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

[Kegg]

Ashara Dayne, she was an intimate of Elia, Rhaegar, Ned and maybe Lyanna. We're told she threw herself off a cliff, but it has been speculated that she is alive and following Danaerys as the shadowbinder Quaithe.

Now that'd be a twist worthy of any daytime soap.

I like Quaithe as an enigma, honestly. I have this feeling she'll lose that potency if pinned down - especially if pinned down as a Weterosi.

That said, I personally think Quaithe's real asset to the Daenerys story has nothing to do with Jon and everything to do with dragons, which were supposedly originally from Asshai. Well, that and/or Azor Ahai, which is an Asshai'i legend.

 

[JD]

Just out of curiosity, how magical do the books get as they go along? I've heard that there's very little in the first books, but more as they go along.
Oh, and reading through this thread is making me really curious to read the rest of the series.

 

[Hyperspace05]

Starting with book two there are more magical elements. It has been speculated that a certain important event at the end of AGOT increases the magic present in the world. Or Perhaps we just see more practioners and artifices of magical origins.

Either way magic comes more to the forefront. But GRRM definitely plays with expectations. The magic in the series is different than any fantasy series I have read. But the magic never overshadows the core of the series - the interpersonal drama.

 

[Kegg]

There's a fair bit of magic or possible magic in the first book as well. I frankly consider the five direwolves for five Stark children (and the runt of the litter for the bastard) some intentional omen by some supernatural force.

Given also that the mother of the litter is dead with an equally symbolic stag, and at least three of the children (Bran, Arya, Jon) have varying ability to become their wolves when they sleep... yeah.

Magic's afoot.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

A Dance with Dragons is officially done. George R.R. Martin has delivered the complete manuscript to his publishers. The last bit of revising has been done and all that's left is a final editing polish. July 12th here we come!

 

[Shurik]

A Dance with Dragons is officially done. George R.R. Martin has delivered the complete manuscript to his publishers. The last bit of revising has been done and all that's left is a final editing polish. July 12th here we come!

Great news!

So, when's the next book coming?

 

[Venardhi]

I would lay bets on it being a considerably shorter wait for the last two. More in the 2-3 years range. These two middle children took so long because he hadn't planned to tell this section of the story at all, with the 4th book originally picking up about 5 years after the end of book 3 and with them essentially being two separate trilogies that tell the whole story. He found he was doing too many flashbacks that way and ended up scrapping the time jump and moving up the major events which left him with a lot of plotting issues where one character couldn't be here so someone else had to fill their role there and another had to do this thing over here and so and so was supposed to be dead but instead they're hanging around with such and such, etc. etc.

 

[Lieut. Arex]

I agree. He burned a year or so going down that dead-end path. I'm betting we're back to the 3 or so years between with the Winds and Dream. GRRM said in an interview he could keep up with HBO if they do 2 seasons for Storm and three for Feast/Dance.

 

[Skywalker]

See you guys in 2016!

Nah, just kidding. I agree that the next couple of books will probably come a lot faster than the last couple, now that Martin's getting back to the story he'd actually planned on telling from the beginning.

 

[Shurik]

He also said that he transferred a few finished chapters from ADWD to the next book, he mentioned Sansa chapters and one of the Greyjoys (the priest, I think).

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

Here are the new characters confirmed to be appearing in the second season of Game of Thrones:

Stannis Baratheon
Melisandre
Davos Seaworth
Brienne
Asha Greyjoy
Xaro Xhoan Daxos
Ygritte
Margaery Tyrell
Dolorous Edd

Casting is underway and we should be hearing who's cast soon since filming on the second season is scheduled to start in July.

