Game of Thrones reminder

[The Real MPD]

Craster



Roose Bolton



Dolorous Edd



Gilly



Pyromancer Hallyne

[mithrandir]

that choice for Craster is excellent,
Roose Bolton is one of my favorites...never really pictured him like that, but we'll see

that's Roy Dotrice as the Pyromancer who narrates 4/5 of the audiobooks, I think its great that they found a place for him in the cast, I guess originally they wanted him for Grand Maester Pycelle but he wasn't able to for health reasons, now that would have been awesome! ...am eager to listen to him narrate ADWD now, as he did such a wonderful job with the first 3

[Honky Kong 64]

I'm just stopping in to say that Dance with Dragons is blowing my fucking mind right now and I'm only on page 255.

[mithrandir]

I'm surprised more people here haven't discussed the actual content of the novels, the dude has built up a perfect storm of a story with so many components to keep up with it's almost impossible to not become obsessed with speculations about the many, many, many possible outcomes of all the story lines, characters, and analysis of all the crackpot theories that are out there,

anyway, For anyone who gives a shit:

where do whores go?

[mithrandir]

yeah, there was a bit of talk on Dance earlier, I guess I assumed you guys were done now though, I'd be curious on peoples thoughts on some of the last chapters

[Wang Mandu]

I'm about halfway through Game of Thrones and it's ridiculously enjoyable. I was a bit worried it'd be more of the same after watching the show before the book but all the world building details and characters left out really make it awesome, such as more of the tournament and the Hound having more than two lines. Also, Cersei is evil in the show but she's 10x the bitch in the book. I do wish they hadn't cut out so much of Ned and Robert's dialogue when Robert can't fit into his armor (or maybe I'm misremembering the show?). Some great lines in there about what Robert thinks of Joffrey.

[spacehamster]

I do wish they hadn't cut out so much of Ned and Robert's dialogue when Robert can't fit into his armor (or maybe I'm misremembering the show?). Some great lines in there about what Robert thinks of Joffrey.

Yeah, I don't think there's anything about Joffrey in that scene (I'm just butting in here because I've watched the entire first season twice, so I'd like to think I remember a detail or two); the scene mostly serves to flesh out Robert and add to his relationship with Ned.

[mithrandir]

probably the biggest disappointment with the show was how they handled The Battle of the Green Fork, knocking out Tyrion was pretty lame, cause not only was the battle in the book described stunningly but you also see Tyrion fight as well as show his wits on strategy in the battlefield proving that indeed he is his fathers son...

GRRM stated the same thing when I saw him, mostly at fault was the budget they had to work with so the battle had to go, he also wished the tourney could have been more extravagant, considering these are practically the Superbowls of Westeros,

[Wang Mandu]

It is a shame. The battle was great in the book. I don't think I've ever read a book faster than A Clash of Kings*. I don't think I've ever been more angry at a book than**.

*

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Renly getting killed!? Makes me wonder why they showed a homogay relationship between him and the Knight of Flowers in the first season of the TV show. Not that it wasn't hinted at and at the time I thought it was an interesting tidbit. Now, it seems like a waste of screen time. I just hope the writers don't think too highly of themselves and develop it further in season 2. Tyrion killed it in ACOK.

**

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Catelyn letting Jaime go!!!!? I thought Theon turning on the Starks was maddening but I nearly threw the book away in disgust. I get that she's a grieving mother at her wits end but come on. I hope later in the book it makes more sense but that's about the only part of any of the books I find hard to stomach. Well, that and Joffrey still having his head.

[mithrandir]

It is a shame. The battle was great in the book. I don't think I've ever read a book faster than A Clash of Kings*. I don't think I've ever been more angry at a book than**.

*

SPOILERSPOILER_SHOW

Renly getting killed!? Makes me wonder why they showed a homogay relationship between him and the Knight of Flowers in the first season of the TV show. Not that it wasn't hinted at and at the time I thought it was an interesting tidbit. Now, it seems like a waste of screen time. I just hope the writers don't think too highly of themselves and develop it further in season 2. Tyrion killed it in ACOK.

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Renly isn't a POV character, the TV show is a different medium than the book, they have to take liberties with the plot in order to flesh out certain characters in order for it to make sense with the rest of the coming story, thus giving certain lesser players in the first book more screen time in the first season,

**

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Catelyn letting Jaime go!!!!? I thought Theon turning on the Starks was maddening but I nearly threw the book away in disgust. I get that she's a grieving mother at her wits end but come on. I hope later in the book it makes more sense but that's about the only part of any of the books I find hard to stomach. Well, that and Joffrey still having his head.

