A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1)[September 4, 2023]

[Beena]

Through 2nd Sansa (view spoiler)[ Loved Arya's sword training chapter! That was good of her father, I wouldn't have thought he'd allow it. And I like that she's being trained to be fluid and fast rather than use brute force which she obviously doesn't have.

Dany's dragon dream- is it a type of magic? As she's drawing strength from the dragons in her dreams.. (I know there isn't really magic per se in this story; it dips it's toes slightly- same with Bran and his dream, if that flying was actually real, which I think it is, because he's seeing real events). -Ahh ok, read on a bit more, so magic does or did exist in the east, but most of the story is set in the west where it's disappeared.

Bran- His eighth name day had come and gone. He was almost a man grown now. Seems you weren't far off about 3 being nearly an adult to the Starks Paula! Haha.

Aw, I love what Jon did for Sam. What an abusive father that poor boy had. In a way, worse than what Jon experienced being a bastard.

Oh snap! Finally some action with Catelyn accusing Tyrion in the Inn! Pretty clear that Tyrion has no idea what she's talking about, so possibly Jaime asked to borrow his dagger that they found on the murderer?

Who the flip left Sansa all by herself after the tournament?! You're telling me that only person watching over her was the septa? Sandor Clegane could've done anything to her! He's not wrong about her being a pretty bird reciting pretty things- she's incredibly naïve and fantasizes about the world being how she's dreamt it, which is what makes her annoying, but she is still a child so I can't dislike her for it. She's got a harsh lesson to learn though unfortunately. (hide spoiler)]

I'm enjoying Bran, Arya, Jon and Tyrion's chapters, Daenery's just getting started, but finding Eddard and Catelyn's a bit harder to get through.

I'm guessing this is not the case for the rest of you as you've all watched the TV show, but I'm finding imagining the world a little hard. Although there are descriptions, there's nothing forming seamlessly in my mind's eye: I have to concentrate on what's been said and try to force the image. The characters are the more solid images.

It's also been a bit slow so far, I need some things to start happening to really get hooked into it.

Btw, does anyone know how many books are meant to be in this series? 10?

[Beena]

And why keep people saying 'breaking their fast' instead of 'eating breakfast'? So strange!

Probably cos that's how it would have been said in the middle ages, "eating breakfast" is more a modern turn of phrase and would be totally out of place in the book.

[Ann-Marie]

Beena wrote: "Btw, does anyone know how many books are meant to be in this series? 10? "

Officially it's 7 but we all know the 5 released are likely to be it. Can you imagine him releasing 5 more books in this series? He'd have to live to be 548 years old the rate he is going!

There is a slight chance I am bitter about the rate in which he fails to release books lol

[Beena]

Ah thanks! Lol! What the hell then, that means he's only got TWO more!! You'd think he'd have gotten there by now! Jeez. I honestly thought that he got steamrolled by the way the TV series blew up and it was giving him a creative block in finishing, so once it was over and it's been some time, which it has, he'd get back on it again. But he's just written another TV series linked to it instead! I was like, really??! Yeah, not likely that we'll get an ending, which is a damn shame.

[Beena]

Through 8th Eddard

(view spoiler)[Bloody hell, I thought that Knight of the flowers guy was gonna get brutally murdered!

Ahhh, so Varys was playing a character himself and fooling them all..

Dothraki are horse warriors, no? And they're fond of eating horse?! Yikes!

Ha, loved Arya giving those guards a good talking to! Arrgghh, I wish Ned would've listened to her! Let her speak dammit! She had vital info for him from her spying and he had no idea! And I know he's too honourable and responsible for this, but he would get so much further to the truth of everything if got her to sneak about and eavesdrop on conversations for him. (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

Beena wrote: "Ah thanks! Lol! What the hell then, that means he's only got TWO more!! You'd think he'd have gotten there by now! Jeez. I honestly thought that he got steamrolled by the way the TV series blew up ..."

Well at the end of Crows in the afterword he wrote that he had most of the next book written and Dance would be out in like a year (my memory may be faulty but I am not that far off I believe) and Dance wasn't released for 6 years. I don't have a guess for how many release dates have come and gone for Winds but it's been more than a few. Not going to go into details but I think he wrote himself into a corner, killed off at least 1 person that he shouldn't have and has one major character stuck in a location that needs to be in a different location and rather than figure it out he is just not finishing the book. It's been 12 years since Dance was released, I am not optimistic in the least that we will see the conclusion to the book series.

[Mei ☽︎]

I'm realizing how bad I am at actually stopping and visiting here when it's a reread even though it's been a long time since I read the first book. 😂🫣

I'm about halfway now and really enjoying the world and characters again + the pictures are great! It's making me want to look up more ASOIAF art and art for books in general tbh. My favorites in the series have always been Arya, Jon, Jaime, Tyrion and it's been so long since I've heard/read some of these charas' POVs so it's really nice!!

