'A Feast For Crows' thoughts
*sigh* I'm reading so slowly these days, which I find rather depressing. I am forcing myself to read this as carefully as I can, but even still, my impatient eyes want to race ahead.
That being said, I am totally loving AFFC! I've been scribbling down some notes on things that interest me. It's somewhat stream of consciousness, so forgive me.
Some early A Feast for Crows observations:
Note: I've read through page 144 in the U.S. hardcover.
'royal blood' has lost its meaning. So-called royal blood keeps popping up in the most unlikely places - Rennifer Longwaters talks to Jaime about being descended from a Targaryen princess ("I have a little dragon in me"), and the woman at the inn in Duskendale tells Brienne that she also is descended of royalty. So many have called themselves king - but does the naming convey some kind of specialness and how? It seems quite silly. Aeron Greyjoy muses that his father was Lord of the Iron Islands, and of Balon that "he was born a lord's son and died a king."
And then there is Melisandre who is obsessed with royal blood to give to her fires: she wants to burn Mance Rayder, who is no more royal than Rennifer Longwaters - he was a man of the Night's Watch and a deserter, yet because he was known as the King Beyond the Wall and led many men, he has a stature in her eyes, as did Edric Storm, the bastard of the Usurper (another man who was born a lord and died a king). I'm glad that Jon has the wisdom to send Aemon away before he would be sacrificed to the red woman's fiery god as well - surely his Targaryen blood would be most powerful for her magic.
Both Arya and Jon have grown very hard, as Jaime is growing (but with Jaime I feel it is more of a tempering). Arya's fearlessness amazes me, although I know I should not be surprised. And Jon! Oh, I long for the boy he was; I can almost feel the impossible weight of his burden. I remember his thoughts when he defended the Wall against the wildlings in ASOS how he noted all the things that they should have thought of, and could do better in order to better defend the Wall, and it was easy to see what an excellent commander he might make. It's only a pity that it had to happen so soon; he's so young to bear that burden.
Braavos is La Serenissima (Venezia)! (*grin*) Well, it is nice to see a city like that in this universe.
I love Gilly's line to Jon:"As you command, my lady."
"A spasm of anger flashed across Gilly's face. "Dont' you call me that. I'm a mother, not a lady. I'm Craster's wife and Craster's daughter, and a mother."
Qyburn is much darker than I'd thought (what was I thinking?!). I tremble to think of what he will do to Gregor, even as much as I hate the Mountain.
I LOVE how Kevan gives Cersei his ultimatum, and walks away from her. Her paranoia is breathtaking - she goes so far as to suspect her father's beloved brother of taking money from the Tyrells? Interesting also the two names that Kevan gives her for Hand - Sam's father could become Hand (the "finest soldier in the realm" - no wonder he hates Sam so much)! And her disbelief at Shae being found in her father's bed is also interesting to me, because it's making her presence even more puzzling to me.
The "iron dragon's mouth" I LOVE Jaime's recollection of Rhaegar's last words.
What is going on with Tywin's rotting corpse? What does it mean? (or, why does it have to mean anything?) The whole thing is very grisly. I love the scene at the end of that Jaime chapter with Tommen running out of the Sept and Jaime going after him. Jaime handles the Tyrells well, and Cersei is a paranoid, blind fool. Clearly Jaime is the more clever of the two, or at least he is becoming the more clever, now that his sword hand has been taken from him. I doubt Cersei would have survived maiming as he has - but then again, he almost didn't, and she doesn't have a Brienne of Tarth to inspire and protect him. Curious what Cersei says to Jaime:Cersei gave him a lingering look. "You know," she said, "for a moment you sounded quite like Father."
I also LOVE that Jaime finally really rejected Cersei, and that he knew immediately that she wanted something from him, and he wasn't going to give in to her anymore. He's becoming more the man he could have been, and still can be. Cersei is so poisonous for him.
Brienne and the shield - she would keep the heavier oak shield that Jaime gave her - that he himself carried from Harrenhal. It is her choice, to take on the heavier burden that can only be borne by someone strong enough. Like her mission to find Sansa - she is responsible for the heavy burden of Jaime's honor. And curious that she remembers Jaime in the bathhouse at Harrenhal, and then immediately tries to fill her mind with Renly - as is her dream of Renly being killed by the shadow, but it is Jaime inside the green armor, not Renly.
If indeed the Defiance of Duskendale drove Aerys mad, I wonder what exactly happened to him during his six-month imprisonment, and how did Ser Barristan get in to free him?
That being said, I am totally loving AFFC! I've been scribbling down some notes on things that interest me. It's somewhat stream of consciousness, so forgive me.
Some early A Feast for Crows observations:
Note: I've read through page 144 in the U.S. hardcover.
And then there is Melisandre who is obsessed with royal blood to give to her fires: she wants to burn Mance Rayder, who is no more royal than Rennifer Longwaters - he was a man of the Night's Watch and a deserter, yet because he was known as the King Beyond the Wall and led many men, he has a stature in her eyes, as did Edric Storm, the bastard of the Usurper (another man who was born a lord and died a king). I'm glad that Jon has the wisdom to send Aemon away before he would be sacrificed to the red woman's fiery god as well - surely his Targaryen blood would be most powerful for her magic.
"A spasm of anger flashed across Gilly's face. "Dont' you call me that. I'm a mother, not a lady. I'm Craster's wife and Craster's daughter, and a mother."
I also LOVE that Jaime finally really rejected Cersei, and that he knew immediately that she wanted something from him, and he wasn't going to give in to her anymore. He's becoming more the man he could have been, and still can be. Cersei is so poisonous for him.