A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones Spoiler-Filled Discussion

On the topic of cut characters while I am very VERY disappointed about the omission of Arianne and the Young Griff I think it was a smart move to remove/replace a lot of the new DWD/FFC point-of-view characters. Most of them did nothing to advance the plot and were (to me) less than interesting. It led to that weird atmosphere in the last two books where the it felt like it was just a bunch of slice of life stories with little connection. If the plot of a story is like a river, DWD/FFC was the point where a formally fast flowing river reached a sandy, stagnant delta.

However even removing/replacing those characters did very little to mediate that on the show due to how it was handled. Instead of streamlining the story they just created their own set of loose plots like whatever that badly written 90s fantasy movie in Dorne is supposed to be.

 

Only if Theon was the ghost, which is just a fan theory.

 

Who else would it be?

 

Mance and the Spearwives scouting Winterfell before their big break in?

 

That was always my reading of it too.

 

Most of the killings were the spearwives. They only deny killing one of the Walders, who was almost certainly killed by the other Walder. As to the identity of the Hooded Man, that's a mystery, but there's no particular reason to think Theon has started hallucinating.

 

Regarding the return of magic, we don't really know what the reason is do we?

People surmise that it is because the dragon's returned to Westeros but it is just as possible that the dragon's were born because magic is returning. Is it connected to the return of the white walkers or are they returning because of the return of magic?

Also the long changes of seasons is said to be magical so I wonder if part of the resolution will be returning the weather cycle to some kind of normal.

 

The White Walkers came back before the Dragons did.

 

And most of the magic that has returned is specifically attributed to fire. The Dragonglass candles have started to spontaneously ignite in the citadel, the pyromancer's wildfire appears to now be more potent despite their using the same formula, and the warlock's fire power in Qarth (the flaming ladder display) has become more elaborate. All recent occurrences that people have specifically mentioned in various parts of the book. That, to me, are all related to the return of the dragons.

 

I know the spearwives were doing a lot of the killing, but my read on the ghost from the very first page was that Theon had a mental schism and developed a dissociative "protector" identity composed of what hasn't been broken down into Reek. Thus the blackouts and his moments of growth beginning to reclaim his name, etc. I didn't even realize anyone had another interpretation.

 

Think it could be a counterforce. As the 'ice" magic grew so does the "fire" magic as a balance.

 

I still think there's a chance she'll show up this season. If she doesn't then she's probably not going to be in it.

 

Holy shit.

 

^^that about covers it lol.

 

My reaction exactly.

 

Yep, pretty much.

 

Valyrian Steel prices about to spike all across Westeros.

 

Have I missed something ?

 

How many Valyrian steel blades are running around Westeros?

There's Jon Snow's sword.

Brienne and Joffery's blades, which were reforged from Ned Stark's giant sword.

Tyrion/Littlefinger's dagger.

Any others?
Is Stannis' blade Valyrian?

 

I think there are a few hundred at most in Westeros at this point most likely, including stuff like the dagger. Mostly powerful families or families that used to be. The Daynes have one, though Dawn is exceptional even by Valyrian steel standards having been forged from a meteorite. Lord Tarley has one. Lyn Corbray has one, there are a dozen or so mentioned by name or house through the books, not including the ones carried by characters in Essos.