A Song of Ice and Fire

[Nightmare Asylum]

I let out a good laugh when I finished reading AFfC and his note in the back of the book said that the fifth novel should be out "next year"

[Shasvre]

I let out a good laugh when I finished reading AFfC and his note in the back of the book said that the fifth novel should be out "next year"

[Nightmare Asylum]

Finally finished A Dance With Dragons, and oh man that was fantastic Definitely surpassed A Storm of Swords as my favorite volume so far.

And now the wait for The Winds of Winter begins...

Some thoughts:

Spoiler

I don't buy that Jon is actually dead (for long, anyways). He's definitely going to be coming back.

I also don't buy Ramsay's comments about Stannis in his letter.

Varys!

Dany's story has taken some very interesting turns, and I can not wait to see how everything comes together with her, Tyrion, and all of the Mereen/Yunkai stuff. Barristan is awesome, by the way. Really loved getting him as a POV chapter.

I think the POV's I'm most looking forward to in the next book are Arya (or whatever name she's going by now ), Davos, Bran, Jon (if he is indeed gonna be a POV), Sansa/Alayne, and Jamie/Brienne.

[close]

[Shasvre]

I forgot to ask you, but what did you think of...

Spoiler

...the sudden twist with another Targaryen in the mix?

[close]

[Kimarhi]

Spoiler

I don't know why but my initial feeling is that this Targaryen is going to be more along the lines of Joeffrey.

[close]

[Xenodog]

Finally finished A Dance With Dragons, and oh man that was fantastic Definitely surpassed A Storm of Swords as my favorite volume so far.

And now the wait for The Winds of Winter begins...

Some thoughts:

Spoiler

I don't buy that Jon is actually dead (for long, anyways). He's definitely going to be coming back.

I also don't buy Ramsay's comments about Stannis in his letter.

Varys!

Dany's story has taken some very interesting turns, and I can not wait to see how everything comes together with her, Tyrion, and all of the Mereen/Yunkai stuff. Barristan is awesome, by the way. Really loved getting him as a POV chapter.

I think the POV's I'm most looking forward to in the next book are Arya (or whatever name she's going by now ), Davos, Bran, Jon (if he is indeed gonna be a POV), Sansa/Alayne, and Jamie/Brienne.

[close]

Spoiler

On Ramsay's letter, didn't your copy come with an exert from Winds of Winter?

And yeah, John isn't gone / gone permanently with Melisandre about.

[close]

And I agree with Kimarhi.

[Nightmare Asylum]

I forgot to ask you, but what did you think of...

Spoiler

...the sudden twist with another Targaryen in the mix?

[close]

Took me by surprise, that's for sure. I like the way it's shaking up the status quo.

Spoiler

On Ramsay's letter, didn't your copy come with an exert from Winds of Winter?

[close]

It did, but I have yet to read it.



More spoilery thoughts/speculation:

Spoiler

I wonder if the Other, the evil god beyond the wall that the red priests fear, has some connection with the actual Others? Maybe their leader of some sort. Given that R'hollor is a fire god, bringing in the Other (or followers of the Other) as some sort of literal representation of ice would bring some nice balance to "A Song of Ice and Fire."

While on the topic of the Others, I wonder if we ever could/would get a POV from one of the beings beyond the wall? An Other, or maybe a Child of the Forest. Also, I wonder if maybe the Others aren't truly evil like they have been portrayed. They have to have some sort of agenda of their own that we just don't know about yet.

Completely unrelated to the above speculation, but I'm definitely under the impression that Ser Robert Strong is Gregor Clegane (maybe I just don't want to see those vile Clegane brothers die ). Will be very interesting to see what lies beneath that helmet, when he finally takes it off.

Since the horn that Mance had and Melisandre burned was revealed by Tormund not to be the actual Horn of Joramun, I wonder if that horn that Jon discovered (in A Clash of Kings, if I remember correctly) alongside the Night's Watch clothes and dragonglass will be it. He gave it to Sam if I'm remembering right.

And speaking of horns, will be very interesting when Victarion and Daenerys clash. I'm sure Dany is going to somehow end up with Dragonbinder.

And now, on the topic of Dragonbinder, which comes from Valyria, I hope we get to see the ruins of Valyria before this is all over. And Asshai. Both would be cool.

[close]

[Shasvre]

More spoilery thoughts/speculation:

Spoiler

While on the topic of the Others, I wonder if we ever could/would get a POV from one of the beings beyond the wall? An Other, or maybe a Child of the Forest. Also, I wonder if maybe the Others aren't truly evil like they have been portrayed. They have to have some sort of agenda of their own that we just don't know about yet.

[close]

Spoiler

This reminds me that there is a legend in the ASOIAF where a Lord Commander of the Night's Watch married a White Walker woman, which I think lead to a civil war in the Night's Watch. So there is more to them than just being evil, it seems.

[close]

[Nightmare Asylum]

More spoilery thoughts/speculation:

Spoiler

While on the topic of the Others, I wonder if we ever could/would get a POV from one of the beings beyond the wall? An Other, or maybe a Child of the Forest. Also, I wonder if maybe the Others aren't truly evil like they have been portrayed. They have to have some sort of agenda of their own that we just don't know about yet.

[close]

Spoiler

This reminds me that there is a legend in the ASOIAF where a Lord Commander of the Night's Watch married a White Walker woman, which I think lead to a civil war in the Night's Watch. So there is more to them than just being evil, it seems.

[close]

Huh, for some reason I completely forget reading that passage. But that sounds very, very interesting. I like that a lot.

[Xenodog]

I forgot to ask you, but what did you think of...

