to come back to his body to feed like Bran keeps forgetting to. It would seem that Bran has some special destiny. I'm looking forward to hearing more about the Children of the Forest, and Coldhands. Part of me wonders if the reason he won't show Bran his face is because he thinks Bran will recognize him!
Tyrion: Not much here except that Griff Jr. and Quentyn Martell would make interesting friends. I'm also a little worried about why Griff is making Tyrion transcribe all his dragon lore before they arrive. Seems to me like that's the perfect thing to do if you wan the information but don't want to keep the guy who knows it around. Is he planning something?
Davos: Just what does Wyman have planned for the ships and men he's gathering? Ramsay Bolton suggested they were going to war, and I think they mentioned the Iron Born. Is that who the Manderly's are planning on going after as well? There appears to still be some pretty interesting stuff happening in the north.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Page 134: Friends New and Old
The Merchant's Man: At first I was wondering if this was just the "Griff" that we'd been hearing about, but it didn't take long to figure out it was Quentyn Martell. I probably should have guessed it sooner given we knew he was over there from Feast, but the chapter header was sort of a throw off. He's a pretty interesting guy. He's Jon's age, but a great deal less self-assured. I think their easiest plan would be to simply join a sellsword company and sneak into Slaver's Bay. It'd be all expenses paid! You can certainly tell that he's totally his father's son. Unlike his headstrong, heedless friends, he stops to think things through, just like Doran. I think he and Jon would have been good friends, since they share quite a bit in common, and have different yet complementary personalities.
Jon: Speaking of Jon, he's changed a bit since becoming Lord Commander. It's interesting because we saw the same change with Robb. When Robb had to march south, he grew up overnight. It's a little different for Jon because Jon was on the Wall for a year before being named Lord Commander, so he already had the respect of a lot of these people, wheras Robb had to earn it from scratch. It's a lesson that both of them learned fast, and you can see so much of Eddard in them that it kills me a bit, but it's great to know that Eddard is living on in Jon. That also makes me afraid that Jon is marked for death now, but, we'll see. I think it was a smart move to remove Slynt. I mean, he was well within his rights, but his mercy wouldn't have done anything to help him at all, and probably would have hurt him. Who the hell did Janos think he was anyway? He'd just arrived, and was a moron even in King's Landing. I think it helped to earn more respect from Stannis as well, though, that seems to do him ill with his own men. I kind of wonder in a way if Jon and Stannis will develop a similar relationship to Eddard and Robert...except there's an age difference, and Ned and Robert were totally different, whereas Stannis is a lot more like Eddard to begin with, what with his uncompromising sense of justice (though, Ned was nothing if not TOO merciful). Still, it's an interesting relationship to watch develop. I sort of look forward to Stannis leaving though.
Tyrion: Glad to see he's back to winning friends and influencing people. His magnetic personality is in fine form. Interesting how people are choosing to align with Dany, both in terms of what they expect to get out of it, and what they have to offer in return. I think Varys is helping Tyrion get to Dany because he thinks that Dany can bring stability to Westeros, and don't forget, he first got to King's Landing under the rule of Aerys. Griff isn't exactly a barrel of laughs, but I bet he and his son have some interesting back story. Griff Jr. seems like a pretty cool kid, though, no one likes someone who is good at everything. The funny thing is, Tyrion's demand of Dany, that he get Casterly Rock, is really just asking for what should have been his anyway.
Davos: So glad to see he survived, at least, for the moment. I assumed once Stannis hit the wall that Davos was still around, though, we know from Feast that there was a report of his head being on the wall. That might be interesting from a storytelling perspective if these two books were one massive 2,000 page book, but, with that piece of information in hand, I think it'll be a huge letdown if he actually dies. Seems to me that should really be a diversion or trickery so White Harbor really can join Stannis. Otherwise, that's pretty stupid. I like that Davos is probably the most loyal character in the show. Guys like Grey Worm and Areo Hotah are super loyal, but, they were trained since birth to be. Guys like Davos and maybe Barristan are loyal for different reasons, and I find it more interesting. Jon could certainly use Davos' voice to back him up at the Wall, if he ever makes it back there. And it's nice to see that a duplicitous character is finally helping a fan favorite to escape, rather than leading him into another trap!
