A Dance with Dragons - Discussion - WARNING: SPOILERS!

[Culhwch]

Okay, the day is almost upon us, so here is a thread dedicated to the discussion of A Dance with Dragons. This thread is intended primarily for those who have finished aDwD and wish to discuss it at length. I'd counsel steering clear if you're only part-way through. There will be spoilers aplenty here.

If you are wanting to discuss a specific scene, character or incident and wish to start a new thread - by all means do so, but please keep the thread title generic, and post spoiler warnings. If you haven't yet finished the book and start such a thread, keep in mind that it's probably highly likely that someone will come along who is further along than you and drop a bomb that may ruin your reading experience. They probably don't mean to be a prick, it's just that some people don't always think before posting. And besides, you're not king of the Internet - no matter how much you may wish you were - and your word (or plea) is not law.

Spoilers from here on out people. Don't say you weren't warned...

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[Tansy]

I'm 25% through and all I can say at one of Tyrion's champions is "oooohhhhh" some of you are gonna be slapping yourself royally on the back

[Tansy]

chapters even not champions - I must have been sleepy lol

[IlliferThePenniless]

Well damn. I thought this would already teeming. I just finished my first time through...
Quick reactions...

1) John Snow's not dead.
2) Drogon is going to eat Khal Drogo for breakfast.
3) I'm really disappointed we didn't get to see Tyrion and Dany meet.
4) Ramsey is lying about Stannis being dead. If not he'd already have his wife back.
5) Boaz, I'm sure you loved that bit about the mad king's lust for his hand's wife. More fodder for your favorite theory.

And most importantly, perhaps because I just finished...

6) The Kindly Man did send Arya off to go do wetwork for Lord Varys did he?

[Tansy]

I totally agree with your post Illifer.

Such a huge book but because of the vastness of the story it seems to be rumbling along at a really slow pace for me, I really wanted something major to happen apart from Dani riding her dragons and a new Targaeryon nothing much advanced from the last book looking back

Arya's still training (still got a few pages to read though)
UnCat is still a roaming
Jon has trouble on the wall
Tommen is still on the throne
Dani is still in Mereen (kinda)

Oh I forgot Bran's story did progress a lot and I've a feeling Benjen could well be Coldhands

And all that build up with Quentyn Martell just to set the dragons loose?

[IlliferThePenniless]

2) Drogon is going to eat Khal Drogo for breakfast

That should, of course, read "Drogon is going to eat Khal Jhaqo for breakfast"

[IlliferThePenniless]

A thought that just occured to me...
Old Nan told Bran, "The monsters cannot pass while the wall stands and the men of the night's watch stay true." The Wall still stands (for now), but the men of the night's watch killed their last lord commander, and just tried to kill the new one. Doesn't seem like a good sign...

[Tansy]

I think a number of people will be really annoyed if Jon dies as well, I think this is away of ending his stint as Lord Commander and freeing him up to help the Targaeryens. I'd be disappointed if Aegon becomes king since he's appeared from nowhere while we've followed Dani from the start.

I've a feeling Dani will be a Khalessi again soon, the dothraki lead by a dragon riding Kalessi sweep in to clear away the attackers in Mereen

Also I've a feeling the greyscale is going to become important. Val won't go anywhere near Princess Shireen as she claims she is already dead and Jon Connington is suffering from it too. Wonder if it can affect the others if they try and take someone who has it?

[Ursa major]

While we're waiting for everyone to get to the end of the book and start analysing what we (really) know, does anyone fancy some Frey Bentos pie...?

[IlliferThePenniless]

HIlarious. Love me some Manderleys.

Does anyone know any songs about the Rat Cook to help us while away the hours?

[IlliferThePenniless]

Also, too: "Still, it may have been a blessing. He would have grown up to be a Frey" might be the best insult in the entire series.

[Dornish First Sword]

I have a feeling there is going to be a whole bunch of Jon fanboy hate going on when people start finishing this in droves.

Anyway where does everyone think Davos was sent by Manderly ? I'd say it was Skagos but anyone have any other theories?

[IlliferThePenniless]

Has to be Skagos right? Cannibals, that dream about Shaggy Dog hunting unicorns. I don't see as how it could be anywhere else. Crannog men eat frogs not people.

The Jon fan boys can't be too mad can they? He's only going to he dead long enough for his watch to end. I just hope we don't spend half a book with him living in Ghost or something like that.

I'm looking forward to everyone's speculation re: what the hell are Varys/Illyrio really up to. Because I'm not buying "for the good of the realm" and "I want Littlefinger's old job" for even one instant.

[Dornish First Sword]

I agree it pretty much has to be Skagos but why would Osha take him there of all places why run to an island of cannibals ?
It would be pretty awesome if he gets served up for a feast , scratch another Stark lol.

[Boaz]

Illifer, Yes. My first posts back are straight to that point. I'm so glad you caught it. I whooped for joy when I read that very first phrase from Barristan.

Soooooo, where to start. Et tu, Bowen? Wow, since when did he grow a pair?!?! What was Jon thinking? He renounced his vows publicly!

I know Jon was not there for Brandon's capture, Rickard's arrest, Eddard's fall nor Robb's assassination, but all these Starks seem expose themselves to their enemies too easily. As soon as they do the honorable thing and send their loyal men away, they die.

I've got dibs on the name unJon. It's okay if he dies... Melisandre will get him up and moving before Bowen can burn him.

Connington. I like him. He is one of the main reasons I read this story. The same goes for Kevan. I almost cried when I realized he was the epiloge's POV.

Brienne the bitch? What?!?! Oh, no!

Ramsay is a monster. He makes Viserys and Joffrey look like rank amateurs. Some needs to kill him.... slowly. Someone needs to make Littlefinger, Cersei, and Tywin pay for Jeyne Poole.

I was stunned at how poorly Mance faced death and by how easily Rattleshirt beat Jon.

It turns out that Janos Slynt was a man to be treated like that. I consider that the joyous high point of ADWD. Although, the after knowledge that Rattleshirt got his was nice.

Penny? What to make of her... I don't know.

BFS. He's the man.

Drogon, Rhaegal, Viserion. Uncontrolled dragons are awesome! Smaug! Glaurung!

I do not think that Arya was one of Kevan's assassins. She has more to learn... and why would they send her to Westeros when they know she still has many people there that she wants to kill?

I was hoping Jorah would come back... and he did. But I want a Jorah POV. I want him to go after Lynesse.

Loras is fine. In the epilogue. Mace is mightily concerned with Margaery, but he claimed that his sons would retake the Shields. Since Mace only has three sons and one is a known cripple, that means Garlan and Loras. Loras will fight again... So I was most likely wrong that Loras is on his way to Mereen.

But what about Sansa? What about Brynden? What about Jeyne Stark?

And did Doran really send Ser Balon off without an army? Does he expect a stranger to hunt down Darkstar in the back hills and wastes of Dorne? Balon is a great archer and a good swordsman, but I imagine he's dead without support.

Quentyn... What was Doran thinking?

Where is Aeron? I was wrong... I thought he was going to die.