A Song of Ice and Fire
So, it's an age since I finished reading A Song of Ice and Fire, but I realise I never shared my thoughts outside of locked posts. Seeing as it's quickly become my main fandom, this lack of fangirling is something of an oversight! So, before Game of Thrones premieres tomorrow, behold my ~feelings~. I wish I could write them down as eloquently as the books deserve, but...there is no chance of that. This will mainly be flailing. And spoilers.
So, it took me a longer than it should have to get around to reading the series. I kept seeing it cropping up in fandom and thinking "I should read that one day!" And now I have. And I am in love. I think I timed it quite well, seeing as ADwD was given a release date not too long after I finished AFfC. Having said that, I do love having time to speculate...but six years might have been a little too long.
The thing that has amazed me so much about ASoIaF is just how much my feelings have changed for such a large amount of characters. I have a lot of favourites, so I shall limit myself to speak in detail about my top three. Because there's kind of a natural neat line I've drawn in my brain beneath them, as if to say "these are my favourites, the others are just characters I like. A lot." I'm delaying telling you who I dislike because I fear being stoned to death, but still, let's have the pleasant thoughts first, yes?
Only one favourite has retained his place since the first book, the other two are USURPERS!
And so...
Favourite Characters
1) SANDOR CLEGANE: Oh Sandor. I just want to give him a gigantic hug and tell him everything will be OK (will it though? Argh!). He'd probably tell me to piss on my pleasantries, but still. As soon as there was mention of a burned knight I was like "oh ho ho, I sense a tragic past! I'm going to enjoy this character." And I do! Oh, I do! I think the canine connection was also an instant hit with me ;-). Really though, I guess I'm just a sucker for a broken man and I want Sandor to be fixed so badly :-\! I love characters who, for all their faults, have true goodness inside them, they just need an opportunity for it to show through. That's not to say I don't enjoy his snark and all the times he's a complete asshole, because I do! Having said that...
His manly tears do things to me. Shit. When he was on the floor pleading for help after his fight with Dondarrion...I was all adalskdjaslkdja ;__;
I love that he doesn't really know how to deal with his feelings for Sansa, he's hurting so badly and is so hell-bent on revenge that he's all twisted up inside. AND HE'S JUST NEVER KNOWN LOVE ;_____;. I was reading somewhere on a forum about how we're told he's a monster, but it's rare we've actually seen him perform any monstrous acts (lol, Mycah? Mycah who?). All we've really seen him do is protect little girls. And cry. Heh. Further to that point, I don't want to be one of those fangirls, making Rorschach into a chocolates and flowers kinda guy...but I think this is different. I'm not blind to the Hound's flaws, I just want his pain to be healed. I think there's a good man inside just waiting to shine. He's fucked up, but not beyond saving.
Oh, and anyone who thinks he's truly dead/not coming back into the story can GTFO. As soon as the guy on the Quiet Isle mentioned "healing hands" I was like "YAY! So you've found The Hound then! Awesome!" I've seen so many people say they'd rather he stay dead than come back into the story as a changed man. WTH? The thing I truly love about GRRM's writing is how well he deals with character development. Look at Jaime! How can you like Sandor, but not want to read more about him? Ack. I want Sandor back, with less confusion/rage and more PURPOSE. Y'know? He had no idea what he was about in ASoS! Wandering around...kidnapping kids...building walls to pay for his booze - he had no direction. Let him get healed up, inside and out, and then go and face his brother/find Sansa. So say we all!
2) Jaime Lannister: ♥ ♥ ♥ So, as you might have guessed, Jaime is one of the usurpers! I didn't really have feelings for him one way or the other during AGoT, he was just kind've there. Which is odd, considering that Bran was probably my favourite character during most of that book (I kinda blamed Cercei anyway)! Then fate kind've conspired: I saw an HBO trailer with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in and went... "♥_♥ OOOOH!" ...
I'm just going to leave this here.
