thoughts on the books so far

[OneTrueWarg]

I think we all are forgetting the big picture in this situation. The way I am translating this is that all the people that knew about dany coming are dead, plus everyone is ignoring the fact that the wildlings are coming and eventually the wall will fall ( makes me feel bad for Jon he is the best) but eventually this book is just going to turn out with stannis bringing his god to westros and the wildlings WILL find the horn of the north and summon the longest winter yet what ever that means it can't be good. This is all just speculation I have yet to read feast of crows, but what I do know Is these next books will be AWESOME!

[iheartseverus]

all the people that knew about dany coming are dead,

Actually, a lot of living people know quite well that Dany is coming and have been carrying on all sorts of maneuvers with that in mind--Illrio, Varys, Littlefinger, the Greyjoys and other Ironborn, Tyrion, etc etc. And before his death, Robert sure made Dany's (perceived) threat to the realm a loud and clear issue to his entire council.

[sennahoj]

I am now well into "Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold" and have just read the chapters set at the Twins. Those Freys are just nasty, or rather it's just the old lecher Walder and his offspring just take after him. While I can sympathise with at least one family member in each of the great houses so far, I can find no positive qualities whatsoever with that lot.

How on earth is that bloodbath a way to reciprocate for Robb's offending the Freys by marrying Jeyne? Okay, I get that the Lannisters had a hand in it apparently, but talk about overkill...

What I found really ironic though was Joffrey annoying his grandfather by quoting his "father" Robert to Tywin's face. Is Joffrey actually aware of his true parentage, and for that matter, is Tywin? No wonder Tyrion really enjoyed that particular episode. So did I. The rest of the Lannisters can be glad however that Joffrey is still a minor, otherwise that little bloodthirsty sociopath would have his entire family on spikes, save mommy, of course.

And as far as Joffrey's upcoming wedding is concerned, I am really wondering how the Tyrells and Martells are going to get along. Knight of the Flowers vs. Red Viper anyone? Now that's a fight I'd like to see.

[Anson of the WIlds]

What I like best about this series of books is that no character is wholy good, or completely bad; all are shades of grey with weaknesses and strengths, admirable qualities and despicable ones. Much like real life, I think, where people are just people. Martin has brought this genere to new heights. I also like that, just like real life, when you think a given story line is going in one direction, it suddenly veers off in another; unforseen events happen, characters you thought would be there to the bitter end suddenly disappear and things you thought could never happen suddenly do. I'm about 70% (according to my Kindle) through STORM OF SWORDS. I've had several ideas about where the series was going, what the ultimate outcomes might be. I see now that, like Jon Snow, I know nothing. But I'm having a kick finding out.

[Pepper]

New to this forum HI! ^.^

Im about 2/3rds the way done with the book and OMG do the starks ever catch a break? im heartbroken over the scene at the twins after the wedding. It made me cry. I really had this horrible ominous feeling through the whole scene that something wasnt right. I just didnt think it would be as horrible as it was. I truely enjoy Catelyns character and Robbs. He was a great king. I had been rooting for him to finish off that stupid Joffrey punk. *sigh* maybe Sansa will get him in the end that would make for an interesting scene lol. Doubt it would ever happen Sansa is NOT her sister Arya. She just doesnt have it in here to kill someone sadly..

Where im sitting in this story i really truely hope nothing else happens to Arya shes so my favorite character! I love how strong she really is and how she can always make the best of a bad situation. And she comes out stronger for it. Jons deffinately second favorite though. I cant wait to finish and move on to a AFFC... Well after reading the last scene i hope Dany gets the throne, i think she would be good for the realm even if she does have to take it back by force. Shes an amazingly strong woman and character and i seriously dont like Stannis. ugh stuffy old man that needs to lighten up and that she devil he has.... i had soooo hoped that Davos would of successfully killed her when he got back to Dragonstone.

As for Bran, his PoV is a bit dry right now but i love when i hear about him because he is such a likable character. Im sad that Catelyn never got the chance to learn that Bran and Rickon were not in fact dead, because as a mother i sympathize with her. If i thought my kids were dead and i was about to die i would just like to know the truth that they in fact werent. So it made me really sad that she never got that chance to find out.

