[Tapper]

Tatterdemalion, on 26 August 2011 - 02:37 AM, said:

It kind of makes you think that whoever Dany gets as her army they will suck and die versus Westeros knights. Ser Jorah did the same thing in Game of Thrones (though I only remember from the show) He explains how arkhs are crappy vs armour and then kills a guy attacking him with an arkh to prove it. Not that Selmy isn't one of the baddest blades around, but if most knights have the same result then fancy bloodriders be damned, the invading army is going to suck. Should-a married Quentin.

It would be cool to see Bran become 'important' again - because for the first 2/3rds of Game of Thrones you think he's the main character.

But about only one in ten or twenty or so of each westerosi army is a knight. The remainder are an assortment of men at arms, guards and untrained peassants, who will be wearing mail at best, most likely leather, and no armor at all at it's worst. They won't be wearing plate. Every dothraki fighter by contrast is a (mounted) screamer.

From that last chapter of hers in the book, Daenerys seems set up to reunite the Dothraki, she still has the Unsullied phalanx, and a few mercenary companies. If a few westerosi lords flock to her banner, plus Victarion and his fleet, she seems pretty much unstoppable except when all of Westeros unites against her.

As for Bran: what if he mind-rides a dragon and/or takes it over?

[worry]

I believe in the GoT book, Jorah takes a worse wound when he's fighting the Dothraki warrior because he's only partially armored. The point made is the same in both book and show, but ultimately the arakh gets wedged into an unarmored spot along his ribs, I think, and then Jorah takes advantage of that for the kill. So I think that scene scores points for both sides of that debate.

[Morgoth]

MecnunK, on 03 August 2011 - 07:51 PM, said:

I also finished it just a few days back and the best that can be said for it is that it is better than AFFC. That's about it. BTW is Aegon's existence ever hinted at in previous books as I find it a little bizarre that illyro having known of Aegon's existence and JC's, with 10K sell-sword army sworn to his cause yet he doesnt give that protection to Viserys/Dany but rather sends her out with Dothraki savages. Wonder if it was a planned thing or GRRM decided to resurrect Aegon on a whim. Its one of the few story arks that I enjoyed.

I sort of assumed Aegon was Illyro's son. It would explain Ilyro's state of mind and also how it's been possible to keep a third "heir" hidden for so long. I would assume that "Griff" thinks he's genuine however.

This might be my mind playing tricks on me, but didn't Aegon send people out of westeros to hunt for potential brides with enough valyrian blood and all that?

[The Swordbearer]

Just Finished DWD.

I agree with parts of what just about everyone said.
.
GRRM should have finished the Mereen or Winterfell battle whichever.

Dont think Bran will run He's a Stark thru and thru Honor and duty above all, I allso think if Coldhands was Benjen I'm sure Bran would know, he did visit Winterfell often and anyone ellse wonder about Rikkon and Shaggy even one paragraph might o been nice.

Jon being stabbed, if he survives a la Mell aside from it not making sense story wise if he's realy dead she seems to think he is pivotal, and with Stannis supposedly down/dead? might make him even more important maybe him being severely wounded is a way to keep him at the wall recuperating instead of running off on his own.

I beleive Danny would help Aegon as she is always mindharping on her beleif she cannot have children, so that should be enough enticement for her by itself. Family seems to be very important to her.

The rest of the book I enjoyed esp Arya, Theon, Asha, Victarion, and the Daenrys/Drogon Finalle.

As an aside note seems kinda significant how Arya, Bran and Jon are skinchangers all 3 from the same family of the 1 in a 1000 and Bran is a Greenseer

This post has been edited by The Swordbearer: 30 August 2011 - 05:01 AM

[Abyss]

The Swordbearer, on 30 August 2011 - 04:53 AM, said:

... I allso think if Coldhands was Benjen I'm sure Bran would know, he did visit Winterfell often and anyone ellse wonder about Rikkon and Shaggy even one paragraph might o been nice...

Bran and co never see Coldhands' face and fair to say he's changed a bit since his last visit, what with being undead and all.

As for Rickon and Shaggy, we have Davos setting off to find them, which was a future plotline i was pretty excited about.

[Paran]

Well, Coldhands is working for Bloodraven, so theoretically he could have existed much earlier than Benjen.

[Werthead]

Abyss, on 30 August 2011 - 01:38 PM, said:

As for Rickon and Shaggy, we have Davos setting off to find them, which was a future plotline i was pretty excited about.

Indeed. Rickon, Shaggy and Osha are hanging out on Skagos, the island of the unicorn-riding cannibals, and we even got a warg dream sequence where Jon gets to see Shaggy killing a unicorn and feasting on it, which was somewhat badass (though the 'unicorns' seem to be goats with fancy horns more than the actual mythical creatures of legend). So we actually get a reasonable amount of information on what's going on with Rickon.

[Abyss]

Werthead, on 08 September 2011 - 02:36 PM, said:

Abyss, on 30 August 2011 - 01:38 PM, said:

As for Rickon and Shaggy, we have Davos setting off to find them, which was a future plotline i was pretty excited about.

Indeed. Rickon, Shaggy and Osha are hanging out on Skagos, the island of the unicorn-riding cannibals, and we even got a warg dream sequence where Jon gets to see Shaggy killing a unicorn and feasting on it, which was somewhat badass (though the 'unicorns' seem to be goats with fancy horns more than the actual mythical creatures of legend). So we actually get a reasonable amount of information on what's going on with Rickon.

I totally missed the unicorn-goat connection.

Given that Osha actually took Rik there, i bet the island isn't nearly as messed up as the hype makes it seem.

[The Swordbearer]

I missed the Unicorn bit allso. I like the idea of Davos and Rickon, I like Davos character and story wise would benefit the angry abandonment issues of Rickon/Shaggy and now Rickon is the only trueborn male Stark heir as Bran it seems will never leave the cave system phsicaly Imo.

Guess ill have to do a re-read but not till I am done TCG...again lol

[flea]

I think the general consensus about this book is correct -- that it is good, but nowhere as strong as the first three.

There are two stands I especially like: Asha and Theon. The chapter from Asha's perspective dealing with the march in the snow was, on first reading, simply magnificent. My reaction was, "holy shit, this guy can write." It was followed by a Theon chapter also detailing the challenges of winter. I am going to do a reread of those two very soon.

Martin has not followed with a scene as awesome as the red wedding, but I'm sure he'll get there.