117 replies to this topic

[Rhaegar Targaryen's Ghost]

Lord Bear Mormont, on 29 February 2012 - 10:16 PM, said:

She has never been short on words or opinions.

true story. once and a while cat was able to hold back from saying something, i think its a blessing uncat can't speak. if she could, she would never stop.

[Tyler Snow]

Selmy, on 27 February 2012 - 05:40 PM, said:

This has proven more comprehensive than I could have imagined. I find it fascinating to see the breadth of the story detailed in these lists. It also makes me wonder how so many storylines will possibly find conclusions over the course of two more installments. As I see it, there are three main possibilities. As a disclaimer, I'll start by saying I don't think  extending to an eighth book is likely. Not only has seven been the goal of record, but the number seven plays such a big role in the world of ASOIAF that eight books would just seem foolish. Therefore:

1. Bloodletting. Most, if not all, secondary and tertiary storylines end in sudden death. Kill 'em all, and let the major players be the focus of the finale.
2. Realism. Lots of loose ends stay loose with no satisfying resolution. Leave plenty for speculation and spin-offs. Words are wind, after all.
3. Convergence. This would be the Dickens approach. Everyone's character arc finds completion as the storylines all condense in a major pile-up.

My best guess is somewhere around 2.5. Things certainly seem to be converging, especially near Meereen. It would seem if Daenerys won't go West, Westeros will have to go East. However, I just can't see all things getting wrapped up neatly without the pace of the story being significantly accelerated in books 6 and 7. Of course, any man capable of creating such a vast world in such great detail is likely to develop a far more interesting conclusion than my broad, oversimplified conjecture.

I've been thinking about this as well. I've wondered if the final installment will just be 200 pages of convergence. Not sure if anyone here has read Asimov and his Robot/Empire/Foundation series but, in hsi novel Foundation and Earth, he basically wraps up storylines from decades of novels in a neat little bow. It made sense for that particular fictional universe but I'm not sure if it'll work as well for ASOIAF.

I would like for it to be 2.5 as well, maybe more like 2.75, haha. Many of the tertiary and secondary characters can be wrapped up in off handed comments made throughout the main storyline. I feel like GRRM will leave some open though, this is life and a very realistic fantasy series so I suspect some things will just remain ambiguous (please, GRRM, just not what happened at the ToJ!) to tantilize fans, inspire spin offs, and generate discussion.

To squeeze and Inception analogy in here, I think GRRM will leave the top spinning.

[AlexKerscher]

Tyler Snow, on 01 March 2012 - 01:57 PM, said:

(...) inspire spin offs(...)

Do you think that after ASOIAF ends we will have an expanded univere, like Star Wars, with multiple movies, comic books and stuff like that?

[protar]

AlexKerscher, on 01 March 2012 - 02:54 PM, said:

Do you think that after ASOIAF ends we will have an expanded univere, like Star Wars, with multiple movies, comic books and stuff like that?

Doubtful unless Martin plans on writing it all himself. He's quite protective of his IP's. I'm fairly sure he's said he might write a few spinoffs though: A book taking place from the POV of Aegon the unworthy, and a murder mystery set in Braavos.

[AlexKerscher]

Yes, but Martin is proctective of his IPs while he's alive.

[Tyler Snow]

If there is a dollar to be made and willing fanbase I do see spin offs happening. We are already seeing the IP being proliferated through several other mediums (HBO, various video games, etc) so I would not be shocked if some spin offs do occur.

[Lord Bear Mormont]

How long is Sam suppose to stay at the Citadel? Until he is a Maester or until he finds more info on the Others?

[Lord_of_the_Nightfort]

he's supposed to stay till his chain is forged.  But i think he'll stay until we find out what "pate" and "alleras" are up to.....then he'll probably die....because everyone likes him....

[Lord Bear Mormont]

"Alleras" surely has an important role coming up in the next book. She (he) was the one shooting the apples with the arrows right?

[Lord_of_the_Nightfort]

yep, she/he's a pretty good archer... and to add on to another character status (sort of on the same topic), i think theon's going to have a larger role to play than being a blood sacrifice, if anyone recalls,  theon was quite the skilled archer, and still has eight fingers left.  for anyone who's ever used a bow, eight is more than plenty....i'm betting we'll see him with a bow in his hand before the end

[Cryler]

Anyway the 1st post can remain updated with a summary of character location as it's posted?

[Selmy's Suspicions]

Lord_of_the_Nightfort, on 01 March 2012 - 09:02 PM, said:

he's supposed to stay till his chain is forged.  

