A Game Of Thrones discussion

[Basel Gill]

Once more into the breach... Chapters 39-42:

Chapter 39 (Eddard X): So now Ned wakes up. I found his dream worth noting. Not because I expect it to fill in the puzzle, or foreshadow stuff in the future, but just because it gave some useful backstory and fleshed things out a bit. Seven against three, but when the three were defeated, five of the seven were dead. Jaime has fled the city... no surprise there, if the story of the attack on Ned's men turns against him, he would be wise to be far off. But Ned has been out cold for six days, giving the Lannister's plenty of time to put their own spin on things. Since Robert has pretty much fallen under the sway of all things Lannister, he buys their tale hook, line, and sinker. And when Robert walks into the scene, he is already drunk. No surprises there either. Littlefinger says he left the scene before the fight began but admits Ned was returning from a whorehouse...more spin control. And another sign that Littlefinger isn't worth trusting. Ned seems yet to figure this out. Granted, he has no knowledge of what Petyr had boasted about concerning Catelyn; that came out after Tyrion and Catelyn met up and Ned was still in King's Landing. But since coming to King's Landing, Ned has shown that he is too much of an honorable man to be prepared for other people not playing fairly. The Lannisters, by being underhanded, seem to be one move ahead of Ned much of the time. Varys is plotting with foreign powers against the realm, and I have no idea whose side Petyr is on, other than his own. Ned has been a little wary with Varys, but is still too trusting in general. And it's going to wind up biting him in the ass sooner or later.

Chapter 40 (Catelyn VII): Here comes the fight at Tyrion's trial. Brynden seems to be motivated to help defend Riverrun but also because he has come to realize that Lysa is a total nutjob. That statue that gets toppled onto Vardis won't be the same, I bet. So Bronn wins, and Tyrion lives. But Lysa manages to put them both into lethal danger anyway, by sending them off on the road to face a certain attack by bandits. I'll enjoy seeing how Tyrion deals with that when he has only one person on his side. Tyrion's a crafty one, he'll need to figure out how to avoid a battle.

Chapter 41 (Jon V): So Jon is getting out of training. I figured he would, but I don't think he is done having to deal with Alliser. Sam is in trouble if all his allies get promoted, though. Jon, like his friend Tyrion, is smart enough to figure a way out of this problem. Put Sam in a spot where his strengths can be used. I get the feeling Sam will become an important behind the scenes person in the Watch. Jon will become a person to be reckoned with in the organization, too.

Chapter 42 (Tyrion VI): So Tyrion isn't even looking to avoid clansmen, he wants to lure them in! That's a different approach. I don't know if the story of Tysha will ever turn out to be of any significance or not. So now Tyrion talks - talks! - the bandits out of robbing and killing the two of them, and then promises to give them the Vale of Arryn. This one threw me for a loop. First, I don't know if Jaime or Tywin is going to want to send Lannister forces upon the Vale. They're already messing about with the Tully lands (more on that in the next installment, as I would get too lengthy doing so many chapters in one entry), look to be facing opposition from Winterfell, and might wind up marching on King's Landing. And Tyrion promises that House Lannister will give these bandits the Vale? (And he is likely being honest, since he feels Lannisters should always pay their debts.) The kicker here is that Tyrion knows from personal experience that the Eyrie, seat of government for the Vale, is impregnable.

[M'lady Cynthia Rayder]

Ohhhh! last night was a good reading night! I could hardly bare to put the book down and go to bed! I wear my bags under my eyes today with honour! :)

so much happened, and it seemed so quick! I don't know how to tell abut it, without spoiling...i"ll find away to do the "spolier" and come back... BRB

[ogma107]

Hey all, I've lurked for a while, but this is my first post. I finished A Game Of Thrones about a week ago. I read most of it over the course of a weekend in December and then just finished the last 300 pages or so over last weekend.

For those of you who have just finished and/or are nearing the end, do you feel like

there's just no one left to be your protagonist? I wish the author would have put us into Robb's head so that we could appreciate what it was like for him to take to arms for his family and for his father and brother's honor. Without that emotional connection, I just feel like he is keeping the seat warm. A more traditional archetype tells me that I should pull for Jon Snow. The virtuous outcasts with strong bloodlines always seem to have to save the world, etc.

Also, I absolutely struggle with the Dany storyline,

which from what I can glean is not all that uncommon. I understand that this is a fantasy series, which I usually adore, but there is just something about the realness of the struggles of these characters and how flawed and human and not totally good or totally evil they are that is totally lost when she is across the sea performing magic rituals and birthing dragons.

[Basel Gill]

I have a few more chapters under my belt. Things seem to be heating up. Chapters 43-46:

Chapter 43 (Eddard XI): Gregor Clegane is certainly an unpleasant person, isn't he? I'm with Ned on this, the Mountain is undoubtedly acting on orders from Tywin in conducting these raids, but even so, the henchman is no less evil than his Lord. I bet that Gregor actually enjoyed himself. I'm also with Ned in figuring Tywin is hoping to incite some sort of Tully retaliation, which would actually make the Tullys look like the instigators. So now Ned sends a hundred men commanded by Beric to give Gregor the king's brand of justice. Is that going to be enough? How many men will the Mountain have? I think that Gregor himself, fully armed and armored, would be difficult. Loras wants to be given the honor... what, is he nuts? His near death at Gregor's hands in the tourney has clouded his judgement. Ser Ilyn is also none too happy about being left out. Either of these could be a factor later on.

