A Song of Ice & Fire Series (Game of Thrones spoilers)

[JBond]

I've only been reading new posts, but thanks.

[IanTheCool]

Played the board game again tonight. Man does it rule. I won as the Baratheon's by fighting off the Lannisters and then taking the Eyrie. Sweet.

[PsYkOoOoO]

Originally Posted by IanTheCool

Played the board game again tonight. Man does it rule. I won as the Baratheon's by fighting off the Lannisters and then taking the Eyrie. Sweet.

I'd love to get the board game, but I don't know enough people to play it. Sure, I know a handful of people who's watched the show and/or read the books, but playing the board game is on another level. Is it complicated to get the rules right?

[IanTheCool]

Originally Posted by PsYkOoOoO

I'd love to get the board game, but I don't know enough people to play it. Sure, I know a handful of people who's watched the show and/or read the books, but playing the board game is on another level. Is it complicated to get the rules right?

Its a step up from Risk. The rule book makes it more complicated than it has to be, buts its pretty straight forward once you've gone through it once.

[PsYkOoOoO]

Originally Posted by IanTheCool

Its a step up from Risk. The rule book makes it more complicated than it has to be, buts its pretty straight forward once you've gone through it once.

Just checked it out on YouTube. I don't think I got half the rules. I really suck at board game rules.

[JBond]

Halfway Report of "A Dance with Dragons"

This book has began to drag quite a bit, to put it briefly. The first book was so great because it was self-contained and motivated by many things: a family being thrust into noblehood, a murder mystery, lite-fantasy, etc. But since then all we really know is that everybody wants to kill everyone for the throne and the Starks are magic. Anyway, more specifically:

Daenerys:

This has been mostly about war indecisions and marriage choices and hasn't been very interesting. I certainly don't care for her fawning over Daario. I'm not saying just because she's a strong female character she can't want to get some, but it's being presented as such a school-girl crush it's a bit off-putting.

Interesting thing I've noticed about Dany. Here's a girl who's passionate, caring, sympathetic to all of those in need whether it be the sick, poor or salves, and yet what is her main goal? To attack Westeros with dragons and rule the land. Is this a paradox of a character, or is this the whole point and it's leading to a problem when she finds that she won't be seen as a liberator in Westeros one day and will have to kill many, many people?


Tyrion:

I liked the conversation between him and Aegon. It's interesting that he’s set on helping him on his future (and Dany’s). What is his motive to help this kid out? Does he hate his family and what Westeros has become so much to switch sides?

Tyrion talks about his father’s death waaaay too much. In intermonologue, I mean. And hating Cersei. We get it, it's on his mind.

I love when characters who have never met get to mingle. Refering to how Tyrino and Jorah Mormont are now hanging out. But bottom line, this story is a bit boring, too. Can't wait for either him and Dany to met, or Aegon and Dany.


Reek:

Classic GRRM to have us now pity Theon. What a poor, sad sack he's become.


Jon:

Is Jon more tough this in this book or is it only in comparison to Season 2? Either way, I like it that he's more of a man. Scenes between him and Staniss and Melisandre are great and often highlights of the book so far. SOme character points out that Jon and Staniss are simlar people, and it's oddly true.

Melisandre becoming a two-sided character was obvious in retrospect (see: Reek), but to have her show insecurities and sympathy towards Jon, Staniss and others in her first first-person chapter was refreshing. She's no longer this evil shaodw, but more fleshed out now. She actually seems to care.

It’d be nice if Jon would warg and save his “sister” but I suppose only cool things like that can happen in Book Seven. I hate to sound like a little kid, but the Starks are by far the most interesting thing about this series and I started to read this series because of my love for science fiction, so let's get on with the awesome body swapping.

I don’t understand why Mance was switched with the Lord of Bones.


Martell:

Kinda boring. Though it's somewhat interesting to see other people talk about the war against Dany form the other side, but still not worth it. I can't believe the line "fart in your general direction" found it's way into the book. It worked in the context, but there's no way that wasn't purposely lifted from Holy Grail.


Davos:

Another person sent on a long, futile search for a Stark kid. I foresee boring Davos chapters in the future, which is a pity, because I really like him. Maybe he'll run into Brienne and they'll have a laugh.


Bran:

Ah, Bran. I finally read a new chapter last night on him, recalling the last few months of his journey to be a greenseer. THIS is what I'm talking about. Some of the most interesting stuff I've read so far in the series. I forgot what it was, but about 2 books ago there was a hint that the Old Gods and the weirwoods were not superstition and actually existed as some sort of system or entity. I've been waiting ever since for more of it, and I've been rewarded. I love that Bran could be more powerful than I had imagined.

