A Song of Ice and Fire - Book 1 A Game of Thrones

[Anirudh]

@Smith, Sansa is perhaps the only naive character in the whole book. If she had been more cautious, so many people would be alive today.

@Abhay, No such thing as rightful ruler. Her father lost the battle so she has no claim on the throne.

@Manju, I like summer and ghost :) They look awesome.

What do you guys think about the house sigil and the words? It's one of the things I really love about this series

[RachelvlehcaR]

My favorite characters are Tyrion, Arya, Jon, Ned, and Dani. In that order.

My least favorite are Sansa, Catelyn Stark, and Viserys Targaryen.

I can't stand Sansa, (view spoiler)[ She is a horrible character. I don't like anything about her. I can't stand how she is. Then I thought about why do I not like her. It wasn't really all her fault. She was taught to be that way. She was just trained to we a wife and lady to her husband. She was pretty much just to be a pretty face and no mind. Just married off. So doesn't have the fire that Arya has. Arya can by the tomboy girl because that role of her sister makes her free enough to be herself. What I can't stand is how Sansa will betray her sister so quickly for stupid Joffery.

Joffery is a spoiled brat. Goodness, Joffery is just evil. The perfect little villain in the making. He is so sadistic. Then again, the poor boy is most likely based off of Caligula. :P Incest!!! BTW the whole incest this with Caligula is just a myth.

Catelyn, I can't stand how cruel she is to poor Jon. She has her own issues. I know she does a lot to save her family but how she just treats Jon is horrible. She shouldn't be like that at all. (hide spoiler)]

[RachelvlehcaR]

Anirudh wrote: "@Smith, Sansa is perhaps the only naive character in the whole book. If she had been more cautious, so many people would be alive today.

@Abhay, No such thing as rightful ruler. Her father lost t..."

The house sigil and words are the best! I love them. I always quote them. :)

[Anirudh]

@Rachel, I don't like sansa either especially because (view spoiler)[ She told the queen what her father was planning, all for Joffrey. (hide spoiler)]

I don't like Cat that much because she sometimes comes off as an annoying character.

As much as we all hate Joffrey he's a great villain to the story. A petty and cruel boy who has too much power.

[Ahtims]

@Anirudh
(view spoiler)[ if I remember correctly, she was much concerned for her family. She didn't know about the cruel streak of the Lannisters. She told, perhaps because she was sure of her father's pardon and of the misguided idea of bringing together the 2 clans. She was only 13 or 14. And she didn't have the luxury of knowing how wicked Cersei and Joff are (as we the readers did)
It was just a misguided and faulty decision making on her part. Of course, Arya is brilliant. But Sansai is the underdog. (hide spoiler)]

[Ahtims]

I googled the various houses and their sigils; indeed they are magnificent.
http://gameofthronesrp.com/wp-content...

[Gordon]

Whoa! So much hatred towards Sansa!

(view spoiler)[
I particularly don’t love that character but I cant say I hate her though. Sansa’s biggest problem I feel is that she is unprepared for the real world. She is a teen and a very girly sort of character which is out of place in this series as everyone else appears to be a bad-ass.
Sansa is the only character who has her future sorted out before the start of the books; be a lady, marry the price, bear him children. She seems to have prepared herself towards that journey but that doesn’t work out so now she finds herself completely lost. And to add to that; naive.
I agree that her part can a little annoying to read but at the same time I cannot imagine any other character to survive in Sansa’s role. Imagine Arya having to go through Sansa’s storyline; Do you think she could have survived this long?
(hide spoiler)]

[Gordon]

Anirudh wrote: "PSmith wrote: "Difficult in cities and towns. Imagine them attacking others, and we constantly paying re compensation."

Who is going to ask money from a guy who owns a vicious direwolf? :D

who i..."

My favourite characters are Cersei Lannister, Arya Stark, Oberyn Martell, Lord Varys, Tyrion Lannister, Ser Davos Seaworth, Sandor Clegane.

There are many more though; these are what I can remember at the top of my head.

[Ahtims]

@Gordon, exactly. At least one like minded person here. :P
@Abhay, welcome :-)

[Gordon]

PSmith wrote: "I googled the various houses and their sigils; indeed they are magnificent.
http://gameofthronesrp.com/wp-content..."

All houses are supposed to have their sigils and their words.
These are what we know till now, from the books:

http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/...

[RachelvlehcaR]

Abhay wrote: "Wow thanks for that link Smitha :) I forget Targeryans had Dragons Åä their sigil whoaa.. how badass is that! And I love Stark Punchline the most! Will reply to all posts in sometime.."

