A Game Of Thrones discussion

[MinDonner]

Just want to say that I'm really enjoying these chapter commentaries; it's been a good few years now since my first read-through and it's good to be reminded of what stands out for a first-time reader. :thumbsup:

[spork]

I agree. There was a great blog once that followed along, but then the guy dropped off the face of the planet. Keep it going Basel Gill! I love how insightful you've been. Some of your predictions or hunches have been right on, and some indicate certain events that have yet to happen but are expected to be revealed in ADWD.

[Jose Guzman]

Thanks for starting off posting, DragonAge93!

I found a detail in your spoiler for that chapter interesting, so here's a question:

I remember, way back when, that quite a few people fresh off of reading AGoT had no idea who had grabbed Arya. And I admit, I believe I was one of them until Linda (who had read the book before me) set me straight.

Did you realize it right off, and what tipped you off?

Hey, Ran, I remember that moment also...

And I believe I knew who it was, because he referred to Arya as "Boy"

[MyDogIsNamedDanerys]

Chapter 24 (Bran IV): Robb's reception of Tyrion is pretty cold. Word can't possibly have reached Winterfell about what Catelyn found out in King's Landing. So this is based solely on Stark/Lannister mistrust. Tyrion redeems that with the saddle blueprnt. Too bad it takes the wolves more time to realize it. No clue what might have set them off. Family hostilities are beyond the understanding of pets, right? Robb still has a bit of growing up to do, both from his treatment of Tyrion and his reaction to the news of Ben.

If I remember right, before she left Winterfell, Catelyn (Catelyn III or IV?) informed Robb that she had good evidence that "The Lannisters" had been behind the plot against Bran. In fact, I think Robb then said he would ride south to tell Ned after this revelation. Anyway, Robb distrusts all the Lannisters now. If it had been Cersei or Jaime they'd be treated just as coldly.

[Basel Gill]

If I remember right, before she left Winterfell, Catelyn (Catelyn III or IV?) informed Robb that she had good evidence that "The Lannisters" had been behind the plot against Bran. In fact, I think Robb then said he would ride south to tell Ned after this revelation. Anyway, Robb distrusts all the Lannisters now. If it had been Cersei or Jaime they'd be treated just as coldly.

Yup. Just went back and checked that part. I had forgotten all about that.

I went and looked at Leigh Butler's blog of her first read for AGOT on Tor.com a couple of days ago. I'd been avoiding it so far because I don't want my reflections to be influenced by anyone else's reactions to the book. I want my thoughts to be my own thoughts. By now I figured I should be far enough in that I can safely read her beginning. She is only posting two chapters per week; at that rate it will take her most of the year!

[spork]

She is only posting two chapters per week; at that rate it will take her most of the year!

I've been reading her blog too, and it makes for interesting reading as well, but I agree that she should either post more frequemtly, or do more than two chapters at a time. Also, how can she read at that slow of a rate? The first time I read aGoT I tore through it, and even my rereads go quickly.

[Basel Gill]

Chapters 25-27:

A few things here and there leap out at me, but this latest installment is hit and miss.

Chapter 25 (Eddard V): There's something about this book Jon Arryn was reading.. There has to be. Given the subject matter of the book, it sounds like it will take Ned quite a bit of digging to find whatever it is in there. Iced milk sweetened with honey sounds good on a hot summer day. I'm not sure whether I'd want that much honey in it, or if I'd prefer it more like Ned. I didn't find it all that surprising that Ned is being watched, really. Not much about this chapter say "Boo" to me, it mostly seems to be setting things up to become interesting later on.

Chapter 26 (Jon IV): Jon has done well in building relationships with his fellow trainees, but Alliser is becoming more than just a nuisance to him. Sam comes in, and the boys show some honor in defending the new victim. I took notice that Grenn, Jon's initial nemesis, was one of the first to leap to Jon's aid. Sam's father doesn't strike me as a very likable person. Still no sign of Ben. I'm still not expecting him to be found, except as one of the Others. There just has to be a way for medieval folk to deal with zombie undead, right? Right?

