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

There's minor and there's minor.

Robb Stark is one of those characters who is enormously important to the plot of the novels he just doesn't get as much 'screentime' as the other non-Rickon Starks.

The same can be said of many characters who have had notably expanded roles, like Jaime Lannister and Margaery Tyrell. They're major players in the game of thrones, and thus matter in the big picture in ways that say Ser Dontos or Hot Pie did not.

That said? Bronn's worked excellently as a foil for Tyrion, being written into scenes he's not in in the books and also some of those brand new scenes, so I wouldn't be surprised if he's leaned on in that role next season.

 

Okay, I'm about 90% sure that as I drove my daughter to swimming this morning, I passed Peter Dinklage out for a walk with his wife and child on Belfast's Malone Road. I was more or less level with them when I realised that the male in the group was a dwarf and not a boy and a split-second later, I realised that it was him. Hopefully they do this walk every week, maybe next week I'll be able to say hello!

 

I bought and downloaded A Clash of Kings onto my Nook yesterday. I'll probably start it next, once I get closer to the end of The Last Days of Krypton.

 

Out of chance, does anyone have a link to the Victarion, Arianne, and/or Tyrion chapters that GRRM read out loud at the various cons? (Printed versions, not video. Sorry, GRRM!)

I have the Theon one already -- need a quick WOW fix, basically.

Cheers,
-CM-

 

I don't think there are printed versions of the Arianne and Tyrion chapters or of the full Victarion chapter, only summaries from people who were at the events where they were read. At most events, Martin specifically asks that no one record or transcribe his reading. There's a partial transcript of the Victarion chapter, though, that someone made based on the TIFF video: link.

 

I figured it was probably either Ashara Dayne or unimportant when reading the first four novels. I heard about R + L = J online thereafter.

 

I figured it out halfway through the first book.

On the other hand, I missed Arstan, Alleras, and several other more obvious things.

 

Phew, so it's not just me then.

 

I figured out the L thing, R needed a little help for me too
I got Alleras on second read through, but Arstan really got by me

 

I missed the whole rat cook and Frey pie bit from the marriage of Faux Arya (J Poole) and Ramsay Bolton.

I also never thought about the Alleras and Sand Snake connection. I saw it online and it was a forehead smack moment. I was too busy trying to tell if the Alchemist was Jaquen, and when Sam arrived at the Citadel, I was just too worried about him to pay much mind to anyone else.

I am re-reading the books now and so many little character bits that I missed on the first reading are jumping out at me now.

I went on to the Forum of Ice and Fire. Their theories are great.

 

I'll be doing a re-read at some point before the new season, I'm looking forward to it for just that reason...

 

I am doing that right now, the five books and the three Dunk & Egg stories, and catching lots of small details.

That, and I am waiting for the map collection to be released at the end of the month.

 

I have "The Hedge Knight" in Silverberg's Legends collection, though I didn't realize I had it 'til after I'd read the others. I'll have to do that too... I presume it should go first?

 

Yep, "The Hedge Knight" is the first, and explains how Dunk and Egg met.

I still haven't read "The Mystery Knight," though I own an anthology in which it was reprinted. I should find the time, especially given the relevance of one of its characters to A Dance with Dragons. But I have so much other reading going on, I probably won't get around to it, or the forthcoming fourth Dunk and Egg story, until the collection of the first four is published in May 2014 or so.

 

^
They're interesting stories but they're hardly essential. Even the stories that touch on stuff relevant to the novel series proper (like Bloodraven) are usually mostly about something else (like the second Blackfyre rebellion, which is basically an excuse for Martin to write some faux-Jacobean drama).

Martin's penchant for having every other character define themselves by referring to their sigil reaches its natural absurdity there too, with someone who doesn't just have a Snail on his shield, he's got a fairly quaint reason for it.

But these are quibbles, frankly, as the stories are all very strong. They're excellent with the worldbuilding that's been Martin's consistent strength, and they all an interesting narrative built into them, and Dunk is a basically likeable and humble protagonist. Looking forward to the next story (if memory serves, they'll go to Winterfell and meet some Starks!), but no plans to reread any of ASOIAF - got enough on my plate as it is.

 

Dangit, looks like Vargo Hoat is getting replaced.

http://winteriscoming.net/2012/10/filming-rumors-and-reports-taylor-is-in/

Now we won't be getting any "THAFFIRETH!" and "KINGTHLAYER!"

 

I'm not particularly broken up about the lack of the lisp-- it's one of those exaggerated GRRM details that wouldn't necessarily have the intended effect onscreen.

I'm more bothered by the "Edmure spills the beans" bit elsewhere in that link. The implication of the mentioned sequence in the book is that Robb and the Blackfish are exaggerating Edmure's error so that they can bully him into marrying a Frey as part of the apology for Robb's breaking the betrothal. But I don't have much faith that the show will care about that ambiguity.

 

I am waiting on Dunk and Egg until they are compiled. I don't want to buy the older collections for fear that I might not like the other stories in the books.

The production stills are pretty. I liked Cersei's dress. Forgive me a girly moment, but golly I love red. Proper credit to winteriscoming.net

 

^
Well red and gold are the Lannister colours, so good call on matching her dress to her hair.

Yeah I'd be more bothered if they were going ahead with the lisp.

 

"Fwee Bwian or fwee Bawabus?"