Here are the casting calls that have been put out for Melisandre and Brienne:

[MELISANDRE] Age: 25-35. A red priestess from Asshai, a mysterious region in the far east, Melisandre is an influential counselor (and eventual lover) of Stannis Baratheon. She possesses prophetic powers and controls dark forces. Melisandre is highly sensual and seductive and well aware of her sexual command over men. She means to impose her religion on the world by all means necessary. She is extremely dangerous to any who dare stand in her way. Recurring. (Season Two: 5-6 episodes/Season Appearances: Multiple Seasons) *Nudity required*

[BRIENNE TARTH] FEMALE. Age: 20s. A skilled warrior in service to Renly Baratheon. Larger and stronger than most men, we first meet Brienne when she wins a tournament, defeating the famed Loras Tyrell. Big-boned and plain faced, she has an awkward personality, but is also honest and loyal. She is derisively known as “Brienne the Beauty”… RECURRING. (Season Two: 6 episodes/Season Appearances: Multiple Seasons) Must be a MINIMUM of 5’10″. Do NOT submit actresses that look like models. We are looking for a big, WARRIOR-TYPE woman that’s more MANLY than womanly.

 

[Kegg]

Stannis Baratheon

Frankly, the casting and writing choice that for me all of season two hinges on. The series has had a stellar track record of casting and writing these characters so far, but Stannis personally is one of my favourite characters from the books, so really hoping he's done well.

Xaro Xhoan Daxos

Not sure if I should have high hopes for Qarth visually-speaking - or not. I like the way it's described in the novel, but the series has needed to be economical with similarly impressive areas like the Eyrie. Probably a couple of Qarth interiors and one or two establishing shots and maybe the market for that assassination attempt is what I figure we'll be getting.

Dolorous Edd

I was wondering if he'd appear on the show at all.

Big-boned and plain faced [...] Do NOT submit actresses that look like models. We are looking for a big, WARRIOR-TYPE woman that’s more MANLY than womanly.

Thank goodness for that.

As far as HBO casting goes, it's tempting to see Brienne of Tarth as a younger Robin Weigert.

 

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

I hope they don't go with Joannie Lauer ("Chyna" from wrestling).

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

I hope they don't go with Joannie Lauer ("Chyna" from wrestling).

No chance of that thankfully.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

George R.R. Martin has revealed on his blog that he's writing episode nine of the second season, entitled "Blackwater", of which he says:

...and damn, but this one is a bitch of an adaptation, the original author made the damn battle way too big and too expensive.

 

[Kegg]

^
I wonder if season two will have a bigger or smaller budget compared to the first season.

And random thought:

I do hope we get to see Aeron Damphair, and that he's awesome. The priest of the Drowned God is easily one of my favourite side characters in the book. As far as bit players in book two goes, he's the one I'm most anxious to see done well.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

Much of the pilot episode was reshot, so that inflated the first season's budget. My guess is that the second season will be budgeted at about the same initial level of the first season (about $50 million), but there'll be more money available for CGI and what not since the first season's budget paid for a lot of the standing sets that'll be used again.

The biggest question for me is what the direwolves will look like. The Northern Inuit dogs turned out to be a disaster - it was almost impossible to get them to do the slightest thing (hence why they've been seen so little in the first season) - and the older, much bigger direwolves are likely to be completely CGI. Fingers crossed that the CGI is of a good quality.

 

[Shurik]

^
I wonder if season two will have a bigger or smaller budget compared to the first season.

And random thought:

I do hope we get to see Aeron Damphair, and that he's awesome. The priest of the Drowned God is easily one of my favourite side characters in the book. As far as bit players in book two goes, he's the one I'm most anxious to see done well.

I also hope that the Ironborn will be properly represented in the further seasons. I love those characters and the entire Iron Islands storyline.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

The production team are trying to sort out final permission to film in Ballintoy Harbour in County Antrim. While there's a chance it could be the setting for Dragonstone, most think it's more likely the setting for the Iron Islands.

 

[Skywalker]

I also hope that the Ironborn will be properly represented in the further seasons. I love those characters and the entire Iron Islands storyline.

I'm not a huge fan of the Ironborn, personally, but given Theon's expanded presence in Season One, I'm sure the show will do them justice.