SeanF

I had the impression that the Faith was more like Hinduism in this regard, in that some Hindus believe that their deities are different aspects of one God, and others believe there are multiple gods. On the ground, I expect that the people of Westeros have all sorts of folk beliefs, and beliefs that come from other religions, that conflict with the formal doctrines of the Faith.

Religious tolerance seems quite widespread in Westeros, although I wonder if it's a general principle, or more the case that each lord determines what religion is followed in his own realm (or allows complete tolerance in his own realm).

There are probably heresies within the Faith of the Seven. In The Sworn Sword, Egg claims that Lady Webber has sold her soul to the Lord of the Seven Hells, a character who doesn't feature in any religious discussions in the main series. Presumably, he's the Westerosi equivalent of the Devil, but one can't be sure. Some Septons are monotheists (holding that the Seven are manifestations of one God) others are polytheists (holding that there are Seven Gods). Quite possibly, some of the latter also believe in the existence of other Deities.

I just finished Lord of Emperors, and really enjoyed it. It's unusual for an author to portray Justinian and Theodora as sympathetic, rather than very sinister, figures (probably thanks to Procopius). The highlights for me were the chariot race, the assassination of the Emperor (the Emperor very nearly succeeds in playing off his assassins against each other) and the final conversation between Crispin and Styliane (her fate was truly appalling, but she did bring it on herself).

I could see Jon Connington, Tyene and Nymeria conducting a real reign of terror in Kings Landing, like Rome under Sulla.

For such an important diplomatic mission, you need to go in person.

I'm 99% certain that Quentyn is dead. But, I think that the news of his death will have a big impact on Dornish policy. Arianne will likely feel a mix of relief and regret, and project her feelings of guilt about her attitude towards her brother even more on to Dany. Philip Larkin's poem sums it up very well. I think that Doran's behaviour has fatally crippled his daughter's chances of winning the game of thrones.

I rather liked the suggestion one poster came up with that Euron and Dany would marry, and then go on the rampage like Mickey and Mallory in Natural Born Killers.

In the books, we know that the case against Margaery is weak. And, the HS is quite canny politically. He'd be reluctant to be too harsh on a popular Queen whose father has a powerful army in the vicinity. Even if Margaery were guilty of adultery, I'm not sure it would result in a death sentence, although in all likelihood, she would be disgraced and set aside. What might sink Margaery is if, during the course of her trial, evidence emerged which implicated her in the murder of Joffrey. The Show has been quite clear to exonerate Margaery from this.

Aerys II made Viserys his heir, after Rhaegar was killed, and Dany was Viserys' heir. However, I imagine she'll view Aegon as a fake, a Mummer's Dragon.

It's curious that her resentment of Quentyn hasn't abated, even though she now knows that she will be ruling Princess of Dorne after Doran. My take on the situation is that her ambitions go further than Dorne.

I assume you're referring to her belief that she had been disinherited. In fairness to her, she had good grounds for that belief. And, as far as she knew, her father wasn't even prepared to allow her to make a good marriage. All she had to look forward to was marriage to a minor lord, at best. Or lifelong imprisonment, exile, or death, at worst, if Quentyn was sufficiently ruthless. The fault really lies with Doran for keeping his daughter out of the loop.

Arianne has come to the conclusion that Dany is a kinslayer; that she allowed her brother to be murdered, and then murdered her husband, to further her ambition to be Queen. And, part of her wants Quentyn never to return from Meereen, while another part of her feels terribly guilty about having such a wish. And, she resents Dany for denying her the chance to marry Viserys. When she learns of Quentyn's death, she'll definitely blame Dany. So, I think that the pair of them are being set up as enemies, and rival Queens of Westeros. That probably won't turn out well for Arianne.

She may not be suckered by looks anymore, but she may well be suckered by ambition. The prospect of becoming co-ruler of Westeros with Aegon might be very very appealing.

WRT the sample chapters, I didn't find this one especially interesting, or the Sansa chapter. OTOH, I absolutely loved Arianne I, Mercy, Theon I, and the chapters about the Battle of Meereen. As someone who thoroughly enjoyed both Feast and Dance, I've no reason to suppose that I won't enjoy Winds.