Chapter 44 (Sansa III): A couple more insights into Sansa present themselves here. First, Sansa thinks that Ned should have sent Loras to execute Gregor because it'd be so much like the songs and stories. I wonder how she would feel if Ned did send Loras, which would almost certainly result in Loras's death. The I bet she would be angry with her father for getting Loras killed, and sure that he should have sent someone else instead. Second, Littlefinger tells her life is not a song and that she will find this out to her regret someday. Foreshadowing of things to come? And does Littlefinger have knowledge of something coming up which he knows would prove this to her? Sansa does need to learn that life isn't a song, quite badly, but I have a feeling that getting it through her head will require some seriously unfortunate events. Then Sansa and Arya are sent to their father after a fight, and manage to get into another fight, during which time the last piece of the puzzle finally falls into place. It's so simple a child could see it... and it takes a child to actually figure it out. Ned plans to send them both back to Winterfell. At the rate things are proceeding, I wonder if they will get to leave before everything falls apart.

Chapter 45 (Eddard XII): Even though Ned figured out the secret early in the last chapter, GRRM dances around actually laying it out for the reader until well into this one. I figured it out at the same time Ned did, thanks to Sansa, but I bet there were people who didn't have it until Ned came out and said it. Especially since we aren't told what is in that book of lineages until after Ned reveals the big secret, meaning that he knows things the readers don't. After he figures it out, though, Ned makes the biggest mistake he possibly could... he lets Cersei know. Sure, his heart is in the right place in wanting to spare the children, but alerting Cersei to the fact he is onto her is a very bad idea. It will only allow her extra time to move against him, whereas if he had kept quiet until talking to Robert, the first move would be his. Besides, Ned had Robert's ear enough he still might have been able to persuade the king to spare the kids while still removing them from succession (not Cersei, and I doubt Ned would have even tried arguing for her life, but at least the kids). Once again, Ned shows that a sense of honor and fair play only works if both sides are playing by the same rules.

One thing I'm trying to figure out here is, what lets Ned figure out that Jaime is the true father? The lineage book makes it pretty clear that Cersei's children were not fathered by Robert, or any other Baratheon, and Sansa helps. But while he has plenty of evidence of who the father isn't, he doesn't seem to have uncovered anything specifically identifying Jaime as Cersei's secret lover.

Chapter 46 (Danaerys V): Ummm, okay. Dany has a stronger stomach than I do, and that's with her being pregnant. I think I would have tossed my cookies after one bite of that horse's raw heart meal. She manages to get the whole thing down, though, and her unborn baby is prophesied to be a great Khal who will unify the Dothraki and become a mighty conqueror, the Khal of all Khals. I don't know if GRRM intended it as such, but the Dothraki are seeimg to be a strong parallel to the Mongols under Genghis Khan. They're talented horseriders, have a general distaste for cities and sea travel, and are fearsome warriors. The Khal of all Khals, whereas before they were a bunch of separate tribes, sounds like a good parallel too. So Viserys goes off and gets drunk, and then comes back and does something stupid: he wakes the Dothraki dragon. I don't know if hewas even aware of the custom that banned blades from being drawn in Vaes Dothrak, but since they're all a bunch of savages to him, I doubt he would have even cared if he did know. I liked Drogo's creative way of dealing with the problem. "Crown! A crown for Cart King!" Killed by molten gold dumped on his head... oh my! I won't miss Viserys, seeing as he was such an unpleasant lout, and not even a villain worth hating intensely. Creatively, he seemed to mostly be a means to an end in order to hook Dany up with the Dothraki somehow. Once that was done and she was set up as the Dothraki queen, he has served his purpose and has no more place in the story. But in some way, I was actually hoping Dany would get to kill him personally.

[Basel Gill]

Well, I've been a bit lax in keeping the AGoT stuff going. Preparation for a weekend vacation has taken a good deal of my time when I wasn't reading, and over the last few days I've done a lot of reading in airports and on planes. I haven't had much time to get online to continue posting my impressions. I actually finished the book yesterday afternoon, and bought A Clash of Kings today. I don't think I will be reading it for a few weeks, though. I'm planning to set it aside for my next trip out of town, in July. I still intend to post what I've thought of the story, though. Another part of the reason for the backlog is that I came to feel 3-4 chapters is the ideal posting length, but that wasn't always the amount that I had read between opportunities to post.

[spork]

Thanks for the update BG, keep 'em coming. Us veterans truly enjoy hearing a fresh opinion.

