Page 872: Martin Throws Down a Gauntlet

Now that we're here at the near end of the novel, as this is the penultimate entry for the novel, a lot of these closing chapters involves letting each of the characters from both novels (with some exceptions obviously, as Sansa, for example, hasn't been in this book at all (mercifully)) have a little bit of face time before the end of the story. A lot of this is about setting up the cliffhangers, or at least, setting up a somewhat firm end point for each storyline that allows things to rest before Martin takes them up again in Winds of Winter. As such, some of my covering of each character might be a little longer to wrap them up. On the other hand, at the end of my next post, I'll do a recap of all the cliffhangers and what not to sort of present all the unanswered questions going into the next book. And I'll propose my own theories for each as well.

The Discarded Knight (Barristan Selmy): I'll say this, Barristan is one of the most interesting new characters of the novel. Melisandre and Barristan are two characters we've known for a long time but only recently we've gotten a very small sliver of insight into. And by and large, they've been absolutely fantastic, and they've left me wanting more. I really hope we get more of them in the next novel. Martin has said in interviews that Selmy was a big part of untying the narrative nightmare that was the Meereenese Knot, and I think it really shows. First off, Selmy just exudes honor, wisdom, and skill. He's been around forever, and more so, he's been at court forever, so he knows court politics and intrigue, even if he's not as well versed in the behind the scenes stuff as someone like Varys is. He has compassion too. We've seen more than our fair share of knights and warriors who kill because killing is fun. Very few are discerning in their targets, and even fewer actually feel genuine sympathy for them. Barristan, however, is someone who is supremely confident in his own abilities, and only kills when he has to. I think he's what Jaime Lannister would be if Jaime hadn't lost his hand, but had gone through his personality tune-up. Seeing through his eyes is also a fun way to gain perspective in a number of matters. Quentyn looks ever so much more the boy when viewed through Quentyn. One thing that I like about Martin is that even when using POV chapters to shift our view of characters, he allows their thoughts and feelings about other characters to seep through, but still keeps it neutral enough for the reader to independently form our own opinion of others. You saw this a lot with how most of our views of Rhaegar came from Robert, but as we gained a wider perspective, Rhaegar really opened up. It was an honorable thing to try to get Quentyn to leave, and it also showcased the differing levels of maturity between an old man who knows there is no dishonor in walking away, and a man who has barely lifted his sword in combat and wants to win his spurs. More Barristan, please!


The Spurned Suitor (Quentyn): The funny thing here is the total role reversal. In the beginning, it was Drink who was all gung-ho and Quentyn who wasn't battle tested and would have rather been in a library than a sword fight. Now you've got Quentyn ready to run off and be a dragon tamer? Yeesh, the boy has really ratcheted up his testosterone level a few marks if he goes from books to dragon taming. Still, the fun part of this is that you can see that 100 years from now, Quentyn will be one of those famous stories that Old Nan or someone tells, about Quentyn the Dragontamer. It's the stuff of legend. I don't know if it will work or not (despite his claims of dragon blood, I really, really don't see this working out), but something worth of a bard song, whereas most of the butchery so far isn't worth of anything.

The Griffin Reborn (Lord Jon Connington): Some interesting background information on Robert's Rebellion, the Battle of the Bells, a what-might-have-been history if only Connington had caught Robert when he was in that little village. I forgot (were we already supposed to know?) that he had greyscale. Funny how this disease, much akin to leprosy (which is where I'm assuming Martin derived it, given its status as a disfiguring medieval malady) sort of came out of nowhere in this book, and now it's a big deal. That also really makes me wonder whether or not Tyrion will end up with it, since they do bring it up again in one of this chapters, as a throwaway, and Jon got it saving Tyrion. Honestly, I have some serious doubts about Aegon. For a number of reasons, he really throws a wrench into a lot of big theories and plans. Two of the biggest prophesies in this thing are Azor Azai reborn, and the Prince that was Promised. Now, are they the same person? Two different people? I don't know. Melisandre thinks it's Stannis, but I have serious reservations. And the thing with Lightbringer is, it's one of those self-fulfilling prophesies. She needed a guy with a magic light sword so she made him one. That's a stupid prophesy if that's how you fulfill it. No, my big bets for those are Daenerys as Azor Azai reborn, since she fits the legend more closely, and either her also for the Prince who was Promised (since apparently women are princes in the Targaryen line as well), or Jon Snow for the Prince that was Promised, since if the theory holds, he is also a descendent of the Targaryen line (this is why I think they are two different people, since one is Targaryen specific). Now Aegon creates another big blip on the radar. Where does he fall in this? And for that matter, is he really even Aegon? We have only Connington's word on this, and it's a big pill to swallow. Still, real or fake, you have to give Aegon credit for being bold, and for being his own man. He's no pushover.

The Sacrifice (Asha): Of all the POV chapter headings, I care for this one the least. It's from Asha's point of view, but they make it immediately clear that she will never be the actual sacrifice. Normally chapter titles that aren't the actual character's names denote some sort of chance in status or personality, but this seems to be far more about what is actually happening in the chapter, which sort of breaks the paradigm for naming. Meh. It's interesting that Arnolf is with Stannis. I think this means a number of things, and I'll skip ahead a bit here to the end, but, Ramsay's letter to Jon later suggests Stannis was killed but Ramsay thinks that Jon has fake-Arya. Well, if Arnolf is supposed to play a part in this killing of Stannis, then he knows that Theon is with Stannis. So, either Ramsay is lying and Stannis is fine, or someone Jon's arrangement with Alys allowed Arnolf to be subverted and he's actually on Stannis' side somehow, and it was all a ploy. Again, I love the love that the northmen are showing for the Starks. I find it highly amusing and annoying all at the same time that the banker from Braavos made it from the Wall to Deepwood to Winterfell and back to Stannis' village in a fraction of the time it took Stannis to get from Deepwood to his little village. It's nice to see that Umber is at Winterfell already, but, what exactly is Stannis doing? Also, I find it just as unlikely that Stannis would either assault Winterfell or foolishly slip up with the Iron Bank of Braavos hanging around offering to help fund his war to retake the Iron Throne. That's a huge game changer. No, something must be off with Ramsay's letter, but we'll have to wait for the next book to find out what. I'm glad to see, despite my burning hatred for him, that Theon has reclaimed his old name. For a character that looked like one of the regular old throwaway minor characters, he's really come a long way, and might even have a nice redemption plot ahead of him, though, I don't think it will at all turn out like Jaime's (yet, the parallels are there).