Oh my goodness. How can you forget that? It's all Targeryan and what they are about. Dani is the mother of dragons!!!

[Ahtims]

I find the whole Dani group icky.

[Anirudh]

I like Jorah. Interesting character

@Smitha, still not an excuse :P

If Arya were in her place Joffrey would be dead within 5 minutes :D

[Anirudh]

I love this one.

http://widewallpapers.info/wp-content...

[Ahtims]

@Anirudh, not arguing. Reg. Sansa (view spoiler)[
But comparison doesn't serve any purpose. Sansa won't behave the way Arya does; they have different natures. :P :P (hide spoiler)]

[Ahtims]

Anirudh wrote: "I love this one.

http://widewallpapers.info/wp-content......"
Link not working?

[Anirudh]

PSmith wrote: "@Anirudh, not arguing.
But comparison doesn't serve any purpose. Same way Sansa won't behave the way Arya does; they have different natures. :P :P"

Yes and I like Arya's nature more :P

There are a few Indian names in the series which I liked a lot :) Quite surprising too

[Ahtims]

I too like Arya better (who doesn't? ) but I feel bad for Sansa.
I remember only Arya among Indian sounding names - have encountered many Aryas in kerala.

[Anirudh]

http://widewallpapers.info/wp-content...

Still not working?

[Ahtims]

Nah. Shall recheck in PC.

[Anirudh]

Arya, Meera, Asha So far

[Anirudh]

Although Arya is not really a name

[Ahtims]

Why not? :O
Arya is a name.

[Anirudh]

Technically Arya is the name of a group of people. Can you name any character from History or Mythology whose name is Arya?

[Ahtims]

I know live ones :P

[Anirudh]

Yes because it's a modern name.

[Ahtims]

Oh. That way.

[Em Lost In Books]

I liked Catelyn Stark (atleast in this one). I never felt her annoying.

[Purvika]

Looks like you guys have read most of the series...I am starting it tomorrow....

[Em Lost In Books]

Any thoughts about Jon?

[Ahtims]

I like Jon so far.
(view spoiler)[ Seems like a sensible, kind guy. (hide spoiler)]

[Em Lost In Books]

PSmith wrote: "I like Jon so far. Seems like a sensible, kind guy."

(view spoiler)[he is my second favorite in this book. the conversation between him and Tyrion was awesome. I also liked how he loved his half-brothers and sisters. Not only that but the part where he first taught sword fighting to his fellow brothers at the Black Castle and then how he helps Sam. it was very touching. (hide spoiler)]

[Ahtims]

Yes, it was.

[Anirudh]

I like Jon. His character is interesting and so is his journey. He doesn't get to do a lot in this book but gets his due later.

What did everyone think of Ned Stark and his life of honour?

[Ahtims]

I found Ned Stark(view spoiler)[ too bound by his perception of right and wrong to do justice. He should have acted differently at a crucial step. So should have Sansa. Their combined miscalculations changed the course of the game. (hide spoiler)]

[Srividya]

Can you people please use spoiler tags, even if you think discussing about characters doesn't really spoil anything? It did for me, because now I know that there are characters who have miscalculated, who don't do much but get their due later etc etc... I don't want to come here to discuss and find myself with a bunch of spoilers staring at me in my face, making me not want to read the book at all.

Sorry if I sound rude but seriously it is irritating to come here to post something and see a discussion about the merits and demerits of a character and the story without even the courtesy of a spoiler tag!

[Srividya]

Also kindly request people to put chapter numbers or at least the person's name before the spoiler tag, so that the others know which part you are referring to and does not read the spoiler by mistake and finds that it is a spoiler for the end!

End spoilers similarly please be marked as END SPOILERS!

Thank you for your cooperation. :)

[Em Lost In Books]

PSmith wrote: "I found Ned Stark too bound by his perception of right and wrong to do justice. He should have acted differently at a crucial step. So should have Sansa. Their combined miscalculations changed the..."

(view spoiler)[ I agree with you. Ned was not only honest but stubborn too. He should've never left for King's Landing and be the Hand of the King. Once in King's Landing, he had to go and uncover the secrets. He knows that Robert was not the same man now. He should have been careful. He thought he could overpower Cersei, a mistake on his part. but I think he put too much of trust in his friend and all this trust and honor cost him his life. (hide spoiler)]

[Ahtims]

Oops, Srividya, I truly didn't realise that I was giving out spoilers. Shall edit and modify my comments by tonight (as spoiler facility is not there in the App )
Thanks for pointing out. :)

[Em Lost In Books]

Daenerys

(view spoiler)[I liked her very much. her journey from being a wimp to the dragon princess was remarkable. I almost hated her for her love for Viserys. He was so mean to her and yet she was so gentle with them, always. May be it was fear but she had a good heart and there is not doubt it. (hide spoiler)]

[Srividya]

No worries Smitha! Just wanted to ensure that no more spoilers occur! :-)

[Gordon]

Manju wrote: "Any thoughts about Jon?"