[Basel Gill]

All right, so now I start playing catch up. Having completed the first book, I have a good deal of blogging to do. Chapters 47-49:

Chapter 47 (Eddard XIII): Robert is back from his hunt, and things don't look good. He is pretty badly wounded. But he got the board, and orders them to serve it at his funeral feast. Robert knows he won't survive. But in the end, he finally recognizes his mistakes, and admits he has been a bad king. Too little, too late. Robert dictates his will and names Ned as Joffrey's regent. Ned doesn't have the heart to tell Robert the truth. So then we find out that the Lannisters seem to have had a hand in Robert's death: his squire Lancel was the one keeping him supplied with wine during the hunt. No surprise there. Ned already knew that Cersei was plotting Robert's death; he was warned that something would happen during the melee. He doesn't seem to have heeded the warning very much. While I earlier mentioned how letting Cersei know that he knows the truth of Joff's parentage was unwise, it seems Cersei had already launched her plan by that point, since Robert was already off on his hunt. Keeping quiet wouldn't have saved Robert's life. It might have put Ned in a better position after Robert's death, though. Then Ned refuses an offer of troops from Renly, who would seize the children and firmly establish Ned as Protector. Ned turns him down because he feels Renly's proposal is dishonorable and just plain icky, in a moral sense. Never mind that it leaves him on even shakier ground than before. Then he begins making preparations to see that Stannis becomes king, including the letter that he gives to Tomard to deliver. Littlefinger's game is getting twisted, and at this point in the book we still don't have any idea where his loyalties lie. Actually, I thought at this time that he was on his own side, rather than Ned's or Cersei's.

Chapter 48 (Jon VI): In which Jon and the other new recruits take their oaths, and become full members of Night's Watch. Jon is successful in getting Sam assigned as Aemon's personal steward, but winds up assigned as a steward himself. I sure wasn't expecting that. Ser Alliser sure is a smug one when he hears this. I keep seeing Gunny Hartman from Full Metal Jacket playing Alliser, except with genuine malice. Except then it turns out that Ser Alliser had nothing to do with Jon's assignment. I really was surprised by that turn. Mormont personally asked for Jon as his steward, and wants to send him into command! Well, it's like I'd figured all along: in the Watch, it doesn't matter that Jon is a bastard. If he has what it takes, he will be (and has been) given a fair shot. Now we're seeing that come to pass. Jon goes to swear his oath before the old gods, and Sam decides to accompany him. I found the oath scene to be moving, in a sparse and solemn kind of way. It isn't a big huge ceremony, but it works all the same. Ghost decides they could use a hand.

Chapter 49 (Eddard XIV): Now here's where things totally fall apart for the good guys. Ned allows Arya to have one last lesson with Syrio before she goes back to Winterfell. Good thing, too. More on that later. Varys tells Ned that Renly and Loras headed south (which just happens to be toward Tyrell territory, and Renly's home of Storm's End) that morning. Ned thinks to himself how he had counted on Renly's support. Gee, that's funny, I bet Renly had been thinking the same thing. He seemed rather miffed when Ned refused to back his play. Ned thinks So much for Renly and his hundred swords. Renly likely now sees Ned as unreliable when it comes to doing what it takes to get the job done. He doesn't see a need to put his hundred swords behind a man who is bound to lose by fighting clean when everyone else is fighting dirty. The small council attends Joff and Cersei, and Ned learns just how badly he has bungled things. Littlefinger was right about two things: Ned was wrong to trust him, and the gold cloaks will follow whoever pays them. He was probably even telling the truth about how much gold it took. Tomard dies. That's one letter that's not getting delivered.

[Basel Gill]

Okay, so Ned has stumbled quite badly. Now we get to see the ramifications to this upon the other members of his family. Chapters 50-52:

Chapter 50 (Arya IV): Syrio is a crafty devil, isn't he? Giving away where he is going to strike verbally, and then lying on the last hit. He is teaching Arya to trust what she sees, and not fall for a deception. I thought it went nicely with Meryn and the Lannister guards saying Ned has sent for Arya, but Syrio sees through it and realizes it's a trick. Nice parallel. Then he kills five men single-handedly with just a wooden stick. Badass. If he had a sword, Meryn would have been toast. Arya escapes, and shortly thereafter uses Needle for real for the first time. I hope that in the future, she is better able to remember Syrio's training... she is gonna need it.

Chapter 51 (Sansa IV): Sansa and Jeyne have been locked in Sansa's room for three days. Things are looking unpleasant for the both of them. This is interesting: it was Sansa who let slip to Cersei that Ned was planning to ship the girls back to Winterfell. So Ned was accidentally betrayed by his own daughter. Sansa has this thing for blurting out things which change the whole story. First she solves the mystery of what secret Arryn was killed for, now this. Actually, I figure that with Littlefinger's double-dealing, it wouldn't have mattered if Sansa hadn't gone to Cersei. The gold cloaks would still have betrayed Ned when crunch time came. The girls would have had a better chance of getting away, though.