Victarion: Only a couple interesting points here. 1. Moqorro worked some bad juju magumbo on Victarion's arm, and Victarion, as it turns out, is a pretty easily swayed convert. My how easily the men of Westeros turn into R'hollor puppets when one of the priests do a little magic on them. 2. He's bringing a magic dragon training horn to Meereen. One of the characters mentions the horn, either Dany or one of the Dornishmen, or Tyrion, that the Targaryens of old mastered dragons with magic horns, spells and other means, but all she had was a whip. I think who becomes the master of that horn will be a plot point, of sorts, in the next novel, but how to bloodmaster the horn is an open question. Also, I think the other big horn, the Horn of Joramun, will be a big plot point in the next novel as well.

The Ugly Little Girl (Arya): I'm glad that she gets another chapter before this ends, and now I'm not surprised. Martin is setting up each character to set them off on a new trajectory before the next novel. They aren't all really cliffhangers, per se (except one or two big ones), but they've almost all been given a definite change of pace and direction, which guarantees the next novel will herald a lot of changes. Arya is no different. The scene where she gets her first face is really interesting in a number of ways. The symbolism of literally putting on a new face is obvious. She's been struggling with identity issues for more than a book now, and she treats "Arya" like a past character, rather than her true self, though I think she still holds onto her true identity quite strongly. But this takes it to a new level. And I think whenever the nice man asks her if she'd like to leave, it emphasizes that she's getting deeper and deeper into something that she can't necessarily retreat from, yet, she feels compelled to stay for want of an alternative (even though they've made it clear to her that that's a lousy reason to stay). I have to believe that he defiant streak, and the wolf dreams, will still serve to eventually get her out of there. She has too much of Lyanna's wildness in her to stay penned up. By the way, the way she killed the guy, with the poison coin, was how Pate died, which is why a lot of people think Jaqen is in Oldtown, and that that particular thread will resurface in the next novel. At this point, Arya seems to have been somewhat desensitized to killing, though this one wasn't as face-to-face as others have been. It was kind of nice, despite my reservations, to see her put on the black and white acolyte robes that make her more official. She earned them. But I'm still nervous about where she is going.

Cersei: Yet another chapter of Cersei being humbled. Lovely. The contempt that she shows for Jaime because he isn't as ruthless as she is really shows how little this whole affair has affected her. She hasn't changed at all, instead of remorse she shows resentment. Her walk through the city was just a small piece of what she really deserves. I felt zero sympathy for her. For all the pain she's caused, for all the children who will never see their mothers, and mothers who won't see their children, I was unable to summon up the smallest amount of sympathy for her desire to see Tommen. And by the way, is there anyone here who doesn't think that "Ser Robert Strong" is really Qyburn's Frankenstein version of Gregor Clegane? We know that Qyburn had his body after he died, and we know that he's a total quack black magic mad scientist. And we know that Gregor is the only eight foot tall mountain hanging around. And we know that Robert Strong never takes his armor and helmet off, and never speaks, so what's he hiding? Oh yeah, it's Gregor, and there's gonna be hell to pay. I don't see how she could ever rule again after that walk, but, she can still cause a lot of havoc in her attempts. She'll be interesting next book (and we know she's a POV because Martin mentioned pushing a chapter or two of hers to the next book).

Tyrion: I do find it interesting that eastern society seems to be much more paperwork oriented than western. What I think gets underplayed in all this is that Westeros is basically America (North and South combined, the western hemisphere). Places like the Free Cities and Vayria were old Europe. They have all these old rules, massive monuments and works of man like the Seven Wonders of the World, things that make Tyrion go "wow" when he sees them and realizes that even the coolest parts of Westeros are pretty lame in comparison, like the Great Sept of Baelor. So of course the use nice vellum and ink, even for mercenaries to make deals, because contracts there are binding. Same story with having paved roads and what not. Whereas in Westeros, when Beric Dondarrion gives Sandor a note for the money they took, he views it as basically worthless, whereas in the east, it'd probably be binding. I mean, they have naval insurance for Pete's sake! Martin has done a wonderful job at juxtaposing civilization between the two continents, and the parallels to old/new and colonial/colonizers are really interesting, and you really only find them in small societal details like contracts, where Tyrion says his word is good enough, but they need it signed and notarized. That level of world building is second to none, in my opinion. If he really intends to give away that much money, I have to imagine that would make a pretty serious dent in even Lannister pockets. I know they loaned the crown like hundreds of thousands of dragons, but geez, giving that much has to hurt. It's nice to see Ser Jorah back in good spirits. Also, I think with Tyrion buying off Brown Ben Plumm, we now have a way to rescue the hostages that are in the Yunkish camp. Though, judging from the end of Barristan's next chapter, that might not have gone so well.

By the way, does anyone else find it telling that pretty much every Feast character got at least a mention in this book, to update us on their status, except for Sansa? Seems like even Martin couldn't come up with a way to make her relevant in a chapter or two, so he said screw it and pushed her back.

In my last entry, if the post isn't too long, I'll close with a recap, final thoughts, and predictions. If the next one ends up being too long, I'll do a special post for it.

