A song of ice and fire

[minkee]

I remember next to none of that What's the significance of blue flowers?

Which is good to know - it's slow going reading book 1 when it's just been refreshed by the tv series. That 'omg must find out what happens next' factor stops me whizzing through it so fast.

[Lovelyman]

Blue flowers were what Rhaegar gave her at the tournament, and they were her favourite iirc.

[Wickedkitten]

Aye, Ned had a lot of fever dreams involving blue roses and Lyanna as well whilst he was under the opium and Ygritte told Jon about that bard that took a blue rose from winterfell

[Goldaline]

I really, really hate R+L=J but i am fairly confident that it is true, pah

MASSIVE BOOK SPOILERS

Sandor Clegane

Dead (Probably) - Left for dead by Arya from infected wounds inflicted by battle, we're told he was found and buried by nearby monks. We'll see.

There's numerous hints that the gravedigger at The Quiet Island is Sandor (my favourite being his noted affection towards Dog).

As the Elder Brother says "[sandor Clegane] is at rest" "The Hound is dead".

[MrCarrot]

I can't quite believe I missed that the first time through. It seems so obvious reading it back, there's so much stuff in that chapter that doesn't make any sense being in the book if it isn't hinting at that.

Stranger being there, the lame novice with a fondness for dogs, the elder brother's story about his own 'death' on the Trident, the references to the Hound being dead - not Sandor...

[Headache]

Considering that the Hound was my favourite character I sincerely hope this is the case, his "death" was one I was most strongly struck by on my original read through the series.

[minkee]

If anyone's narrowly escaping death I want it to be

Brienne. I liek her.

Hound can escape it too though, that's fine by me.

Also I originally wrote 'if anyone's going to come back from the dead' but I had to change it. I don't want THAT mess happening to Brienne.

[Silent Runner]

I’m about half way through book 3 and shit just got very real.

• Jamies had his hand chopped off and I think he’s starting to fall for Brienne.
  
• Tyrion just married Sansa.
  
• Dany just bought and army.
  
• The Black Watch just rebelled and Sams left on his own beyond the wall with a new girl and baby.
  
• And Sandor has been captured.
  

Phew. All in the space of about 6 chapters.

I’m enjoying book 3 a whole lot more than book 2. There’s a lot less politicking and a lot more cool things happening. I can’t get enough of this stuff now.

[roskelld]

I’m about half way through book 3 and shit just got very real.

• Jamies had his hand chopped off and I think he’s starting to fall for Brienne.
  
• Tyrion just married Sansa.
  
• Dany just bought and army.
  
• The Black Watch just rebelled and Sams left on his own beyond the wall with a new girl and baby.
  
• And Sandor has been captured.
  

Phew. All in the space of about 6 chapters.

I’m enjoying book 3 a whole lot more than book 2. There’s a lot less politicking and a lot more cool things happening. I can’t get enough of this stuff now.

Dany just bought and army.

How incredible was that? I had to stop reading for a few minutes to gather myself and comprehend what kind of character she was really becoming.

[Silent Runner]

After

his ridiculous unarmed, one-armed bear pit rescue, Jamie is now my favourite guy.

[Wickedkitten]

After

his ridiculous unarmed, one-armed bear pit rescue, Jamie is now my favourite guy.

Aye, definitely one of the best characters imo, absolutely hated him in the first book for throwing Bran out the window but by the end of book four, he's up there with Tyrion. My OH was proper confused at how Jaime could be one of my favourite characters, but he's still on book 2.

[MrCarrot]

I love how he deals with

Sybell Westerling. 'Your daugher is worth ten of you, my lady.' Fucking zing, you scheming old witch

[minkee]

Aye, definitely one of the best characters imo, absolutely hated him in the first book for throwing Bran out the window but by the end of book four, he's up there with Tyrion. My OH was proper confused at how Jaime could be one of my favourite characters, but he's still on book 2.

I had such a hard job keeping a neutral face when my OH was reading them.

"I really hope Jaime dies!!" "*anything relating to Ned*" "zmg Robb's totally going to be King" "etc"

[Wickedkitten]

I had such a hard job keeping a neutral face when my OH was reading them.

"I really hope Jaime dies!!" "*anything relating to Ned*" "zmg Robb's totally going to be King" "etc"

I really really want mine to hurry up and catch up so I can actually talk about stuff instead of keeping a deathgrip on my tongue.

[Silent Runner]

I finished book 3 last night (I can't remember the last time I stayed up until 4.00AM reading a book) and it's definitely my favourite of the series so far.

I kind of get the feeling that he's stuck for something for Dany to do. She's become this great slave liberator character but it doesn't seem like she's going to march on Westeros yet. I was said to see that she and Jorah split up at the end. I kind of hoped they'd get together. I suppose it was unlikely with his history of being a slaver and her new role.