Chapter 27 (Eddard VI): So Jon Arryn's remaining servants haven't been very useful, have they? I suppose it's entirely possible that something one of them said that seems trivial now will jump back into the picture later on, but I doubt it. Stannis and Arryn are visiting brothels. Not for themselves, certainly not Stannis. I wonder if they are checking up on Robert's assorted women. Robert has at least one bastard son, and Gendry is being well taken care of. Is Robert sending his people out based on his conscience saying he should take care of his illegitimate children, or were Stannis and Arryn acting of their own accord? A small continuity goof presents itself: the potboy tells Jory that Arryn went to see the armorer to commission a new set of plate, right? So then when Ned goes to see the armorer himself, he is told that they didn't give him any of their business. Now, not only is this inconsistent, but to not buy a set of plate (or anything else) from this man would be unwise if Arryn wished to keep his visit quiet. He would have been better off buying the armor to create a reason for visiting the shop, lest people think he had some surreptitious reason to go there (which he did). I'm wondering why Stannis and Arryn are interested in Gendry. There's some piece of the puzzle we aren't being given just yet.

[zmflavius]

Chapters 25-27:

A few things here and there leap out at me, but this latest installment is hit and miss.

Chapter 25 (Eddard V): There's something about this book Jon Arryn was reading.. There has to be. Given the subject matter of the book, it sounds like it will take Ned quite a bit of digging to find whatever it is in there. Iced milk sweetened with honey sounds good on a hot summer day. I'm not sure whether I'd want that much honey in it, or if I'd prefer it more like Ned. I didn't find it all that surprising that Ned is being watched, really. Not much about this chapter say "Boo" to me, it mostly seems to be setting things up to become interesting later on.

Chapter 26 (Jon IV): Jon has done well in building relationships with his fellow trainees, but Alliser is becoming more than just a nuisance to him. Sam comes in, and the boys show some honor in defending the new victim. I took notice that Grenn, Jon's initial nemesis, was one of the first to leap to Jon's aid. Sam's father doesn't strike me as a very likable person. Still no sign of Ben. I'm still not expecting him to be found, except as one of the Others. There just has to be a way for medieval folk to deal with zombie undead, right? Right?

Chapter 27 (Eddard VI): So Jon Arryn's remaining servants haven't been very useful, have they? I suppose it's entirely possible that something one of them said that seems trivial now will jump back into the picture later on, but I doubt it. Stannis and Arryn are visiting brothels. Not for themselves, certainly not Stannis. I wonder if they are checking up on Robert's assorted women. Robert has at least one bastard son, and Gendry is being well taken care of. Is Robert sending his people out based on his conscience saying he should take care of his illegitimate children, or were Stannis and Arryn acting of their own accord? A small continuity goof presents itself: the potboy tells Jory that Arryn went to see the armorer to commission a new set of plate, right? So then when Ned goes to see the armorer himself, he is told that they didn't give him any of their business. Now, not only is this inconsistent, but to not buy a set of plate (or anything else) from this man would be unwise if Arryn wished to keep his visit quiet. He would have been better off buying the armor to create a reason for visiting the shop, lest people think he had some surreptitious reason to go there (which he did). I'm wondering why Stannis and Arryn are interested in Gendry. There's some piece of the puzzle we aren't being given just yet.

I'm enjoying these readings very much, it reminds me of when I was first starting through this series.

However, on Chapter 27, I'd like to mention that I believe this to be more on the lines of the unreliability of Jon's servants being emphasized. Ned has run into wall after wall, and has found little useful info from the servants. Hence, the unreliable potboy. Of course, Stannis and Jon probably goofed up by not buying some plate, but armour is expensive, several hundred gold dragons a set. They might not wanted to throw gold down every potential dead end.