Jon is, in my opinion, one of the most outright likeable characters in the books.
(view spoiler)[
We'll have a lot to discuss about Jon further in the series but as of Book 1 he is character who has accepted the fact that he is a Bastard(doesn't mind how Catelyn treats him), loves his half siblings very much(especially has a very strong relationship with Arya) and moves on to discover his own destiny in the Night's Watch.
Everything about him makes you wanna root for this character.
(hide spoiler)]

[Gordon]

Talking about one of the recurring themes of this series.
(view spoiler)[
Which/Whose is your favourite death in the series? :P
(hide spoiler)]

[Em Lost In Books]

Gordon wrote: "Manju wrote: "Any thoughts about Jon?"

Jon is, in my opinion, one of the most outright likeable characters in the books.

We'll have a lot to discuss about Jon further in the series but as of Book..."

exactly!!

(view spoiler)[though I hated how Catelyn treated him. I feel this hatred of Catelyn was one of the reason that he took the Night Watch. (hide spoiler)]

[Em Lost In Books]

Bran?

(view spoiler)[I seriously feel pity for this boy. he was at wrong place at a wrong time and now have to lead the life as a cripple. His dreams of becoming a Knight shattered now. Poor boy! (hide spoiler)]

[Em Lost In Books]

Gordon wrote: "Talking about one of the recurring themes of this series."

(view spoiler)[Robert. natural reasons yet the impact of it was so horrible. specially for the Starks. (hide spoiler)]

yours?

[Gordon]

Manju wrote: "Gordon wrote: "Talking about one of the recurring themes of this series."

[spoilers removed]

yours?"

(view spoiler)[
Viserys Targaryen. It's not really why he dies, for me, but how he dies. I suppose you haven't watched the TV series yet but that scene is one of the most epic scenes ever! :P Just straightforward brutal. :P
(hide spoiler)]

[Gordon]

Manju wrote: "Bran?

[spoilers removed]"

Oh you just wait a little longer! :P

[Anirudh]

@Smitha and Manju

(view spoiler)[ Ned Stark is a symbol of honour. He could have been like the others and probably avoided a good deal of trouble but that's not in his nature. That was the point of stark. He refused to change with the times and it cost him. Others learn from his mistakes and learn to adapt. He would not be Ned Stark if he acted like everyone else.

And with Roberts, I don't think he expected Cersei to move so quickly. He knew what Robert would do to her so had to confront her first. (hide spoiler)]

Regarding characters, the series is full of surprising twists so it is very difficult to judge characters from book 1 itself. They may change or may not. As someone who has read all the books, I suggest not to cross off any characters just yet.

[Em Lost In Books]

okay here are some discussion questions that I found on google.

(view spoiler)[
1) Here's the question that was on everyone's mind when the HBO show premiered: is Ned Stark dumb? We never would have thought to ask that question, but a lot of people wondered if he could have avoided that little, uh, beheading. Is Ned too honorable for his own good? Would you still like him if he were a little less honorable and a little more ruthless? Or is it smart to be honorable and assume the best in everyone else?

2)In the second chapter, a stag kills a direwolf and one of the characters says that this is a sign. After reading the book, you know that the Stark family symbol is a direwolf and the Baratheon family symbol is a stag. So does this early scene count as foreshadowing? Does it seem like this is a warning to us that Robert Baratheon will lead to the death of Eddard Stark? Or is this scene misleading since Ned Stark is actually killed by Joffrey (who is a Lannister in truth)? The first time you read this passage, were you nervous? Are there any other signs in the book that serve as foreshadowing?

3)What's the deal with the dragon eggs? Did you feel that the ending was satisfying? Cheesy? Random? Exciting?

4)Since this is the first book in a series, Martin has to teach us all about the history of this world he has created. How do you think he did? Were you confused? Did the history interrupt the action? Or was it the perfect amount of 4-1-1 for your liking? What about the history of various individuals? Did you ever want to hear more about Eddard's history with Robert or more about how Jaime Lannister joined the Kingsguard?
(hide spoiler)]