Lord Varys

Sure, but the standard in Westeros clearly is that if your monarch/the guy who defeated you in battle and has you by the balls offers you a chance to keep your life and holdings if you swear fealty than you do that. If not you get the noose or the axe of dragonfire. Westeros is much more savage and brutal than the real middle ages. In the real middle ages you could defy your lord or king with impunity throughout your entire life, breaking hundreds of promises and you would still not be executed for treason if you were ever captured. The Tarlys basically are Harren the Black or Loren Lannister facing Aegon the Conqueror. The former got what the Tarlys got, the latter did the reasonable thing, like Balon later did, too. And the way the show set this thing up leaves no room for the Wall, actually. You have to want or at least to agree to take the black. How can you do that if you blatantly and foolishly try to ignore that you are beaten and basically have no choice but to do as you are told? If the Tarlys prefer death to their holdings and lives what on earth makes anyone believe they would want to go to the Wall? How does it make sense that these guys would even consider going to the Wall because Dany tells them to? Taking the black would also have been 'a pardon' they would have to take from the woman they despise for some reason - a completely nonsensical setup considering that the Tarlys actually fought for Aerys II during the Rebellion, both in the books and the show if I remember the first season correctly.

But the point is that neither in the books nor the show the potentiality of Karstark taking the black comes up. That tells us something. The decision Emilia Clarke faced there was to allow those goons to go free and enemies or to execute them. The Wall didn't play a role there, nor does it - usually - in the books. Lena is a usurper who had House Tyrell and Randyll's peers murdered in the Great Sept. And didn't she actually publicly brag about doing just that in the show (I just watched the episodes once two years ago)? Lady Olenna - the leader of House Tyrell - swore fealty to Clarke the season before that, making the Tarlys traitors to both her and Dany. You go where your liege lords lead you in a feudal society, you don't make your own choices there. Else there is nothing wrong in the betrayals of the Freys and Boltons, etc. There is no consistent place to be called 'in-universe' in this show. They don't give a damn about consistency. They just create moronic conflicts.

The point is that no one thinks it is a right to take the black. It is a privilege you, as king, lord, or judge can grant or refuse. It is up to you, and especially the Starks have a pretty narrow view who deserves to take the black or not. Think of Lord Alaric and, especially, of Robb. He didn't give Lord Rickard the chance to take the black, did he? But the point is that Randyll and Dickon didn't even acknowledge they had lost, that they were under a new ruler. They were both traitors to their lawful lieges - House Tyrell - serving a mad pretender who just murdered the High Septon and essentially all the nobility that had gathered in KL. It was actually pretty kind to offer them a pardon at all. I mean, last time I looked Jon didn't offer a pardon to the guys who murdered him, right? And didn't they have a better justification for their actions than Randyll and Dickon? So what's the issue here?

Sam shouldn't have behaved in this shitty fashion. His father was an ass and he hated him and was afraid of him. Why weep for such a man? And if one looks at George's rather interesting take on the traditional view of the Night's Watch as represented by Lord Alaric Stark then it is quite clear that there are men not deserving of the black. It is not expected of a stern ruler to allow anyone to take the black - especially not such people who stupidly show defiance in the moment of defeat. If Balon Greyjoy or Loren Lannister had refused to bend the knee they would have been executed, too. And nobody would have complained about that. People would have to be weaker than Tytos Lannister to grant traitors a third chance after that.

Oh, I think it is meant to be implied that Lyonel Corbray is Littlefinger's direct liege lord insofar as his lordship on the Finger is concerned. The Corbrays are pretty grand lords in the Vale, it is not likely that petty lords like Littlefinger - and whoever else has domains on the various Fingers - is directly sworn to the Eyrie. After all, the Coldwaters are supposedly sworn to the Royces, and their are actually one of the lords of the Fingers, farther away from Runestone than Littlefinger's keep would be from Heart's Home. But at this point there is no confirmation for that. One also assumes, I'd think, that Baelishs got their petty lordship as reward for the service they showed Jaehaerys II during the War of the Ninepenny Kings. Considering they had previously fought as retainers for the Corbrays one imagines Littlefinger's father accompanied Lord Corbray to the Stepstones.

