Are we prepared?

[Ser Lepus]

I think Arya is developing better survival skills than Sansa, and now that she is training to be a faceless man she is becoming even more equipped for the horrid reality she will face. Her assassination of the old man shows her development in the thinking department, even the Kindly Man was impressed.

Oh, she can survive, but I can't see her living a happy life: If she sheds her Arya identity and becomes a heartless assassin, I wouldn't consider that as a happy ending. And even if she escapes, I can't see the FM allowing her to live in peace. Right now her most probable options are 1.-Become a heartless monster and 2.-Be hunted and killed by heartless monsters.

[Éadaoin]

I think Arya is developing better survival skills than Sansa, and now that she is training to be a faceless man she is becoming even more equipped for the horrid reality she will face. Her assassination of the old man shows her development in the thinking department, even the Kindly Man was impressed.

I think they are both learning skills appropriate for their situations. But that's not why I think Sansa will outlive Arya. To me their arcs make more sense if Arya dies, but GRRM has surprised me before, so.

[Ser Dylen of the Green Oak]

I'm most definitely ready for the end, in fact, I can't wait.

Yes, It is probably closer to 10 than 2 years before it does;

And yes, a huge amount of characters will die;

And yes, it'll be difficult to read and some of it I won't like, but d'you know what? It'll be amazing. Everything until now has been amazing and I put my faith in GRRM that what started great will end great.

So I say bring on the atomic-bomb that is the series' climax, because although it'll be hard to take and probably millions will die, It's gonna be so worth it.

[Adam H]

I think everyone can handle an ending where their favorite characters die.

The better question is, can you handle Jon, Dany, and Tyrion (all of them Targs) getting married and ruling Westeros in peace and harmony, Rickon ruling Winterfell in peace and harmony, Sansa having the perfect loving husband in Harry the Heir, Arya coming back to Winterfell and being a spunky and lovable Brienne-clone (she's hot so everyone thinks she's awesome!), and Bran watching over them all as some sort of benevolent santa/teddy-bear god, and they all live happily ever after in peace and harmony. Oh, and the direwolves all have puppies!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :drool:

Just... be prepared for the worst, is all I'm saying. :laugh:

[The Angels' Prophet]

You know, I've never thought about this before. We have had so many characters die, seemingly die, have cliffhangers, have tragic things happen to them. Am I prepared to see my top characters die? Yes. But am I prepared to see an end to the speculating, the essays, the first read, the fourm games, everything? No. Because, right after ADoS comes out, there will be a HUGE rush of activity on these fourms. But then a year, two years, five years, a decade later, these fourms might be dead. Those are the times in reading ASoIAF that I am most dreading. I mean, Ned died, Renly died, Robb died, Catelyn died, Theon may as well be dead he's so traumatised. Tyrion is a depressed and slightly whiny character now, and Daenerys is...boring. Sandor we will likely never hear from again, just...damn what else could happen? So I am prepared for characters to die, but not for the end.

[Jolene Brown]

I think everyone can handle an ending where their favorite characters die.

Speak for yourself, my friend. I am not even REMOTELY prepared for my favorite characters to die.

[Lion of Judah]

I think they are both learning skills appropriate for their situations. But that's not why I think Sansa will outlive Arya. To me their arcs make more sense if Arya dies, but GRRM has surprised me before, so.

I hope she doesn't die though, I am not prepared for her or Dany to die.

[~khaleesi~]

I will bawl my eyes out when I turn the last page!!! Nothing compares to ASOIAF to me. Definitley not ready, although can't wait to read the last two.

[Sand Snake No. 9]

I think everyone can handle an ending where their favorite characters die.

The better question is, can you handle Jon, Dany, and Tyrion (all of them Targs) getting married and ruling Westeros in peace and harmony, Rickon ruling Winterfell in peace and harmony, Sansa having the perfect loving husband in Harry the Heir, Arya coming back to Winterfell and being a spunky and lovable Brienne-clone (she's hot so everyone thinks she's awesome!), and Bran watching over them all as some sort of benevolent santa/teddy-bear god, and they all live happily ever after in peace and harmony. Oh, and the direwolves all have puppies!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :drool:

Just... be prepared for the worst, is all I'm saying. :laugh:

Well, I really, really want some direwolf puppies so I'm prepared to endure that level of cuteness.

[Mace Cooterian]

I tend to be an extremely impatient person so I would put myself in the "looking forward to how it ends" group. It's interesting how many posters tend to have the same favorites (Ayra, Tyrion, to top the list). After ASOS where they started dropping like flies (Cat, Robb, Balon, Tywin and Joeffrey) I've tried to protect against latching on too close to characters.

But I digress...not sure what I'm going to do until 2015 when supposedly TWOW comes out. I just hope that I don't lose interest.

[Quiet Isle]

I hope the ending isn't a complete downer....I mean, I'm ready for a bittersweet end, but I hope there is enough sweetness in that "bittersweet" end as to not be completely depressing.