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you do realize Jamie becomes a POV character in ASOS right? you're reaction is probably what he was aiming for when he wrote ACOK, just keep on reading brother...soon it will all make sense

[mithrandir]

I didn't realize until just the other day that Nocternity based a lot of their lyrics on these books...

http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Nocternity/10090 <--

Valyrian Steel (Blood of the Dragon)

...interesting, I'll have to check this out

the band Skagos also took inspiration from ASOIAF

[Wang Mandu]

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you do realize Jamie becomes a POV character in ASOS right? you're reaction is probably what he was aiming for when he wrote ACOK, just keep on reading brother...soon it will all make sense

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I figured as much. It's definitely developing the more I read and as you said, Martin's too smart of a writer to do something that infuriating for it to not make sense plotwise later. Any reaction is better than no reaction at all. I'm just getting impatient for the Starks finally getting their vengeance and Joffrey to get his head removed.

Mance Rayder is an awesome character and all the stuff north of the Wall has been my favorite parts in ACOK and ASOS.

I have to say I was a little intimidated to start this series with five 800-1000 page books ahead of me but they're incredibly readable and I've never flown through books so quickly.

[mithrandir]

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you do realize Jamie becomes a POV character in ASOS right? you're reaction is probably what he was aiming for when he wrote ACOK, just keep on reading brother...soon it will all make sense

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I figured as much. It's definitely developing the more I read and as you said, Martin's too smart of a writer to do something that infuriating for it to not make sense plotwise later. Any reaction is better than no reaction at all. I'm just getting impatient for the Starks finally getting their vengeance and Joffrey to get his head removed.

Mance Rayder is an awesome character and all the stuff north of the Wall has been my favorite parts in ACOK and ASOS.

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you have to remember the books aren't called The Revenge of the Starks, there's so much more to these books than just that, I think a lot of people tend to forget that and thus end up disappointed by books 4 and 5 when the focus expands well beyond that,

these books work on 3 different levels:

1st: the main characters, Starks, Lannisters, Dany, etc and their main plot lines, battles and struggles and how they all progress throughout the series, pretty much the basic stuff thats covered by the TV series

2nd: separates the men from the boys, how deep do you really want to get? trying to commit all the zillions of characters, locations, houses, and more intricate parts of the plot lines to memory and how they all tie together in attempts to get the fullest experience from these novels possible...allowing that huge intricate and believable world come to life inside of your mind, the kind of stuff that makes you reread parts of the books in order to get it all down pat as if its a real history, even I don't have 100% of all this engraved in my head just yet...sometimes I still pick up on stuff that I didn't quite catch the first or second times i've read these books (as well as even listening to the audiobooks twice...yeah, I'm obsessed,) you also have to remember this story is being told both forwards and backwards, filling out those past events that are just as important to the story as the narrative of the present, which leads into...

3rd: those greater mysteries of the novels...all the stuff that happens beneath the plot and between the lines...analyzing certain paragraphs and sentences to death in order to come up with all those wild theories wondering where he might be heading with the story and the fates of certain characters, this stuff can be pieced together into multiple plausible and/or crackpot theories...and one of the reasons why these books just keep on giving long after you've read them, and oh,... he's already told you plenty and you don't even know it yet, haha! if you poked around the internet and also the Westeros message board you'd see what I was talking about, but I'd highly advise not doing this until you are done with the 5 books as not to spoil yourself, but even when you do, it will leave you with more questions than answers! and thus turning you into a ASOIAF basket case like me!

[Wang Mandu]

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Oh, I definitely agree with what you said and appreciate the post. The Starks, especially Ned getting beheaded, stuck out for me because of the TV show introducing me to the program. But, I think I enjoyed ACOK more than AGOT for two reasons: I was completely fresh going into the book and as you mentioned, the world building is incredible. The main characters are great but all the other layers are what really make the books special. Just now, I got to the part describing The Unsullied and I had to re-read it because the lore behind their creation, why the Dothraki fear them and the slave owner's dialogue was so good and laid out in an interesting manner. Him talking down cruelly to Dany yet the translator made it sound respectful, haha!

Another think you mentioned that is spot on while I've been reading is all the houses and minor characters introduced. I've been thinking to myself, "No way I'll remember half of these." Even in the third book it's crazy how many more houses and groups of people are being introduced, even in passing.

No chance I'll be poking around any communities until I'm done with all the books but the advice is appreciated.

Spacehamster, have you read these books?

[spacehamster]

Spacehamster, have you read these books?

Nope. And I'm embarrassed to say I hadn't even heard of them until the TV show came out.