Page 782: The Pressure Mounts

Disclaimer: I might be breaking a few of my normal rules regarding not using the same viewpoint character more than once in a post, however, some of them are being repeated rather frequently, and I'd like to get through these 80 pages in one shot, so here goes. The posts will still appear chronologically, so, when you get to the bottom and see a second Jon post, for example, that's his next chapter, so the material is separated.

Jon: I really like Jon and Tormund together. They seemed to have a bit of a bond before, and they even seemed to still have that going when Jon was sent to treat with Mance and Tormund met him part way, and Jon appears to trust him about as much as a wilding can be trusted. I think Tormund does an even better job than Mance and others of humanizing the wildings. He's difference, follows a different code, but he's honorable, keeps to the old gods, loves his children, fierce in battle. They really aren't that different, except for the generations of enmity. It's also a little sad when Tormund asks what happened to the sweet lad we all knew. Hell, even Tormund can see that Jon has aged considerably since becoming Lord Commander. Ever see before and after pictures of presidents when the took office and when they left it? That's Jon right now. I also find it amusing that not only are giant mammoths coming along with this deal, but a couple hundred giants as well! South of the wall. After almost 5,000 pages of this series, that seems fantastical even to me. Also, I really like Val. I don't know how they'd ever get around it, but I think she and Jon would be really good together. She's a lot of fun, but she's also really strong. She's be a warrior lady, which is exactly what Jon would want, not some soft lady taught her social graces like Sansa. More and more I think Jon was made to marry a wilding. Still though, I worry about a possible uprising. At this point the Night's Watch would be seriously outnumbered once Tormund comes south of the wall, so I'm worried about either Jon being assassinated, or Tormund betraying him. So much room for error.

Cersei: Well, hello there. How is life reaping what you sow? See what happens when you become a psychotic power hungry bitch? People don't like it, so they throw you in tower cells and make you confess your crimes. I think it's really amusing, and somewhat ironic, that Cersei has ultimate faith in Jaime's love for her. She appears to trust almost nothing and no one, yet, she trusts in Jaime even after treating him like total crap and driving him away from her. Really, that's just trust in how low her opinion of him is. Still, there are a couple of neat pages in this chapter that analyze her thoughts. She hates being weak, she hates being powerless, she hates being helpless, she really, really wants to be a man. This feels more like a recap and summation of Feast than anything new, but, it's a nice refresher I suppose, as well as a pretty unsubtle pointing out of things people might have missed before. I wonder what the news about Ser Loras is. The Septa mentioned something about Margery's brother, so I'm assuming that's Loras and not Willas. It's pretty sweet watching Cersei actually confess, though she left out the juiciest bits, even making her confess a little bit of her many crimes is satisfying. I think my favorite part is when Cersei is incredulous that they still want to put her on trial. She thought she could confess a bit, lie a bit, and it would all be hunky dory? Wow, for someone as cold and calculating as she is, she's incredibly naive if she doesn't get what position she's in (and this from a woman who gets into a lot of positions, am I right?). She's sorely misread the High Septon if she thinks he went through all this for a little absolution, and for that matter, if she thinks Margery will get a trial and not her. I'm glad Kevan is back in the picture. I liked him. Also very  interesting news that sellsword captains are landing all over the south. Could the Golden Company have made it over already? I don't see who else it could be. Nice that we could also see that her fear of Tyrion is in bloom, she hasn't dropped that one yet. I have no idea why she's so interested in getting a spot opened on the Kingsguard, what would that do to help her? She can't exactly promise a spot to anyone. I also love how angry she is that Margery won't suffer at a trial, where Cersei planted all the evidence, but she's also pissed that she has to go to a trial where she's guilty of everything she's accused of. I don't know what she's on, but I want some.


The Queensguard (Barristan Selmy): So, Dany is gone, and all her allies and troops are being shoved aside by Hizdahr. At least the Unsullied aren't siding with him, they remain waiting for Dany's return, I hope. I think he has good reason to assume she's alive, but it's a little sad seeing him so dejected and depressed. Now he's not only far from home, but the Queen he swore to protect is absent. He's pretty lost, and without purpose. There's a pretty huge plot dump going on here. Hizdahr tried to kill Dany through poison, but Strong Belwas took the hit. Kind of sad since I really liked the guy, he was one of the few really loyal defenders she had. Now everything is falling apart, Volantis has launched, the Yunkai'i are poised to sack the city, what else could go wrong? There might not be any real proof, but I totally believe that Hizdahr tried to poison her. That marriage was a bad idea from the start. I applauded her rationale, but it was a poor execution.

The Iron Suitor (Victarion): Really, even you are getting in the game? To what end? And suitor? Of all the men trying to marry Dany, you're easily the lowest on the totem pole. I figure he must have a role to play, else why would he be launched across the sea, but, I can't see what it is. If Euron is just trying to get rid of him, why destroy the entire fleet with him? And for that matter, what is Euron doing? And what does he want with Dany? Looking at the massive fleet arrayed against Meereen, it seems to me a dragon swooping down to light all those pretty ships on fire would be a pretty sweet scene. I wonder what Moqorro's vision of Victarion meant. Who is using him as a pawn? Euron? And for that matter, was Victarion just converted to the Red God, and that easily? He was a pretty devout believer in the Drowned God. I guess one fixed hand can do wonders for conversion. I don't see what role he has to play, but clearly his plans to kidnap Dany won't go very well.

Tyrion: Yes, okay, Tyrion knows a lot of dragon lore, and eventually that will be super helpful when we get him to Dany. And he's escaped with Jorah to Brown Ben Plumm. Got it!