Final random thought: I wonder if in the last book, or whenever Dany attacks, there will be a scene where a Stark wargs into a dragon to save the day. That'd probably be too awesome to do, though.

[IanTheCool]

Wow, Stark warging into a dragon. Hmmm....

I felt the same as you on Dany's story in the book. Luckily the Meeren stuff will pick up later.
You think Davos chapters will be boring? I can see it with the Brienne comparison, but he knows where he's going.

Mance was switched because Melisandre didn't really want Mance burned. I guess.

[JBond]

I forgot to mention I love that there's a fake Arya Stark walking around. Can someone remind me what character "invented" her? Who knows she's not real, besides Theon?

[PsYkOoOoO]

Originally Posted by JBond

I forgot to mention I love that there's a fake Arya Stark walking around. Can someone remind me what character "invented" her? Who knows she's not real, besides Theon?

Littlefinger. Cersei knows that he dressed someone up to pass off as Arya Stark. Jaime is in on it too, somehow. According to him, the Boltons know that she's fake too.

[JBond]

OK, thanks. Yeah, I figured the Bolton's knew.

[Dhamon22]

The middle took me a while to get through but it definitely picks back up.

I agree I love the Bran stuff in this book. And Jon is definitely my favorite character. Shame they pretty much ruined him in the show.

[IanTheCool]

Poor Jeyne Poole. She's got it worse than pretty much any other character.

[JBond]

It's not looking great for her. GRRM clearly hates women.

[Dhamon22]

Originally Posted by IanTheCool

Poor Jeyne Poole. She's got it worse than pretty much any other character.

Theon/Reek might have something to say about that...

[IanTheCool]

But he's already gone through it.. She has those horrors to look forward to, for lack of a better phrase.

[Justin]

True.

Theon had it pretty bad though. I mean, the guy honestly didn't have much else to lose. Think about it: between his self-worth and losing several body parts, there wasn't much else that could be done to him. It was actually difficult to read those chapters.

[PsYkOoOoO]

But his chapters were also the best.

[FranklinTard]

the amount of dany chapters in the final book is so obnoxious if you ask me. i feel like he has much better ideas for her in the tv show. both versions will get to the same place, but the tv show won't take so long.

[IanTheCool]

Theon's story is pretty much the only one with closure.

[PsYkOoOoO]

Let's try not to spoil anything for JBond.

[JBond]

I'd appreciate it. I'm not an idiot.

[JBond]

Third Quarter Report of "A Dance with Dragons."

The books definitely starting to pick up. Not only are plots getting more interesting, but it just feels better written. And I'm enjoying the return of characters from "A Feast for Crows." However...

Areo Hotah / The Watcher / Sunspear: I have no idea what’s going on here. In "A Feast for Crows" this was the toughest to follow because Dorne was a completely new setting. And for them to come back for a single chapter with all these characters, relations, and plots, it was a bit tough for me. I remember the stuff about The Mountain and Oberyn, but these mentions of plots against Myrcella have me stumped. Though I do remember the feminist Dornish trying to build her as Queen of Westeros.

Theon: I liked the chapter that on the surface seemed to be about the northeners waiting for Stannis, but was really about the storm coming and how irresponsible the Bolton’s were being about winter’s coming. (Should be a good lead-in to "Winds of Winter.") Bran talking to Theon thorough the trees was cool. I suppose the plot of sneaking out Jeyne is interesting, it just loses a lot of juice from not being the real Arya. They care more than we do.

Dany: This Daario thing bugs me more every time. The nerd in me hates that this strong, smart character would pick the short-tempered, barbarian jock. Even worse, she admitted to herself she would give up everything, including Westeros, to be with him. I’m quickly losing respect for this character. But needless to say the Fighting Pits scene was pretty great. Here I was looking forward to the meeting of Dany and Tyrion when low and behold, a dragon attacks. There’s also an interesting bonding scene between her and Drogon initiating her permission to ride him.

Arya: Not only has it been a long time since I’ve heard from one of my favorite characters, but this was a very well-written chapter. Going back to my complaint of how this series has no direction, this chapter was actually a self-contained short story. First she was forced to be blind to learn her other senses, which is pretty cool by the way. She proved her worth by using her sixth sense (cheating? An interesting debate), and was rewarded with her sight back.

Jaime: Jamie's return was also with a quality, concise chapter. It was interesting to see the deals behind a surrender – this felt like new territory for this genre, to me.