Next time: A good dose of Jon, Dany, Theon, Bran, Tyrion and Davos.
Jon: Speaking of Jon, he's changed a bit since becoming Lord Commander. It's interesting because we saw the same change with Robb. When Robb had to march south, he grew up overnight. It's a little different for Jon because Jon was on the Wall for a year before being named Lord Commander, so he already had the respect of a lot of these people, wheras Robb had to earn it from scratch. It's a lesson that both of them learned fast, and you can see so much of Eddard in them that it kills me a bit, but it's great to know that Eddard is living on in Jon. That also makes me afraid that Jon is marked for death now, but, we'll see. I think it was a smart move to remove Slynt. I mean, he was well within his rights, but his mercy wouldn't have done anything to help him at all, and probably would have hurt him. Who the hell did Janos think he was anyway? He'd just arrived, and was a moron even in King's Landing. I think it helped to earn more respect from Stannis as well, though, that seems to do him ill with his own men. I kind of wonder in a way if Jon and Stannis will develop a similar relationship to Eddard and Robert...except there's an age difference, and Ned and Robert were totally different, whereas Stannis is a lot more like Eddard to begin with, what with his uncompromising sense of justice (though, Ned was nothing if not TOO merciful). Still, it's an interesting relationship to watch develop. I sort of look forward to Stannis leaving though.
Tyrion: Glad to see he's back to winning friends and influencing people. His magnetic personality is in fine form. Interesting how people are choosing to align with Dany, both in terms of what they expect to get out of it, and what they have to offer in return. I think Varys is helping Tyrion get to Dany because he thinks that Dany can bring stability to Westeros, and don't forget, he first got to King's Landing under the rule of Aerys. Griff isn't exactly a barrel of laughs, but I bet he and his son have some interesting back story. Griff Jr. seems like a pretty cool kid, though, no one likes someone who is good at everything. The funny thing is, Tyrion's demand of Dany, that he get Casterly Rock, is really just asking for what should have been his anyway.
Davos: So glad to see he survived, at least, for the moment. I assumed once Stannis hit the wall that Davos was still around, though, we know from Feast that there was a report of his head being on the wall. That might be interesting from a storytelling perspective if these two books were one massive 2,000 page book, but, with that piece of information in hand, I think it'll be a huge letdown if he actually dies. Seems to me that should really be a diversion or trickery so White Harbor really can join Stannis. Otherwise, that's pretty stupid. I like that Davos is probably the most loyal character in the show. Guys like Grey Worm and Areo Hotah are super loyal, but, they were trained since birth to be. Guys like Davos and maybe Barristan are loyal for different reasons, and I find it more interesting. Jon could certainly use Davos' voice to back him up at the Wall, if he ever makes it back there. And it's nice to see that a duplicitous character is finally helping a fan favorite to escape, rather than leading him into another trap!
Next time: A good dose of Jon, Dany, Theon, Bran, Tyrion and Davos.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Page 81: Getting the Ball Rolling
So a lot of these first few chapters is really just re-establishing our connections with the characters and reminding us what is going on. There's actually not a whole lot going on yet. Feast started off that way too...and never picked up. Here's hoping this gets better in another 100 pages. Since the chapter lengths and what not work out a little differently with the hardcover versions, I probably won't be posting every 100 pages like I used to, but rather just once per character per entry.
