A Feast For Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, #4)

by George R.R. Martin

although Archmaester Benedict insisted that there had never been a war of five kings, since Renly Baratheon had been slain before Balon Greyjoy had crowned himself.

“You always miss your last shot,” said Roone. The apple splashed down into the river, untouched. “See?” said Roone. “The day you make them all is the day you stop improving.”

“It was Prince Rhaegar’s young son Aegon whose head was dashed against the wall by the Lion of Lannister’s brave men.

maester must cast light wherever he serves, and it is sharp to remind us that knowledge can be dangerous.

Wise men may grow arrogant in their wisdom, but a maester must always remain humble.

flesh decays and bone endures.

Words are like arrows, Arianne. Once loosed, you cannot call them back.

He understood the way that you could sometimes fall right into them, as if each page was a hole into another world.

“I never wanted to see half the things I’ve seen, and I’ve never seen half the things I wanted to.

Mance’s blood is no more royal than mine own.

The oldest histories we have were written after the Andals came to Westeros. The First Men only left us runes on rocks, so everything we think we know about the Age of Heroes and the Dawn Age and the Long Night comes from accounts set down by septons thousands of years later.

we say that you’re the nine hundred and ninety-eighth Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, but the oldest list I’ve found shows six hundred seventy-four commanders, which suggests that it was written during …”

The children of the forest used to give the Night’s Watch a hundred obsidian daggers every year, during the Age of Heroes. The Others come when it is cold, most of the tales agree. Or else it gets cold when they come.

Some accounts speak of giant ice spiders too.

“Knowledge is a weapon, Jon. Arm yourself well before you ride forth to battle.”

Jaqen who had given her the iron coin. He hadn’t truly been her friend, the way that Syrio had, but what good had friends ever done her? I don’t need any friends, so long as I have Needle.

Some of the crew shunned her, but others gave her gifts—a silver fork, fingerless gloves, a floppy woolen hat patched with leather. One man showed her how to tie sailor’s knots. Another poured her thimble cups of fire wine. The friendly ones would tap their chests, repeating their names over and over until Arya said them back, though none ever thought to ask her name.

when the cold winds blow the lone wolf dies and the pack survives. He had it all backwards.

“Jaime … Jaime has taken vows. Jaime never thinks, he laughs at everything and everyone and says whatever comes into his head. Jaime is a handsome fool.” “And yet he was your first choice to be the King’s Hand. What does that make you, Cersei?”

“Tommen has his mother.” Ser Kevan’s green eyes met her own, unblinking. A last drop of wine trembled wet and red beneath his chin, and finally fell. “Aye,” he added softly, after a pause, “and his father too, I think.”

“My royal sire fears your father more than he does our cousin Robert.

Cousin?

“When this battle’s done I mean to call a council. Changes will be made. I meant to do it long ago, but … well, it does no good to speak of roads not taken. We shall talk when I return.”

wont to stroke it when he pontificated. It had

and peeling, but Brienne knew their meaning.

Men of honor will do things for their children that they would never consider doing for themselves.”

“I am tempted to say this is no game we play, daughter, but of course it is. The game of thrones.”

history is a wheel, for the nature of man is fundamentally unchanging. What has happened before will perforce happen again,

“I prefer my history dead. Dead history is writ in ink, the living sort in blood.”

“Let all of King’s Landing see the flames. It will be a lesson to our enemies.” “Now you sound like Aerys.”

that she was the true queen.

The pyromancers said that only three things burned hotter than their substance: dragonflame, the fires beneath the earth, and the summer sun.

No man had ever made her feel as good as she had felt when he took her nipple in his mouth to nurse.

Hello Ferud!

Town on a trading galley from Volantis, and

Abed, unclad, we are our truest selves, a man and a woman, lovers, one flesh, as close as two can be. Our clothes make us different people.

even Lord Tywin never claimed to be a god.

Varys had all of us believing he was irreplaceable.

defer

“Your Grace,” Pycelle said in a quavering voice, “this will cause more trouble than you know, I fear. The Iron Bank …” “… remains on Braavos, far across the sea. They shall have their gold, maester. A Lannister pays his debts.” “The Braavosi have a saying too.” Pycelle’s jeweled chain clinked softly. “The Iron Bank will have its due, they say.”

“One good night for one good knight.

No man is as accursed as the kinslayer.

He laughed. “Godless? Why, Aeron, I am the godliest man ever to raise sail! You serve one god, Damphair, but I have served ten thousand. From Ib to Asshai, when men see my sails, they pray.”

exchanged glances. “Forgive me, princess,” said Garin softly, “but I do not like that man.” “A pity,” Drey said. “I believe he’s half in love with you.” “We need him,” Arianne reminded them. “It may be that we will need his sword, and we will surely need his castle.” “High Hermitage is not the only castle in Dorne,” Spotted Sylva pointed out, “and you have other knights who love you well. Drey is a knight.” “I am,” he affirmed. “I have a wonderful horse and a very fine sword, and my valor is second to … well, several, actually.” “More like several hundred, ser,” said Garin. Arianne left them to their banter. Drey and Spotted Sylva were her dearest friends, aside from her cousin Tyene, and Garin had been teasing her since both of them were drinking from his mother’s teats, but just now she was in

hundred colors, next to piles of foul-smelling rags

uncommon strength of body and spirit, and a heart both hard and strong.” I have a hole where my heart should be, she thought, and nowhere else to go.

Too stupid to learn and too stupid to give up.

Beneath your skin are muscles. Learn to use them. It is your face. Your cheeks, your lips, your ears. Smiles and scowls should not come upon you like sudden squalls. A smile should be a servant, and come only when you call it. Learn to rule your face.”

“In the game of thrones, even the humblest pieces can have wills of their own. Sometimes they refuse to make the moves you’ve planned for them.

Words are wind, Brienne told herself. They cannot hurt you. Let them wash over you.

Fire consumes, but cold preserves.

“Keep friends at your back and foes where you can see them,”