Jon: First we point out the oddities. The bird said "King, Snow, Jon Snow." What does the bird know? Could Bran be trying to communicate with him? And, on page 777, Jon calls Tormund "Tormund Giantsbabe." Typo!? Certainly looks that way, given how close they are on the keyboard, and the unliklihood of Jon dissing Tormund at that moment. What I'm less comfortable with is Tormund giving Jon some suspicious mead to drink. Too much poisoning already in this series. I'd like to trust him, and I can't imagine they'd kill Jon off, but, is anyone really safe? No, I don't think so. Haven't had a major death since Robb, but that means we're overdue. I also find it very interesting that Mance never really found the Horn of Joramun. That lends that much more credence to the idea that the horn Jon found at the Fist of the First Men might have actually been the Horn of Joramun. I don't even know what happened to it, did he leave it there? Why does the constant mention of the Horn even matter if they never actually find it or anything? And man, there's a big change, now Jon has to lead a ranging up to Hardhome? In that weather? On the one hand, what a neat chance for the wildings and the Night's Watch rangers to all bond on a ranging together. On the other hand, oh hell, everything is going to crap!

Page 700: How To Train Your Drogon

Yes, by the way, I've been looking for a way to make a HTTYD joke ever since I read the line in Storm when Dany said she had no idea how to train her dragon. If only Hiccup made house calls.

Jon: I like Alys. She's the latest in a long line of pretty badass female characters that crop up from time to time. I'm a little shocked to see her so quickly married off to a wilding lord, but he actually seems like a decent guy, for what it's worth, and it looks like it might actually work out in some ways, as well as securing the Karstarks once again. Melisandre's warnings about the Wall worry me some. Between the Wildings, who I don't trust, and the Night's Watch men, who are increasingly chafing under Snow's rule (after killing Mormont), he's surrounded by knives. Neat that Val actually brought Tormund back. I like him, and things could get interesting if Jon can broker a peace. 

Daenerys: It sort of sucks to see Dany's peace be so hollow. She sacrificed a lot of herself for a peace she's totally unhappy with. But, she made peace. What really sucks is that she had to give up some valuable friends and allies to be hostages to the Yunkai. Not sure why she had to personally give up so many, doesn't seem fair, but again, it shows just how important this peace is to her. These last couple chapters have been short, with only bits and pieces of information. The pace is really building for something. Short, rapid chapters with the same characters over and over. Fun how he uses chapter length and pacing to build the tension. He uses the format of the novel to complement his storytelling. 

Theon: Note how his name has changed over the course of the novel. Reek, The Prince of Winterfell, the Ghost of Winterfell, and finally, at the close, Theon. Martin has been really careful to use the chapter headings to emphasize the identity crisis he's suffering, and we've seen him slowly clawing his way back toward humanity. This is where he's closest, I think. I'm surprised it took this long for Manderly and Frey to come to blows. I'm a little surprised to see Roose send them out of the castle. I mean, sure, protect the larger army by setting them out, but, you can't trust them, and they are just as likely to kill each other. It's a risky move for Roose. I really just hope that Manderly is actually still alive after getting slashed in the throat. It appears that he's alive for the moment. Things are really coming to a head here. I know Theon has his own subplot with Mance, but, I'm pretty tense about what happens with the White Harbor men. The part where he realizes just how wrong he has been, and that he should have stuck with Robb like he promised is a little sad. Yes Theon, you should have stayed by Robb's side. It might not have mattered, but at least you would have died with honor, and Winterfell would be intact. I'm a little shocked, but not really, that, yet again, a womanly scream ruins everything. For all the strong women of this story, the stupid ones who scream and do really dumb, incredibly counterproductive things at exactly the wrong moment still astounds me. But the, Jeyne was best friends with Sansa, so, no surprise there.

Daenerys: Special second entry for her this time. Usually I try not to do duplicates, but, Martin stacked them together so I'm making an exception. Not a whole lot going on here except the BIG THING THAT HAPPENS! As for the rest, a lot of it is really the final indignity. Slave markets within sight of her walls, the fighting pits back open again. All things she had staunchly opposed. What is it in this series about victories feeling as terrible as defeats? This is no exception it seems. I thought it was sort of amusing that she incidentally saved Tyrion and Penny. Frankly I think she was always wrong about some aspects of slavery and the fighting pits. She simply upset society too rapidly for it to adjust. Better to slowly introduce reforms. The scene where Drogon comes back was simply awesome, and we've all been waiting for this to happen since day one. Pretty awesome. I had to laugh when Hizdahr yelled "kill the beast!" because all I could think of was the song from Beauty and the Beast, which, coincidentally, Martin used to write for the live action tv show version of. Intentionally? Doubtful, but it is amusing. And seriously...Dany is such a badass! It was great, after all these defeats, after this hollow victory, after all the trials she had suffered, after being forced to pen up her dragons, to see her just totally take control, take command, and finally mastered a dragon. I can't wait to see what happens next, and I hope it involves her swooping back in to light stuff up!

Also, I took a peek at some of the chapter headings for the chapters to come, and there are some pretty weird ones. I've really enjoyed in the past how Martin uses the chapter headings to denote a change in status or identity for the characters, and if the odd names I see are any indication, there's a lot of upheaval ahead of me. 

Page 647: Old Friends and Sexy Time

Jon: Hm, they finally brought back up the Iron Bank of Braavos. I've long wondered if that particular plot thread that Cersei started by stiffing them would ever come back into play. It would be interesting to see if Braavos basically throws its support behind Stannis. To bring the Braavosi directly into play like that would also be an interesting way of bringing Arya back to Westeros. If they bring this up again, and I have to imagine they will, it could prove interesting. In the mean time, Jon again proves he's wise beyond his years by taking the opportunity to strike a deal to make sure they are all fed through the winter. That wasn't a guarantee before, and I think between that, and Jon's desire to make a deal with wildings, it could seriously increase the power of the Wall. Must mean something big is coming. I also worry about what price the Braavosi might try to exact, if this really was too easy a deal. Hm, I didn't see that coming. Alys Karstark. Well this makes things interesting. Jon has a chance to secure the Karstarks as loyal allies again, and a chance to thwart Roose's plans to catch Stanis unaware. You have to love it when little things like this pop up.

