A Dance with Dragons: part 3 of 3.
Sep. 5th, 2011 04:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alexandralThe third part of the book was the best , most likely because all the characters are back !
Jon:
Finishing the book, I am convinced that Jon's part in ADWD is a mirror of Ned's part in A Game of Thrones, and it ends in a similar way. Martin seems to like to write about fatal mistakes. Jon seems to have moments of wisdom and makes some really good decisions, but at the end, he wastes it all with the decision that rivals worst of Ned's, Robb's, and Cat's mistakes in it's recklessness. And of course, the situation in the Night's Watch was incendiary due to the wildlings joining the Night Watch, so deciding to quit it all in this very unstable moment and march to Winterfell was something that can only be called madness (for the point of reference, Jon's intention to go ranging to Hardhome was a very very bad decision too).
My apologies to Jon's fans on my friends list, I want him dead. I am getting wary of the impending "Dany and Jon rule the Westeros together". And why Jon has to survive when Ned and Robb had to pay for their mistakes? Why Catelyn had to turn into an evil zombie? What is special about Jon? I want no resurrections and no Azor Ahai re-born. It is interesting, however, that what brings his downfall is something he tried to do so many times - his attempt to leave the Night's Watch and his position. He never actually accepted that he doesn't belong to himself anymore.
I am quite annoyed at him for not paying any notice to Melisandre as well. Ok, Jon, I may "understand" your religious intolerance because it is so common in Westeros, but when you see some solid proof that Melisandre does actually see some truth in her fires? Listen to a female, for once! Keep Ghost with you!
On Stannis and his fate
I am convinced that Ramsay is bluffing and Stannis is fine. Otherwise, how Ramsay does not know that Theon and Jeyne joined Stannis? The crazy guy is bluffing. I shudder to think of the fate of Mance Rayder and his spear wives, though.
Cersei
I might turn into a big fan of Cersei. I loved her chapters. The way she dealt with her "punishment" made me respect her, and she is always a good read. What a strong woman. I even relate to her somehow. Plus, the Zombie Mountain as Ser Robert Strong? This is so scary, but good scary!
Quentyn
As much as I liked Quentyn, note to self: do not try to steal a dragon.
Dany
I am really glad Dany's story has started getting somewhere at the end of the book, but I am still not that enthusiastic. It took a whole book for her to realise that dragons need training (wasn't this obvious from the start, that she needed to train the dragons from their young age?) and that she does not belong in Meereen? And she still doesn't seem to realise what kinds of disasters she has inflicted on Meereen, Astaphor and other cities by her actions? It was all her own doing, all of it! Utopias do not work! Hopefully she will start going somewhere - but what if we have her riding with Khal Jhaqo for the whole of the next book?
Also - Daario!!! I hope he was one of those corpses that the Yunkish were using in their trebuchets. One mentioning of his beautiful gold tooth and I am going to be sick. I have a feeling Martin was trolling his readers here, he was going on and on and on about the beauty of the gold tooth a little too much. Or does Martin have a gold tooth fetish?
Barristan Selmy
His chapters were wonderful, they gave us such a great inside into his character, as well as some interesting information about the past. I have argued once that I believe one thing: Barristan Selmy would have never laid a finger on Sansa, even if he was ordered by Joffrey. Even if he would have stayed in King's Landing (if Joffrey didn't dismiss him) , Barristan would have refused to beat a child. He would have gone against his "king". By that time Barristan was tired turning the blind eye to everything that was happening in King's Landing, tired to obey the orders of drunkards and crazies, and this would have been a "straw that broke the camel's back". I am convinced of this after ADWD.
Regarding the past: I don't think Ned was the father of Ashara Dayne's baby, and Barristan never actually said "Ned", he said "Stark boy". But is it my love for Ned talking, the fact that I can't believe that "my Ned" was able of abandoning the mother of his child? It was Ned who danced with Ashara at Harrenhal. But it was Brandon Stark who talked to Ashara for Ned!
