Let's Read A Song of Ice and Fire

[ryuplaneswalker]

Spoiler

Show

I'm curious what gives you that impression. I don't remember anything indicating Rhaegar was on the cusp of rebellion himself

Spoiler

Show

I remember either Jaime or Bariston relating the last words Rhaegar said upon leaving for the Trident were "When I get back, there are going to be changes."

I do not imagine he was talking about serving red wine with the meals instead of white, in the context of what was going down at the time I imagine Rhaegar was going to give his father a Targaryen Pimp Slap.

[SaintRidley]

So I've managed to get a fair handle on my article's organization and getting enough written that, when I couldn't sleep the other night, I blasted through another hundred pages of GoT. So, I'm getting about 3 pages a day written on my article, which should put me in the clear by Monday, so I felt I could bring another entry up. Enjoy!

Let’s Read: A Song of Ice and Fire:
Game of Thrones

part five! Pages 501-~600.

Action! Intrigue! Betrayal! Wieners! These hundred pages had it all. I expected some stuff to go down, but I wasn’t imagining quite the cascade we got. As an added bonus to future installments, because I have the mentality of a teenager every time we get a great line about one of the characters’ wieners flapping softly in the breeze, I’ll underscore it with a line from the song. Should we by some miracle have more wieners in a hundred pages than there are lines to the song (eight), I’ll start from the top… in Spanish. Una salchicha una salchicha….

Eddard: The king is dying because he got gored by a boar while hunting very drunk. When I said he wasn’t long for this book I wasn’t quite imagining it happening the very next chapter. Oh, and there’s a squire who just so happens to have been keeping him supplied constantly. Probably in the employ of Cersei. Anyway, Ned takes down his will, even going so far as to *gasp* not include some of the exact wording so that he can make sure Joffrey doesn’t become king. Ned, I’m so proud of you. You’ve learned the value of dishonesty. Oh, and Rob wants Ned to call off the kill on Dany. Too late, of course.

Now, Renly seems a bit hotheaded, but he’s right. You’ve got to strike while the king’s ailing but not dead – Cersei would only expect a move from Ned after that point, so she’d be preparing like crazy but not doing anything, and you could catch her off guard this way. Ned, though, is too optimistic and honorable for that sort of thing, which, *sigh*, it’s like, dude, you should know this isn’t that kind of story. Even if you don’t realize it’s a story (Sansa kind of does, just the wrong genre – she thinks this is a medieval romance), you’ve got decade long winters – nothing to be optimistic about.

The end here proves just how much Ned really needs to learn about trust, though. Ned, what does Littlefinger tell you? Don’t trust him. What did you just do? Trust him to pay for the goldcloaks. Now, I’m no expert, but I’m under the understanding that mercenaries, and that’s what the goldcloaks are right now, are loyal to who pays them, not the guy who sends someone to pay for them. But Ned’ll never see that coming.

Jon: Lots of nifty information in this chapter – so there are the old gods, and then there are “the Seven” who I presume are the gods of the seven kingdoms? Not to get too deep into it, but feels like a kind of unorganized, pseudo-pagan sect and a more organized, “mono-pantheonic” sect. This could be interesting later. Wonder how religious conflicts are going to play out later. But back to the plot, we get promotion ceremonies. Jon’s all “I wanna be a ranger,” but dude, chill. It’s obvious to anybody reading and to all your buddies that you’re being groomed to take command. Like I said back in the first two hundred pages:

* Jon's up at the Wall. I'd guess he eventually takes charge up there

So I’m going to call that prediction safe and practically complete, even. And when Sam and Jon do theirs out in the woods north of the wall, Ghost discovers a hand for them. Spooky. When I was at this point, I figured probably one of Ben’s guys but not Ben’s because he’s gonna be important.

Eddard: The king is dead. Ned has kind of learned the value of dishonesty, if only by proxy. Ned’s offer is, for obvious reasons, unheeded. Don’t like her, but Cersei’s just better suited to this whole court thing than Ned is. Ned’s mistake, I think, is being so half-hearted about this. He’s willing to make only the smallest concessions to playing the game and he thinks it’s enough, but he’s not willing to do things like fill in the council before things get bad and maybe get some of them able to help. The turning of the goldcloaks is not unexpected, but man it sucks seeing Cersei get the upper hand (and Joffrey not have his head on a spike – he and Rob Arryn can go fly together).