If I was sad to see Jorah leaving I was happy to see the end of Cat. Her chapters really dragged. I know her husband was killed and she thought her sons were all dead but she just droned on and on and by the time we got to the wedding I was really sick of her. And then she gets resurrected at the end? Oh man, of all the characters to being back why her?

As I said before Jamie became one of my favourite characters over the course of book 3. His adventures with Brienne were superb and I loved the bit when he gave her the sword.

The best sections for me where the ones with Jon, Sam and all the stufff on and beyond the wall. I was nearly punching the air when Sam killed the Wight and I love how he organised his 'coup' to make Jon leader of the Wall.

Near the end I thought Tyrion was done for, especially after the dual, but the guy is like Rasputin. I was really hoping Jamie would spring him but I didn't think he'd kill his Dad and Shae while escaping.

Fantastic stuff and now for book 4.

[dreamylittledream]

Sadly A Feast for Crows will infuriate and irritate in equal preportions/

Sure its still great but kind of downhill from hereon in.

That said hype setting at max for Dance of Dragons

[Harsin]

Early reviews are saying A Dance With Dragons is more akin to A Feast For Crows than the other books in the series.

[Headache]

So long as I can find out

what's been happening to Jon and Arya I don't care.

Please don't be shit, please don't be shit...

[Sirloin]

Is

Arya

in it? Thought all her bits were in Feast.

[Headache]

Is

Arya

in it? Thought all her bits were in Feast.

Was she? Damn it, it's been so long since I read the books I assumed she'd last been seen in A Storm of Swords. Well I can still hope! She'd travelled south the last I remember so hopefully she'll feature.

[MrCarrot]

I'm fairly sure GRRM's said Arya would feature. I definitely remember there being something about a couple of characters having POV chapters in both AFFC & Dance

[minkee]

but i thought it was meant to be at the same time? how would that work?

[MrCarrot]

It covers a bit more than Feast, apparently. Dance character spoilers:

"Yes, some of the characters who were featured as POVs in A FEAST FOR CROWS will reappear, since the timeframe covered by DANCE extends well beyond that of FEAST. Tyrion is not the only Lannister with a viewpoint. Cersei and Jaime will have chapters as well, though... be warned... not a lot of them. Arya is also on hand. And we'll check in with Bran and his companions as well, on their long cold trek beyond the Wall. There are two Dornish POVs (one old, one new), and three ironborn(all previous POVs)."

From: http://grrm.livejournal.com/217066.html#cutid1

[minkee]

Tbh I could read a book just about Danaerys on her own. Everyone else that's good can have bit pieces in it.

[fragglerock]

I found four a slog and have little enthusiasm for the new book.

[Aluco]

I found four a slog and have little enthusiasm for the new book.

I thought Feast was frustrating because it seemed to be focussing on what was going on everywhere but where I wanted it to. Although once I got into it I liked the way it was revealing all these new aspects of the world.

The structure is part of the history of the story's development I think. Feast is a collection of chapters from what was originally supposed to be the story focussed on by Dance, but this part of the story grew so widely that it could not be handled in a single book. Feast is mostly the story from the mid and southern Westeros POVs. Dance covers the North and Across the Narrow Sea during the time covered by Feast and then carries all of it forward.

[Silent Runner]

Halfway through book 4.

Another Brienne chapter? Jesus, how many more of these can there be? I thought Cat was the whiniest character but she's a ray of sunshine next to Brienne. It's just moan, moan, moan with her and nothing happens in her chapters. 'Have you seen a maiden of three and ten with auburn hair? ' Enough already.

[DeadRussian]

Coming to the end of book one and just ordered book two from Amazon.

I really thought Ned was going to be alright. Maybe he is and I need to carry on reading, but he seems rather dead at this point. Sean Beeeeeeeeeeeean!

[Rudi von Starnberg]

Halfway through book 4.

Another Brienne chapter? Jesus, how many more of these can there be? I thought Cat was the whiniest character but she's a ray of sunshine next to Brienne. It's just moan, moan, moan with her and nothing happens in her chapters. 'Have you seen a maiden of three and ten with auburn hair? ' Enough already.

I like Brienne as a character, but the problem with A Feast For Crows is just that Martin stretches out quite thin plot over the entire book. Basically every storyline is repetitive as fuck.

[Headache]

You really feel the absence of the missing characters he separated out for A Dance With Dragons as well. I think breaking up the book by location was a mistake as A Feast For Crows is weaker without them and he should have just done the usual thing and finished what was then the original (massive) novel of AFFC and just split it into two. Ah well, if A Dance With Dragons is great who knows maybe everything will be forgiven!