Victarion
Victarion's were one of the best chapters for me, because they were linked with the magic side of the series. I think Victarion is the corpse captain in Dany's prophesy. The corpse Captain might be someone else, for example, Euron, but my bets are on Victarion, for two reasons. The main reason is that Dany needs the Iron Fleet, and I can't quite picture Euron captaining the fleet. The second reason is that the corpse captain in the prophesy smiles sadly, and again, I can't quite see Euron smiling sadly, he is not that type.
On black cat with a torn ear
I agree with the opinion that the cat that is mentioned in Kevan's chapter is Princess Rhaena's little black kitten. The cat is the right age (old for a cat which makes him over 10) , and there is no coincidence that this cat is mentioned again and again (this cat was the same cat that Arya used to chase in her days with Syrio).
Epilogue
Varys is the one of the main players in the Game of Thrones, and he appears at the end, killing poor sensible Kevan Lannister. What a pity, he was such a good Hand.
PS if I have to chose a religion in Westeros, it will be either the Old Gods (I am a Northern girl) or R'hllor , because both Melisandre and Moqorro seem to be quite powerful.
Jon:
Finishing the book, I am convinced that Jon's part in ADWD is a mirror of Ned's part in A Game of Thrones, and it ends in a similar way. Martin seems to like to write about fatal mistakes. Jon seems to have moments of wisdom and makes some really good decisions, but at the end, he wastes it all with the decision that rivals worst of Ned's, Robb's, and Cat's mistakes in it's recklessness. And of course, the situation in the Night's Watch was incendiary due to the wildlings joining the Night Watch, so deciding to quit it all in this very unstable moment and march to Winterfell was something that can only be called madness (for the point of reference, Jon's intention to go ranging to Hardhome was a very very bad decision too).
My apologies to Jon's fans on my friends list, I want him dead. I am getting wary of the impending "Dany and Jon rule the Westeros together". And why Jon has to survive when Ned and Robb had to pay for their mistakes? Why Catelyn had to turn into an evil zombie? What is special about Jon? I want no resurrections and no Azor Ahai re-born. It is interesting, however, that what brings his downfall is something he tried to do so many times - his attempt to leave the Night's Watch and his position. He never actually accepted that he doesn't belong to himself anymore.
I am quite annoyed at him for not paying any notice to Melisandre as well. Ok, Jon, I may "understand" your religious intolerance because it is so common in Westeros, but when you see some solid proof that Melisandre does actually see some truth in her fires? Listen to a female, for once! Keep Ghost with you!
On Stannis and his fate
I am convinced that Ramsay is bluffing and Stannis is fine. Otherwise, how Ramsay does not know that Theon and Jeyne joined Stannis? The crazy guy is bluffing. I shudder to think of the fate of Mance Rayder and his spear wives, though.
Cersei
I might turn into a big fan of Cersei. I loved her chapters. The way she dealt with her "punishment" made me respect her, and she is always a good read. What a strong woman. I even relate to her somehow. Plus, the Zombie Mountain as Ser Robert Strong? This is so scary, but good scary!
Quentyn
As much as I liked Quentyn, note to self: do not try to steal a dragon.
Dany
I am really glad Dany's story has started getting somewhere at the end of the book, but I am still not that enthusiastic. It took a whole book for her to realise that dragons need training (wasn't this obvious from the start, that she needed to train the dragons from their young age?) and that she does not belong in Meereen? And she still doesn't seem to realise what kinds of disasters she has inflicted on Meereen, Astaphor and other cities by her actions? It was all her own doing, all of it! Utopias do not work! Hopefully she will start going somewhere - but what if we have her riding with Khal Jhaqo for the whole of the next book?
Also - Daario!!! I hope he was one of those corpses that the Yunkish were using in their trebuchets. One mentioning of his beautiful gold tooth and I am going to be sick. I have a feeling Martin was trolling his readers here, he was going on and on and on about the beauty of the gold tooth a little too much. Or does Martin have a gold tooth fetish?
Barristan Selmy
His chapters were wonderful, they gave us such a great inside into his character, as well as some interesting information about the past. I have argued once that I believe one thing: Barristan Selmy would have never laid a finger on Sansa, even if he was ordered by Joffrey. Even if he would have stayed in King's Landing (if Joffrey didn't dismiss him) , Barristan would have refused to beat a child. He would have gone against his "king". By that time Barristan was tired turning the blind eye to everything that was happening in King's Landing, tired to obey the orders of drunkards and crazies, and this would have been a "straw that broke the camel's back". I am convinced of this after ADWD.
