A dance with Dragons: part 2 of 3.
Aug. 25th, 2011 01:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alexandralThe North remembers
A Dance with Dragons continues to be uneven, but for me this might become my favourite book in the series. The biggest (and the most interesting) part of ADWD takes place in the North, and I love it (the snowstorms, the Northern gods, and all).
Theon
Theon's, hands down, is the most interesting POV is the book, now that his rat-eating days are over. He is in the middle of the series' pivotal events, and his character growth is even more interesting. Martin gets much praise for his world-building, but he proves with Theon that he is even better at character development. At the beginning of the book one would think Theon is dead, and only Reek remains, but slowly, bit by bit, Theon comes back, and this slow transformation is written beautifully. But Theon that re-emerges is not Theon we used to know: all the false shell he used to cover himself with (his mocking, his skirt-chasing, etc.) is stripped, and the real Theon is left. His story is raw and scary and terrible, but somewhat gives you hope that there is good in everyone.
Theon's main problem is highlighted , as well: Theon always was a person that lived between two conflicting worlds. He didn't belong with Starks, not really. But he also didn't belong with Greyjoys, not anymore. He is not even sure what religion he follows: one minute he prays in the Godswood, another minute he thinks about the Drowned God.
Melisandre
I loved her POV chapter. I think Melisandre is one of the characters that are "misunderstood" in other characters' POVs. In her own POV, she seems so different from the crazy people-burning maniac everyone imagines her to be! She seems almost motherly type, and it was so sweet to read about her thoughts on Davos. I also liked Melisandre's understanding of her powers: she recognises that even though she can see the future, the prophesies are not maps, they are riddles, and this theme of prophesies as riddles is one of the main themes in the book.
Looking back, I think Jon made a mistake with baby-swapping and sending master Aemon away. I don't think Melisandre had a plan to burn Aemon or the baby. Take me right - I think she is capable of burning anyone, but she has to have a good enough reason to do it, she seems like a practical person, "burn them with a clear purpose" person, not "burn them all" person. "May be a blood of the son of the King beyond the Wall will wake up stone dragons" seems to be such a far-fetched scheme, because: a) Is Mance Rayder really a king? b) even if his blood is suitable, the stone dragons are far away, on Dragonstone c) Mance is still alive and seems like a better candidate for burning than his son.
But Maester Aemon's presence would have helped Jon, and it was so sad that Aemon died practically alone, instead of living for another decade!
And I loved the scheme Melisandre accomplished with Mance Rayder! How clever and how practical not mention anything to Stannis!
Jon
His POV chapters have grown up on me. He is showing much wisdom and capability, plus he makes so much effort at the Wall. The only question I have (as I am spoiled for the book's ending) is: how can this all go so pear-shaped at the end?
Bran
I have written much about this in various places, but I am still in love with Bran's chapters. The only bad thing about them is that there is not enough of them! The weirwood network is one of the most interesting things in the series. Bran is WATCHING EVERYONE now. The moment when Theon sees Bran's face in a weirwood tree gave me goosebumps.
Tyrion
I loved his chapters on board of "Shy Maid", sailing up the the mighty Royne, but I am loving his chapters with Penny even more. Thinking back, remember Tyrion giving advices to Jon on how "you must never forget who you are"? I want to hit your head with a wooden spoon, Tyrion, and many times, until you accept your own advice! In comparison with Penny, who seems to be perfectly fine with helself, Tyrion seems to be so bitter about his physical deformity, it is one of the main things he keeps thinking about (how he is a dwarf, a half-man, etc)...
Now I ship Tyrion with Penny, and if anyone can teach Tyrion how to be happy in your own skin, it is Penny.
Jorah
I am only noticing Jorah because I like TV Jorah so much, but gosh, I am really beginning to dislike him. The first moment we meet him (when he has a Dany-looking whore on his lap) was bad eneough, but slapping Tyrion (who is probably three times smaller) is worse. I loved Tyrion for rescuing Jorah during the slave market, though.
Dany
Ok, this is a good time for a rant. I know that ASOIAF characters belong to Martin and he can do what he wants, but gosh, I do not understand what he is doing with Dany. Where has the girl that hatched the dragons and was capable to survive in the dessert, practically alone, gone? Where? I know Martin had big problems writing Dany's chapters, as he hinted many times on "Meereenese knot" in his writing, but this is not a knot, this is a BIG BLACK HOLE in one of the critical storylines of the series! It is as if Martin didn't know what to write, but had to write it anyways, and look what have we got as the result! It even seems that discussing these chapters is a bit of a pointless thing - I feel they need to be forgotten as a bad dream.
One small interesting thing is that Dany, from the very beginning, seems to like to attach herself to something or someone: Viserys, Drogo, prophesies, slaves and finds it hard to find her own path.
Jaime
I hope to never hear again from Lord Jonos or Lord Tytos, but it seems that the main point of the chapter was to introduce us to Raventree castle and it's colossal weirwood tree (and it's ravens). Bran is watching, I guess!
PS: There are so many awesome new characters in this book, some completely new, and some just got bigger "roles": Wyman Manderly, Wylla, Alys Karstark, Wun Wun, Mance's speariwes (I must remember them all : , Rowan, Holly, Squirrel, Willow Witch-eye, Frenya and Myrtle. I hope they escaped Ramsay!)