[montana]

But what I hope for the most is that GRRM stops torturing the poor Starks in the coming books. He makes them central to the story, makes is care for them, and does nothing but destroy their lives. Is he just trying to tell us what the world does to good people in his view? Does redemption, vengeance, and glory await them?

I am just guessing mind you however I think the Starks will continue to be pilloried. I believe Martin is telling us something about what happens to honorable people. It is indeed a hard lesson but if you study a little history you can quickly see that the world does not hold honor, courage, honesty as characteristics that will bring an individual, or a family, the rewards that most of us believe are due.

Lincoln & Caesar are two men that pop quickly to mind... and we know what happened to them.

[TheDanish]

New to the ASOIAF sections of the board. I picked up Martin's stuff after reading Joe Abercrombie. These books are great, and Storm of Swords is easily the best in the series yet. I'm definitely going to pick up Feast for Crows tomorrow.

As for the actual content - a part of me really wants Melisandre to have good intentions, but I think I've read enough to know better than that. Are her motives really focused on halting the Others? Does she truly serve Stannis? I also get the feeling that:

Stannis is not the Lord of Light, but that Beric Dondarrion is.

As a final note... how in the world did Storm of Swords (and Calculating God, for that matter) lose out to Harry Potter for the 2001 best novel Hugo Award?

[zmflavius]

As a final note... how in the world did Storm of Swords (and Calculating God, for that matter) lose out to Harry Potter for the 2001 best novel Hugo Award?

Dark magic, which ASOS has less of than HP.

[sennahoj]

Just finished Storm of Swords. There have already been some twists that were truly surprising earlier on in the novels, but I must say I was totally astounded to discover towards the end of SoS who actually send the assassin to murder Bran, and who poisoned Jon Arryn to begin with. And just when I thought I had figured out who started this whole bloody war.

Oh, and I am really looking forward to Feast for Crows and what will happen to Arya and Tyrion

now that they have left the Seven Kingdoms and have to fend for themselves

[El Duderino]

Only half the POV characters from the earlier books are in AFFC. Basically only those south of King's Landing, so no Tyrion, Dany, Jon, etc.

[Erryn]

:laugh: Hello there! This is my first post! I started reading the series after watching the first episode of the show. I haven't been able to put them down! Just started SOS. Love this series, both the books and the shows!

[rulandor]

Just finished reading the chapters dealing with the Red Wedding and its immediate aftermath. I am heart-broken and have often wondered how GRRM could treat the Stark characters in such a way. After the auspicious moment of finding the dire wolf pups, fitting to the children not only in numbers, but also in gender, I thought that all six "wolf children" would be and remain the backbone of the story up until the end, especially after GRRM himself stated once that this wolf pup scene was a symbol for the whole saga - if I remember correctly.

On the other hand, I noticed that every ill the Stark children befell was somewhat accompanied by a form of separation from the wolf companion: Winterfell was conquered while Maester Luwin hat Summer und Shaggydog confined and thus forcefully separated Bran and Rickon from them (the wolves sensed the ironmen coming early enough); Sansa's life after losing Lady is a stream of torments; Robb dies after nobody heeded Grey Wind's reluctance to enter the Twins. Arya's life is a tormented journey; she is separated from Nymeria, but as the she-wolf still lives (hopefully) Arya's destiny is still not without hope.

Is it only me over-interpreting, or is this pattern really there?

[Andystoteles]

Is it only me over-interpreting, or is this pattern really there?

It might be, or it might not...

Feels like it would be to easy and predictable "Oh look there goes the wolf, hold on now ´cause now there will be evil doings and stuff" :)

Of course, if i had a big bad-ass wolf protecting me all the time there wouldn´t be to many people bothering me methinks

[Buster]

I'm loving SoS so far, but my brother has ruined things a little for me. We've been arguing a lot lately so he decided to do a little research on ASOIAF and is now shouting out spoilers from both ASOS and AFFC... :angry2:

[Andystoteles]

I'm loving SoS so far, but my brother has ruined things a little for me. We've been arguing a lot lately so he decided to do a little research on ASOIAF and is now shouting out spoilers from both ASOS and AFFC... :angry2:

Unacceptable! On my signal, unleash hell!