And then, not long afterwards I read Catelyn's chapter near the end of ACoK, where Jaime is all "I don't think I'll fuck you after all" (looool) and it was a done deal. He moved up the ranks. Within a few chapters of ASoS he was right at the top of my list. I just adore him. I love how misjudged he is. I love how important "the things I do for love" is when it comes to his past and his future. It seems like it's always his primary motivation. It's just a case of whether that love is a destructive force (Cercei) or a positive one (Brienne!).
There have been so many moments when I have ALL BUT SWOONED:
"Good, I only rescue maidens"
Oh Jaime. The bear pit, the bath house, when he brightslapped Ser Ronnet. So many moments of pure awesome.
3) Sansa Stark: Oh my poor Sansa, there is so much hate in this world! People are so unforgiving of her and yet appear to be blind to the faults of other characters (lookin' at you, Arya!), it makes me so sad. I completely adore her. She's the character I identify with most in the series. Haha, in fact my old best friend sent me a message the other day, saying she was moving house, whilst she was unpacking her books she came across a copy of Jane Eyre that I'd bought her years ago and had apparently inscribed with the words 'I hope that one day we'll both find out that love is more than words in books.' Oh Sansa! XD
Sure, she did some silly things in AGoT, but she's matured so much! She does what she has to do in order to survive, just like her sister, but she's reviled for it by fandom. ARGH! She has patience and subtlety and kindness, all positive traits which her sister lacks (to her detriment, in my eyes). I was talking with slightlytookish and we came up with the motto "Be polite. Try not to die. Fall in love with The Hound." I think her treatment of Sandor and of Sweet Robin speak volumes about her character. She has such a capacity for compassion. Oh Sansa. ♥
Camel cunts indeed. I'll take my little bird and piss upon your clam seller. ;-D
So yes, they're my stand out favourites for the moment. I suppose it's an odd place to be right now, as to a certain extent I've forgotten about a lot of the characters in the North, they've been pushed to the back of my mind. It's hard to remember how I feel about some of the other people in the books. But for now, for what it's worth, I really really like (as in second tier of favourites) Brienne, Davos, pretty much all the Greyjoys (esp. Asha and Theon), Bran...
Some characters have disappointed me over the course of the books, but that's a good thing! It's not like they've said "I'm going over to the dark side" or anything so obvious. It's been subtle decisions that I've disagreed with, decisions that have stacked up on one another and weighed me down to a point where I've had to let a character go. And so...
Fallen From Grace
I think the character who has most disappointed me is:
Arya. Argh! I feel bad. I know she's massively popular in fandom, but...ugh. She's so reckless and wild. I know, I know, I'm such a hypocrite, when I'm willing to forgive other characters their mistakes. But she's just feral. :-( There's no compassion in her. She kicks out at anyone and won't accept help, or listen to sense. I don't even like Lem, but when she broke his nose I just wanted to shake her. I understand why she has trust issues but...grrr. OK, we all know what this boils down to, don't we?
Let's get this straight. YOU LEFT THE HOUND IN A DITCH. TO DIE OF HIS FESTERING WOUND.
My opinion of her had been waning for a while, but during that fight with The Tickler and Polliver, I really thought "Hold on, things are looking up! Arya is going to be awesome again! Yeah! And The Hound will respect her for her prowess and her fearlessness in battle! They are going to be TEAM AWESOME!!!" And when she missed his name from her list, I was so happy! I thought "she's finally seeing sense and losing some of her stubbornness!" But no.
Arya, I am disappoint.
I really should thank her for her lack of mercy, because the Hound would be dead if she'd done what he asked. But still... :-/ Maybe she'll come good, I don't know. She's lost to me for now.
Tyrion. Oh, Tyrion. I don't know what to think right now! :-/ I loved you, you were witty and clever and good, but...all this at the end of ASoS? I just don't know what to do with you. I don't think Tywin deserved that fate...and I think you've lowered yourself by your actions. I wish you hadn't lied to Jaime. :-((((( (He's totally taken your place in my heart btw. And he's hot to boot). You're going to make it up to me in ADwD, right? HAHA, I am so fiercely protective of my favourites, aren't I? You wrong them, YOU ARE FINISHED! It's the dog in me. I should be a Clegane.