I don't have anything specific atm since I've just been slowly reading over the past weekish but I'LL DEF. TRY TO next time I post to add something more meaningful 🤣

[Saar The Book owl]

I'm around page 274 now: (I don't keep much track of the chapters, sorry...)
Tyrion:
(view spoiler)[I'm still in doubt if he had something to do with the attempt of murder on Bran. He said his deepest regrets to Jon, assuming that Bran died and then the knife and the sentence that he would do almost anything for Jaime and the knife was Tyrion's...or maybe it's too obvious to see him as the murderer. (hide spoiler)]

Bran:
(view spoiler)[he can't see it yet that it will be through the raven's eyes that he would be able to fly and would become the three - eyed raven. It was a fine gesture of Tyrion to give Bran the plan for a saddel accustomed specially for him or was it out of guilt? (hide spoiler)]

Daenerys:
(view spoiler)[Her story is a bit slower than the others. It's still at its beginnings, but it seems that she bgins to feel at home witht the Dhotraki, althought it isn't. Well, 14 years and pregnant and the other characters are nearly a man at 15...Being an adult has other meanings than in real life. They become an adult much faster. I don't see Daenerys getting real power, but in a way she's connected to the dragons and that healing dream, I think, has to do something with the eggs, maybe. (hide spoiler)]

Arya:
(view spoiler)[I just love her. Not the typical girl, like Sansa, but with the right heart at her place. I can understand that Ned's daughters give him grey hair, but he sees that Arya is different. that's shown in giving her the sword lessons. She thinks she's tough, but deep inside, she cares...even for her sister. (hide spoiler)]

[Saar The Book owl]

4th Jon:
(view spoiler)[I think it was necessary that Jon was reminded about his place at the Wall. Maybe he thought, because he is part a Stark, that he is better than aynone or otherwise needs to prove himself, but they are all the same and one family. That got finally through to him. I loved how Jon comforted Sam and made him feel welcome. (hide spoiler)]

[Beena]

Ah Mei, I thought we'd lost ya and you'd just gone off on a mood read marathon instead!

[Beena]

9th Eddard (view spoiler)[ I think I've figured it out!

The seed is strong.

What Jon Arryn kept repeating when he died, along with Robert's name. And what Ned noticed about the newest bastard in the brothel and the first one that Robert fathered in the vale: both had his black hair, plus the smith apprentice boy was the spitting image of Robert with blue eyes and black hair. Jon Arryn figured out that Joffrey isn't Robert's because he looks nothing like him. That's why they killed him! Boom! (hide spoiler)]

[Saar The Book owl]

2nd Sansa:
(view spoiler)[I wonder when Sansa's eyes will open and show her who Joffrey really is, but still, she's still a child in awe with her prince...I felt sorry for Sandor Cleagane, reading how he got his burned face. Now I can understand why he is no knight and why he is so insistant that no one can call him 'Ser'. (hide spoiler)]

7th Eddard:
(view spoiler)[The poor man is having the worst job ever being the Hand or maybe it is Robert having the worst job as being the King. Who knows...I think it's just wishfull thinking that Robert would listen to Ned when he tells about the attempt of murdering Bran. He isn't the man he was before and bound to the throne and the Lannisters. Ser Gregor is just a monster, killing his horse like that and it was right of Sandor to stand against him instead of the Knight of Flowers. But maybe, like Littlefinger said Tyrell planned the whole thing and he maybe he knew the stallion would react on the mare. Sandor and Cleagane had an old bill to settle and who know what would have happened if Robert didn't interfere. (hide spoiler)]

Is someone else still reading?

[Saar The Book owl]

4th Tyrion:
(view spoiler)[Come to think of it, Tyrion couldn't have been the one who ordered the murder on Brann and that for so many reasons. It would be to easy to suspect him. (hide spoiler)]

3rd Arya:
(view spoiler)[The castle is Arya's playground and all its hidden hallways with it. At the beginning she was untouched by all the conspiracies, plans, rumors...but now it has changed, it seems. Who was the fat man and the hooded man she overheard? Could one of them be Vaerys? The bastard Ned had found, I get that, but what with the book? It seems of importance and if I remember correctly it had to do something with lineage. (hide spoiler)]

[Saar The Book owl]

A little thought on 8th Eddard:
(view spoiler)[The council is discussing the pregnancy of Daenerys and the possible threat of the unborn being a son. They forget one thing: if they kill Daenerys and her unborn child, then they will have the anger of the Dothraki upon the realm. Sea or no sea between them, there is the existance of ships...But if the child lives and grows up to be the heir, then that also means war. So, for now, the realm seems to be lost on both points. (hide spoiler)]