Definitely only FaB. The novellas are abridged versions riddled with mistakes. As things stand now I'd start with FaB because it is the more detailed version of the first part of the Targaryen reign. You would spoil yourself here if you read the sections of TWoIaF about that before FaB. TWoIaF broadens the view on Westerosi history as well as the more distant lands, and in that sense it is good read thereafter. Not to mention that FaB is, at times, a much denser narrative. Things in TWoIaF are, at times, a very condensed overview whereas FaB really has time for little side stories and interesting episodes.

I think it is wrong to assume that Robert just ignored his government and council and allowed Jon, as his Hand, to run things. That could have been a pretty effective government - sort of how Bloodraven was very effective under Aerys I, or Tywin was pretty effective while Aerys II was not interfering with his decisions all that much - but Robert's government was in no way as effective as either of these two. Robert shows a lot of similarities with Trump, actually - he is too stupid/impatient/ignorant to actually deal with the details of government but he does know what he wants and, being king, he dictates what is to be done. It is quite clear in AGoT, for instance, that Robert not attending the Small Council doesn't mean he has or exerts no power. Quite the contrary, in fact. He considers his advisers his little minions who have to execute what he decrees and not bother him with or include him in the details or consequences that accompany his royal decisions. Take the Tourney of the Hand as an example. The Small Council gets a royal command to arrange it, Ned, as Hand, does not like the idea, does not want the tourney, and says that he is going to talk to Robert about it. But his colleagues on the council know Robert better - they know that his decision is final and that there will be a tourney, no matter what Ned thinks or says. And they are right. We never learn how Ned and Robert's conversation about the tourney went, but it is obvious that it went nowhere ;-). This is how we should see Jon Arryn's power, too. Jon likely was able to influence Robert in matters where he either didn't have an opinion yet or in areas he didn't give a damn about, or in crucial matters of state (his marriage, for instance), but he most definitely never controlled him or his policies. We can be pretty sure that neither Jon nor Stannis (once he was on the council) nor Littlefinger's predecessor(s) wanted to beggar the Crown, but that's what Robert did. One could also imagine that Jon Arryn didn't exactly consider it a great idea that Robert grant Dragonstone as an independent lordship to Stannis and Storm's End to Renly. That weakened House Baratheon as such and prevented Robert from granting those seats to his own children. And so on. Cersei's entire influence at court would have gone through Robert considering that no Lannister or proper Lannister crony (Pycelle doesn't really count as a powerful courtier) had a prestigious position at court - yet we do know that Cersei wielded a lot of informal power. She knew how to handle Robert to get what she and House Lannister wanted. I find that one rather as strong proof of the power of the Faith in the pre-Maegor/Jaehaerys era. Maegor was no king, unlike his father, and he was married to the High Septon's own niece (and a Hightower, at that). It makes sense that both Visenya and Prince Maegor are not able to find a septon to officiate at a polygamous marriage under those circumstances. And considering that we actually do know that the septon of Dragonstone they must have asked would have been Septon Oswyck who we meet some time later in FaB in greater detail, this guy must have really had some stones. But the thing also reflects in an interesting manner on King Aenys - the average septon may have been afraid of repercussions coming from the Starry Sept (like they later came to Murmison) - but Oswyck was a Targaryen man through and through, perfectly okay with Targaryen incest marriages (at least when they are commanded by the king), so it is more likely that he was loyal to Aenys here, refusing to allow Maegor a second wife without authorization from the king. The idea that this kind of ceremony shows up again in later times is very unlikely (unless Dany were to find out that they still do marriages this way in Old Volantis) considering the Targaryens become rather meek and pious little Andals in the years of Jaehaerys I and Alysanne. They are not likely to still remember or maintain ancient (and actually quite heathen) Valyrian rites. Aegon and his sisters may have wed the Valyrian way, but back before the Conquest the Faith seems to have had little influence on Dragonstone (although Oswyck certainly could have had a Dragonstonian predecessor who also had no issue with incestuous and polygamous unions, officiating at the wedding of Aegon and his sisters). In any case, Visenya and Aegon grew up in an era when the Targaryens would have been much closer to their Valyrian customs and origins. But those things seem to fade from living memory during the generation of Aegon's grandchildren. Alysanne and Jaehaerys read Valyrian scrolls during their days on Dragonstone, but their lives do not revolve around their Valyrian ancestors (the sole exception being when they look for obscure names for their many children ;-)).