Jorah! You were only thing that kept me awake through Daenerys' POVs. Then you kinda blew it big time. Sorry, dude.
Theon. Hahaha, my poor ridiculous Theon. I was fascinated with him all the way through GoT, wishing he'd get a chance to speak and then when he finally got a POV in ACoK he was...a complete dick. Haha, The thing is, he really hasn't plummeted quite as much as the others, I'm still amused by him to a certain extent. XD
So, yeah. They've fallen from grace. Never really been a fan of Catelyn or Samwell (Samwell sex scenes? DNW!), and Daenerys kinda bores me. :-/
I hope I haven't offended anyone by naming and shaming there, because that's, like, just my opinion, dude. Having said that, I'm frequently almost reduced to tears in forums when people BE DISSING MY FAVES. Liking Sansa, you can appreciate how often often this occurs...
Favourite Pairings
The thing I love most about my favourite pairings in ASOIAF is that they're all rooted in canon. I haven't had to squint to see anything. It feels good. I'll tell you exactly what feels good, reading a book where canon relationships are actually interesting enough for me to care about (lookin' at you, JKR).
Sansa/Sandor: OMG. So much love. I can't even....:-3
I shipped them pretty much instantly in A Game of Thrones. I don't understand the haters. Or the Tyrion evangelists. They have such have profound effect on each other! For the better! I don't know how anyone can see a negative side to this. I'm not glossing over the darker aspects of their relationship, but LIFE ISN'T A SONG, GUYS. God, I want Sansa wearing a yellow and black cloak by the end of the series (unlikely). The main complaint I hear is that it would be too much a cliché. Personally, I think Sandor dying for her would be more likely of a cliché than them being married. I'd like her to get her fairytale ending after all, even if it isn't the one she planned, y'know? I just want Sandor to be happy and to finally be loved. I'm going to be horribly disappointed, aren't I? (Sansa steps over his corpse to take revenge on FrankenGregor. Nooooooooooo!)
Jaime/Brienne: Oh, I feel so torn! I can't imagine that two Beauty & The Beast relationships will be realised (and if we're placing bets, my money is on a Tyrion/Tysha reunion, seeing as GRRM is so attached to the character). My heart's with Sansa/Sandor, but I love these two as well. Oh they have so much snark. The scene in the bathhouse is one of my favourites in the series. ♥ ♥ ♥. I'd love them to be together. I want Jaime to realise what a healthy relationship feels like and I just want Brienne to be loved. The thing is, I think Brienne will be satisfied with her life if she can complete her quest and find both Stark girls. So...ack. Sansa/Sandor gets my vote, but Jaime/Brienne are an extremely close second.
Theon/Asha: Am I alone? I feel alone! God, they are so hot. The chapter in ACoK where Asha tricks Theon into taking her home to bed is another of my favourites. I guess being an only child makes me less prone to incest squick? There's something there though, right? On Theon's part at least. I do kinda feel bad for Asha, she deserves someone better than Theon (lol Victarion?)...but whatever. They should totes do it. Asha on top. Heheheh.
Loras/Renly: Poor old Loras. ;__; What can I say? I had my suspicions, but it took until ASoS for the penny to completely drop. It was Jaime's "a place even Renly never found" comment that sealed the deal. Haha. Amazing. Oh my beautiful boys ;__;. Alas.
The Future
I Must admit I'm a little bit :-/ about ADwD, as all my favourites appear to have been in AFfC! But there's Bran and Davos to look forward to. Just, arrrrghhhhh, Brienne...I don't want to have to wait until the next book to find out she's safe. I really want Pod and Ser Hyle to make it too. I remember the excitement before the last few Harry Potter books and I remember relating everything back to Remus Lupin. "OMG REMUS IS TOTALLY THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE!!!" I'm doing the same thing here to a certain extent. The Hound is going to rescue Brienne, The Hound is Azor Ahai reborn, The Hound is one of the heads of the dragon. Oh me. XD
I should probably post this now. Sorry again for the ramble and squee, I'm actually having second thoughts about posting it. I wish I had time to write something more fitting, but this needs to be posted today :-/. If you have anything more serious to discuss, I would happily talk all day in the comments. Just don't shout at me for hating Arya, OK? O.O
So, it took me a longer than it should have to get around to reading the series. I kept seeing it cropping up in fandom and thinking "I should read that one day!" And now I have. And I am in love. I think I timed it quite well, seeing as ADwD was given a release date not too long after I finished AFfC. Having said that, I do love having time to speculate...but six years might have been a little too long.