[Basel Gill]

However, on Chapter 27, I'd like to mention that I believe this to be more on the lines of the unreliability of Jon's servants being emphasized. Ned has run into wall after wall, and has found little useful info from the servants. Hence, the unreliable potboy. Of course, Stannis and Jon probably goofed up by not buying some plate, but armour is expensive, several hundred gold dragons a set. They might not wanted to throw gold down every potential dead end.

I didn't think the servants were all that reliable either, actually.

Chapters 28-31:

Things pick up notably in the next few chapters. Oh what a tangled web we weave...

Chapter 28 (Catelyn V): I found the tale of Catelyn's previous times at the inn amusing. I think I would have trouble not cringing if Masha Heddle smiled at me. And I don't know if I could handle being in a room that close to the meal bell if it's as loud as described here. The meal that Catelyn and Rodrik are given sounds awesome...bread, skewered meat (which is strangely never identified... Mystery Meat, maybe Masha Heddle's distant descendants worked in school cafeterias), onions, peppers, and mushrooms. All right, I really hate mushrooms, but other than that, it sounds good. Thus far, GRRM sounds almost as obsessive with his food descriptions as Jordan was with his descriptions of everyone's clothing. I don't mind, though, I like food. Catelyn came so incredibly close to avoiding notice, and would have done so if not for Marillion. I wonder if Marillion takes requests. I hope he knows "Script for a Jester's Tear". Then she has Tyrion seized and accuses him of murder. Given Tyrion's POV chapters, I'm sure he is quite stunned. I don't think he is guilty.

Chapter 29 (Sansa II): Tourney time! I hope everyone got their brackets filled out in time. Sansa, from what I've seen so far, is my least favorite character in the book. It started off being Catelyn, but she has redeemed herself a lot. Sansa seems to be here because GRRM felt we had so many young male aristocratic twits, so we needed a female one. Such a pretty little princess, she needs badly to wake up and realize that life isn't a fairy tale. From some of the things that happened in this chapter, that might be coming. First she sees someone die before her very eyes in the tourney. The bits between Sansa and Joff I just found to be weird. Neither one of them seems to hold anything against the other from the last time they spent time together. Last we knew, Joff was full of hate for her, he lost his prized sword (most likely for good) and got a nasty scar on one arm (definitely for good). Sansa saw quite a bit of his dark side, and witnessed him lying and accusing her of helping to attack him. Here he is quite civil to her, and she is still besotted. Then Joff, after arranging for the Hound to walk her back to her chamber, walks off without a word. The Hound asks if she expected Joff to escort her personally. I don't think that would be likely either, but some words of farewell would have been good on Joff's part. Maybe he still has some lingering resentment after all. Also noteworthy is the bit where Sansa reflects that Joffrey deserves no blame for what happened with Lady, it was all Cersei and Arya's fault. Talk about selective memory! Joffrey lied about what happened, and accused Sansa of being in on an attack against him. Meantime, Sansa herself was asked for her version of events, and claimed not to remember a thing I have yet to figure out if she was telling the truth about not remembering. But she was there, and the events were shown from her POV, no less. If she had corroborated Arya's story and told what happened, I think Lady would still be alive, and Cersei and Joff would have considerable egg on their faces.

Chapter 30 (Eddard VII): So the unfortunate knight who died in the tourney just happens to be Jon Arryn's former squire. What a coincidence, or is it? Robert is insistent on fighting in the melee, but is too fat to get into his armor. What, is Robert stupid? (Oh, wait... duh.) The final four for the tourney is a good one: Jaime, the Hound, the Mountain, and Loras. (Damn, I had Jaime, North Carolina, the Mountain, and Syracuse.) Gregor Clegane nearly kills Ser Loras. The Hound stops him, but I won't be shocked to see Loras turn up dead under mysterious circumstances. The Mountain That Rides strikes me as the sort of man you don't want to get angry. Ned manges to talk Robert out of the melee. Varys's visit to Ned later on that night is also of interest. Cersei tried to get Robert into the melee by forbidding him from fighting in it. Nice bit of reverse psychology, and it would've worked, if only Ned wasn't more persuasive than she is. So Jon Arryn was poisoned with the Tears of Lys, according to Varys. I don't think it's a coincidence that Varys is from Lys, but I don't think this occurs to Ned. Varys also mentions that he tried to get Arryn to have a food taster, but Arryn wouldn't even consider it. Is this a subtle hint that Ned should get a taster? He really should have done so before now, since he has suspected for quite some time that Arryn died by poisoning.