Chapter 52 (Jon VII): So Ghost has led the men of the Black to two corpses which have some strange characteristics. Both are (or were) members of Ben Stark's party. The animals refuse to have anything to do with the bodies, except for Ghost. So the dogs and horses are the true brains of the Watch. The Old Bear orders the bodies brought back to Castle Aaaargh Castle Black. Now, anyone with any familairity with zombie tales knows right off that this is a very bad idea. Then again, characters in zombie tales often seem to be unfamiliar with other zombie tales. No one ever says "this is like something out of Evil Dead". So as soon as the Bear gives this order, you know things are gonna get ugly. Jon finds out about his father's arrest when he gets back to the castle, and soon after goes psycho on Alliser. So Jon is locked up. Maybe it's for the best that he is, cause if he was free to roam he might not have been there when Othor went after the Bear. Jon fights Othor, hacks off an arm, and then the arm keeps going. No surprise there, if you know your zombies. Ghost feels that he can handle this Thing, and goes after the severed arm while Jon tries to deal with the rest of Othor. Not very well, mind you. He still needs Ghost to save his bacon. Then he discovers fire kills them. Good job, Jon.

[El Duderino]

loving this blog ab your read. Please keep it up throughout your reading of the rest of the books. They have some serious shit in store

[Basel Gill]

Chapters 53-56:

Chapter 53 (Bran VI): Robb is maturing a great deal. He's about to make his first major decisions as the acting Lord of Winterfell. The banners are called, and it doesn't seem like many of the bannermen are willing to take a fifteen-year-old boy seriously as their commander. Going by the numbers Luwin has told Bran, Robb has a sizable army built up. Rickon, being a young kid, is highly impressionable, and isn't taking everyone he loves and holds dear leaving all that well. He hasn't seen either of his parents or his sisters in nearly a year, and hasn't seen Jon is just as long. I'd caught a few hints of something going on with him before, but now it's come to the front. Now he is having to deal with Robb going as well. In his mind, none of them will ever return. These things leave deep emotional scars. I hope to see more of him as he gets older. Hodor.

Chapter 54 (Danaerys VI): Looks like the Dothraki just became more of a threat. Drogo starts off with no intention of going after the Iron Throne, after we've been repeatedly told throughout the book that the Dothraki hate ships. But then Robert's order of assassination against Dany comes through to the area, and someone tries to actually kill Dany. Not only does the try on her life fail, but it backfires badly. Before, there was no chance the Dothraki were a threat, even when Viserys was alive (especially when Viserys was alive, perhaps) just cause they wouldn't cross the water. Now Drogo is angered enough that he is willing to invade Westeros. Also, this is really the beginning of Dany showing much interest in the Iron Throne herself, rather than just being her brother's pawn in an attempt to get an army for his try at the throne. More stuff with the dragon eggs. GRRM couldn't have telegraphed things more obviously on that front.

Chapter 55 (Catelyn VIII): Catelyn is finally back with Robb. We finally learn some of what happened to Lord Beric's force that was sent to kill Gregor. Things didn't go so well for them, it would seem. I wasn't expecting them to do well. Ned has taught Robb a lot of command and tactics, but Cat shows him that he still has some things to learn, and there are some things that only actual experience can teach. Also, it is Cat, not Robb, who first sees the letter from Sansa as being what it really is: a hostage letter.

Chapter 56 (Tyrion VII): The first interesting thin about this chapter was that Masha was executed , no doubt for allowing Tyrion's abduction by Cat, and the way that Tyrion reacts upon seeing her body. "A room, a meal, and a flagon of wine, that was all I asked." And then the clansmen burst back into the scene. Shagga sure has a thing for chopping off manhood and then doing something nasty to dispose of it. Tyrion is still riding with the assorted clansmen, whether he wants to or not. It still isn't certain if he is in charge of them or not, the chapter ends with him more of a hostage.

[Basel Gill]

Chapters 57-59... a lot of interesting developments.

Chapter 57 (Sansa V): This is one of those chapters where all kinds of things happen. Sansa has been given freedom of the castle, but is plainly still a prisoner in all but name. Joff holds his first session of court and comes in after being introduced as Joffrey of the Houses of Baratheon and Lannister. So in this, he is keeping to the preference he set with his coat-of-arms. He seems to pretty much think of himself as only a nominal Baratheon. I still wonder if he knows about his real parentage, or if he simply feels a closer connection to his mother's House than he does to his "father's" House. Joff has a long list of people who are ordered to either swear fealty of be named traitors. Pretty much everyone who has already made it known they stand in oppostion to the Lannister coup, plus a few others. Rickon is named... they want an oath of fealty from a four-year-old boy, and expect him to be able to commit acts of treason at that age? Walder Frey has yet to commit himself either way, and at this point in the book could very well join with Cersei if he is offered a good enough deal, knowing that he prefers to only back a side he knows is already winning. The Arryns are named and also have yet to take any action either way. Most likely, Lysa and little Robert and all her bannermen will hole up in the Vale and try to wait out a siege. The Eyrie is impregnable, after all. Tywin is named Ned's replacement as Hand... no surprise there. Cersei is named to the small council to replace Stannis. The decree actually says "in place of the traitor Stannis Baratheon". Huh? Didn't they just issue a decree ordering Stannis to report and swear fealty, or be named a traitor? Except now they're already making him a traitor? And exactly what acts of treason is Stannis accused of, when he has been doing nothing but bide his time on Dragonstone all this while and has yet to make any attacks? Janos Slynt is raised to a Lord and given Harrenhal as his estate. Well, it had been surrendered. This seems to raise considerable hackles among the assembled lords. Lord slynt takes a bloody spear as his sigil, and his sons carry in a big huge shield. From the reactions of all present, I guess it isn't normal for a Lord to have his sigil put on a shield that two people have trouble carrying between them, and then have that shield lugged around wherever he goes. Maybe Janos isn't lordship material. Then Ser Barristan is relieved of command of the Kingsguard and forced to retire. No doubt this is retaliation because Barristan was the only one to voice any objection when Cersei tore up Robert's will and proceeded to do whatever she wanted. Jaime is named the new commander, and Barristan objects to appointing the Kingslayer to head the King's bodyguards. Funny, he never said anything about having Jaime as a member of the Kingsguard during Robert's reign, why is it only dishonorable now? He stalks off and Joff orders him seized, but we haven't seen the last of Ser Barristan. I bet he pops up some more during the series. Finally, Sansa begs for mercy for Ned. Cersei and Joff agree to be merciful if he confesses his crimes. We'll see about that.