The thing that has amazed me so much about ASoIaF is just how much my feelings have changed for such a large amount of characters. I have a lot of favourites, so I shall limit myself to speak in detail about my top three. Because there's kind of a natural neat line I've drawn in my brain beneath them, as if to say "these are my favourites, the others are just characters I like. A lot." I'm delaying telling you who I dislike because I fear being stoned to death, but still, let's have the pleasant thoughts first, yes?
Only one favourite has retained his place since the first book, the other two are USURPERS!
And so...
Favourite Characters
1) SANDOR CLEGANE: Oh Sandor. I just want to give him a gigantic hug and tell him everything will be OK (will it though? Argh!). He'd probably tell me to piss on my pleasantries, but still. As soon as there was mention of a burned knight I was like "oh ho ho, I sense a tragic past! I'm going to enjoy this character." And I do! Oh, I do! I think the canine connection was also an instant hit with me ;-). Really though, I guess I'm just a sucker for a broken man and I want Sandor to be fixed so badly :-\! I love characters who, for all their faults, have true goodness inside them, they just need an opportunity for it to show through. That's not to say I don't enjoy his snark and all the times he's a complete asshole, because I do! Having said that...
His manly tears do things to me. Shit. When he was on the floor pleading for help after his fight with Dondarrion...I was all adalskdjaslkdja ;__;
I love that he doesn't really know how to deal with his feelings for Sansa, he's hurting so badly and is so hell-bent on revenge that he's all twisted up inside. AND HE'S JUST NEVER KNOWN LOVE ;_____;. I was reading somewhere on a forum about how we're told he's a monster, but it's rare we've actually seen him perform any monstrous acts (lol, Mycah? Mycah who?). All we've really seen him do is protect little girls. And cry. Heh. Further to that point, I don't want to be one of those fangirls, making Rorschach into a chocolates and flowers kinda guy...but I think this is different. I'm not blind to the Hound's flaws, I just want his pain to be healed. I think there's a good man inside just waiting to shine. He's fucked up, but not beyond saving.
Oh, and anyone who thinks he's truly dead/not coming back into the story can GTFO. As soon as the guy on the Quiet Isle mentioned "healing hands" I was like "YAY! So you've found The Hound then! Awesome!" I've seen so many people say they'd rather he stay dead than come back into the story as a changed man. WTH? The thing I truly love about GRRM's writing is how well he deals with character development. Look at Jaime! How can you like Sandor, but not want to read more about him? Ack. I want Sandor back, with less confusion/rage and more PURPOSE. Y'know? He had no idea what he was about in ASoS! Wandering around...kidnapping kids...building walls to pay for his booze - he had no direction. Let him get healed up, inside and out, and then go and face his brother/find Sansa. So say we all!
2) Jaime Lannister: ♥ ♥ ♥ So, as you might have guessed, Jaime is one of the usurpers! I didn't really have feelings for him one way or the other during AGoT, he was just kind've there. Which is odd, considering that Bran was probably my favourite character during most of that book (I kinda blamed Cercei anyway)! Then fate kind've conspired: I saw an HBO trailer with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in and went... "♥_♥ OOOOH!" ...
I'm just going to leave this here.
And then, not long afterwards I read Catelyn's chapter near the end of ACoK, where Jaime is all "I don't think I'll fuck you after all" (looool) and it was a done deal. He moved up the ranks. Within a few chapters of ASoS he was right at the top of my list. I just adore him. I love how misjudged he is. I love how important "the things I do for love" is when it comes to his past and his future. It seems like it's always his primary motivation. It's just a case of whether that love is a destructive force (Cercei) or a positive one (Brienne!).