Chapter 31 (Tyrion IV): Subterfuge! Catelyn lets it be known publicly that she is taking Tyrion back to Winterfell to face justice, and then heads off in a totally different direction! I like it! Now we see what Tyrion's story is for why he didn't have anything to do with the attack on Bran. He never bets against his family. So if that isn't Tyrion's dagger, whose was it? Littlefinger lied about this being Tyrion's dagger, but to what end? What game is he playing? He did tell the truth about one thing, that Ned had been wise not to trust him. If Tyrion is being honest, that isn't all that Littlefinger lied about.

[zmflavius]

I didn't think the servants were all that reliable either, actually.

Chapters 28-31:

Things pick up notably in the next few chapters. Oh what a tangled web we weave...

Chapter 28 (Catelyn V): I found the tale of Catelyn's previous times at the inn amusing. I think I would have trouble not cringing if Masha Heddle smiled at me. And I don't know if I could handle being in a room that close to the meal bell if it's as loud as described here. The meal that Catelyn and Rodrik are given sounds awesome...bread, skewered meat (which is strangely never identified... Mystery Meat, maybe Masha Heddle's distant descendants worked in school cafeterias), onions, peppers, and mushrooms. All right, I really hate mushrooms, but other than that, it sounds good. Thus far, GRRM sounds almost as obsessive with his food descriptions as Jordan was with his descriptions of everyone's clothing. I don't mind, though, I like food. Catelyn came so incredibly close to avoiding notice, and would have done so if not for Marillion. I wonder if Marillion takes requests. I hope he knows "Script for a Jester's Tear". Then she has Tyrion seized and accuses him of murder. Given Tyrion's POV chapters, I'm sure he is quite stunned. I don't think he is guilty.

Chapter 29 (Sansa II): Tourney time! I hope everyone got their brackets filled out in time. Sansa, from what I've seen so far, is my least favorite character in the book. It started off being Catelyn, but she has redeemed herself a lot. Sansa seems to be here because GRRM felt we had so many young male aristocratic twits, so we needed a female one. Such a pretty little princess, she needs badly to wake up and realize that life isn't a fairy tale. From some of the things that happened in this chapter, that might be coming. First she sees someone die before her very eyes in the tourney. The bits between Sansa and Joff I just found to be weird. Neither one of them seems to hold anything against the other from the last time they spent time together. Last we knew, Joff was full of hate for her, he lost his prized sword (most likely for good) and got a nasty scar on one arm (definitely for good). Sansa saw quite a bit of his dark side, and witnessed him lying and accusing her of helping to attack him. Here he is quite civil to her, and she is still besotted. Then Joff, after arranging for the Hound to walk her back to her chamber, walks off without a word. The Hound asks if she expected Joff to escort her personally. I don't think that would be likely either, but some words of farewell would have been good on Joff's part. Maybe he still has some lingering resentment after all. Also noteworthy is the bit where Sansa reflects that Joffrey deserves no blame for what happened with Lady, it was all Cersei and Arya's fault. Talk about selective memory! Joffrey lied about what happened, and accused Sansa of being in on an attack against him. Meantime, Sansa herself was asked for her version of events, and claimed not to remember a thing I have yet to figure out if she was telling the truth about not remembering. But she was there, and the events were shown from her POV, no less. If she had corroborated Arya's story and told what happened, I think Lady would still be alive, and Cersei and Joff would have considerable egg on their faces.