Chapter 58 (Eddard XV): Ned is rotting in a cell somewhere in the dungeon of the Red Keep. He hasn't been fed, except for the occasional drink of water, and doesn't even have any light from a cell window. He just has his memories and hallucinations. He recalls the tourney at Harrenhal when he was young, with Rhaegar winning. Rhaegar left the crown of flowers he got from winning with Lyanna. Odd, considering that he wound up raping her later on. Varys comes in, gives him wine,and delivers news of the offer from Cersei: confess, and be freed, but only if you join the Night's Watch. Or Sansa dies. Not much of a choice there, is it?

Chapter 59 (Catelyn IX): So now we get to the bit where the Freys must choose a side. Robb's forces come to the Twins, and have to cross the river here or nowhere. Predictably, Walder isn't willing to let them cross unless he somehow profits by it, even though he is a sworn bannerman to the Tullys. A pretty useless bannerman, as things would have it. So Cat goes inside to meet with him, and he spews insults at everyone he can think of. This is the first time we've seen Walder Frey, and I found him to be a thoroughly unpleasant man. So after a bit of haggling, Winterfell has a couple of new wards, Robb suddenly has a squire, Arya, whenever she is found, is to be betrothed to a Frey, and Robb has to take a Frey wife. Robb thinks that Arya really is going to hate this. I think she will too.

[mormont]

Interesting observations. I reread these chapters not long ago myself... some non-spoiler comments below.

Chapter 57 (Sansa V): Joff has a long list of people who are ordered to either swear fealty of be named traitors. Pretty much everyone who has already made it known they stand in oppostion to the Lannister coup, plus a few others. Rickon is named... they want an oath of fealty from a four-year-old boy, and expect him to be able to commit acts of treason at that age?

Well, not really. What that 'swearing fealty' bit is about, pretty clearly, is making the people named come to King's Landing in person. The Lannisters demand that Rickon and Bran come along, so that the entire Stark family will be in their power and no Stark will remain in Winterfell to act as a focus for rebellion.

Cersei is named to the small council to replace Stannis. The decree actually says "in place of the traitor Stannis Baratheon". Huh? Didn't they just issue a decree ordering Stannis to report and swear fealty, or be named a traitor? Except now they're already making him a traitor? And exactly what acts of treason is Stannis accused of, when he has been doing nothing but bide his time on Dragonstone all this while and has yet to make any attacks?

This appears to be in reference to Stannis being named in Ned's letter. The accusation against Ned (and so against Stannis, and IIRC Renly also) is that they conspired together to steal the throne from Joff. Presumably if the Baratheon brothers turn up in person and swear fealty they'll be exonerated of that charge, or at least get a trial. (In which case I'd get a really good lawyer. ;)) But in the meantime they're at least suspected of treason, so the use of the word 'traitor' to explain their defenestration from the Small Council is perhaps loose use of language, but not groundless.

Then Ser Barristan is relieved of command of the Kingsguard and forced to retire. No doubt this is retaliation because Barristan was the only one to voice any objection when Cersei tore up Robert's will and proceeded to do whatever she wanted. Jaime is named the new commander, and Barristan objects to appointing the Kingslayer to head the King's bodyguards. Funny, he never said anything about having Jaime as a member of the Kingsguard during Robert's reign, why is it only dishonorable now?

This goes to the issue of Jaime's status in the time between Aerys' death and Robert's, which appears in many ways to be ambiguous. Nobody was appointed to replace him, but on the other hand he doesn't wear the whites, nor do we really see him fulfilling KG duties. I think this is precisely because right up to that moment of Barristan being relieved of command, it wasn't clear that people could be thrown out of the KG. But that's a complicated issue.

[Basel Gill]

Enlightening, Mormont, most enlightening. Here's the next few chapters, 60-64.