If Dany goes murderously crazy, Arya goes evil, Bran stays forever trapped in a cave, Sansa becomes Cersei Queenbitch II, Jon, Jojen, Meera and Davos die, Jon Connington dies of greyscale knowing he has been conned into helping a fake usurp the throne, Tyrion dies horribly after sinking into perversion and crime, the Boltons and/or Freys kill Lord Wyman Manderly, Littlefinger, Old Walder Frey and Ramsay Bolton manage to survive, and most peasants starve to death during the long winter...well, I couldn't enjoy an ending like that.

I hope a few of the likeable people survive to tell the tale.

Ummm. There's going to be an ending that is amazingly metaphysical, in my opinion. Grounded in norse and celtic myth. Btw, do you know that the Celts believed that their gods lived in the roots of an Old Tree which spread out underground to all kinds of places? Research Ragnarok and Fimbulwinter, Balder and Hodor (BTW Hodor's real name is Walder - Balder anyone?) IT appears that we are heading to a major rejuvenation

[Lady Sansa Stark]

I tend to be an extremely impatient person so I would put myself in the "looking forward to how it ends" group. It's interesting how many posters tend to have the same favorites (Ayra, Tyrion, to top the list). After ASOS where they started dropping like flies (Cat, Robb, Balon, Tywin and Joeffrey) I've tried to protect against latching on too close to characters.

But I digress...not sure what I'm going to do until 2015 when supposedly TWOW comes out. I just hope that I don't lose interest.

BLASPHEMY!

I wish I'd lose interest though. While I should be studying for an exam last week, I was at this forum, discussing nonsense things. While I should be sleeping, I'm reading the books. While I should be eating with my family right now, I AM HERE. GRRM is an awesome writer.

[Ser Desmond Wine's Bane]

The 'sweet' part of the bittersweet for me will be when Bran uses his warg abilites to kill Jaime. I never bought into the Jaime-love thing. He threw Bran out the window and started the whole war. I am prepared for any bitter ending as long as that sweet thing happens.

[Erudain]

BLASPHEMY!

I wish I'd lose interest though. While I should be studying for an exam last week, I was at this forum, discussing nonsense things. While I should be sleeping, I'm reading the books. While I should be eating with my family right now, I AM HERE. GRRM is an awesome writer.

Lol my boss is angrily looking at me ¬_¬

[Quiet Isle]

No matter how it ends i am not ready to it end.

See above.

[Quiet Isle]

I like Arya more than Sansa, but I'm afraid Arya is reaching a point at which I can't see a happy ending for her.

Don't worry so much about her. First of all, she is GRRM's favorite character, right up there with Tyrion (course that doesn't mean he won't kill them). But Arya has hidden Needle, and Needle is her link to Jon and the Starks and her memories. She's going to come back. and OMG look out. And Sansa is going to be one powerful political wolf. change is coming.

[Quiet Isle]

Am I ready to see my characters die and my dreams crushed. Probably, its already happened several times... :crying:

Am I ready to face my life with the knowledge that ASOIAF is over and there isn't another book to look forward to? Hell no, I get depressed just thinking about it. :bawl:

The very best thing about reading this series is that my eldest son and I have spent literally COUNTLESS hours reading it together, discussing it, acting it out on my back deck, looking at maps, and just having a heck of a good time. He told me today that his home will have a library in it, and the day his child picks up Game of Thrones will be one of his happiest memories. Thank you GRRM. THIS is LITERATURE for the Ages.

[Quiet Isle]

I'm prepared for the worst... By worst I mean this worse "Get me my flaying knife Ramsay Bolton said" Davos "Here it is Davos has it" "Reek your name is Reek" Ramsay Bolton said. "I need to continue flaying my new captive Direwolf lord Rickon of House Stark" Were Ramsay Bolton's words.

interesting, but i think not. I think Arya is going to hunt him down with Nymeria and her pack, and Arya will hang him upside down and flay him...slowly... and feed the skins to her wolves. yes. i do indeed. and it turns his abuse against women against him karmically.

[Ser Lepus]

Ummm. There's going to be an ending that is amazingly metaphysical, in my opinion. Grounded in norse and celtic myth. Btw, do you know that the Celts believed that their gods lived in the roots of an Old Tree which spread out underground to all kinds of places? Research Ragnarok and Fimbulwinter, Balder and Hodor (BTW Hodor's real name is Walder - Balder anyone?) IT appears that we are heading to a major rejuvenation

I think you are speaking of the norse myth of Yggdrasil and how a couple of mortals survived the Long Winter (Fimbulwinter) and the End of the World (Ragnarök) hiding in Hoddmímis Holt (which could be under the roots of Yggdrasil or not) and would later repopulate the world. That kind of points to the Children of the Forest surviving the war and emerging to reclaim a depopulated Westeros...not a very uplifting, end, mind you, taking into account we don't know enough about the COTF as to become attached to them the same way we are attached to the human characters...

[Lion of Judah]

BLASPHEMY!

I wish I'd lose interest though. While I should be studying for an exam last week, I was at this forum, discussing nonsense things. While I should be sleeping, I'm reading the books. While I should be eating with my family right now, I AM HERE. GRRM is an awesome writer.

I just bombed my statics test and something is telling me this forum has something to do with it.