Chapter 30 (Eddard VII): So the unfortunate knight who died in the tourney just happens to be Jon Arryn's former squire. What a coincidence, or is it? Robert is insistent on fighting in the melee, but is too fat to get into his armor. What, is Robert stupid? (Oh, wait... duh.) The final four for the tourney is a good one: Jaime, the Hound, the Mountain, and Loras. (Damn, I had Jaime, North Carolina, the Mountain, and Syracuse.) Gregor Clegane nearly kills Ser Loras. The Hound stops him, but I won't be shocked to see Loras turn up dead under mysterious circumstances. The Mountain That Rides strikes me as the sort of man you don't want to get angry. Ned manges to talk Robert out of the melee. Varys's visit to Ned later on that night is also of interest. Cersei tried to get Robert into the melee by forbidding him from fighting in it. Nice bit of reverse psychology, and it would've worked, if only Ned wasn't more persuasive than she is. So Jon Arryn was poisoned with the Tears of Lys, according to Varys. I don't think it's a coincidence that Varys is from Lys, but I don't think this occurs to Ned. Varys also mentions that he tried to get Arryn to have a food taster, but Arryn wouldn't even consider it. Is this a subtle hint that Ned should get a taster? He really should have done so before now, since he has suspected for quite some time that Arryn died by poisoning.

Chapter 31 (Tyrion IV): Subterfuge! Catelyn lets it be known publicly that she is taking Tyrion back to Winterfell to face justice, and then heads off in a totally different direction! I like it! Now we see what Tyrion's story is for why he didn't have anything to do with the attack on Bran. He never bets against his family. So if that isn't Tyrion's dagger, whose was it? Littlefinger lied about this being Tyrion's dagger, but to what end? What game is he playing? He did tell the truth about one thing, that Ned had been wise not to trust him. If Tyrion is being honest, that isn't all that Littlefinger lied about.

It's mentioned Varys is from Lys?

[valacirca]

Hi. I'm new to the forum and just got into ASoIaF because of the new HBO show.

But I didn't want to watch the show without reading the book so what I decided to do was how I decided to approach it was to let my wife (who just finished the book) see the ending of each episode and tell me what part of the book that is, then I read up to that part and then we watch the episode.

I'm not sure what adverse effect that would have on my reading experience, but I realize that there are probably parts in the book that will be rearranged for the show that might be shown before I get to read them if I continue this way, but I figured I'll just take that risk.

Right now, according to my Kindle, I'm 20% into AGoT and I'll be reading as far as I need to before I could watch the 3rd episode of the TV series. I'm really loving the book right now - much more than the show - and really look forward to catching up with everyone.

[Zoë Sumra]

Another fan of Basel Gill's commentaries. :) Keep it up!

Valacirca, that sounds like an excellent plan.

[mormont]

I'm enjoying these readings very much, it reminds me of when I was first starting through this series.

However, on Chapter 27, I'd like to mention that I believe this to be more on the lines of the unreliability of Jon's servants being emphasized. Ned has run into wall after wall, and has found little useful info from the servants. Hence, the unreliable potboy. Of course, Stannis and Jon probably goofed up by not buying some plate, but armour is expensive, several hundred gold dragons a set. They might not wanted to throw gold down every potential dead end.

I'm not sure I see a problem here of either continuity or unreliability on the part of the potboy. It strikes me as pretty clear that the tale about commissioning the fancy armour was put about by Jon in order to give himself a reason to visit the armourer. As weak as this cover story is, particularly as he apparently then didn't go on to actually, y'know, order it, it's better than Ned's approach. He makes a point of going publicly, in the middle of the day, wearing his Stark tunic: and then he looks around to see if he can spot the people who he knows must be following him! D'oh! No wonder Varys had to get Gendry out of there...

[Basel Gill]

It's mentioned Varys is from Lys?