There have been so many moments when I have ALL BUT SWOONED:
"Good, I only rescue maidens"
Oh Jaime. The bear pit, the bath house, when he brightslapped Ser Ronnet. So many moments of pure awesome.
3) Sansa Stark: Oh my poor Sansa, there is so much hate in this world! People are so unforgiving of her and yet appear to be blind to the faults of other characters (lookin' at you, Arya!), it makes me so sad. I completely adore her. She's the character I identify with most in the series. Haha, in fact my old best friend sent me a message the other day, saying she was moving house, whilst she was unpacking her books she came across a copy of Jane Eyre that I'd bought her years ago and had apparently inscribed with the words 'I hope that one day we'll both find out that love is more than words in books.' Oh Sansa! XD
Sure, she did some silly things in AGoT, but she's matured so much! She does what she has to do in order to survive, just like her sister, but she's reviled for it by fandom. ARGH! She has patience and subtlety and kindness, all positive traits which her sister lacks (to her detriment, in my eyes). I was talking with slightlytookish and we came up with the motto "Be polite. Try not to die. Fall in love with The Hound." I think her treatment of Sandor and of Sweet Robin speak volumes about her character. She has such a capacity for compassion. Oh Sansa. ♥
Camel cunts indeed. I'll take my little bird and piss upon your clam seller. ;-D
So yes, they're my stand out favourites for the moment. I suppose it's an odd place to be right now, as to a certain extent I've forgotten about a lot of the characters in the North, they've been pushed to the back of my mind. It's hard to remember how I feel about some of the other people in the books. But for now, for what it's worth, I really really like (as in second tier of favourites) Brienne, Davos, pretty much all the Greyjoys (esp. Asha and Theon), Bran...
Some characters have disappointed me over the course of the books, but that's a good thing! It's not like they've said "I'm going over to the dark side" or anything so obvious. It's been subtle decisions that I've disagreed with, decisions that have stacked up on one another and weighed me down to a point where I've had to let a character go. And so...
Fallen From Grace
I think the character who has most disappointed me is:
Arya. Argh! I feel bad. I know she's massively popular in fandom, but...ugh. She's so reckless and wild. I know, I know, I'm such a hypocrite, when I'm willing to forgive other characters their mistakes. But she's just feral. :-( There's no compassion in her. She kicks out at anyone and won't accept help, or listen to sense. I don't even like Lem, but when she broke his nose I just wanted to shake her. I understand why she has trust issues but...grrr. OK, we all know what this boils down to, don't we?
Let's get this straight. YOU LEFT THE HOUND IN A DITCH. TO DIE OF HIS FESTERING WOUND.
My opinion of her had been waning for a while, but during that fight with The Tickler and Polliver, I really thought "Hold on, things are looking up! Arya is going to be awesome again! Yeah! And The Hound will respect her for her prowess and her fearlessness in battle! They are going to be TEAM AWESOME!!!" And when she missed his name from her list, I was so happy! I thought "she's finally seeing sense and losing some of her stubbornness!" But no.
Arya, I am disappoint.
I really should thank her for her lack of mercy, because the Hound would be dead if she'd done what he asked. But still... :-/ Maybe she'll come good, I don't know. She's lost to me for now.
Tyrion. Oh, Tyrion. I don't know what to think right now! :-/ I loved you, you were witty and clever and good, but...all this at the end of ASoS? I just don't know what to do with you. I don't think Tywin deserved that fate...and I think you've lowered yourself by your actions. I wish you hadn't lied to Jaime. :-((((( (He's totally taken your place in my heart btw. And he's hot to boot). You're going to make it up to me in ADwD, right? HAHA, I am so fiercely protective of my favourites, aren't I? You wrong them, YOU ARE FINISHED! It's the dog in me. I should be a Clegane.
Jorah! You were only thing that kept me awake through Daenerys' POVs. Then you kinda blew it big time. Sorry, dude.