Chapter 60 (Jon VIII): OK, so now we go back to Jon. His actions in dealing with Othor's undead corpse seem to have redeemed him after the attack on Ser Alliser. The Watch, and the readers, learn that Barristan escaped, killed two gold cloaks and managed to get away from King's Landing. I knew he had more mileage in him as a character; I'm betting he shows up in Book Two. Jon hears about Robb calling the banners, and feels guilty about staying with the Watch. I don't blame him, in his shoes I'd be conflicted too. At least he has Alliser out of his hair. I think even the Old Bear was getting sick and tired of Alliser by this point. Mormont gives Jon a very cool sword (Ser Jorah's old sword, in fact). We had forgotten that the rangers found two bodies out beyond the Wall... at least I had. Not once during Jon's fight with Othor did I think "What about the other corpse?" Now we find out that Jafer did even more damage than Othor did. Even after being beheaded, Jafer still kills Ser Jaremy... with his own dagger, no less. The Watchmen finally hack headless Jafer to bits. Later, the bits will reassemble, take the name Ichabod Crane, and go off to menace 18th century America. Maester Aemon reveals his true identity to Jon. Maesters give up their House connections when they put on the necklace, but it turns out this one had been a Targaryen.

.

Chapter 61 (Daenerys VII): This is another one of those chapters that wasn't notable on its own for me, it just served to set things up in the future. Dany saves a bunch of women from being raped, and takes them as her own slaves because that's pretty much the only reason for doing so that she can give within Dothraki culture. Drogo has been wounded, and being this macho warrior type, he tires to pass it off as something minor. Some folk magic healing woman claims to be able to fix the wounds, and tells Dany she once studied with a Maester from Westeros. Whether she is telling the truth about that or not, she certainly seems to know exactly what to tell Dany to convince her: that she knows secrets from Dany's homeland. As I'm writing this, I know what happens for the rest of the book, but even when I read this part, I didn't fully trust her. She just seemed slimy to me, like she was lying somehow, but we didn't know about what. Mirri pulls out the arrow, stitches up the wound, and puts on a poultice. Then she tells him to leave it on for ten days, and not drink wine or milk of the poppy. Right... tell the big mighty macho warrior not to drink wine?

Chapter 62 (Tyrion VIII): More food. Tyrion joins his father and uncle for dinner. Roast pig, with trenchers of bread and a pinch of salt. My mouth watered here. Tyrion loses his appetite after having to listen to his father. In his place, I'd have taken the food with me, the description sounds portable. The Imp goes off to his own tent, and finds that Bronn has found him a woman. She seems the likable sort, even if she is doing it for money. He decides to keep her. He could do a lot worse. Given his physical deficiencies in a medieval world, I doubt that Tyrion could do better. Tyrion and his clans are assigned by Tywin to ride under Gregor's command. On the left flank, which doesn't do that well, but the clans hold their own. They lose half their numbers, but fight well. And do better than Tywin intended, it would seem. Tyrion was being set up to fail (and presumably die) by his father. No love lost between those two. Afterwards, Tywin gets a report that Robb has split his forces and taken the rest of the Stark/Tully army to Riverrun. So Tywin isn't as smart as he thinks he is.

Chapter 63 (Catelyn X): So here's the big huge battle. We learn a bit about Riverrun. You can't siege the place without divding your army into three pieces. A nicely defensible spot, then... if, as in this case, Riverrun has attacking forces to break the divided army. Otherwise, I imagine they'd have till the food and other supplies run out, same as any other siege. Robb looks a fearsome figure in his full battle amror, and it serves well to inspire the troops. Battle comes, and Grey Wind mauls assorted Lannister soldiers. Jaime is taken prisoner... couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. He calls Ned a wise man, and honorable. During his scenes with Ned, he doesn't seem to hold as high an opinion. But then again, he wasn't an unarmed prisoner surrounded by enemies with swords at the time. I'm not so sure that Jaime thinks being honorable is really much of a compliment. He once told Cersei he'd rather have honorable enemies than ambitious ones. I'm looking forward to seeing how things play out with Jaime as a Stark prisoner.

[Basel Gill]

I'm finally coming into the home stretch here. Chapters 64-67:

Chapter 64 (Danaerys VIII): Like I said, there was just about no chance that Drogo would follow Mirri's instructions, no matter how good for him they were. And that's even assuming that she is being honest here (more on that later). He's just too prideful, too macho, to do what a strange woman tells him, especially if it involves not doing things he likes. So the poultice fails to do any good cause he tore it off after it burned. I'm guessing it was meant to do the same sort of thing a fever does: heat up the body, or at least the infected area, and kill off unwanted pathogens. Instead, he shows all the signs that his wound has gotten infected. When he falls off his horse, his people show signs of losing faith in him. There's a big fight scene after Drogo is taken into the tent, and Dany goes into labor. The only person around who can do the midwifing is Mirri. Now, you don't have to have read any further to know that can't turn out well.

Chapter 65 (Arya V): This one is interesting. Arya has been barely surviving in King's Landing, eking out a peasant's existence. She finds the ship her father arranged for, but figures out that it's a trap. (Too obvious for me? Naaaaah.) She can't get out of the city any other way, either, as it's too well guarded. A bell summons everyone in the city to the Great Sept, and Ned confesses his treason publicly in front of Joff, Sansa, and assorted officials. Joff notes that Cersei wants Ned to be allowed to take the black, and Sansa has asked for mercy for her father, but Joff orders him beheaded anyway. Ser Ilyn does it with Ice, Ned's own sword. It looks like Ser Ilyn Got what he wanted out of this. I bet he wrote a message (since he can't talk, after all) that said something like, "Janos Slynt is getting his price, a lordship and estate and all that. All I want is Stark's Valyrian sword." Arya fights to get up there and stop it, but really, she's having to fight through several hundred people, so it isn't happening. Yoren pulls her to safety, calls her "boy", and then... scalps her? Kills her? I ended this chapter not knowing if we will see Arya alive again. Yoren seemed more likable up till now.