The Blind Girl (Arya): Hey, look who's back! Now, my feelings towards Arya in the last book were somewhat muddled. I felt a lot of her time was wasted, but I think in this book, we see that actually a great deal has changed! I think this is the first real evidence we've seen that her training in the House of Black and White really is imparting some serious skills and knowledge on her. She's learned foreign languages, learned valuable skills with using all her senses, and at the very end, is finally coming close to mastering another important skill that her brothers share. Clearly she's a skinchanger, just like Jon and Bran (though oddly, we've seen no evidence that Sansa is, as well). It's funny, because in Bran's chapter they mentioned that one in a thousand is born a skin changer. Clearly the numbers have to be a little more diverse than that, unless they're only among northmen, but then how odd is it that ALL the Stark children turn out to be skinchangers? Hm. There really is something special about the Starks. And the way that Arya is using her abilities to augment her training is pretty cool in a way that Bran's never really was, even if Bran was better at it. Her training is almost like being at Hogwarts. Potions class, language lessons, lying lessons, combat lessons, using her senses lessons. Very cool that they gave her her sight back at the end, and we can assume that she earned it, even if she may have cheated by using her skinchanger powers. I like that even as she moves through identities and training, she still hasn't lost who she is. She still remembers Arya of Winterfell, even if she has removed herself enough from that life to view Arya as someone else. I really hope Martin does some great stuff with her in the next book, or later in this one.

A Ghost in Winterfell (Theon): Geez, Theon is getting almost as much face time as Jon, Tyrion and Dany. I'm mostly not complaining, because without him we'd have a devil of a time knowing what was happening inside the walls of Winterfell. On the other hand, I don't so much care about him anymore. His little slow transformation from douchebag to broken sub-human back to human again isn't very compelling. However, I do sort of hate Martin for making me actually feel bad for Theon. I think we saw this a lot in Storm, but the only thing Theon really wanted was to be a Stark, but he didn't really understand them. So he conquers Winterfell to gain control, but learns too late that Iron Islands style rule doesn't get you love, it gets you fear, but he wanted to be loved. And it turns out he couldn't admit to himself that he wanted to be a Stark until after he'd helped destroy the entire family. Okay, that's pretty damned tragic. Doesn't mean I forgive him, he had daddy issues up the wazoo, but man, tragic. The random deaths in Winterfell are interesting. I'm guessing it's all Mance's work, rather than Manderly's. I also think the little kerfuffles between Manderly and the Freys are interesting. They will come to blows eventually. Oh ho, and what's this little bit about the tree whispering "Bran" to him? We were told earlier that you can't communicate through trees, but what I think he meant more specifically was that you can't communicate with the past (though it appears Eddard did start a bit when Bran called to him), yet, I swear I remember reading that the Children of the Forest used to chat via the WeirWood Web. So I don't see why Bran couldn't punch up www.winterfell.north and interact a bit with things around him. I figured it would take a special person to receive the message though, which makes Theon's interaction something interesting. If Stannis really is at Winterfell, things will come to a head there soon.

Tyrion: My only guess, if we're supposed to know the guy in the crowd who tried to bid on Tyrion, is that it's Ben Plumm. It seems like there was a lot going on there, but I don't think we were meant to know what all of it was. The only real points of interest in this chapter were: Tyrion and Jorah sold to a Yunkai'i, very close to Meereen, going to perform in Meereen.

Jaime: Old friend! Jaime in Feast actually kind of depressed the hell out of me. I'm betting since so little space is left in the book, this is probably the only look we'll get at him. It's nice to see him, and given how this chapter ends, it looks like he's finally back in the thick of things, and back with Brienne! The two of them together was probably some of the best stuff in Storm, so I'm glad to see it repeated. Kind of sad to see the very last remnants of the Kingdom of the North finally washed away. But I give props to the guys who held out that long with no hope of salvation. I like that in his deliberations with the two sides, he was calm, fair, even compassionate. We're seeing a much more mature side of Jaime, which has been building for at least a book now. Frankly, it's also a more lordly side. The old Jaime I never wanted to see in power, in fact, I wanted to see him dead. This Jaime, however, I'd like to see as Lord of Casterly Rock. I think we're at a point where he might be the best choice to restore the family name. Perhaps Tyrion, perhaps, but, he's headed down such a dark path. I just love that he's back with Brienne, probably off on some adventure to save Sansa! What I don't get, is why Brienne coughed up a totally implausible story to him. There's no way she found Sansa, Sansa is hidden at the Eyrie. And there's no way she's with the Hound, the Hound is dead, and someone is faking his identity. So either Brienne fell for the trap, or Brienne is a pawn in Catelyn's trap, and Jaime is falling into that. I'd really rather it be the first. If it's the second, it'll kill a great relationship possibly, and maybe kill Jaime in the process. Stoneheart doesn't seem to much care about nuances and redemption in her current state.

I also wanted to add something I forgot from Bran's last chapter. The girl and the boy in the square that Bran mistook for him and Arya were probably Lyanna and either Brandon or Ned. I thought that was a nice touch.

Finally, I want to talk briefly about sex. Oooo, this blog just got spicier! Really though, one of the more adult aspects of this series, other than its depictions of violence, is its graphic depictions of sex. I've talked about this tangentially when discussing other characters before, but I thought, being most of the way through this book, sex deserves another mention. Martin might get some flak from some people for gratuitously graphic sex scenes, but I really don't think that's fair. Sex scenes seem to come in two flavors: Brief, and incredibly brief. None of his sex scenes are every page after page affairs, like tawdry romance novels, that delve into ridiculous levels of awful prose and euphemism. They're usually a couple paragraphs at most. That's because sex is a narrative tool in these stories, but Martin only writes as much as he has to to get the point across, not merely to titillate. 