Dany: For the most part this is a fairly straightforward, somewhat mundane chapter on the vagaries of ruling a small city with a small insurgency taking place. It's interesting that Dany is having to deal with this insurgency, and given the political world that many of us have lived in for the last decade, Martin could have easily chosen to slide in some moral component that discusses how to deal with an insurgency that relates more to our own times, but he hasn't (so far). I'm glad. I think it would have felt forced. Dany is still trying to walk the line between benevolence and wrath. She's picked all the low-hanging fruit as far as getting people to love her, because almost all the people on her side now were lifted from a state of despair when she came upon them. All the people of Meereen were perfectly fine before she arrived, and she totally messed with their world. Getting them to even like her, let alone love her, is going to be a far greater challenge that she hasn't figured out yet. Will she earn it, or will she kill enough of them to make them fear her instead? Much has been made of Robert's ability to get his enemies to love him and be loyal to him, and of course, much has been made of Aerys madness. Where will Dany fall? The business with the dragons is troubling. If she loses control over them, that really changes a major dynamic of the books. We've been waiting since the end of GoT for her to hop on a dragon and mow stuff down. Are they about to go beyond her control? And what about Euron's magic dragon controlling horn? Troubling signs ahead.
Jon: If not for where Bran is headed, I think it would have been really neat if the three-eyed crow had ended up being Mormont's bird. It's old, it's smart, it's wild above the wall, maybe it was just disguising itself all this time to steal corn. But alas, it doesn't seem to be headed in that direction. I'm glad that Jon is standing up to Stannis. It's too bad that we can't seen Jon as Lord Commander on his own, without having to deal with the permanent threat of a king nearby. Melisandre doesn't appear to be threatening Jon overtly, she actually seems to be genuinely warning him. Many of her prophesies in the past have been self-fulfilling with circular logic. "I have to kill so-and-so because in the fire I kill so-and-so." Lovely. But we can't deny that she is powerful. I hope we get some more information on northern politics in this book. We heard absolutely nothing about anything between the Neck and the Wall in Feast and I want to know what's happening. I'm also mildly curious as to when Rickon will rear his head, eventually. At this point I almost want Stannis to win over the North so it'll be kept safe for a Stark's return. On the other hand, if he makes them burn the weirwoods, I won't like it at all. One must also consider a tiny piece of news that hasn't been talked about in 500 pages. Before Robb went to The Twins, he had his lords sign a document that clearly defined the line of succession for the King in the North. Whom did he leave the kingdom to? What happened to the document? Why bother dropping that hint in SoS if not to bring it up later? It would seem that he chose Jon, but Jon rejected Stannis' offer. I hope this comes back up.
Bran: I hope that Bran doesn't lose Summer beyond the Wall. Jon has never had a problem controlling Ghost, really, but Jon is also a lot more strongwilled than Bran. All the "magical" pets that characters have seem to becoming more unruly and wild. Thus far, Bran's is the most undefined storyline with the most mystery. We don't know what will happen with everyone else, but at least we understand the stakes and the situation. Coldhands being a zombie isn't that big of a deal really (I mean, wasn't it sort of obvious to the reader from the start?), but I hope they get somewhere fast.
Tyrion: He would seem to be somewhat conflicted over Jaime. He recognizes that Jaime is the one that freed him, yet more than once he expresses a desire to kill him. There's a scene where one head laughs and one cries at killing Jaime, but at the same time he wants his head on a spike. I think he needs time still. He seems committed to helping Dany, but how long will it take him to get to Meereen if Dany isn't headed for Volantis? It could take half the book or more for him to get there, and they say it IS a long journey. I'm sort of hoping Dany hopes a dragon and picks him up along the way.