I agree, and I also think this is another storyline that must be interrupted. I would imagine the time required to forge a chain is far greater than the time Sam will actually spend in Oldtown. It would seem he is solely there as a plot device to give the reader a POV at the Citadel. Similar to Massey's charge to raise 20,00 sellswords from the East, Sam's becoming a maester seems a much larger task than the timeframe remaining in the story.

In ADWD, when Danaerys is considering the offer to take the 13 ships and return to Westeros, Ser Barristan mentions they could be home "within the year." If sailing an army west would take about a year, wouldn't finding, hiring, and transporting an army take even longer? Wouldn't all the study and practice required to forge a chain take several years? Given that the entirety of the first 5 books spans 2, maybe 3 years, I don't see these assignments coming to fruition. I think Sam's in Oldtown to advance the plot and learn what the reader needs to learn about what's happening at the Citadel. I don't see Sam ever returning to the Wall as a maester for the NW.

[IcyWiz]

A couple of things I've wondered about:

Could Jayne (sp?) Stark nee Westerling have been pregant despite her mother's machinations? If so, would this child be the next in line for King/Queen of the north? Is she stuck back in Westerling with Mommy Dearest?

Eddard Tully's bride was pregnant the last we heard of them. Were they headed to Frey HQ? Did they ever get there?

[Tyrion-kratS]

very fun thread!

I just can't see Danerys having enough time to shift everyone in her entourage west, and the thing is of course, she cant/won't. The people of Mereen, the Dothraki and most of her other 'subjects' belong (as much as anyone can belong anywhere) in the east, and will stay there. Danny I think will very quickly reach a decision making point regarding her own future, and choose to leave her current subjects to their respective fates, while she heads to Westeros with her Army, possibly on Cersei's lovely new boats or with Victarion, but hopefully with Tyrion as her new councillor... otherwise she just wont have time to get all the way to the wall in a satisfying way. I think Danerys' lack of impetus stems directly from the fact that she's always relied on leadership figures, Viserys and Drogo, and without them she's been struggling to figure out her direction, beyond always wanting to go back to Westeros... something/someone needs to come in and change that, to give her a kick in the arse and send her home, I think that person(s) will be some combination of Victarion, Tyrion and the very talented red-priest.

I'm pretty certain that any child of Robb's would automatically be King of the North, if we're sticking dogmatically to the laws of succession, but who would back him and with what army? And when... in 13+ years, not likely I think.

Jon had better not be dead, it would be too much to bear, I don't think he is.. but please George!

[WolveseatDragons]

I would be surprised if Westerling is pregnant.  There was a lot of emphasis on her mother forcing her to drink moon tea.  Her storyline may not be over though.

I also wouldn't be surprised at all to see Martin let others wright more stories.  He is letting others do all kinds of different interpretations of these books in comic and film form.  He also will be able to see many of them interpret his "world" and can choose the one he feels does the best job.  It's his baby but I think he may loosen his grip to it.

[TheReyneOfCastamere]

Hurliatus, on 18 February 2012 - 03:27 AM, said:

Syrio Forrel may or may not be alive after battling Meryn Trant.

Tormund Giantsbane is leading a ranging for something.

Janos Slynt is beheaded by Jon Snow

Rattleshirt died as a Mance clone

I hate to be the voice of doom, but he's dead, fo sho. Unless he IS a Faceless Man that escaped, Trant shut up out of shame, and now he's Jaqen H'gar, traipsing off around Westeros and killing pig boys.

[Dracarya]

TheReyneOfCastamere, on 13 March 2012 - 06:22 AM, said:

I hate to be the voice of doom, but he's dead, fo sho. Unless he IS a Faceless Man that escaped, Trant shut up out of shame, and now he's Jaqen H'gar, traipsing off around Westeros and killing pig boys.

There is no 'fo sho' unless we see the body for ourselves. It is known.

[Jory]

I heard there was a Victarion chapter read at a convention in Toronto? Any deets on this? New thread?

[Ser Kevan of Stone Hedge]

Jory, on 13 March 2012 - 07:08 PM, said:

I heard there was a Victarion chapter read at a convention in Toronto? Any deets on this? New thread?

Here is the thread:

http://asoiaf.wester...er-victarion-i/

What better way to enjoy a chapter than by being read by the man himself:

http://www.youtube.c...player_embedded

He starts reading around 30:30.  Enjoy

[Leviathan I]

Goddamn I completely forgot about Davos trying to find Rickon, it must have been really late when I read that part haha. Thank you.