Pycelle mentions this to Ned during their conversation in Eddard V. It's on p. 254 of the US paperback.

[zmflavius]

Pycelle mentions this to Ned during their conversation in Eddard V. It's on p. 254 of the US paperback.

Ah, thank you.

[Basel Gill]

It's been a while since I got to post my thoughts, after the computer spent some time on the fritz.

Chapters 32-34

These chapters had some serious development going on.

Chapter 32 (Arya III): Hoo-boy. There's key pieces to the puzzle held by a kid, and the people she needs to hear it either won't listen, or won't believe. Arya's telling of the story to Ned did sound a little crazy the way she said it all. The two men she was listening to add another layer - or two! - of conspiarcy. I think going by the descriptions and the conversation, these have to be Varys and Illyrio. Varys seems o be working for Viserys and the Dothraki. I had thoughts earlier that someone is playing the Starks and Lannisters against each other, now it looks like this is Vary's doing, except events are spiraling out of his control. His words make it sound like the Lannisters are behind the attack on Bran. If this wasn't Tyrion, maybe it was an agent of Jaime or Cersei... or both. What game is Varys playing? He says he has no idea what Littlefinger's game is. So Littlefinger lied about the dagger being Tyrion's, but isn't in league with Varys. He was implicating the Lannisters for his own reasons. Illyrio's presence is also interesting. Up till now we've only seen him as a liaison between Viserys and the Dothraki, but now he seems to be a player in his own right. We know how Varys gets his information about goings-on in the castle... children with no tongues in the dark places, who write what they overhear. Interesting tactic. Ned is said to have the bastard, and the book, and soon he will have the truth. But what is the truth? And can Ned

properly when he finds out?

Chapter 33 (Eddard VIII): I'm not sure whether I agree with Ned or Robert here. Ned hasn't been Hand long enough to fully realize that politics is not an honorable game. Sometimes you don't like what has to be done, but you still recognize it to be necessary. Robert, on the other hand, seems to be willing to let his hatreds rule his decision making. So I will call this a wash. So, in Eddard VIII, Eddard abdicates as Hand of the King. He walks out of the King's Council disgusted. I wonder how long before Robert chooses a new Hand, or will he decide to needs Ned too much to toss him out so rashly?

Chapter 34 (Catelyn VI): The Eyrie makes for an unusual place for a House to base itself. Not for anyone scared of heights, or who lacks strong lungs. I don't blame Catelyn for taking the winch lift the last bit of the way up. I think I would have wanted it the whole way up. We find out that already, suitors are lining up to try for Lysa's hand in marriage after Jon Arryn's death, but she has been rejecting all of them while only feigning interest in remarriage. Is anyone reminded of The Odyssey here? Lysa isn't as receptive to Catelyn as the Lady Stark hoped. The little Robert comes in... and that's just creepy what goes on between him and his mother. Either this is incest... with a six year old, or a six year old boy has yet to be weaned off breast feeding. Either way, that gets my freaky parenting of the year award.

[Basel Gill]

Chapters 35-38:

Chapter 35 (Eddard IX): So Eddard finds the brothel he was looking for. He interviews the woman there that had one of Robert's bastard kids, and then leaves. Ned takes note of the baby's dark hair, and reflects that Robert's previous bastard had dark hair too. Interesting, that part. I have a funny feeling it will prove important later on somehow. He comes down to see one of his men playing forfeits, which seems from the description to be the old kid's game of Memory crossed with strip poker. There's talk of Robert's other illicit children, including one conceived at Stannis's wedding. Cersei supposedly had a pair of twins murdered, which I wouldn't put past her. That woman is just pure evil. I'll find Lena Headey's version of her interesting once I get to watch the show, playing a villain is a big departure from her other roles I've seen. And speaking of evil, Jaime rides up with a bunch of Lannister soldiers. Ned breaks his leg and his men die, including Jory. Thus beginning the "anyone can die at any time" thing that I've heard about these books. While Jaime talks about Tyrion's kidnapping by Catelyn, I doubt this is his only reason for his actions in this chapter. There's something about Ned's investigation that makes him uncomfortable. He could have accosted Ned anywhere, but to do it outside the brothel where Ned has been asking questions? Jon Arryn was killed for asking questions, wasn't he? No coincidence there, I bet.

