SeanF

Denying Rhaenyra’s queenship seems to me like claiming that Henry VII’s reign started in 1483 (something that Tudor propagandists tried to argue). No serious historian ought to accept it. A pretender is Lady Jane Grey, or Charles Stuart, or Edgar Atheling. Not a crown Prince/Princess who takes the capital, has a coronation, and whose bloodline prevails.

At this point in the tale, Sansa is a little snot, stupid and stuck up. Ned and Arya are disgusted about Mycah’s death. Sansa was bothered about his smell, and told Arya she should have been killed, rather than Lady. Sansa will later develop empathy and compassion, which is part of her growth as a character, but she doesn’t possess it at this point.

Yes. Aegon II’s bloodline was destroyed. Rhaenyra’s triumphed, and every future king is her descendant. The Greens were crushed and their leaders sent to the Wall or executed. It makes no sense for the victors to beg the losers for pardon, or to say they fought for a usurper. Rhaenyra is the posthumous victim of people trying to rewrite history. But, a good historian should see through the fabrications of partisans.

Honestly, it’s a stretch to view her as a pretender. She took the capital, and was crowned, and took her enemies captive, and reigned. She’s not Edgar Atheling or Bonnie Prince Charlie.

That’s not the same as betraying her family. I’d agree that Sansa’s comment to Arya and her attitude towards Mycah are both horrible. Ned and Arya are the only two present who actually view Mycah as a human being. Sansa does not.

I think most readers would applaud.

Does it matter, if Sansa kills Sweetrobin?

I like the Cossack who’s smoking a pipe, during the Battle of Yellow Water. Sidney Smith, like Cochrane, is one of those people whose lives read like fiction.

WRT the Trilogy, this Polish miniseries comes highly recommended.

There are children and children. No one sheds any tears for Joffrey or would shed tears for Sweetrobin. But, they’re a pair of little snots.

Well, this ties back to the discussion about the meaning of The Game of Thones. The Lannisters threw the first punches. Tywin and his family always ratcheted up the violence, with a bit of sexual sadism too. But the Starks were willing to respond quite brutally. They don’t want to make the smallfolk suffer, but they will do, if that’s what it takes to hit back. Sansa does what she has to, to survive, eg lying on behalf of LF to the Vale lords. That may ultimately involve looking the other way, as Sweetrobin perishes.

There is something wonderful about the belief that defeat is no refutation, that it’s better to die defiant, than live in shame, like Ragnar Lothbrok. That appeals across ages, classes, ethnic groups. ”Will shall be the sterner, heart the greater, spirit the bolder, even as our strength lessens.”

Back in the day, I imagine tales about the Vikings would focus on their skills as navigators and fighters, with the occasional reference to a bit of pillage. That was their version of "woke", as opposed to the modern version which focuses on the Vikings' sexual equality and skills as craftsmen. Slave-taking, head-hunting, and r*pe would not feature heavily in either set of literature for boys and girls. Or at any rate, they would only be practised by evil Vikings, not by the good Vikings. Overall, I'd say the Vikings have had an incredibly good press, really since historical novels started. Ask the average person how a Viking lived, and they'd view it as one long stag party.

The Trilogy is on my to-read list. I've had a number of people recommend it to me.

I think LF will compass SR’s death, and then claim to Sansa “You knew what was happening and you accepted it”, provoking a crisis of conscience.

The Viking war on woke - UnHerd This, by Dominic Sandrook, amused me.

Ivanhoe and Robb Roy are good tales, still.

I think it is some kind of remnant of Pryates. Perhaps it requires human flesh to fully regenerate.

“Life holds nothing further for this drooling, helpless, idiot boy. In truth, it were a mercy should his sufferings be ended painlessly”, is how LF will put it.

I finished it and enjoyed it. I do get a bit lost trying to remember which Sithi and which Norn is related to each other, but it’s set up nicely for the last book. Passevalles is, I think, disappointing as a villain. Basically, a poor man’s Littlefinger. The best parts are, IMHO, Lilia’s horrid adventures underground, Viyeki and the Norns, Morgan and Nezeru, and Miri.

I think that her duty (in-universe) is to have children. Especially when you consider that Aegon is Joffrey Baratheon, more or less.

In my head canon, Sansa will have just had enough of the little snot, and will suffocate him with a pillow.

Sweetrobin is like a noxious weed, so hopefully, Sansa will poison him in TWOW.

Aegon IV’s lusts bordered upon mania. Rhaenyra’s did not.

Elizabeth Lev's biography is very good, if prone to purple prose at times. Her captivity at the hands of Cesare Borgia was frightful, He raped her repeatedly, and subjected her to a mock hanging. Her first husband, Girolamo Riario, consummated their marriage when she was ten. Her reputation as a "harlot" was based upon taking one lover and marrying twice for love.