What would ruin it for you?

[Adara]

I think nothing could really ruin it for me. Lots of people I really liked are dead already (perhaps), so what could be worst. I'm still re-reading again and again.

[Jon The Mannis]

Arya never seeing Nymeria again. Not a major thing, but it would annoy me severely.

Arya not killing anyone from her list (keep yer paws off Sandor though, please pleeeease... which leads me toooo):

Arya killing Sandor Clegane.

Cersei regaining any sort of power.

Jon Snow being dead.

Brienne dying.

Sandor Clegane really being dead.

Theon Greyjoy not learning a lesson from all he's done and suffered (or rather, not doing anything to make things right).

Rickon not doing anything useful.

Sansa not getting revenge from Littlefinger.

Winterfell never belonging to the Starks again.

Great list. Also for me is if Tyrion&Jorah do not rise to prominent places in the post war realm.

[Borsabil]

For me mostly it revolves around the northern storyline, which is the part of the books that really takes my interest.

Stannis, never ever compromise. What makes him so attractive as a character is his utter bone headedness. I just hope Martin remains true to him.

Roose. What can you say about the Roose? Since the death of Tywin the best character in the books. 'don't make me regret the day I raped your mother' has there ever been a better one liner in literature? I'd hate to see him leave in anything but a glorious piece of bad assery. If Martin decides to kill him off in a similar way to Tywin I'll be gutted.

Lastly Jon. So far GRRM has followed the Lord of the Rings playbook to a tee regarding Jon Snow. the lost prince, a secret inheritance, who will lead the nation of men against an other wordily magical force. Just throw in Excalibur and a damsel and we'll have every cliche in the fantasy canon. I'd hate to see his character develop in this way, Martin could go Anakin Skywalker and turn him to the dark side which would be cool, but doesn't look like it. It's bad enough but please no zombie Jon or werewolf Jon in the next book, that would be too much, coming down the side of laughable IMO. If he was just to kill him off all together and use that to develop the plot in ways we hadn't thought off, well that would be amazing.

[Drogon'sWrath]

It would take a lot to actually ruin the series for me. As long as it's well written and entertaining, I'll be happy. I will say that there are some things that wouldn't ruin but would put on damper on the series for me.

1. Tyrion a secret Targ: Just, no. I would still enjoy other aspects of the story, but his arc would be ruined for me.

2. Dany not making it to Westeros: Too much has been built up for her to miss completely. I can envision a lot of different endings I would find satisfying for her, but they all include eventually making it to Westeros.

3. Arya killing Sansa: I wouldn't mind if she's given a contract to kill Alayne Stone. But to go through with it, she would have to fully give up her identity as a Stark. That seems very out of character.

Other than those three things, I would be able to accept pretty much anything, assuming it's well-written and entertaining. And like I said, the things above wouldn't ruin the series for me; I'm too far in for that. But any combination of those things would severely lessen my enjoyment of the story.

[Brandon Martell]

Lastly Jon. So far GRRM has followed the Lord of the Rings playbook to a tee regarding Jon Snow. the lost prince, a secret inheritance, who will lead the nation of men against an other wordily magical force. Just throw in Excalibur and a damsel and we'll have every cliche in the fantasy canon.

Actually GRRM never developed Jon Snow in this way. That's how we expect him to be developed, but for now he hasn't done anything like that. The only thing we know for sure is that he has a secret inheritance, but we don't know how that is going to develop. GRRM has a tendency to half-follow certain clichéd stereotypes and then go the other way to deconstruct them. Dany freeing the slaves was one example, since it turned out becoming the righteous breaker of shackles really messes everyone up (and you ought to remember that the gladiators preferred the life of slavery). It sorta happened with Jon when instead of going on an expedition leading his men against the evil Others, he decided to go the other way and then got betrayed and stabbed.

[RhaenysBee]

Tyrion

- riding a dragon

- ruling Westeros

- being a secret Targ

(- gods save us all three combined)

Jon

- is the TPTWP/AA/both AND gets the IT AND is Rhaegar's son AND gods forbid, is legitimate - that is just way too much

[Borsabil]

Actually GRRM never developed Jon Snow in this way. That's how we expect him to be developed, but for now he hasn't done anything like that. The only thing we know for sure is that he has a secret inheritance, but we don't know how that is going to develop. GRRM has a tendency to half-follow certain clichéd stereotypes and then go the other way to deconstruct them. Dany freeing the slaves was one example, since it turned out becoming the righteous breaker of shackles really messes everyone up (and you ought to remember that the gladiators preferred the life of slavery). It sorta happened with Jon when instead of going on an expedition leading his men against the evil Others, he decided to go the other way and then got betrayed and stabbed.