Chapter 36 (Danaerys IV): You know, for all his talk of waking the dragon as a euphemism for someone making him angry, Viserys seems to have no problems with waking other people's dragons. I think it's pretty unwise to anger anyone who is backed by forty thousand warriors when you are all alone with no one to take your side. Sooner or later, he is going to blow his top, and be made to regret it. Although since he is always ready to blame things on others, I doubt he would do any regretting, since that would require him to realize that something is his own fault. Dany is unlikely to put up with him much longer.

Chapter 37 (Bran V): So Bran can ride now. Good to know. Tyrion's special saddle seems to have done what it was meant to for Bran. It's unpleasant to know there are brigands so close to Winterfell. There's a bit of friction between Robb and Theon is this chapter, perhaps it's a sign of things to come. There's a lesson to be learned here: don't mess with direwolves. Here's hoping they learn something important from the prisoner.

Chapter 38 (Tyrion V): Tyrion is certainly cunning and resourceful.He starts out this chapter in a considerable jam, but by the end he has improved his situation quite a bit. He runs a risk still, since if his champion loses, he still gets executed, and I don't see how he could get out of it then. The one thing that stuck out for me in this part was Tyrion's musings on how he got into this mess: at one point, he thinks to himself that someone seems to be setting Starks and Lannisters against each other. Gee, that's strange, I'd been thinking that exact same thing for a while now. I think Bronn will win the combat. Why? Because if Bronn loses, Tyrion's death is assured. Granted, anyone can die at anytime, but to kill Tyrion so early in the series (halfway into the first book)after giving him an important POV role and developing the character so well thus far, would render all the effort put into the character moot. Tyrion has a lot more literary mileage in him, and GRRM knows it would be wasteful to kill him off just yet.

[M'lady Cynthia Rayder]

Hello All,

I am new to the book series, I am on page 400 (something) in GoT, I am HOOKED! The HBO show got me started, afetr watching one episode, I went out and got the first book, I find that pretty much what I read during the week, I get to see on the show on Sunday nights... I do notice that lots of detail is left out in the TV series, if it wasn't it would make for a VERY long series :)

I have many ideas and theories abotu different mysteries I have read about, i"m going to go check into one of the other threads and share there!

Oh and my favourite characters are; Dany, Jon & Tyrion :)

Loving the books!

[Basel Gill]

Hi Cynthia. It's nice seeing someone else who is just discovering the books, and it's good to meet you. I expect several more months before I get to watch the show when it comes to DVD. I haven't bothered checking out many of the other threads yet due to spoilers.

[iheartseverus]

Warm welcome, Cynthia, Basel, zmflavius, Eloisa, valacirca, and all! These threads are among my favorites, and I check every day to see who's posting and what you all are discovering. I compare it to, well, the first time we fall in love, it only happens once--forever afterward, we look back on that first exciting discovery and wish we could relive it. You guys allow many of us to relive the excitement of the first discovery of this amazing series. Thanks!

Funny, thinking back, I remember sitting here all by myself late at night, devouring the books, and often yelling out loud at the characters (scaring the crap out of my dogs...) stuff like this:

NO! No, are you f...ing serious??!! WTF??

YES, do it! Go on, DO it!

Oh, lord, no. Nooooo, don't! Oh, god, you're gonna regret that.

LIAR! Liar! Rat-bastard weasel slimy liar!!

No, not him! Anybody else, just not him!

And suchlike. Anyway, please keep posting your thoughts, suspicions, theories, feelings. You're sharing more than you know... Welcome!