Dany: For the most part this is a fairly straightforward, somewhat mundane chapter on the vagaries of ruling a small city with a small insurgency taking place. It's interesting that Dany is having to deal with this insurgency, and given the political world that many of us have lived in for the last decade, Martin could have easily chosen to slide in some moral component that discusses how to deal with an insurgency that relates more to our own times, but he hasn't (so far). I'm glad. I think it would have felt forced. Dany is still trying to walk the line between benevolence and wrath. She's picked all the low-hanging fruit as far as getting people to love her, because almost all the people on her side now were lifted from a state of despair when she came upon them. All the people of Meereen were perfectly fine before she arrived, and she totally messed with their world. Getting them to even like her, let alone love her, is going to be a far greater challenge that she hasn't figured out yet. Will she earn it, or will she kill enough of them to make them fear her instead? Much has been made of Robert's ability to get his enemies to love him and be loyal to him, and of course, much has been made of Aerys madness. Where will Dany fall? The business with the dragons is troubling. If she loses control over them, that really changes a major dynamic of the books. We've been waiting since the end of GoT for her to hop on a dragon and mow stuff down. Are they about to go beyond her control? And what about Euron's magic dragon controlling horn? Troubling signs ahead.
Jon: If not for where Bran is headed, I think it would have been really neat if the three-eyed crow had ended up being Mormont's bird. It's old, it's smart, it's wild above the wall, maybe it was just disguising itself all this time to steal corn. But alas, it doesn't seem to be headed in that direction. I'm glad that Jon is standing up to Stannis. It's too bad that we can't seen Jon as Lord Commander on his own, without having to deal with the permanent threat of a king nearby. Melisandre doesn't appear to be threatening Jon overtly, she actually seems to be genuinely warning him. Many of her prophesies in the past have been self-fulfilling with circular logic. "I have to kill so-and-so because in the fire I kill so-and-so." Lovely. But we can't deny that she is powerful. I hope we get some more information on northern politics in this book. We heard absolutely nothing about anything between the Neck and the Wall in Feast and I want to know what's happening. I'm also mildly curious as to when Rickon will rear his head, eventually. At this point I almost want Stannis to win over the North so it'll be kept safe for a Stark's return. On the other hand, if he makes them burn the weirwoods, I won't like it at all. One must also consider a tiny piece of news that hasn't been talked about in 500 pages. Before Robb went to The Twins, he had his lords sign a document that clearly defined the line of succession for the King in the North. Whom did he leave the kingdom to? What happened to the document? Why bother dropping that hint in SoS if not to bring it up later? It would seem that he chose Jon, but Jon rejected Stannis' offer. I hope this comes back up.
Bran: I hope that Bran doesn't lose Summer beyond the Wall. Jon has never had a problem controlling Ghost, really, but Jon is also a lot more strongwilled than Bran. All the "magical" pets that characters have seem to becoming more unruly and wild. Thus far, Bran's is the most undefined storyline with the most mystery. We don't know what will happen with everyone else, but at least we understand the stakes and the situation. Coldhands being a zombie isn't that big of a deal really (I mean, wasn't it sort of obvious to the reader from the start?), but I hope they get somewhere fast.
Tyrion: He would seem to be somewhat conflicted over Jaime. He recognizes that Jaime is the one that freed him, yet more than once he expresses a desire to kill him. There's a scene where one head laughs and one cries at killing Jaime, but at the same time he wants his head on a spike. I think he needs time still. He seems committed to helping Dany, but how long will it take him to get to Meereen if Dany isn't headed for Volantis? It could take half the book or more for him to get there, and they say it IS a long journey. I'm sort of hoping Dany hopes a dragon and picks him up along the way.
And So it Begins
It has begun! First off, a couple notes on the text. I just wanted to mention that the overall design of the book itself is great. I pay close attention to the actual paper and illustrations in novels, when they warrant it, and this book is especially nice. The pages are soft and crisp, which suggests some fairly high quality paper. The illustrations of Westeros, the Free Cities, and Slaver's Bay are just outstanding. Beautiful maps that are in far greater detail than the earlier novels were. Even the cover is quite nice. I hope they style the paperback to match the earlier editions of the paperbacks, like the green cover with the gold dragon that was shown a long time ago but dumped. And now, the story.