Fair comment. But thats where Jon Snows character arc seems to be heading, I'm just unsure, given all the set up, how GRRM can deconstruct this? The only two major ways I can think of is if some terrible traumatic event, like say nearly getting killed by your own men :), turns him onto a new path. The only path that doesn't see him becoming a hero is if he goes rouge. Or he kills him off, but I'm not sure what the point of that would be either? I mean what else is there? All that set up lasting through multiple novels has to lead somewhere. Im thinking Jon isn't going to go off and open a pub in White Harbor, for example. After five books I'm still unsure if GRRM is really about deconstructing anything but rather about putting a different spin on some well worn cliches, the back story and set up is all there for the heroic prince with the magic sword, we'll just have to see what he does with it.

[Tall-Talker]

If there's still an IT by the end of the story.

If magic is used too much.

If the showdown between Men vs. Others and/or vs. dragons ends up being anticlimactic.

[King Robert's Warhammer]

Tyrion surviving.

[Borsabil]

If there's still an IT by the end of the story.

If magic is used too much.

If the showdown between Men vs. Others and/or vs. dragons ends up being anticlimactic.

Yeah know what you mean. After all the build up the Others just shuffle around the wall for a bit lookin pissed that they forgot to bring a ladder. That would be a good way to deconstruct our expectations of the coming zombie apocalypse mind you, but I doubt George will go there.

[Borsabil]

Tyrion surviving.

Yeah that as well. + 1000000000

[Herb]

Truth be told I'm not sure there's anything that would ruin the series for me or stop me reading the books. Some things I really hope don't happen though would be

- Arya dying

- Stannis dying in the next book

- Danny being AAR

- Jon winning the Iron Throne

- The Starks not getting some kind of redemption

[King Wayne-1st of His Name]

The Lannisters winning Westeros in the end.

Dany dying.

Dany never getting control of her dragons.

Jon/Arya never realizing that they are wargs.

Stannis never putting down the law and making some friends.

[King Wayne-1st of His Name]

or GRRM dying and never finishing ASOIAF.

that would burn

[Drogon'sWrath]

The Lannisters winning Westeros in the end.

Dany dying.

Dany never getting control of her dragons.

Jon/Arya never realizing that they are wargs.

Stannis never putting down the law and making some friends.

Jon and Arya have figured it out already. Jon realized in CoK when he saw the wildling army through Ghost's eyes. Arya was unconsciously warging her direwolf for a while and later discovered she could see through the eyes of the cats around her when she was blind. They may not be as powerful as Bran is, but they at least know they have the ability.

[Facebookless Man]

I was just reading yet another thead about Dawn being Lightbringer and I realized what would really ruin the series for me.

That would be ancient prophecies becoming true in a literal way. That is, for example, someone really and undoubtedly being AAR as opposed to various people being purported to be AAR on the basis of BELIEF in the prophecies. Someone actually being TPTWP as opposed to someone (or various someones) simply being believed to be TPTWP by those who believe in the legends , etc.

I'm not sure I'm being clear here, in short I want GRRM to be using ancient prophecies and legends as beliefs systems that can be used to bolster your claims (as Mel does with the fake Lightbringer) or simply interpreted in hindsight to have predicted whatever actually happens.

Anything else would be pretty disappointing.

[Queen Elsa]

Nothing, but the closest thing to "ruin" for me is Jon sitting the IT with Queen Val :ack: :thumbsdown:

A million times of this.

Jon Snow is resurrected by sacrificing Theon's, Asha's, Shireen's, or Lady Stoneheart's life.

Rhaegar and Lyanna are married. Elia is totally okay with that and she also gives the two her approval.

Tyrion is a secret Targ and a dragonrider.

[Facebookless Man]

Lady Stoneheart doesn't have a life to sacrifice!

[Queen Elsa]

Lady Stoneheart doesn't have a life to sacrifice!

There is a theory that she will give the breath of life to Jon to resurrect him, a la Beric giving the kiss of life to dead Cat.

[Jon's Queen Consort]

Dany surviving.