I think if you did a survey of every sex scene in this entire series, you'd find that they mostly function to establish relationships between the characters. Perhaps the two biggest scenes in this particular book, between Dany and Daario, and between Asha and Qarl, were highly revealing about the characters. Daario and Qarl are pretty much throwaway characters (Qarl more so, it seems). But it reveals a lot about Dany, her passions, and what she's willing to sacrifice in order to be what she perceives to be a good queen. The contrast between her passion for Daario and her obvious coldness toward Hizdahr (and note, there's a sex scene between her and Hizdahr that lasts all of two seconds) really emphasizes how much she is willing to sacrifice. As for Asha, it shows that she's not totally cold, and that on some level, her passions are deeply personal, rather than for titles, or for silly notions of love like Tristifer holds. It also shows how trapped even she is by custom and family. She can't marry the guy she really loves, because he's too low-born, even while she's not the gender or birth necessary to ascend to her father's throne, the Seastone Chair. I could go on and on about the sex in the other books, like Jon's sexual relationship with Ygritte, which was arguably some of the best character development in the series, or Cersei's various uses of sex to hold power over people (including a very telling scene where a lesbian encounter is her attempt to assert masculine power over another woman), but I think I've gotten the point across. There's little that's gratuitous about sex in these novels, and if you pay attention, you'll find that sex is some of the most demonstrative storytelling in here.  

Page 579: Plots Begin to Thicken (but could use some more flavor)

Jon: I have to say, from what little we've seen of her, I actually like Val. I actually sort of wish that Martin had done a better job of dehumanizing the wildings, because the three or four we've seen the most of; Mance, Val, Ygritte, Tormund, are all pretty cool and honorable. I trusted and still trust all four of them, though warily, because I feel like he's trying to get across that we shouldn't trust them, since they have some different sort of wilding honor. Either way, the contempt that characters like Bowen Marsh show for the wildings has never come across the me as believable, and therefore all of Jon's choices regarding what to do about them have come across as very reasonable where I think we're supposed to see them as gambles. Oh well. It's amazing, and perhaps a little unbelievable as well, that Jon often comes across as the wisest character among a bunch of close-minded bigots. Duh, obviously of thousands of wildings die at Hardhome then they'll all turn into wights, and wights are a far more fearsome enemy. Even after the Fist of the First Men, are they really so blind to the dangers? Hm. Perhaps, but still, Jon being alone in his thoughts on this is tough to swallow.

Tyrion: I honestly feel like most of his chapters have been fairly well wasted thus far. I miss the Tyrion of the first three novels. With the exception of introducing Aegon in the first half of the book, I feel like Tyrion could have been left out entirely until he just appeared in Meereen, and with a halfway decent explanation, like "he'd been on a ship this whole time," I would have been fine with it as an alternative. Aegon and Jorah could have gotten their own point of view chapters, which might have proven far more interesting, since I've always wanted to get inside Jorah's head. He's really quite interesting, and I've missed him being around. I'm sure this is all set up for Tyrion to be awesome again next book, but seriously, people waited ten years in between Storm and now for this? Meh. I would even be okay with these do-nothing chapters if they explore his feelings more. His feelings towards Jaime have to be more complex than simply "I'm going to kill him," but we don't see that, or any of his plans, or any serious internal monologue of a fascinating character. Lots of wasted opportunities, if you ask me. Still, I look forward to him finally getting to Meereen, even as a slave, if it means he'll soon be able to interact with Dany.

The Turncloak (Theon): Pfft, Roose Bolton is certainly one to talk about the old gods 'loosing their wroth' on anyone. Stannis might be a zealot and a southron, but he's a hell of a lot more honorable than Roose, and I have a feeling the old gods respect that more at the end of the day...though I bet they'd be pissed about him burning a godswood or two here and there. Talk about your "damned if you do" choices for the old gods. Mance's ladies are clever for trying to get Theon to reveal the secret of his invasion, but really, it depended on stealth and small numbers. On the other hand, with all the snow, Stnanis might be able to get a few guys over the top to open the door. You really have to wonder every time a character gets near either a crow or a heart tree if Bran is somehow listening in, especially with all the references that characters make to feeling like they are being watched. It's interesting to see both a difference side to the Stark family, as Lady Dustin reveals some facts about Brandon and even Rickard, and we see a bit more how the north was never really one big happy family. It also shows the role that one bad turn can play. Lady Dustin didn't like being slighted or having her husband killed, so now she hates Starks. People aren't very forgiving of the consequences of war, just look at the Karstarks. I kind of wish we could meet Brandon. More and more I'd love to read the story of Robert's rebellion. I think it would be awesome to see everyone in their prime, and to be able to see Rhaegar in action. They've done a great job of turning him into a tragic hero of sorts, dying for the Mad King. Could be an awesome story, and hopefully a shorter one.

The King's Prize (Asha): I tend to agree with Asha regarding their chances of taking Winterfell. I have to imagine most of the northmen would abandon Roose as well, given the right impetus, but can they will they? And can Stannis provide that impetus? Can they even get there alive? You have to give Stannis a lot of credit for never falling for the crap prisoners tend to try and pull in this series. He doesn't buy Asha's feigned claims of loyalty for a second. He might not have Robert's ability to make a foe a friend, but he's no fool, and he's not likely to bite without a serious carrot. I also love every little mention of the northmen's loyalty to rescuing "Ned's little girl." In a world where loyalty is rarer than dragons, where people abandon causes as quickly as they join them, I get warm fuzzies whenever a character talks about their loyalty to the Starks even years after Ned was killed, even after the entire family is basically lost. Manderly was grasping at straws to find Rickon, and the mountain clans are willing to brave a blizzard at the chance of rescuing Arya. All too rare.