That's what I meant. Lord Butterwell lost Lord Harroway's Town because he was on Maegor's council, and Lord Roote (eventually) gained them because he rode with Aegon the Uncrowned. We do know that Maegor's followers - while mostly pardoned - had to pay (heavily) for the favor of being pardoned. And the Crown would have handed out those lands and holdings to houses more loyal to Aenys' sons. For instance, we can say that the Smallwoods, too, waxed much more powerful during the reign of Jaehaerys I then they do in the main series, likely due to their involvement with at least one Blackfyre Rebellion (the second one). If it turns out the Smallwoods also were a house loyal to Aerys II during the Rebellion this could also have added to their decline - and the decline of other Riverlords who were historically much more influential. We have to keep in mind that the arms of House Roote are only semi-canonical at this point. They are subject to change. Also, it seems to me that the Butterwell lands must be pretty large by the time of 211 AC, and Whitewalls was apparently with resources and a fortune built during the reign of Aegon IV - who, for reasons unknown, may have granted House Butterwell favors and lands we don't know anything about at this point. Even Daeron II may have granted them things considering Lord Ambrose served him as Hand. But the impression we have with Ser Oswald clearly is, in my opinion, that he is a Harrenhal man defending Harrenhal against Cole's forces. There is no reason to blindly speculate he may have been sworn to another house/castle at this point. It is certainly not impossible, but nothing I'd considering very likely without good evidence. Such evidence could, perhaps, be a Wode involving himself in a fierce battle at another place in the Riverlands, far away from Harrenhal. But that's not what happens. I'd not really speculate about men we only know by their nicknames. They could contain references to their sigils and houses, to be sure, but it is just as likely that there is a personal story to them. Not to mention that Redtusk could be the son of a lord or merely a household knight with no (substantial) lands of his own.

I think the easiest way is to assume that Lord Butterwell, who still sat on Maegor the Cruel's Small Council in 47 AC, lost some of his lands after the ascension of Jaehaerys I, explaining how the Rootes got Lord Harroway's Town. House Butterwell's later wealth seems to have to do more with cows than the size of their lands, although it is most definitely possible that they got Lord Harroway's Town and other lands back. The Riverlands really are a roulette insofar as high and lows are concerned. I expect that the Wodes were also Harrenhal vassals (i.e. technically sworn to House Strong) during the Dance but Ser Oswald decided to side with Rhaenyra after Daemon took Harrenhal, explaining why he was part of the Black Riverlords who challenged Cole on his march to Harrenhal. There is no reason to assume Ser Oswald Wode would be named as an important leader in his own right if he had been sworn to either Lord Darry or Lord Roote. Sounds like he was part of 'the Strong faction' supporting Rhaenyra, alongside the Lords Darry and Roote.

The hints we might be able to draw from the Jaime chapter in ADwD - the visit to Pennytree and the stuff about the tree there, along with the fact that it is introduced as a royal fief - imply that the plans/drafts/plot for 'The Village Hero' are at least as far, if not farther, than the concept for the Winterfell story. If George were to write TVH before the Winterfell story he could easily postpone the latter yet again considering that it would be remarkably easy for Dunk & Egg to have a chance encounter with some Pennytree fellow on the road, and then deciding to visit the place. Not to mention that TMK already foreshadowed another Bracken-Blackwood feud due to Otho becoming the new Bracken heir. It might even turn out that Egg ends up claiming Pennytree as a royal fief at the end of that story. Other than that I think the most recent official information came from the Epilogue of the collection, where George first confirmed that Dunk & Egg will go to Essos - a fact that is also implied but not necessarily confirmed by the title 'The Sellsword' - there are sellswords in Westeros, too, after all.