Arya: Arya on the run. All around this has been a great chunk, as it’s scattering people and shaking things up. Arya on the run means having to put her skills to use. Her first confrontation… well, she didn’t remember the fancy stuff, but she remembered Jon’s lesson and stuck him with the pointy end. As a fencer, the rest will come with practice, and I look forward to that. She’s smart – figuring out how not to look out of place, how to hide, how to get back down to those dungeons, how to conquer her fear.

Sansa: She’s painfully innocent, isn’t she? So Jeyne’s father’s dead, Jeyne will be dead shortly, and Sansa’s being held as insurance by the Lannisters that the Starks won’t do anything to stop them. Now, what should happen if she continues writing to her family and perhaps lets slip some knowledge to them? She’s still so enamored with Joffrey, though, that doing it on purpose doesn’t sound likely. But she realizes she never asked about Arya and they never said anything about her – there’s hope for the girl yet.

Jon: So the Wall gets the news about Ned, but first they find the bodies Ghost led them to: Jafer and Otho (Otho the Othor now). They catch the blue eyes, but they don’t quite know what’s up there, and Sam proves himself really useful with the blood analysis (he could get a job at Miami Metro Homicide). So some good recognition from the Old Bear, and of course Thorne has something to say about Ned to antagonize Jon. That conspiracy I smelled earlier? I think it’s his conspiracy. Anyway, Jon gets in trouble but gets to acquit himself by taking out Otho the Othor with Ghost’s help. And so everyone except those at the Wall are looking in the wrong direction. South’s not important – North is.

Bran: So Robb’s going south – and Bran’s got the right of things – it’s the wrong direction to look. They’ve figured out a way for Hodor to carry him around, and Bran appreciates it while hating the way people look at him. Out in the weirwood he chats with Osha, who I honestly had kind of forgotten had been left alive after the attack, and she tells him how to listen to the gods, about the Others and giants, and even about this Mance Rayder guy. Speaking of giants:

“Hodor,” Hodor agreed. He was dripping wet from the neck down, steaming in the chill air. His body was covered with brown hair, thick as a pelt. Between his legs, his manhood swung long and heavy.

Wiener, wiener wiener, wiener wiener…

Anyway, the big thing (heh), I think, is this: Bran resolves to learn magic. Oh yeah. Right on that front as well. Robb better watch himself – he’s got people, and he’s earned their loyalty for now, but he’s heading into a trap, and taking his eyes off the real threat. Bran'll be Sorcerer-Lord of Winterfell within a few books at this rate.


Daenerys: Right at the beginning of the chapter we visit Khal Drogo and Dany.

His manhood glistened wetly.

One wiener next to another wiener….

Anyway, failed assassination attempt, which means the king really screwed the pooch by going along with the council – or perhaps this is exactly what the council wanted. I’m not going to trust that the small council is in anyone’s pockets except their own. Khal Drogo’s determined to cross the sea now – which makes me realize that the Dothraki lands aren’t on the map at the beginning of the book, which also means that they’re looking at a somewhat long voyage, and complete blindness about what’s lurking northward. Oh, and Dany is getting the idea with the eggs. Good Khaleesi.

Things of importance:
* Dany’s starting to think about hatching the eggs
* The small council’s got its own agenda, probably tied to ensuring their position. Aligning themselves with everyone and then taking the side of whoever proves themselves most ruthlessly willing to pursue power seems to be the MO.
* Bran’s made the first step toward getting magic: wanting magic.
* Arya’s on her own and could well pop up anywhere next.
* Sansa’s captive, but she might well become something of an inside agent for the Starks so long as she keeps her wits about her and realizes what her situation actually is.

Predictions pulled out of my ass:
* Bran getting magic all but confirmed.
* Jon taking charge up at the wall all but confirmed.
* I almost see Cersei pulling a Titus Andronicus and getting the Starks to pledge fealty only to kill as many of them as possible. The Red Robin wedding may well be the elimination play which goes all kinds of wrong for the Lannisters.
* Starting to think Ned will survive this book, but not for long into the next. Like, killed in the first hundred pages.
*There will eventually come a run of a hundred pages where I get to start the Spanish translation of A Chorus of Wieners for you guys.

[TechnOkami]

A Chorus of Wieners for you guys.