Regarding the past: I don't think Ned was the father of Ashara Dayne's baby, and Barristan never actually said "Ned", he said "Stark boy". But is it my love for Ned talking, the fact that I can't believe that "my Ned" was able of abandoning the mother of his child? It was Ned who danced with Ashara at Harrenhal. But it was Brandon Stark who talked to Ashara for Ned!
Victarion
Victarion's were one of the best chapters for me, because they were linked with the magic side of the series. I think Victarion is the corpse captain in Dany's prophesy. The corpse Captain might be someone else, for example, Euron, but my bets are on Victarion, for two reasons. The main reason is that Dany needs the Iron Fleet, and I can't quite picture Euron captaining the fleet. The second reason is that the corpse captain in the prophesy smiles sadly, and again, I can't quite see Euron smiling sadly, he is not that type.
On black cat with a torn ear
I agree with the opinion that the cat that is mentioned in Kevan's chapter is Princess Rhaena's little black kitten. The cat is the right age (old for a cat which makes him over 10) , and there is no coincidence that this cat is mentioned again and again (this cat was the same cat that Arya used to chase in her days with Syrio).
Epilogue
Varys is the one of the main players in the Game of Thrones, and he appears at the end, killing poor sensible Kevan Lannister. What a pity, he was such a good Hand.
PS if I have to chose a religion in Westeros, it will be either the Old Gods (I am a Northern girl) or R'hllor , because both Melisandre and Moqorro seem to be quite powerful.
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no subject
Date: 2011-09-05 08:51 pm (UTC)The same thing would have happened with Joffrey as the questions about his parentage were raised. Joffrey is not the same as Arys for Barristan, and never will be. Arys was the king of the dynasty Barristan sworn to serve, but Joffrey? A son of the "Usurper" with unclear parentage? Asking him to beat a child? Mind you, I don’t think Joffrey would have ever asked Barristan.
I just think he lost himself in trying to be the epitome of honour, and now he has to find the man he once was. As such both he and Jaime are on quest to try to reclaim the greatness of the Kingsguard, and quest which incidentally involves their own redemption.
Oh, I think so too, and I agree – he is lost in his notions of honour. Only I think he is trying to get himself un-lost (which counts) , and plus to it blaming him for something he never did (beating Sansa) is quite unfair.
There are people who hate Sandor? But why? ;) Then again I guess we all have our favourites, and Sandor is one of mine.
Oh, I think the main reason is “alcoholic maniac” or something like this. Very odd. Never mind, more for me.
There are some people that like his character too, take me right! I think he is one of the characters that are either hated or liked, nothing in between.
re: Jon
Everything happens so quickly that I am not even sure now why Jon did what he did. For me the main reason was “Arya”, because how Jon could not see that Ramsay was just bluffing with his words about attacking The Wall – why wold he do that? Travel all those weeks through the showy wilderness “just in spite”? And even then – let him come, let the Night’s Watch prepare for the attack.
In any case, he could have.. you know.. explained all ins and outs to the Night’s Watch, could have chosen the decision with their counsel? As much as I don’t particular think the Night's Watch is made of very bright people, I still think Jon “owes” them his loyalty. Instead, he just abruptly told them that he forsakes his vows, that is all. What was this not-very-bright bunch of people supposed to think? That he is off and leaves them to tidy after his decisions (re: wildlings).
But the main thing, of course is that Jon HAS sworn his vows. You see, I don’t think he ever taken it seriously, 100% seriously. He keeps reminding himself of the vows , but he is still wavering.
Yeah, I think the whole "lock-up-the-wolf" thing is getting a bit old. He did it with Robb, and it was tragic. He does it with Jon, and um, it makes little sense? Martin should have found a way around that. Let Ghost be knocked unconscious trying to save Jon from Wun-Wun or something you know? Then have the conspirators strike, trying to get the knives in before the wolf wakes up. ;)
Yes, and I think this is what makes me dissatisfied with the storyline the most.