A very nice essay, LongRider. Why would secular institutions like the NW, the Citadel, or the Kingsguard insist on celibacy? Presumably, so their members can dedicate their lives to public service, unencumbered by any ties to family. But, it's a hard sacrifice, especially if you're given no choice in the matter; a criminal sent to the Wall, or a noble younger son, sent to the Citadel. "Fat Pink Mast" is funny. Martin's sex scenes aren't written as erotica. They're meant meant to be awkward, funny, incongruous, and this one works well.

I'm having the same issue with notifications.

It's common in historical novels (and of course Braveheart) to portray Edward and Piers as "mincing faggots" (Martin's own words). Of course, they weren't. Both were tough warriors, as any knight or king had to be. Edward was a disastrous king, but his personal courage is not in doubt. I suspect Renly would have been a bad king, but he's clearly pretty tough. I'm glad Martin has actually gone behind the historical novels to portray Renly and Loras in a credible manner.

Gaveston's real offence (in the eyes of the English nobility) was probably not so much that he was Edward's lover (if indeed he was). It was more that he was a minor nobleman who was greedy, arrogant, and who failed to treat them with the deference which was their due. In the Show, it's very much Ser Loras who prompts Renly to make his bid for the Throne with his family's backing. That's not made clear (as you say) in the books. Nonetheless, the Tyrells are a very close and loving family, so Loras's advocacy must have been a factor in their decision to support Renly. And with the backing of the Tyrells comes the backing of most of the leading families of the Reach.

That's very good, Dog Lover. One difference between the two is that Loras seems to be completely unambitious, whereas Gaveston was greedy for titles and wealth. Loras wants to be a great knight, but doesn't seem interested in lands and power (he resembles Jaime, in that way). Loras is, as you say, arrogant, but it's different to Gaveston's arrogance - Loras doesn't mock the high nobility of Westeros, of which he is one, after all. Gaveston comes over as more of a parvenu, who had to flaunt his wealth and power in a way that completely irritated the English nobility. Kathryn Warner argues convincingly, in my view, that Edward's "neglect" of Isabella was not so strange. Edward was 23 when they married, she was 12. It would generally have been considered medically dangerous to begin sexual relations with such a young girl. Indeed, it may have been a term of the marriage agreement that sexual relations would not begin until Isabella was 15 or 16. Edward actually fathered a son outside marriage, Adam, around this time. After 1310, court records show that Edward spent most of his time with Isabella. For a time, their marriage actually seems to have been quite successful (the final breach came after 1322, Edward fell under the influence of the Despensers.) Martin draws heavily on this period of history. Isabella has more than a few similarities with Cersei, and Tywin with Philip the Fair. Cersei's attempt to frame Margaery for adultery has echoes of Isabella's plot to bring down her sisters-in-law, Marguerite and Blanche, through allegations of adultery with two knights in 1314.

If you're interested, there's a superb edwardthesecond.blogspot.com , by Kathryn Warner, who's about to publish a biography about him. Loras must have realised that if Renly became King, he'd have to fade into the background. Renly would have to produce children, to secure his dynasty. And, he could hardly shame Margaery, by appearing to be uninterested in her. I wonder what future Renly intended for Loras. Would he just be the Lord Commander of his Kingsguard, or did he intend that Loras (like Gaveston) should marry and become a great lord?

Dog Lover, that's a very interesting and well-written account of Renly and Loras. I see echoes of the relationship between Edward of Carnarvon and Piers Gaveston. Unfortunately, in popular imagination, Edward and Piers are regarded as a pair of mincing, preening, cowardly fops, who get put to flight by brave and manly Scotsmen (who paint their faces blue). In reality, Edward was a fine athlete and warrior (but a bad general). Gaveston, like Loras, was an outstanding tournament fighter and knight.

Well, you'd think her brain would have started to decompose.

She's in worse shape than Beric, though, after spending three days in the water.