Spoiler

...the sudden twist with another Targaryen in the mix?

[close]

Took me by surprise, that's for sure. I like the way it's shaking up the status quo.

Spoiler

On Ramsay's letter, didn't your copy come with an exert from Winds of Winter?

[close]

It did, but I have yet to read it.



More spoilery thoughts/speculation:

Spoiler

I wonder if the Other, the evil god beyond the wall that the red priests fear, has some connection with the actual Others? Maybe their leader of some sort. Given that R'hollor is a fire god, bringing in the Other (or followers of the Other) as some sort of literal representation of ice would bring some nice balance to "A Song of Ice and Fire."

While on the topic of the Others, I wonder if we ever could/would get a POV from one of the beings beyond the wall? An Other, or maybe a Child of the Forest. Also, I wonder if maybe the Others aren't truly evil like they have been portrayed. They have to have some sort of agenda of their own that we just don't know about yet.

Completely unrelated to the above speculation, but I'm definitely under the impression that Ser Robert Strong is Gregor Clegane (maybe I just don't want to see those vile Clegane brothers die ). Will be very interesting to see what lies beneath that helmet, when he finally takes it off.

Since the horn that Mance had and Melisandre burned was revealed by Tormund not to be the actual Horn of Joramun, I wonder if that horn that Jon discovered (in A Clash of Kings, if I remember correctly) alongside the Night's Watch clothes and dragonglass will be it. He gave it to Sam if I'm remembering right.

And speaking of horns, will be very interesting when Victarion and Daenerys clash. I'm sure Dany is going to somehow end up with Dragonbinder.

And now, on the topic of Dragonbinder, which comes from Valyria, I hope we get to see the ruins of Valyria before this is all over. And Asshai. Both would be cool.

[close]

[Nightmare Asylum]

Did you forget your own post after the quote?

[Xenodog]

I don't know how I managed to be that forgetful. 

[Nightmare Asylum]

Semi-spoiler for the Dunk & Egg novellas and their relationship with ADwD.

Spoiler

Seems like it is all but confirmed that the Three-Eyed Crow is Brynden Rivers, legitimized bastard of Aegon IV, former Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, and character in the Dunk & Egg novella The Mystery Knight... as if I wasn't already dying to read these novellas, now I stumble on this and want to read them even more

[close]

Really can't wait for GRRM to compile the Dunk & Egg stories into a single volume. If I had to guess, that'll happen after a fourth novella is released.

At least this year is going to see the release of The World of Ice and Fire to hold me over



Another random thought, now that I've finished ADwD:

Spoiler

I know Melisandre thinks that Stannis is Azor Ahai reborn, and that most fans seem to think that Dany fits the bill better, but what if it is actually Jon Snow?

"There will come a day after a long summer when the stars bleed and the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world. In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword. And that sword shall be Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes, and he who clasps it shall be Azor Ahai come again, and the darkness shall flee before him."

The day will come after a long summer - At the very end of ADwD the raven signaling winter arrives in King's Landing

The cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world - Jon Snow dying and falling into the snow

In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword. And that sword shall be Lightbringer - I'm sure Jon is going to come back to life (be it by Melisandre or some other means). And what if Longclaw is his Lightbringer? Whether Stannis' Lightbringer is actually Azor Ahai's Lightbringer or a fake of some sort, I can see Jon's own blade picking up the Lightbringer mantle if he pick's up the mantle of Azor Ahai.

There's also this quote that seems to point at Jon: "I pray for a glimpse of Azor Ahai, and R'hllor shows me only Snow."

[close]

[That Yellow Alien]

Spoiler

I think a lot of people think Jon Snow is Azor Ahai, especially when you consider the theory that Rhaegar and Lyanna are his parents. He would literally be a union of ice and fire. It makes so much sense, I would be very surprised if this isn't the case. Then again, Martin might be setting us up for a something completely out of left field.

[close]

[Xenodog]

Semi-spoiler for the Dunk & Egg novellas and their relationship with ADwD.

Spoiler

Seems like it is all but confirmed that the Three-Eyed Crow is Brynden Rivers, legitimized bastard of Aegon IV, former Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, and character in the Dunk & Egg novella The Mystery Knight... as if I wasn't already dying to read these novellas, now I stumble on this and want to read them even more

[close]

Really can't wait for GRRM to compile the Dunk & Egg stories into a single volume. If I had to guess, that'll happen after a fourth novella is released.

At least this year is going to see the release of The World of Ice and Fire to hold me over



Another random thought, now that I've finished ADwD:

Spoiler

I know Melisandre thinks that Stannis is Azor Ahai reborn, and that most fans seem to think that Dany fits the bill better, but what if it is actually Jon Snow?

"There will come a day after a long summer when the stars bleed and the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world. In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword. And that sword shall be Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes, and he who clasps it shall be Azor Ahai come again, and the darkness shall flee before him."

The day will come after a long summer - At the very end of ADwD the raven signaling winter arrives in King's Landing

The cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world - Jon Snow dying and falling into the snow

In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword. And that sword shall be Lightbringer - I'm sure Jon is going to come back to life (be it by Melisandre or some other means). And what if Longclaw is his Lightbringer? Whether Stannis' Lightbringer is actually Azor Ahai's Lightbringer or a fake of some sort, I can see Jon's own blade picking up the Lightbringer mantle if he pick's up the mantle of Azor Ahai.

There's also this quote that seems to point at Jon: "I pray for a glimpse of Azor Ahai, and R'hllor shows me only Snow."

[close]

I agree, that final quote from Mel was quite telling for me, I thought.