Chapter 66 (Bran VII): This chapter isn't noteworthy for what happens so much as for the backstory contained within. We finally get an in-depth explanation of the religion involved, and what the deal is with godswoods, the First Men, and the like. Both Bran and Rickon have had dreams of speaking with Ned after he died. So psychic dreams aren't limited to bran, but they apparently run in the Stark family. Rickon is still not doing so well psychologically, and neither is Shaggydog. News arrives of Ned's death, and Maester Luwin announces they will need to find a stonecarver who knew Ned's face well. I found this last bit to be a very moving moment.

Chapter 67 (Sansa VI): This chapter is where Sansa gets the cold splash of water in her face that she has been so badly in need of the whole book. She has grown a bit and gotten more mature as events around her have taken a turn for the worse. Joff pretty much forces her to attend him, and has Ser Meryn hit her to make her comply. She watches Joff hold court, and it's quite grisly. Most of the cases he shows no interest in and lets the council handle, but GRRM feels a need to mention that when Joff does take part in rendering judgement, not even Cersei can change his mind. This is both interesting and rather odd. Interesting, because this is the second time that we see Joff going against the will of his mother and regent. I get the feeling Cersei was hoping to install Joff as a malleable puppet king and retain all the real power for herself. Tyrion noted as much when he is told that his nephew rules the realm now: "My sister, you mean." But Joff is sowing some independence. Cersei no doubt isn't pleased to see her son has a mind of his own. I expect a mother/son showdown at some point in Book Two, or at least one (or both) of them will begin plotting against the other. Joff also seemed to show a bit of a psychotic side in his rulings. But it's all odd because Joff is still underage and Cersei has been named regent. Doesn't this mean that until he comes of age, that monarchical power is vested in her? The reason regents are named in the first place is because a king who is still a child isn't yet deemed fit to rule. Robert, for all his doltishness, recognized this much on his deathbed. His decree naming Ned as regent was torn up, but the fact that is felt a regent was needed at all is important here. So how does Joff, at the age of twelve have the legal authority to override his mother? Then he shows her all the heads of the people he has ordered killed. Including Septa Mordane. I don't know how any sane person could se her as a traitor, but I have doubts that Joff is entirely sane. Another good question here is, why is Joff keeping the betrothal to Sansa? Sansa still has value as a hostage, yes, but with the Ned dying in dishonor as a traitor, and the rest of the Stark family has been condemned as traitors, any political advantage from this marriage is gone. Wouldn't Joff be better off finding a girl about the right age from a more friendly family, and securing (or at least tightening) a dynastic alliance there, while sending Sansa off to the dungeons, or at least some form of house arrest in the Red Keep? I bet anything Walder Frey would have switched to the Lannister side if Joff offered to marry one of his daughters or granddaughters.

In the end of the chapter, Sansa has learned that life is not a song, just like Littlefinger warned her. It no longer seems like a fairy tale of sweetness and light, instead it seems like a Brothers Grimm fairy tale before Walt Disney got his hands on them. The Grimms wrote some dark and disturbing stuff. Check out the Sigourney Weaver version of Snow White sometime if you can find it. Sansa's current situation is a dark reflection of the songs she grew up with, and it isn't pretty.

[youper]

Basel,

Keep going great stuff.

[Basel Gill]

This should be my last installment here till I crack open Clash of Kings. That won't be for another several days.

Chapter 68 (Danaerys IX): So Drogo isn't doing so well. Mirri's techniques have left him pretty much a brain-dead invalid. Mirri has taken her revenge, Dany's child has been delivered stillborn. This was where it got weird for me. I could understand her magic killing the baby, she'd already said that death would be the price for Drogo's life, and that no one should enter the tent while she was weaving her healing spells. But leaving the baby looking like it has been dead for years (much longer than it's been in the womb, mind you) and with a physical description that isn't even human??? The way the baby was described, it sounded like it was some kind of dragon. Now are you telling me Dany had a whole different species in her oven? From a real-world point of view, this is probably so Dany can bill herself as "mother of dragons" later on. Literally. No matter what she does, she can't bring Drogo's consciousness back to what it was. So she takes a pillow and smothers him with it. I liked Drogo, and had been hoping to see him around longer. But considering Jason Momoa is starring in the reboot of Conan, which may turn into a franchise series of films, I figured he wouldn't have signed onto the GoT series if it was for more than one season. Unlikely he could have devoted the time to both. Granted, I have no idea how things play out with Drogo on TV. I'll be glad when it comes to DVD.