Tyrion: I have to say, it's somewhat depressing to see sad, defeated Tyrion. One of the things that always made him so interesting and enjoyable was his love of life, his sharp tongue, and his resiliency. All of that is gone now. Fair enough I guess. Seems every other character in the novel has had to put up with a fair bit of crap and has undergone serious changes, so why should Tyrion be any different? Still, him sitting around crying and drinking all day won't endear me very much to his storyline, whether it's interesting from a character perspective or not. His perspective on Jaime doesn't appear to have changed much in his short journey. He seemed to hesitate when he first thought of him, but later reaffirmed his desire to kill him. He's clearly absolutely devastated over learning what Tysha really was, and I can't say I blame him given what happened to her, but I think he's putting way too much blame on Jaime, especially given all that Jaime has done to help and defend him over the years. At the end of the day, Jaime chose Tyrion over Cersei and his father. I have to hope that upon further reflection, Tyrion will recognize that. I'm a little surprised that Mopatis is pushing Tyrion to Meereen so fast, but so much the better, and for that matter, I'm fascinated to see how the Westerosi characters will react to confirmation that Dany is a badass, and has dragons. It seems everyone south of the next in Westeros is totally oblivious to the existence of the supernatural, and everyone else is having to face it head on. It'll be an interesting wake up call to them to find out about Others and dragons.
Tyrion: I have to say, it's somewhat depressing to see sad, defeated Tyrion. One of the things that always made him so interesting and enjoyable was his love of life, his sharp tongue, and his resiliency. All of that is gone now. Fair enough I guess. Seems every other character in the novel has had to put up with a fair bit of crap and has undergone serious changes, so why should Tyrion be any different? Still, him sitting around crying and drinking all day won't endear me very much to his storyline, whether it's interesting from a character perspective or not. His perspective on Jaime doesn't appear to have changed much in his short journey. He seemed to hesitate when he first thought of him, but later reaffirmed his desire to kill him. He's clearly absolutely devastated over learning what Tysha really was, and I can't say I blame him given what happened to her, but I think he's putting way too much blame on Jaime, especially given all that Jaime has done to help and defend him over the years. At the end of the day, Jaime chose Tyrion over Cersei and his father. I have to hope that upon further reflection, Tyrion will recognize that. I'm a little surprised that Mopatis is pushing Tyrion to Meereen so fast, but so much the better, and for that matter, I'm fascinated to see how the Westerosi characters will react to confirmation that Dany is a badass, and has dragons. It seems everyone south of the next in Westeros is totally oblivious to the existence of the supernatural, and everyone else is having to face it head on. It'll be an interesting wake up call to them to find out about Others and dragons.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Dance Dance Revolution!
As anyone who is still sucking down oxygen and has read any of the Song of Ice and Fire series knows, A Dance With Dragons was recently released by author George R. R. Martin, and holds answers to the cliffhangers involving Tyrion, Jon and Dany that many people have been questing after for a decade now. Since I only read these books last fall, my own quest has lasted less than a year (haha suckers!). But now that it's out, and I have it in my hands, I'll be returning to reading and posting my thoughts on the series.
For anyone wondering, yes, I did end up reading Feast. I posted a few updates from it, but I sort of lost interest after plodding through many a useless chapter involving Brienne's useless and soporific search for Sansa, and Sansa's equally boring chapters about being in the Eyrie. I will say that I was shocked to find the Dorne and Iron Islands material fascinating for being introduced so late in the game. Likewise, Jaime's chapters were amazing as I expected, but also pretty sad. I maintain that Jaime is easily in my top three list of most fascinating individual characters in any novel series. His transformation from villain to anti-hero has been the absolute best part of this series for me so far, and I look forward to where it goes from here. I've just finished re-reading the first three novels in preparation for Dance, and I've decided that I'll read this new one until it comes to the part where the plot joins with Feast, then I'll go back and re-read that one, though it means stopping in the middle of Dance. At that point, I will post my thoughts on Feast, which shouldn't be too hard, since there's not a lot going on, and I honestly don't remember it as well.