Also, because I feel so nostalgic after all the descriptions of snow storms in ADWD, snow in Siberia:
A Dance with Dragons continues to be uneven, but for me this might become my favourite book in the series. The biggest (and the most interesting) part of ADWD takes place in the North, and I love it (the snowstorms, the Northern gods, and all).
Theon
Theon's, hands down, is the most interesting POV is the book, now that his rat-eating days are over. He is in the middle of the series' pivotal events, and his character growth is even more interesting. Martin gets much praise for his world-building, but he proves with Theon that he is even better at character development. At the beginning of the book one would think Theon is dead, and only Reek remains, but slowly, bit by bit, Theon comes back, and this slow transformation is written beautifully. But Theon that re-emerges is not Theon we used to know: all the false shell he used to cover himself with (his mocking, his skirt-chasing, etc.) is stripped, and the real Theon is left. His story is raw and scary and terrible, but somewhat gives you hope that there is good in everyone.
Theon's main problem is highlighted , as well: Theon always was a person that lived between two conflicting worlds. He didn't belong with Starks, not really. But he also didn't belong with Greyjoys, not anymore. He is not even sure what religion he follows: one minute he prays in the Godswood, another minute he thinks about the Drowned God.
Melisandre
I loved her POV chapter. I think Melisandre is one of the characters that are "misunderstood" in other characters' POVs. In her own POV, she seems so different from the crazy people-burning maniac everyone imagines her to be! She seems almost motherly type, and it was so sweet to read about her thoughts on Davos. I also liked Melisandre's understanding of her powers: she recognises that even though she can see the future, the prophesies are not maps, they are riddles, and this theme of prophesies as riddles is one of the main themes in the book.
Looking back, I think Jon made a mistake with baby-swapping and sending master Aemon away. I don't think Melisandre had a plan to burn Aemon or the baby. Take me right - I think she is capable of burning anyone, but she has to have a good enough reason to do it, she seems like a practical person, "burn them with a clear purpose" person, not "burn them all" person. "May be a blood of the son of the King beyond the Wall will wake up stone dragons" seems to be such a far-fetched scheme, because: a) Is Mance Rayder really a king? b) even if his blood is suitable, the stone dragons are far away, on Dragonstone c) Mance is still alive and seems like a better candidate for burning than his son.
But Maester Aemon's presence would have helped Jon, and it was so sad that Aemon died practically alone, instead of living for another decade!
And I loved the scheme Melisandre accomplished with Mance Rayder! How clever and how practical not mention anything to Stannis!
Jon
His POV chapters have grown up on me. He is showing much wisdom and capability, plus he makes so much effort at the Wall. The only question I have (as I am spoiled for the book's ending) is: how can this all go so pear-shaped at the end?
Bran
I have written much about this in various places, but I am still in love with Bran's chapters. The only bad thing about them is that there is not enough of them! The weirwood network is one of the most interesting things in the series. Bran is WATCHING EVERYONE now. The moment when Theon sees Bran's face in a weirwood tree gave me goosebumps.
Tyrion
I loved his chapters on board of "Shy Maid", sailing up the the mighty Royne, but I am loving his chapters with Penny even more. Thinking back, remember Tyrion giving advices to Jon on how "you must never forget who you are"? I want to hit your head with a wooden spoon, Tyrion, and many times, until you accept your own advice! In comparison with Penny, who seems to be perfectly fine with helself, Tyrion seems to be so bitter about his physical deformity, it is one of the main things he keeps thinking about (how he is a dwarf, a half-man, etc)...
Now I ship Tyrion with Penny, and if anyone can teach Tyrion how to be happy in your own skin, it is Penny.
Jorah
I am only noticing Jorah because I like TV Jorah so much, but gosh, I am really beginning to dislike him. The first moment we meet him (when he has a Dany-looking whore on his lap) was bad eneough, but slapping Tyrion (who is probably three times smaller) is worse. I loved Tyrion for rescuing Jorah during the slave market, though.
Dany
Ok, this is a good time for a rant. I know that ASOIAF characters belong to Martin and he can do what he wants, but gosh, I do not understand what he is doing with Dany. Where has the girl that hatched the dragons and was capable to survive in the dessert, practically alone, gone? Where? I know Martin had big problems writing Dany's chapters, as he hinted many times on "Meereenese knot" in his writing, but this is not a knot, this is a BIG BLACK HOLE in one of the critical storylines of the series! It is as if Martin didn't know what to write, but had to write it anyways, and look what have we got as the result! It even seems that discussing these chapters is a bit of a pointless thing - I feel they need to be forgotten as a bad dream.
One small interesting thing is that Dany, from the very beginning, seems to like to attach herself to something or someone: Viserys, Drogo, prophesies, slaves and finds it hard to find her own path.
Jaime
I hope to never hear again from Lord Jonos or Lord Tytos, but it seems that the main point of the chapter was to introduce us to Raventree castle and it's colossal weirwood tree (and it's ravens). Bran is watching, I guess!
PS: There are so many awesome new characters in this book, some completely new, and some just got bigger "roles": Wyman Manderly, Wylla, Alys Karstark, Wun Wun, Mance's speariwes (I must remember them all : , Rowan, Holly, Squirrel, Willow Witch-eye, Frenya and Myrtle. I hope they escaped Ramsay!)
Also, because I feel so nostalgic after all the descriptions of snow storms in ADWD, snow in Siberia:
