Amph A Song of Ice and Fire: Spoilers Allowed Discussion Thread (now with ADWD spoilers)

I downloaded mine this morning while waiting for my coffee...got thru the prologue and a little into the first chapter.

 

I have mine.

Now to start the prologue...

 

I just picked mine up (print).

I have to balance my desire to read it with balancing my professional responsibilities (like reading the new edition of the textbook and revising my lectures, as well as a stack of articles for a book proposal on empirical approaches to bioethics). So I don't think I'll be doing any all-nighters with ADWD.

 

Thoughts as I go along

Finished the prologue. <begin Prologue-only spoilers>Varamyr is the first prologue PoV to kinda-sorta survive the prologue, isn't he? I've also noticed a pattern. The odd-numbered books have prologues that take place Beyond the Wall, and the even-numbered ones take place in the South (Dragonstone and Oldtown). With this definitive answer about what can happen to a skinchanger when he dies, I wonder if something of the same might happen to Jon Snow, especially since it's such a coincidence that Varamyr was thinking of him shortly before his "second life." "Varamyr" is an awesome name, btw.</end>

 

And so begins that greatest of all test of wills: self-control.

 

I'm four chapters in (including the Prologue).

Tyrion 1: It looks like Tyrion's external arc will take him to Daenerys. Tyrion is a broken, lost man. There seems to be an internal desire in Tyrion to find Tysha, maybe another internal arc will take him to her? "Wherever whores go."

Dany 1: This chapter parallels the early Cersei one from AFFC. Both queens are holding court, receiving petitions from their people. The Harpy's Sons are going to be a menace throughout the book. Dany is trying to learn how to rule.

Jon 1: Jon and Dany are not being pragmatic, I think. Jon could bend a little, let Stannis put southron lords in the empty castles along the walls. As usual, despite everything we know about the character, Stannis is one of the most paradoxically humorous characters. Major lulz at his bitching about everything. "Why are we sending away this wet nurse? Oh, she's a whore? GOOD! I will suffer no abominations!" Jon isn't as uncomfortable around Melisandre as Davos, I think. Melisandre really seems to like him.

So amazing to read three chapters in a row about Tyrion, Dany, and Jon. Haven't heard from these guys since I first read ASOS six years ago! And now for a Bran chapter...

 

Just had time for the prologue and first chapter during lunch. I'm hooked all over again.

 

OMG (Tyrion 4)This will complicate things for Dany. I thought the theories were farfetched - I'd like to see how it's explained

 

I obviously need to read a bit more in order to know what the hell you're all talking about.

 

Not sure what the HOLY **** refers to, but I've read a fair bit and it's funny to see some fan theories confirmed. I guess after this long someone at least was sure to hit upon the right answer.

 

I'm about 20% into the book (yay Kindle version only showing percentage and not page numbers!)

Impressions so far:

1. Aegon lives! Well there's one fan theory confirmed, but it's gonna complicate things greatly for Dany ...

2. What the hell is Dany doing? She needs to just give up on the city already and go back to Westeros, it's hopeless. What does she hope to learn from trying to govern a hostile city whose main trade (and source of power, and source of income) she abolished? (Actually, a lot of characters in this book so far spend a lot of time doing hopeless things and failing at them, it's amazing.)

3. I love Tyrion. Tyrion is the best character in the whole series. I was hoping for him to reach Dany, but now it looks like Jorah's carting him back to Cersei...

4. BLOODRAVEN IS ALIVE. AND HE IS THE THREE-EYED-CROW. OMG I DID NOT SEE THIS COMING.

 

Oh, I expected those.

Though I'm not convinced on the first.

 

I reckon the first is probably true because GRRM's been suspiciously cagey about Aegon's fate in previous interviews. Why confirm Rhaenys' death but refuse to say anything about Aegon's, unless he planned to bring him back?

 

Because if he said straight out that Aegon was dead and then he appeared everyone would know he was a fake. Remember Dany had a vision in the house of the Undying of a mummer's dragon - aka an actor costumed to look like a dragon.

 

I forgot about that. That's a very good point...

 

Before I went to bed late last night, I was a little less than a third of the way through the book. I closed the book after reading the fourth Dany chapter.

I freaked the **** out when Tyrion started drowning in that river. After a few chapters, I got the biggest smile on my face seeing his name at the top of a chapter again. So, Little Griff is the baby Prince Aegon, huh? So he'd be about 18-20 years old now...

Back to the reading!

 

Until I finish the book, this thread is officially OFF LIMITS!

 

Finished the book. So....Wyman Manderly turned out to be a complete badass. Cooking Freys in a pie? Getting his neck cut open and walking it off? Hiding Davos and then sending him off to find Rickon? (Though I dunno where this terrifying place is. Skagos maybe.) Building and hiding an entire battle fleet? Go Lord Too-Fat.

 

Done.Didn't realize there was any doubt about Aegon being dead, so I was fairly surprised to see that turned up and thought it was kind of lame. I'll have to reread the series...again...to see if its really hinted at. Glad to see Varys make an appearance at the end; I was wondering all book where he was at. I'm getting kind of sick of the Slavers Bay stuff- they need to head back west, and soon. Hope Jon isn't dead (and that we don't need ten years to confirm), and GRRM is still playing coy with his heritage.

Nothing from the Vale of Arryn or Oldtown, damn.