I thought I should also drop in a couple comments about Storm of Swords from things I noticed on a second reading. I was totally blindsided by Roose Bolton's treachery the first time through, but it's amazing how much more easily all he did stands out when you know it's coming. I never realized that he attacked Duskendale intentionally to kill off Stark men, or that he sent his own men across the river at the Trident to let Ser Gregor slaughter the men who weren't loyal to him. It was all part of his plan to reduce Robb's army and make it easier for the Freys to stab him in the back at The Twins. They were playing a deeper game than I realized the first time out, and kudos to Martin for weaving the threads ahead of time.
I also want to reiterate how sad I was at how Tyrion and Jaime parted. I know I've commented before on the significance of Jaime mentioning how ironic it is that the Lannisters were supposed to have won the war, and this is even more telling at the end of Feast. It's interesting, though, how dramatically different the Starks and Lannisters are. I don't mean in just the fact that Starks are noble and trusting, and Lannisters are duplicitous and clever. The internal family dynamics are diametrically opposed. Ned's family was loving and supportive. Tywin's was rocky, destructive, and left all of the children with serious emotional deficiencies and problems. All of the Starks who died did so because they chose honor above common sense. But the Lannisters are much less cut and dry. Tyrion tries so hard to be good, and is rewarded in much the same way the Starks are. Jaime is all over the spectrum, and he loses everything as well. Cersei loses everything, though, she does herself in. Tywin dies for his heartless douchebaggery. Joffrey gets himself killed for cruelty. I'd say their family is more broken than the Starks, for, though more of the Starks died, and it seems their power in the north is broken beyond repair, the Lannisters don't seem to stand a whole lot of chance for getting the band back together.
The things I still really want answered or would like to see:
So what happened to Ser Jorah? Jeor's final words to Sam was a request for Jorah to take the black. If Jorah really did, and he met up with Jon, it could really make for some interesting conversations. Added to that, Jon and Jorah could bond a bit, so when Dany made it to Westeros, Jorah could vouch for Jon in some way, should that become relevant. Part of me still wants him back with Dany though, since I think they made such a great team, and I admire Jorah's steadfast loyalty to her, regardless of his unrequited love (which I cared for a great deal less).
Who is Coldhands? My guess from day one has been that he's Ben Stark, mostly because I don't want him to be so unceremoniously dead, and because they keep mentioning him, dammit, and it's not fair to drop him like that. But I think that's less and less likely these days. I think he's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Powers Beyond the Wall that we'll be introduced to in this book.
Jaime and Tyrion make up. Yeah, I know, this one is a long shot, especially for this novel. I think it's already established that Tyrion will make for Dany in Mereen, but at some point he'll be back I hope, and I would really like for him and Jaime to get over it. They both did terrible things, though really, Jaime's were the mistakes of youth, and I think Tyrion really should have been less of a douche before he took off, anger or not. I liked their brotherly bond. I think it was the only real piece of family in that whole damn family when you consider Cersei's total lack of respect for Jaime as anything but a plaything.
Other than that, it's hard to make predictions. Jon is the Lord Commander, alright, but there was no cliffhanger with him, nor with Dany. The only real big ones were Tyrion, who I'm guessing starts off the next book in a pit of despair and self-loathing, and Bran's dealings with Coldhands.
Now I'll start reading, and keeping notes, with updates to follow. Enjoy the ride!