[mithrandir]

also keep in mind the POV characters serve a dual purpose, not only is it a telling of their stories and those around them, but they also act as a camera lens documenting all the other events that are taking place around them

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Arya being a great example of this in ACOK showing how the brutality of the war in the Riverlands effect the small folk and the agriculture, as well as acting as the eyes of Harrenhal being a central point in the War of the Five Kings, and the base of operation for Lord Tywin,

[Wang Mandu]

Spacehamster, have you read these books?

Nope. And I'm embarrassed to say I hadn't even heard of them until the TV show came out.

I'm the same so don't feel too bad. Highly, highly recommended reading if you loved the show. And obviously don't click on any of the spoilers mithrandir and I have posted this past page.

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"DROGON........DRACARYS!"

[Honky Kong 64]

Just finished ADWD. Oh god the wait.

[mithrandir]

Just finished ADWD. Oh god the wait.

yeah, no shit, I love the wait and mass speculation though, there is a bit of a TWOW spoiler on the Westeros forum, from some people who were at some Con where GRRM read an upcoming Arianne chapter, shit got me pumped!

[Honky Kong 64]

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The chapter where Selmy went to visit Hizdahr in the middle of the night literally had me on the edge of my seat. I can't remember the last time I've been that nervous reading a book. Also the whole Aegon being still alive thing took me completely by surprise. So rad.

This guy is a master of making me care about every storyline. I liked AFFC way more than I thought I would.

[blastocystosis]

I just finished reading A Game of Thrones and I'm now 50 pages into A Clash of Kings. Even though I watched the show first and knew all that would happen, I could not put Game of Thrones down. I'm expecting to finish all 5 books by the time season 2 comes out.

[mithrandir]

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The chapter where Selmy went to visit Hizdahr in the middle of the night literally had me on the edge of my seat. I can't remember the last time I've been that nervous reading a book. Also the whole Aegon being still alive thing took me completely by surprise. So rad.

This guy is a master of making me care about every storyline. I liked AFFC way more than I thought I would.

I like how both, AFFC and ADWD compliment each other since they run parallel, some stuff that is mentioned in AFFC actually takes place in ADWD and vice versa, it isn't till around pages 500-700 and onwards of ADWD where the timelines loosely merge and it really starts setting the stage for that "perfect storm",

A second reading is almost mandatory for the entire series, (or at least listing to the audio books) esp with AFFC and ADWD as there is much more you pick up on the 2nd time around,

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let me ask, since you have read all 5 thus far, are you aware of some of the deeper mysteries and secrets of the entire series? (I'd almost take this to a PM cause Id really hate to have someone hit the spoiler tags and reveal too much)

[Wang Mandu]

This guy is a master of making me care about every storyline. I liked AFFC way more than I thought I would.

Indeed. He's also a master of ending a chapter on the perfect note that almost makes you want to skip ahead to that character's next part. I thought AFFC was great, too. Loved all story lines, especially Jaime and Arya. Also, like mithrandir said it's pretty awesome reading ADWD right after and seeing the parallel plots intersecting. I'm only about 300 pages into ADWD and loving every page.

I just finished reading A Game of Thrones and I'm now 50 pages into A Clash of Kings. Even though I watched the show first and knew all that would happen, I could not put Game of Thrones down. I'm expecting to finish all 5 books by the time season 2 comes out.

I had the same mindset and was worried I'd get bored halfway through AGOT. Nope, the TV show just scratches the surface. Keep reading, it gets better and better.

[Honky Kong 64]

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let me ask, since you have read all 5 thus far, are you aware of some of the deeper mysteries and secrets of the entire series? (I'd almost take this to a PM cause Id really hate to have someone hit the spoiler tags and reveal too much)

I don't think I'm aware of any of this stuff. Then again I'm terrible at putting together clues even when they're right in front of my face. I like being surprised though so it works in my favor. I am going to have a lot of trouble staying off of the message boards until the next book comes out. I will probably just start from the beginning of the series while I wait. He puts everything out there but I'm sure I missed most of it the first time through.

[mithrandir]

SPOILERSPOILER_SHOW

let me ask, since you have read all 5 thus far, are you aware of some of the deeper mysteries and secrets of the entire series? (I'd almost take this to a PM cause Id really hate to have someone hit the spoiler tags and reveal too much)

I don't think I'm aware of any of this stuff. Then again I'm terrible at putting together clues even when they're right in front of my face. I like being surprised though so it works in my favor. I am going to have a lot of trouble staying off of the message boards until the next book comes out. I will probably just start from the beginning of the series while I wait. He puts everything out there but I'm sure I missed most of it the first time through.

I can always give you a few hints by PM, or at least a few things to keep in mind if you ever decide to reread or just browse through the books again... its amazing how much is blatantly obvious, even in the first book that most people probably don't pick up on unless they know what they are looking for, I know I certainly didn't...