Well, to be sure, Stannis could mistake a nobody for a somebody among the wildlings. And he cannot have been that insignificant that Ygritte was part of his band. The latter may not be the case, but the former most definitely. And if that happened, then Mance, Val, Stannis, and Mel may have talked about that thing together at a point. Yeah, that's not unlikely. One assumes that Rattleshirt was fooled into believing that Mel were to save him from Stannis' wrath or something along those lines when she convinced him to come out - assuming he actually knew he were to actually look like Mance when Mel was through with whatever she did to him. Oh, yeah, that one really settles it. And I think that was the one I based the original idea on that Stannis must know the truth during one of the ADwD rereads. Mance essentially confirms he that Stannis was in the know and actually followed Jon's argument that 'the law ends at the Wall' without actually publicly admitting it. And the way things went most likely was that Stannis privately confessed to Mel that he agreed with Jon but couldn't possibly make such an exception, and then Mel came up with the glamor suggestion. The fact that Stannis himself says he talked to Mance and actually was interested in what he had to say also implies that he was interested in him. Whereas we cannot really be sure that Mel would have given a fig about Mance if Stannis hadn't wanted to keep him alive.

I think the chances are slightly higher that he does know, but it is really hard to figure out. If he doesn't know then this reflects very poorly on him and the actual authority he has over his people. In fact, it could be a sign that he himself goes down the road Alester Florent took once Melisandre no longer needs him...

The issue here arises from the fact that George failed to actually keep the numbers straight when publishing first TPatQ and then TRP, but this was finally corrected (sort of, at least - Jace and Luke are still too old in the Vhagar scene in 120 AC) in FaB. If you narrow birth dates close to months or at least things like 'near the end of the year' then you really do have to do proper calculations when mentioning ages of characters at a rather specific time in a particular year. I think I've discussed that rather in-depth with Ran sometime ago (which was mainly about the question whether Mance is still Stannis' man or rather Jon's now that Stannis has handed him over to him in the guise of Rattleshirt). I maintain that Stannis must know, and that his knowledge of that is also the reason why he makes a gift of Rattleshirt to Jon. He wants the man close to Jon who, in a sense, convinced him to spare Mance's life, because he came to the conclusion Mance knows stuff about the Others that is going to help them in the future. There is also very little reason to assume that Stannis would suffer scum like Rattleshirt at his councils, not even as a quiet attendant. Stannis does not like to surround himself with morons. He may have done that to please Mel, but surely he must have realized that Rattleshirt is suddenly completely different than he used to be assuming him being at those councils actually had a function - meaning that 'Rattleshirt' advised them on wildlings and other things. The idea that Mel would actually deceive Stannis about something as, well, important such as this and then later basically undo the glamor and allow Mance to go down south in his real shape is, quite frankly, very weird if we assume that Stannis does not know. He is likely not going to be very pleased where he to find out that Mel (and at least Godry Farring) betrayed him. Also, 'Mance' seems to imply that a number of people were involved in the deception when Godry cuts him off. His last word is 'they'. It would be very odd if Stannis himself wasn't a part of this 'they'. If he was, then Stannis is even less in control of his own court and people than all the heavy symbolism about the queen's men and the hold Melisandre has over him implies. But there are hints that Stannis might indeed not know. 'Mance' only curses Melisandre and not Stannis when he curses in his cage, Mel is actually relieved when Jon puts 'Mance' out of his misery, unlike Stannis (but perhaps Mel never told Stannis how strongly she would feel the fire while upholding the glamor), but this is really inconclusive.

Thought something like that. I'm not really good at stuff like that, especially not if I don't know the people that are referenced ;-).

@Leo of House Cartel came up with the idea that House Costayne might actually be a nod to the journalist Thomas B. Costain whose popular history on the Plantagenet kings George cites on his NAB as an inspiration for 'Fire and Blood'. Reading the first volume, 'The Conquering Family' right now, I can say that those books are not just an inspiration for FaB but the entire ASoIaF series. I really like that thing. Never made the Gorice connection there, but it is a possibility. King Gorice isn't all that cadaverous, though. When he dies he just sort of shows up again, without any smelly side effects, and he actually has different talents in each incarnation (one is a sorcerer, the other a great warrior, etc.). But still, it could be a nod in that direction. George makes a lot of subtle nods I often completely miss because I don't know the source material.