[Saar The Book owl]

6th Catelyn:
(view spoiler)['A woman can rule as wisely as a man,' Catelyn said. Hear hear, absolutely right on that! She might be cold at some times, but Catelyn has a point: women are not only there for giving birth and maintaining castles, farms...Even more, sometimes they are more cunning than men. (hide spoiler)]

[Saar The Book owl]

12th Eddard:
(view spoiler)[It took a comment from Sansa to Ned to understand what was written in the big, old book: Jaime and Cersei. Now he understands why the accident happened to Bran, because Cersei didn't deny it. The quote on page 470 made me laugh: 'I shall say this only once'. It's the same sentence that is used in a very popular series, called 'Alloo, Alloo'.
By taken Tyrion prisoner, Catelyn started little fires. Little sparks of a maybe upcoming war. But what Ned said to Cersei, going on exile, will certainly has its consequences. (hide spoiler)]

[Beena]

I am still chugging along with this, just got a bit busy and a tad under the weather at the moment, so the going is slow...

Up until 7th Jon

(view spoiler)[ Finally, the penny dropped with Eddard! He's such an idiot honestly, telling Cersei that he knows everything, just so that her kids are spared. Does he seriously not even suspect how much of a viper she is herself??! And double the idiot for trying to act to the letter following Robert's death. He didn't see that coming with everything everyone was telling him?! Honestly, can't be dealing.

Jon- Seemed pretty obvious to me that their intention for making him steward to the commander was to groom him for command. He was being pretty silly for sulking. That Alliser guy thinks he won some petty war with Jon for getting him placed in that role, but I'll bet it was Master Aemon who put in the good word for Jon with the commander.

Jon- Yeah, sooooo not a good idea taking those dead guys back... pretty impossible not to see them returning to life and getting murdery coming, that ended up being quite horror-esque again! *Shuddders*

Viserys- got what he deserved didn't he?! Knob. (hide spoiler)]

[Carrie]

I finished my read a few days ago, and why did it take me so long to read this book?!?

[Saar The Book owl]

I compeltely agree on your thoughts, Beena.
I think that(view spoiler)[Eddard wants to do the good and just thing, but not thinking about the consequences. He should've known better. Jon was acting like a teenager, not thinking further ahead. Glad there is Sam for that! (hide spoiler)]

[Saar The Book owl]

@Carrie: what were your overall thoughts of the book?

[Saar The Book owl]

When have we planned the next one?

[Beena]

No date set yet. I'm ok with waiting a little while, feel like reading some other stuff after this, this one's taken so much time to get through as it is.

[Paula]

I am okay with waiting for the rest of you to finish, after all, it's not as if we are waiting to read Book six

Beena, through 3rd tyrion
(view spoiler)[I know! I was so frustrated at Sansa too when she was told to tell the truth to the king. Sansa just treats Arya very bad overall and that's why I don't like her

I love Littlefinget and Varys because they are sleazy and cunning and very suspicious (hide spoiler)]


Ann-Marie, yeah, Crows and Dance were just one book and he divided that so he should have been able to publish Dance quite early and not 6 years after... Absolutely agree with not seeing the ending of the series. It will be lucky if we get the sixth book. Hopefully exciting things will happen and then we can all invent the ending for ourselves

Mei, I get being bad at stopping in here. It's also my reread so I honestly don't have much to say but it's fun seeing what you all write. Those are my favourite too! Plus Dany

Beena,  7th Jon, (view spoiler)[ absolutely. Neds honor was his downfall for sure. He told Cercei his plans and she just calmly broke them alongside that flimsy paper.

Jon was so focused on being a ranger that he couldn't imagine anything else and he didn't imagine him being the next lord commander since he has always been a bastard. I like that Sam was the one to tell him since he was on his shoes as the heir of his house and to show that while he is cowardly and not much of a fighter his brain is his best tool (hide spoiler)]

Nirkatze (view spoiler)[ yeah, I also picture the scene of the tourney and the fight between the Mountain and the Hound as the series. The first season was simply amazingly faithful and I loved it

I agree. They are all so young and most of the time none of them appear as young. Cat and Ned aren't old but their voices and pov feel older. Ned is 34 or so. Ned mentioned that Jaime was a child when he killed Aerys and they mentioned he was 17 years old so I thing they were older, 20 or so

About Sansa. I too am glad that she woke up but that last chapter made me like her so much more. She almost even killed Joffrey and herself just to kill him. And how she dissociate herself from seeing her dad, that was brave (hide spoiler)]