Jon: Jon's stories have been a bit of a let down and not very interesting. Looked like it was going somewhere with “Arya’s” wedding and it went nowhere. I haven't finished the book yet, but it's looking like that overall this book for him will be about taking the wildings as allies to help fight the Others. Which is admirable and necessary, but as a book it allowed itself few moment of interest or character development. (You ever wonder about Mormont's crow? Perhaps Jeor Mormont was a warg and a part of him is still in there? I don't see any other crows talk.)

Tyrion: Tyrion becoming a slave is kind of interesting, however, it's just another example of the staling of characters to never get anything done in this series. The characters should rule their surroundings, not the other way around. And what’s with all of the “cyvasse” in this book? I get the feeling this novel will end with a cyvasse game to the death between Tyrion and Daenerys.

Cersei: Would have been more of an interesting return of her character if her confession was genuine. Instead it’s the same old Cersei. I once heard the description of deaths in the series as happening to those who fail to adapt. Isn’t Cersei’s life way overdue, then? (Obviously that's a rhetorical question until I finish the book.)

[IanTheCool]

I really liked the Dorne chapters. There's a lot of conniving backdoor politics there that I enjoy.
The fighting scene pits was really great and completely took me by surprise. And it will result in a new POV which I think you will appreciate.

I also like Arya and Jaime's chapters in this book.

[JBond]

Yeah, as soon as a shadow passed over Loraq's head, I thought...oh yeeeeeeah.

[JBond]

Final Report of "A Dance with Dragons"

Barristan Selmy: As you said, IanTheCool, Selmy's POV chapters are great, and in the end, a real highlight of the whole book. The first chapter was the best. It was really a chapter all about Selmy, not so much what he was doing. We learned a bit more about his devotion being towards Dany because of his feelings of failure to past Targaryan kings. He’s upset about getting old and starting to think about the best way to exit as he trains new young knights. It reminded me of when the series was new and I was learning about all these great characters for the first time. I also loved the intrigue with him and the mystery of the poisoned locusts and I liked that Selmy got to be a bad-ass and kill someone in a fight, but it was pretty damn similar to Mormont’s battle with a Dothraki from A Game of Thrones. (Was it in the book too, or just the TV show?)

Quentyn Martell: I loved the death where the dragon bites through a man’s neck and breathes fire out through the guy’s mouth. So long, Quentyn.

Jon: The crow now said “Jon Snow,” I was right, somethign's going on; maybe we'll find out years from now. The march of the wildings was kind of neat. I figured Jon’s approval rating must be pretty low with all of the wildling loving, but I didn’t expect them to go Brutus on him. Not that I'm worried he'll die. He's one of only two characters in the series that I consider to be "safe" from being killed off.

Victarion: My (Drowned) God, I don’t really care.

Jon Connington: For whatever reason, I like this character; I'll be very interested to see where his story, along with Aegon, goes. (As it now does seem to be the main plotline going further) He’s like Barristan Selmy, but he chose a different path.

Arya: I love that Arya’s first kill was an insurance salesman.

Bran: I was hoping for one last Bran chapter, but nope. Only two. It'll be interesting to see how they handle this once the show catches up. They'll have to have Bran with more training scenes, or something...maybe they could even expand Rickon's character (the actor will be much older by then) and have him work out his powers, as well.

Cersei: Cersei’s walk of shame was pretty interesting. I thought for sure she was going to be betrayed and killed, though. Bummer.

Daenerys: I figured there'd be one last chapter for her; it was pretty good, I guess. I wonder what all the bleeding was about.

Epilogue: Nothing truely epic, but the ending was stil pretty interesting. I liked that it was such a bold move for Varys, and yet still believable.


Final thoughts:

I'm pretty dissapointed with the last couple books. It seems GRRM has lost his way and no one has enough pull to remind him he just wrote 2000 pages for "one book" and didn't get a whole lot done. Though that's a bit unfair, because epics such as these aren't really about accomplishments. They should be about intrigue and characters and fun, and those things have been missing for some time. Adding new storylines such as the expansion of the ironmen and Dornish wouldn't have been a problem if they were interesting. But because they weren't, it feels like GRRM is not writing so much as he's typing. My renewed interest in Barristen Selmy was a a bit of a wake up call, because it reminded me how much better a read can be when you care. Was the mystery of the poisoned locusts that interesting? Probably not. But after he got me interested in his plight, I was onboard and having a great time. Moving forward in the series, I hope he thinks first about the characters, because they are what are driving these books.

Here's my approximate ratings:

A Game of Thrones: ***.5/****
A Clash of Kings: ***/****
A Storm of Swords: ****/****
A Feast for Crows: *.5/****
A Dance with Dragons: **/****