Daenerys: First off, interesting to see that Martell still claims that Dorne has 50,000 spears available. Given how everything north of Dorne has bled its strength off in these wars (except Highgarden perhaps), I can't imagine anyone having a chance at conquering Dorne from inside Westeros. They should be safe for a generation, and if they joined an invading army, they'd be powerful indeed. Nice to see that Quentyn made it safely to Meereen, and they went right about springing his marriage proposal, about as quickly as she shut it down. She really is committed to peace for Meereen and her wedding to Hizdahr. I have to give her credit for sticking to her guns, even as the reasons to leave for Westeros pile up around her, and really, Quentyn has made the best offer yet. She capped it off with the actual wedding. Things are really starting to come together in Meereen, but it's impossible to say where it will go from here.

For the first time in the book, I really feel like we're starting to get to the cusp of important events.

Page 514: Old Friends Return

Tyrion: For the most part it's just a run-of-the-mill chapter. More and more, Tyrion's chapters feel a lot like Dany's chapters were for the first couple books; ain't much going on. Getting to know another dwarf honestly isn't all that compelling a storyline, especially considering this particular dwarf doesn't have all that interesting a storyline. The only real interesting bit came at the very end, with the mention of the tall and twisted thing headed to Dany, with ten long arms, sailing on a sea of blood. Could that be Euron Greyjoy? We know that a lot of people are supposed to be converging on Meereen, we know he has a dragon horn, and we know that we haven't seen him or Damphair since the kingsmoot, and only Victarion has been seen, attacking the Shield Islands. Martin really likes to drop a ton of hints and mysteries into his stories. Sometimes they can be annoying (if for no other reason than the sheer volume of them, some chapters seem to open up a dozen new prophesies that take hundreds of pages to solve, it's a lot to process). Sometimes they can really be interesting if they're somewhat guessable.

Bran: I've actually found some of his chapters to be kind of disappointing. After all this build-up, which his character not really doing a whole lot, he finally gets to the thing we've been waiting for for literally a decade, and then nothing really happens. However, the new revelation that Bran can see back into time really does open up a lot of possibilities. I found it highly amusing that Bran was listening into Eddard's prayers when he first brought Jon back to Winterfell, but left out all the juicy bits we really want to hear! Nice tease, George! Really though, Bran could be a fascinating vehicle for finding out all sorts of things that we thought might have been totally lost with certain characters having died. It could also be a powerful weapon, since Bran can almost become more powerful than Varys at his best. But how fast will his abilities develop, and how much use will he make of them? If he's stuck hanging out with Lord Brynden forever, he's not really of much use to the larger cast of characters, and that really does need to change in the near future. I feel a little sorry for Meera and Jojen. They're sort of suffering uselessly at the moment. I hope that future Bran chapters really do something. Even history revelations would be interesting at this point.

Jon: Most of this chapter really seems contrived to get us to learn a bit more about Stannis. Part of me wonders if the Umbers and the Karstarks will really stay true to Stannis. We know that their allegiance is suspect, but usually Martin likes to blindside us with stuff, which, to me, means that the expected (Stannis getting stabbed in the back) is less likely to happen. Also, Manderly's forces are still a factor that hasn't been taken into account. I'm glad that the Mormonts showed up to help, despite their earlier reluctance, and that they hurt the Greyjoys badly. One little tidbit that I thought was interesting was the idea of taking two corpses back to the ice cells. Is he planning on doing a little experimentation with Others? Jon has always been fairly methodical. Burning them would seem wise, but perhaps he wants to experiment with dragonglass and Valyrian steel on them. An interesting, unexpected move. Again, I look forward to more exciting things happening at the Wall.

Daenerys: So, we see her as a woman of the people, washing and healing the sick, and then being the hard-hearted but wise queen by turning off her heart and turning on her brain by leaving those same sick to starve to death outside her walls. It was a difficult but wise thing to do, considering the Yunkai'i specifically drove the Astapori to Meereen as a sort of biological weapon. It was quite a surprise to see Brown Ben Plumm go over to the other side, if he truly did. He wasn't mentioned often, but his defection kind of came out of left field. Still, we know that Quentyn is on his was to Meereen now, so things could get interesting. Looks like he'll make it there before the wedding at this rate. Dany, for her part, finally gave into her desire to have Daario. Hopefully she cools her jets a bit now. I'm a little surprised that Martin hasn't gone into the male/female dynamics of power a bit more. Dany has taken Daario for a consort, and she talks of marriage, but does her marriage make Hizdahr her superior? Some of the coolest female characters of the book have been female ones who defy archetypal female roles (like basically any woman in Dorne). Martin is sidestepping that issue a little bit here, and I'd like to see it explores a tiny bit more.

The Prince of Winterfell (Theon): Two interesting things here: 1. Mance is at Winterfell already! He's clearly the singer who arrived with the "washerwomen." They've mentioned before that he plays the lute (or whatever) and has a fair singing voice, so it's clearly him. I only hope that he doesn't end up doing something foolish that ruins the plans that Manderly has. 2. The focus, from afar, on Manderly. He's playing his part well, though it's interesting that no one seems to think he has the stones to really go through with it. We know that he doesn't give a damn about rituals of bread and salt, not after what happened to his son. Could the food really be poisoned, and he poisoned himself with it? Or could his incredible fatness give him some sort of immunity? What does he have planned, and will he have a chance to pull it off under Roose's watchful eye? Or is he really as craven as Lady Dustin says? There's still so much that could go both wrong and right in the north. I'm genuinely at a loss to guess what will happen with all the forces coming together. My fear is that Stannis will be smashed, Rickon killed, and the treachery of the north finally secured with Roose Bolton in total control, somehow. But I really hope that he finds a way to come out of it alive, and that somehow, Manderly gets to march on the Twins, and that Davos finds Rickon. And if dreams were wishes...