Theon. Hahaha, my poor ridiculous Theon. I was fascinated with him all the way through GoT, wishing he'd get a chance to speak and then when he finally got a POV in ACoK he was...a complete dick. Haha, The thing is, he really hasn't plummeted quite as much as the others, I'm still amused by him to a certain extent. XD
So, yeah. They've fallen from grace. Never really been a fan of Catelyn or Samwell (Samwell sex scenes? DNW!), and Daenerys kinda bores me. :-/
I hope I haven't offended anyone by naming and shaming there, because that's, like, just my opinion, dude. Having said that, I'm frequently almost reduced to tears in forums when people BE DISSING MY FAVES. Liking Sansa, you can appreciate how often often this occurs...
Favourite Pairings
The thing I love most about my favourite pairings in ASOIAF is that they're all rooted in canon. I haven't had to squint to see anything. It feels good. I'll tell you exactly what feels good, reading a book where canon relationships are actually interesting enough for me to care about (lookin' at you, JKR).
Sansa/Sandor: OMG. So much love. I can't even....:-3
I shipped them pretty much instantly in A Game of Thrones. I don't understand the haters. Or the Tyrion evangelists. They have such have profound effect on each other! For the better! I don't know how anyone can see a negative side to this. I'm not glossing over the darker aspects of their relationship, but LIFE ISN'T A SONG, GUYS. God, I want Sansa wearing a yellow and black cloak by the end of the series (unlikely). The main complaint I hear is that it would be too much a cliché. Personally, I think Sandor dying for her would be more likely of a cliché than them being married. I'd like her to get her fairytale ending after all, even if it isn't the one she planned, y'know? I just want Sandor to be happy and to finally be loved. I'm going to be horribly disappointed, aren't I? (Sansa steps over his corpse to take revenge on FrankenGregor. Nooooooooooo!)
Jaime/Brienne: Oh, I feel so torn! I can't imagine that two Beauty & The Beast relationships will be realised (and if we're placing bets, my money is on a Tyrion/Tysha reunion, seeing as GRRM is so attached to the character). My heart's with Sansa/Sandor, but I love these two as well. Oh they have so much snark. The scene in the bathhouse is one of my favourites in the series. ♥ ♥ ♥. I'd love them to be together. I want Jaime to realise what a healthy relationship feels like and I just want Brienne to be loved. The thing is, I think Brienne will be satisfied with her life if she can complete her quest and find both Stark girls. So...ack. Sansa/Sandor gets my vote, but Jaime/Brienne are an extremely close second.
Theon/Asha: Am I alone? I feel alone! God, they are so hot. The chapter in ACoK where Asha tricks Theon into taking her home to bed is another of my favourites. I guess being an only child makes me less prone to incest squick? There's something there though, right? On Theon's part at least. I do kinda feel bad for Asha, she deserves someone better than Theon (lol Victarion?)...but whatever. They should totes do it. Asha on top. Heheheh.
Loras/Renly: Poor old Loras. ;__; What can I say? I had my suspicions, but it took until ASoS for the penny to completely drop. It was Jaime's "a place even Renly never found" comment that sealed the deal. Haha. Amazing. Oh my beautiful boys ;__;. Alas.
The Future
I Must admit I'm a little bit :-/ about ADwD, as all my favourites appear to have been in AFfC! But there's Bran and Davos to look forward to. Just, arrrrghhhhh, Brienne...I don't want to have to wait until the next book to find out she's safe. I really want Pod and Ser Hyle to make it too. I remember the excitement before the last few Harry Potter books and I remember relating everything back to Remus Lupin. "OMG REMUS IS TOTALLY THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE!!!" I'm doing the same thing here to a certain extent. The Hound is going to rescue Brienne, The Hound is Azor Ahai reborn, The Hound is one of the heads of the dragon. Oh me. XD
I should probably post this now. Sorry again for the ramble and squee, I'm actually having second thoughts about posting it. I wish I had time to write something more fitting, but this needs to be posted today :-/. If you have anything more serious to discuss, I would happily talk all day in the comments. Just don't shout at me for hating Arya, OK? O.O