[Paula]

one of the things I am puzzling about is Varys. Spoilers of book one (view spoiler)[ He wants the Realm to have peace but at the same time went along with the assassination of dany even when he sees that Roberts days are counted. He is trying to get Robert to stay on the throne even when he isn't a good king and he sees cercei as the next regent. Honestly, I don't see any possibility where there isn't war. Robert dying and stannis out there means war, even renly, killing dany only kills one possibility if he wanted her or her child to rule. On the other hand letting her live means war too. I do not envy Varys path, its impossible. So the talk Arya overhears was him telling Illirio that he needs time but for what? At that point there are killers aiming to kill dany and what I infer from that conversation is that they want her to live. So do they have faith that the assassination attempt will fail? And what is Illirio doing at king's landing? (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

I'm sorry I haven't been around since I finished! I'm still planning on reading everyone's posts, it just got so busy I got a bit overwhelmed. I'm totally on board for #2 whenever y'all decide.

[Paula]

No worries Nirkatze, reading everyone's posts is always fun so take your time :)

[Nirkatze]

<3 Looking forward to it!

[Beena]

Re my spoilers; very true Paula, nice thoughts!

I'm still reading! Taking me forever honestly!

[Carrie]

Saar The Book owl wrote: "@Carrie: what were your overall thoughts of the book?"

Having already watched the first season I had some knowledge going into it. So I was enjoying comparing the two. Martin has away to bring the emotion out better in the written format however. I loved that the sections are broken up into characters, I loved getting in their head. The show as fantastic as it was, the actors where incredible it doesn't even compare to what Martin can give us.

[Carrie]

Definitely on board for book 2

[Beena]

Finally finished at the weekend.

(view spoiler)[

Starks- I liked how Sansa found a bit of backbone to stand up to Joffrey, the little prick. I was wondering how Arya would survive, I wonder if that Yoren intends to see her to Winterfell? I seem to vaguely recall that not coming to pass tho... Robb did well in the battle, definitely had to grow up fast. The fact that his bannermen have made him King in the North should be interesting, now there's three kings apparently

Daenerys- That bit where she was taken into the tent as she started getting contractions and could see the dead dancing was pretty horrifying! I just about remembered that her baby died, that that was the price she'd pay, forgot about Drogo tho, I knew he died somewhere along the way cos I seemed to recall Daenerys fending for herself, just didn't know when. Completely forgot the whole spell thing tho and him being a husk of himself, that was pretty sad. The ending with the dragons! Knew that was coming with the little hints about the eggs.

Overall, I enjoyed it, but surprisingly (even to myself) I wouldn't say I loved it, which is down to a mix of things. (hide spoiler)]

[Paula]

Carrie, I agree, the TV show is good but getting into the characters head is way better

Beena (view spoiler)[ Kings are appearing everywhere haha

yeah, the part where dany lost her baby and her dreams were horrifying. And the whole "If I look back i am lost" mindset is pretty concerning. She is just ignoring everything is order to go foward, but mistakes also let us grow. Maybe someday she will accept everything she did and has done to her

I had a question about Mirri Maz Durr. Was she the one who poisoned Drogos wound? Or she only kinda saved him and sacrificed danys baby? Or both? I am leaning towards both

I did love the book. Its one of my favourite series, though I agree some parts were not so great (hide spoiler)]

[Beena]

@Paula (view spoiler)[ Dany- yeah she's just trying to find a way to survive really isn't she.

Mirri Maz Durr- Hmmmm, no, I don't think she did... I think in the first instance she did actually try to heal his wound- Drogo said that it burned but I reckon that was the ointment or whatever working. Then he had the Eunuchs treat him instead and I think the mud and wetness caused it to become infected and then he was also drinking the fermented mare's milk and wine that she told him not to, which made it worse. Then she didn't see him until his flesh had developed gangrene (and I think that causes blood poisoning too), she told Dany that she couldn't do anything for him, but Dany insisted, and she saw her chance. She knew beforehand, that the price would be high; she knew it would require a human life and probably someone that meant something to Dany and she also knew that if Drogo survived, he would not be back to normal and would also have paid dearly for it.

Fair play! I agree, it's definitely really well written, characters are definitely GRRM's strong point. (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Folks who are interested in book 2, does anyone have a preferred date?

[Carrie]

I'm good whenever, I can wiggle my other tomes around 😂

[Beena]

Maybe around 10th Nov?

[Nirkatze]

Sounds fine with me. ^_^

[Paula]

yeah, me too

[Nirkatze]

I can put in a request if y'all like. ^^

[Beena]

Sounds good Nirkatze :)

[Nirkatze]

Book 2 thread requested and made by our awesome mods!

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...