For anyone wondering, yes, I did end up reading Feast. I posted a few updates from it, but I sort of lost interest after plodding through many a useless chapter involving Brienne's useless and soporific search for Sansa, and Sansa's equally boring chapters about being in the Eyrie. I will say that I was shocked to find the Dorne and Iron Islands material fascinating for being introduced so late in the game. Likewise, Jaime's chapters were amazing as I expected, but also pretty sad. I maintain that Jaime is easily in my top three list of most fascinating individual characters in any novel series. His transformation from villain to anti-hero has been the absolute best part of this series for me so far, and I look forward to where it goes from here. I've just finished re-reading the first three novels in preparation for Dance, and I've decided that I'll read this new one until it comes to the part where the plot joins with Feast, then I'll go back and re-read that one, though it means stopping in the middle of Dance. At that point, I will post my thoughts on Feast, which shouldn't be too hard, since there's not a lot going on, and I honestly don't remember it as well.
I thought I should also drop in a couple comments about Storm of Swords from things I noticed on a second reading. I was totally blindsided by Roose Bolton's treachery the first time through, but it's amazing how much more easily all he did stands out when you know it's coming. I never realized that he attacked Duskendale intentionally to kill off Stark men, or that he sent his own men across the river at the Trident to let Ser Gregor slaughter the men who weren't loyal to him. It was all part of his plan to reduce Robb's army and make it easier for the Freys to stab him in the back at The Twins. They were playing a deeper game than I realized the first time out, and kudos to Martin for weaving the threads ahead of time.
I also want to reiterate how sad I was at how Tyrion and Jaime parted. I know I've commented before on the significance of Jaime mentioning how ironic it is that the Lannisters were supposed to have won the war, and this is even more telling at the end of Feast. It's interesting, though, how dramatically different the Starks and Lannisters are. I don't mean in just the fact that Starks are noble and trusting, and Lannisters are duplicitous and clever. The internal family dynamics are diametrically opposed. Ned's family was loving and supportive. Tywin's was rocky, destructive, and left all of the children with serious emotional deficiencies and problems. All of the Starks who died did so because they chose honor above common sense. But the Lannisters are much less cut and dry. Tyrion tries so hard to be good, and is rewarded in much the same way the Starks are. Jaime is all over the spectrum, and he loses everything as well. Cersei loses everything, though, she does herself in. Tywin dies for his heartless douchebaggery. Joffrey gets himself killed for cruelty. I'd say their family is more broken than the Starks, for, though more of the Starks died, and it seems their power in the north is broken beyond repair, the Lannisters don't seem to stand a whole lot of chance for getting the band back together.
The things I still really want answered or would like to see:
So what happened to Ser Jorah? Jeor's final words to Sam was a request for Jorah to take the black. If Jorah really did, and he met up with Jon, it could really make for some interesting conversations. Added to that, Jon and Jorah could bond a bit, so when Dany made it to Westeros, Jorah could vouch for Jon in some way, should that become relevant. Part of me still wants him back with Dany though, since I think they made such a great team, and I admire Jorah's steadfast loyalty to her, regardless of his unrequited love (which I cared for a great deal less).
Who is Coldhands? My guess from day one has been that he's Ben Stark, mostly because I don't want him to be so unceremoniously dead, and because they keep mentioning him, dammit, and it's not fair to drop him like that. But I think that's less and less likely these days. I think he's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Powers Beyond the Wall that we'll be introduced to in this book.
Jaime and Tyrion make up. Yeah, I know, this one is a long shot, especially for this novel. I think it's already established that Tyrion will make for Dany in Mereen, but at some point he'll be back I hope, and I would really like for him and Jaime to get over it. They both did terrible things, though really, Jaime's were the mistakes of youth, and I think Tyrion really should have been less of a douche before he took off, anger or not. I liked their brotherly bond. I think it was the only real piece of family in that whole damn family when you consider Cersei's total lack of respect for Jaime as anything but a plaything.
Other than that, it's hard to make predictions. Jon is the Lord Commander, alright, but there was no cliffhanger with him, nor with Dany. The only real big ones were Tyrion, who I'm guessing starts off the next book in a pit of despair and self-loathing, and Bran's dealings with Coldhands.
Now I'll start reading, and keeping notes, with updates to follow. Enjoy the ride!
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