A Chorus of Weiners you say? Nice predictions btw.

[hamlet]

Oh my poor sweet summer child . . .

[Math_Mage]

Spoiler

Show

To be fair, he's still right about everything this time, it's just the timing that's off.

[Aedilred]

I think I've seen "oh my sweet summer child" said at least as many times in this thread as "words are wind" or "if I look back I am lost", etc. appear in the entire series.

[Grinner]

Spoiler

Show

To be fair, he's still right about everything this time, it's just the timing that's off.

Spoiler

Show

Told you he's psychic.

[Legato Endless]

Yeah, I would appreciate if this stopped. There's more enough to discuss in the thread without lording our knowledge of forthcoming events over OP.

[russdm]

* Sansa’s captive, but she might well become something of an inside agent for the Starks so long as she keeps her wits about her and realizes what her situation actually is.

What actions has Sansa performed that you are basing this idea on? Just for my personal information, here.

[SaintRidley]

She's writing. Whether conscious of what she's saying when she writes it or not, a lot will be told from that fact alone. If she realizes the power she has, she'll be able to take some degree of control from a subordinated position.

Just my literary scholar senses tingling, really. When a character starts writing, something important is happening there and all kinds of communicative opportunities await.

[russdm]

She's writing. Whether conscious of what she's saying when she writes it or not, a lot will be told from that fact alone. If she realizes the power she has, she'll be able to take some degree of control from a subordinated position.

Just my literary scholar senses tingling, really. When a character starts writing, something important is happening there and all kinds of communicative opportunities await.

Wow, that's just wow. I personally don't find the idea of a character writing to say much without the character's own feelings about what they are writing being involved as well to grasp how they are thinking. What a character says about they are writing or how the character feels about what they are writing says a lot more the character than just writing to me.

[Math_Mage]

For my money, it's more of a "Where does Sansa's savviness have to go but up?" dynamic.

Wow, that's just wow.

It really isn't.

[SaintRidley]

And, though I didn't know it when I wrote the most recent update because I don't read ahead before I write an update so my speculations in the update are still firmly grounded in my reading up to only that point, I did get a chance to read the next chapter while on the bus today. It's a Catelyn chapter where she and Robb discuss the letter Robb got from Sansa, and he doesn't know what to make of it, but Catelyn does - "The real message is in what Sansa does not say."

This is where my training does me a lot of good.

[Killer Angel]

Oh my poor sweet summer child . . .

Can we stop this joke, please?

[Forrestfire]

I... don't think I even remember where that was said in the books. It can't have shown up more than a few times, I wonder what cased it to meme in here.

[smuchmuch]

I think it's said in the very first book in fact, it's Sansa tutor lady who says it to Sansa if memory serves when talking about winter if memory serves. Also there might be something slightly similar to bran later but i'm not sure.

[Math_Mage]

The more memorable instance is when Old Nan is talking to Bran, yes. (Memorable mostly because it found its way onto the TV show.)

[hamlet]

Can we stop this joke, please?

Oh get over it.

[Landis963]

The more memorable instance is when Old Nan is talking to Bran, yes. (Memorable mostly because it found its way onto the TV show.)

Also because it neatly encapsulates the fact that naivete is harshly discouraged in Westeros.

[Seerow]

Spoiler

Show

I kind of wish the "knights of summer" line had gotten memetized somehow.

[Math_Mage]

Also because it neatly encapsulates the fact that naivete is harshly discouraged in Westeros.

That would apply to any instance of it, though. Only one instance is recapitulated on the show.

[Landis963]

That would apply to any instance of it, though. Only one instance is recapitulated on the show.

In the ASoIaF/GoT fanbase then. Goodness knows it's been bandied about often enough.

[Math_Mage]

In the ASoIaF/GoT fanbase then. Goodness knows it's been bandied about often enough.

Now I'm confused. I was comparing two instances of "sweet summer child" from the book and saying one was more memorable because it made it on the show. You're...comparing "sweet summer child" to other phrases or something? I dunno, but it's not what I was talking about.

[Legato Endless]

Hey look everyone. Lightsabers.

[ryuplaneswalker]

Haha I remember requesting that on Radio Dead Air, and the chatroom being.

Confused...confused...anticipating...and then Cheering as a group.