The Watcher (Areo Hotah): OooOoOoOoo. So we're finally back to some characters from Feast for Crows. That means that the timeline has more or less caught up for most of the characters. In a way that's a little disappointing, as I feel like even less happened in the first half of this book than happened in Feast. So much of it was the beginning of a new set of plots and schemes. Only Stannis really did anything. On the other hand, Prince Doran is potentially setting into motion a lot of interesting pieces, many of which converge on King's Landing in interesting ways. I'm still awaiting the fallout of Cersei more or less being imprisoned by the High Septon. It's awesome to see Doran finally stand up for himself and really explain the power structure of Dorne to his wayward nieces. He was the perfect counterpart to Oberyn, and the Sand Snakes need to fall in line. That was a pretty cool moment.

I'm really looking forward to seeing some of the Feast characters return. I'm also really wondering who is going to die before the end of this. I fear there are simply too many threads at this point, and Martin will be compelled to end many of them before he writes the next book, if only to make it a little simpler to keep track of. Plus, it just seems like too much time has passed without a major tragedy that makes me want to throw the book across the room, so, I'm really worried about that. I keep getting sucked back in, and Martin has raised my hopes just enough to keep me invested...even though I just know he's going to dash them against the rocks.

Page 434: Hope Springs Eternal!

Tyrion: Curious how nice Jorah is actually being to Tyrion. Shackling him makes perfect sense since Tyrion is so slippery, but other than that he actually affords him several courtesies. I forgot how much I missed Jorah's wise, calm, melancholy attitude. Despite his follies, he's still a comforting presence. What I still don't get is what he hopes to gain by bringing Tyrion to Dany. What value does he suppose Tyrion has for Dany? Merely for being a Lannister? Perhaps as a hostage or to win some sort of favor for the bounty on his head? Clearly Jorah wants to get back in Dany's good graces, but I don't see how Tyrion is any sort of a tool for that. Clearly though, this works out great for Tyrion. We return once again to just being along for the ride with his adventures.

Jon: I'm not a big fan of how easily Melisandre was able to co-opt Ghost. I know how powerful she is, though really, I'm really wondering how the power structure of these novels works. Jon and Bran are wargs, Bran's power goes even further. Jojen has green dreams. All these powers are sourced to the old golds in the north and the Children of the Trees. Melisandre's power is totally different, because you have to be born with it and she was trained, or is it an extension of the same thing? I'd really like to know. Some sort of grand unifying theory would be great. I don't like her attempts to seduce Jon to her sway, though, I do think she has become a more interesting character of late.

Davos: Best chapter of the book by far! Well, plot-wise, it's the best chapter. I'm so glad that Manderly was just playing the Freys and that he even has Robett Glover hanging around, who also wants to help Stannis. "My son Wendel came to the Twins a guest. He ate Lord Waslder's bread and salt, and hung his sword upon the wall to feast with friends. And they murdered him. Murdered, I say, and may the Freys choke upon their fables...the north remembers, and the mummer's farce is almost done." Did anyone not get a shiver up their spine when they read that? So badass, and so what I've been waiting for for thousands of pages. And on top of that, he's even still loyal to the Starks as kings. Nothing gives me tingles like the tiny bits and pieces of loyalty that are sprinkled throughout this series. "Roose Boltin lies about his part in the Red Wedding, and his bastard lies about the fall of Winterfell." Finally, all the secrets of the Red Wedding and of Winterfell's fall are out and known to at least one person. Now my only worry is that if Manderly leaves White Harbor, he'll be in serious jeopardy. I love that Manderly is willing to bend the knee to get even Rickon back to serve as the Lord of Winterfell again. ANY other character in this novel, it seems, would have used that as his own pretext for a power grab, but his loyalty to the Starks means he'll bargain for Rickon's safe return. Warm fuzzies! Warm fuzzies everywhere! And damn Martin for getting me excited and making me hopeful again when I know he's just going to ruin it later!

Daenerys: At least she was smart enough to listen to her counselors and not let disease into the city, which was precisely her enemy's plan. Judging from the end of this chapter, I think we're meant to assume that she's decided to marry Hizdahr. I guess we'll see how that goes. I hope Jorah and Tyrion get there soon. And when are they going to do something with the dragons?

Melisandre: This is one I was actually really looking forward to. It did not disappoint. Her motivations have always been somewhat vague but interesting. I think it's interesting that she thinks Stannis is Azor Azai, but a different red priest thinks it's Dany. I wondered how her magic works, and we get to see a glimpse into just how difficult it is for her to make sense of what she sees. Who is the girl in grey? Jeyne? Asha? Why do her powers work so much better near the Wall where the old gods are? Is it just because of dragons, or because of the old gods? And holy crap, Mance is still alive? There's a news story that didn't make Sportscenter. This really does change quite a bit up there, lots of new questions that require answering. One of the most interesting I think is that she seems to have made contact with the last Greenseer and saw Bran and Summer in the background as well. How does that work? They did magic hack into her connection? Are the old gods really the enemy of R'holr? It'd be cool if all the gods were someone interconnected. I really hope we get another chapter from her. I've never really trusted her, and neither has Jon up to now. Her motivations are vague.

Reek (Theon): Simply put: I hope those two Freys are dead. Eventually I want them all dead, let Walder see his massive family slowly shrink around him, when he of all people assumed the most that his line would survive. I like that we get to see the interplay between Roose and Ramsay, so we can see just how much discord there is between them. Roose really is a cold, calculating bastard. I can see why he and Tywin were well-matched to strike a deal. But Ramsay has little guile, and seems kind of stupid for all his "bravery."  I hope Roose's comment about the Starks being done and this being squabbling over spoils proves false. So much good can still happen. Now we just have to wait and see what plans Roose has for Theon.

And with this post, I'm all caught up to where I am in the story. I'm less than halfway through it, but almost to the halfway point. I've just finished moving across the country, so now that I'm settled in, I imagine the reading will go much more quickly. Please feel free to make comments when you wish, so long as they are spoiler-free up to the appropriate page number.