Somebody might want to adjust the family tree of House Baratheon. Ormund Baratheon is not confirmed to be the son of the Laughing Storm. It is actually quite likely that he is actually his grandson. He is only called Lord Lyonel's heir in TWoIaF, not his son. The chances that Lyonel's eldest son was not yet married and had not long children of his own by the time Egg and Betha arranged the betrothals of their children is astronomically slim.

I doubt we'll see Euron approaching Cersei with an offer for an alliance. Cersei will do that, and she will bring all the gold of Casterly Rock as a dowry. Once Dany is declared dead/not coming Euron would be a complete moron not to ally with her. And Vic is not going to come back, either. Moqorro will see to that. Tyrion is about as likely to fall into Euron's hands as Jon Snow, Dany herself, or Alysane Mormont. Distances count in that series.

What dreams to you mean? The visions Dany sees when she talks with the Undying are created/sent by them. She asks them to show 'it' to her, after all. The other visions she sees while going through the house might be triggered merely by the shade of the evening. She gets two glimpses of the past (Aerys II and Rossart; Rhaegar, Elia, and Aegon), a symbolic depiction of the suffering of Westeros (presumably), and a vision from the future (the Red Wedding with dead Robb). Considering how much shade of the evening Aeron has to drink we could easily enough assume that his dreams are simply figments of Aeron's fantasy/heightened imagination. I doubt Euron wants to manipulate Aeron's dreams with the shade of the evening. It is more likely that this is done in preparation for the later sacrifice. Or, perhaps, Euron's own twisted way to help Aeron's eyes so that he can see the world as he sees it. Euron seems to have tendency to help his brothers open their eyes. He tries the same thing with Victarion back in AFfC. The dwarfs could be simply representative of Euron's thugs and followers. The people he uses and exploits to get what he wants. Just as the shadow-woman seems to be Aeron's way of imagining this dragon queen Euron is talking about. It could also be a partial hint of the future if it turns out that Euron ends up with Cersei. But even Euron sitting the Iron Throne is not necessarily a true vision of the future. I could see it happening but I don't know when or how. If the Second Dance has Aegon vs. Daenerys Euron can sit the Iron Throne either a very short period prior to her arrival or take the Iron Throne while Dany-Aegon are occupied fighting each other some place else. Considering that a working Euron-Cersei alliance with the Westermen standing with them should take some time to establish I expect them to become only a real powerful force during the Second Dance. Although it is also very likely Euron is going to use his vast armada (perhaps together with the Three Daughters and the pirates from the Stepstones) to deal Daenerys a huge blow while she is trying to get her people across the Narrow Sea. But somehow I have trouble seeing Euron-Cersei literally on the Iron Throne. They don't have to. Cersei should marshal troops back in the West, and if she opens the coffers of Casterly Rock and Lannisport for Euron the man could also be able to buy the allegiance of many of the coastal Reach lords who are not willing to bend the knee. And that should also help him with the pirates and the Three Daughters.

Why didn't they give us a little bit penis remnants there? Would have been good for a laugh. Any sane production would have given us a real emotional and touching scene there - if we had to have the eunuch love story at all - not this travesty of nakedness and sex.

By the way, I was really intimidated by that dragonslayer super weapon. Now let's just hope Qyburn can aim.

Yes. Jolly good Euron killed some Sand Snake. Don't know which one.

Please, please, please, can Euron please kill the Ellaria-Yara-Theon combo already.

Got through the eunuch sex but do I really have to listen to stuff like 'Toutsh my sister...'. Really?

Ah, well, I'm known to spent ridiculous amounts of money for things I don't really need but 1,278,- $ for 22 paperbacks is stretching things somewhat. Has anybody ever handled those books? The bare scripts wouldn't be very interesting to me, the interesting part would be the various versions and outlines. Sure, the scripts should also include cut scenes but the interesting things here is to check how much of the original plan is in the final show, and how much things changed on the way.

The link somehow only takes me to a lot of other things by JMS on amazon. Do you happen to know how this publication is named? Obviously yes. The parallels become even more obvious farther down the line. I first watched the show in the dubbed German version and the people translating it had no idea what they were doing, giving things different names and such but the direct quote from LotR is translated so wrong that anybody knowing Tolkien has a very great 'What the fuck?!' moment.