Occams razor: "The easiest solution is often the best"

=

Earbuds and/or threat of Gregor-violence

[Slychd]

I wouldn't call Catelyn stupid nor Sansa, for that matter. Catelyn tries to protect (and at times avenge) her family and in the process makes decisions which later turn out to be bad, but which (at least as far as Tyrion's arrest or the release of Jaime are concerned) seemed plausible at the time. Sansa on the other hand is a naive thirteen-year-old, but I think it's unfair to criticize her for her age. Sansa is trying to please everyone and get by on the basis of what she has learned (being nice and courteous and acting a lady). I'd rather say that Arya is showing more of Catelyn's character traits than Sansa. She isn't meek and passive, but acts and makes bold - albeit reckless - decisions by trying to reach Riverrun more or less on her own, she even kills two people herself.

If people insist on calling Catelyn stupid nonetheless, okay. But if one of the daughters is Catelyn's kind of stupid, it's Arya hands down, and not Sansa.

I agree with you about neither Sansa nor Catelyn being stupid. Have they both done foolish things? Yes, they have, but I guess I blame Ned for not preparing Sansa for life at court, all the court intrigues are too much for a young naive girl who still believes in songs. I would like to see Sansa eventually become a player in the game of thrones rather than the giant piece she has been thus far.

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

I'm curious what the motive of Littlefinger and Varys are. I think both of them could be rulers if that's what they really wanted to.

I think Littlefinger gets off on getting the best of those who think they're his betters. Ned Stark and Cersei being the two prime examples. I think he'd rather screw with and manipulate those who are in power than to actually rule.

Varys is a bit of a deeper mystery, methinks. Another manipulator for sure, but his motives aren't as clear. I spose you could say he shares some similarities to Petyr in that he enjoys pulling the strings of those who look down on him.

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

I would like to see Sansa eventually become a player in the game of thrones rather than the giant piece she has been thus far.

I don't really see it happening. Sansa is Playdough. Right now, she's Littlefinger's to mold. If he treated her as an adept of sorts then I spose she might rise to being a true player. I don't see him as being the sort to truly take her under his wing. He's a user at heart. Then again, he seemed to truly love her mother, so I spose it's not completely outside the realm of possibility.

[Ser_Fiddlesticks]

You got that right! Melisandre is an awful thing, which is why I like Davos so much. Such a simple and honest man tasked with being her counterweight.

Danaerys is fantastic. She's a just Queen, surrounded by seemingly devout advisors, sufficiently vengeful, and fun to read most of all. But because I'm rather infatuated with Robert's Rebellion, I don't like her snooty reference to the "Usurper". But I suppose she has not yet gotten the grasp of her father's mad cruelty. Aerys II deserved the rebellion that unseated him, and I wish when/if Dany retakes the Iron Throne, she understands that.

I strongly disliked Melisandre when she first came into the picture, but now that I've come to a conclusion regarding the further, over-arching developments inside as well as outside the Seven Kingdoms I am viewing her in a slightly different light. Also, I do very much like Davos the man and his story, but I feel that I'm beginning to catch on to Martin's way of developing his stories which makes me think Davos is quite naive in his actions, even if he means well. Much like Catelyn and how the actions she took in the first book seemed perfectly reasonable but developed into something quite different.

I really do hope Martin is taking things the way I think ge is. :)

[l'intello]

Good lord, I love the books so far but they are BLEAK. Every time I think things can't possibly get worse for the poor Starks... and even the things that make me go yay (Joffrey dead! Good riddance!) end up making things worse (Tyrion arrested? Noooooo...). I'm glad he got away, but I don't like Sansa's odds with Littlefinger. His feelings for her are... not paternal.