Chapter 69 (Tyrion IX): So now we have the Lannisters dealing with the consequences of getting soundly clobbered in battle. Tywin is not what I would call a happy man. Nor does it sound like the Lannister clan is all that unified right now. Tywin has nothing but disdain for the way Cersei and Joff have been handling things. He scoffs at being issued commands by Cersei to do stuff with his forces, scoffs even more at Joff wanting to lead the City Watch into battle as an army (leaving the city totally undefended), and wonders whose idiot idea it was to make Slynt a lord. I bet it was actually Slynt's idea.... when Littlefinger offered him and the Watch six thousand gold to betray Ned and side with Cersei and Joff, Janos said it wasn't enough, and named his own price. So Tywin decides to put his own stamp on Joff's reign by sending Tyrion to King's Landing to take charge. The new Hand has appointed a Hand of his own. Tyrion is told by Tywin not to take Shae to court, but he tells he that he is taking her to King's Landing anyhow. Well, his father didn't say anything about bringing her to the city, just don't bring her to court. Nyah nyah nyah, Father. Meantime, Renly has declared himself king from Storm's End, and the Tyrells have sworn themselves to him. I'd love to know just what law of succession Renly is basing his claim on. Even if he doesn't know that Joff isn't Robert's son, he remains the youngest of three Baratheon brothers. Stannis is the eldest, and has a much closer claim. And I'm guessing that Renly and Stannis together would have a better shot at winning than if they each fight their own war.

Chapter 70 (Jon IX): Jon has had some doubts about his future in the Watch the last few times we've seen him. Now it comes to a head. He follows through on his plans to desert, leaving Sam as the only one who knows. Sam goes to the other boys, and the bunch of them ride off to bring him back. All sorts of craziness is going on up north. Elk and mammoths (mammoths are still around in ASOIAF world? Cool!) are fleeing south and Mance Rayder is gathering his forces at a new spot. It'll be interesting when and if we eventually get to see Mance in the flesh. Mormont wants to take a large force north and investigate, and hopefully find Ben. They said it best in the Star Wars movies: "I have a very bad feeling about this."

Chapter 71 (Catelyn XI): So now we get to see Riverrun up close. The assorted lords gather and try to figure out what to do next. News comes of Tywin making for Harrenhal (Slynt will be unhappy to see the fate that is befalling his new estate in this war) and of Renly's claim to the throne. A big argument breaks out over whether they should declare for Renly or Stannis, or make peace with Joff and see who wins between the other factions. In the end, they decide on a new possibility... secession. So the North is going to try and secede from the rest of Westeros, with Robb as King. I'll love to see how this plays out in Book Two.

Chapter 72 (Danaerys X): This chapter was pure awesome sauce. Dany gives the bloodriders her bride gifts back, and asks for their oaths, which thy refuse. Jorah does give her the oath, but os convinced she means to die on Drogo's pyre. Instead she gives that role to Mirri, who claims she won't scream. Riiiiight. When you get tied to a funeral pyre, covered in flammable oil, and then set aflame, you're gonna scream. And she does. The dragon eggs go on the pyre too... cue the dramatic music there. THe fire burns and burns, and Dany walks into the fire despite Ser Jorah's best efforts to stop her. But when the fire dies, she is unharmed and has three living baby dragons hanging onto her, two of them nursing from her breasts.

Aside from the fact that dragons are supposed to be reptiles in just about every fiction they've ever been in, and therefore shouldn't need to nurse (that's a mammalian thing), this is an image to behold. The bloodriders, and all the other Dothraki who haven't deserted by now, change their minds and swear oaths to Dany as their new khalasar. Because when a hot naked chick (who is only fourteen in the book but thinks and behaves much older, and from her physical description seems much older) comes out of a huge fire totally unhurt, covered in ashes, and has three fire-breathing lizards (who were thought to be extinct!) draped over her body, you better swear loyalty to her. I don't know if the Dothraki had a custom that says "swear fealty to beautiful women who are impervious to fire and are attended by dragons", but they do now. The final line of the book is powerful: "... for the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons." Wow. I didn't think the first line of the book had much weight to it, but the ending packs a punch.

I'll be back in a couple of weeks to begin the second book. Till Then,

Basel

[Zoë Sumra]

Thank you for all the book-blogging. Looking forward to reading your thoughts on Clash. :)

[LadyFriend]

I am really curious about the Doom of Valyria. Is there any information about what actually happened?

[zmflavius]

I am really curious about the Doom of Valyria. Is there any information about what actually happened?

Spoilers from further books. Nothing really in AGOT apart from what Daenerys thinks.

The only info is that it destroyed High Valyria, was perhaps volcanic in nature, and in the aftermath, Valyria is unapproachable, with rumour being that any who gaze upon it die instantly.

[LadyFriend]

Spoilers from further books. Nothing really in AGOT apart from what Daenerys thinks.

The only info is that it destroyed High Valyria, was perhaps volcanic in nature, and in the aftermath, Valyria is unapproachable, with rumour being that any who gaze upon it die instantly.

ok....not reading anything about spoilers, but SO ANNOYING!!!! It's one of those things that is such a huge part of the background of the story with very very little explanation. Anyway.....the imagination will run a muck until the book tells me otherwise, I suppose.