[SaintRidley]

Let’s Read: A Song of Ice and Fire:
Game of Thrones part six! Pages ~600-700

All right. Now that I’m done with major major writing projects for the summer, I’m going to bring you part six of my read through of Game of Thrones. What I know for certain right now is that everything seems to be coming apart in a number of directions, and I’m not sure how the pieces are going to come together. Anyway, to the chapters.

Catelyn: We get some interesting strategic information about this location with the three towers – that may not come up in this conflict here, but it’s unlikely to be a one off mention. And Catelyn reads between the lines of Sansa’s letter. Good. Someone who puts their ability to read to good use is someone we should want to remain alive and active as long as possible.

Tyrion: Strategy session with dear old dad. I admire the attention paid to strategy here. And not even the pretence of intending to keep Tyrion alive through this.

Sansa: She’s at the center of a lot of the political action now. With time, she’ll begin to pick up on what’s happening. Joffrey does some title conferring, names Sandor to the Kingsguard, and names Jaime the captain of the Kingsguard. Which means Barristan’s on the outs – lucky for him he’s able to escape. I wonder what Joffrey’s role here is – is he puppet to his mother, or is he acting somewhat autonomously? His answer to Sansa’s request is unclear.

Eddard: He’s alive, but not doing so well. Varys here is interesting. He’s got his own agenda – serving the realm, but always so he has a position of power to serve from. He’s trying to teach Ned to swallow his pride and honor. We’ll see how well that works.

Catelyn: These Catelyn chapters are beginning to resemble Robb chapters more than anything. The things you need to do to corral disobedient vassals, though.

Jon: He gets a sword. The big reveal here, though, is Maester Aemon is a secret Targaryen. Should have been able to tell – their names tend to have a pattern nobody else’s does – the prominent ae: Daenerys, Rhaegar, Aemon… Viserys is the only one I can think of without it. Now that we know there’s one out there, why not Jon?

Daenerys: All hail Daenerys, Khaleesi and stopper of many rapes! I’m hoping that the animosity Qotho has toward her leads somewhere, somewhere where Daenerys is able to use her respected position as the mother to the Stallion who shall Mount the World to change Dothraki culture.

Tyrion: I’m a sucker for a good battle scene, and this one delivered. Lannister victory here, but a Lannister victory planned by Robb. The boy’s got brains and good advisors. The Lannisters are going to have a hard go of it if they keep thinking of him as just a child.

Catelyn: And the second part of Robb’s strategy goes without a hitch. They’ve got the Kingslayer in custody now. Just have to wait and see what they do with him.

Things of importance:
* Robb has a bargaining chip in the form of Jaime Lannister. We’ll have to see if he escapes or if Robb will actually put him to use.
* Expect some big infighting within the khalesar as a result of Dany’s actions here. People don’t generally react well to having their license to rape taken away.
* Varys is playing a long game. He’s going to definitely be the spanner in the works for a number of things.
* Arya and the wizard dude are still in play. Either could come up at the worst time for their respective enemies.
* One secret Targaryen means the possibility of another.
* Ser Barristan is a free agent. Will probably be drafted by the Starks down the line.

Predictions pulled out of my ass:
* Joffrey, being Joffrey, will grant Sansa’s request for an audience with her father. I’m not quite seeing Ned dropping honor, but perhaps making an intentional sacrifice play and forcing Joffrey to have him executed in exchange for safety for his daughter? I don’t know. Not really much of a prediction and more of a fuzzy maybe.

[Eldan]

Wizard dude? What wizard dude?

[Seerow]

Wizard dude? What wizard dude?

Think this is a reference to the conversation Arya overhears down by the dragon skulls, where one of the men is referred to as a Wizard

Spoiler

Show

We know this is Varys, and I'm pretty sure the context clues are there to let Riddley know that, and I doubt it will ever come up again, at least not before book 5. But I'm still afraid of just letting that information go because spoilers >_>



Also....

What I know for certain right now is that everything seems to be coming apart in a number of directions, and I’m not sure how the pieces are going to come together. Anyway, to the chapters.

ahahahahahahahahah they think it's all going to come back together ahahahahaha *sobs*

[CarpeGuitarrem]

That wizard came from the moon.

[SaintRidley]

Wizard dude? What wizard dude?

Arya saw him, said he looked like a wizard. Until I know more, he's wizard dude.