*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
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Hee! I didn't think of that. The two series couldn't possibly be more different, although I like them both.
'royal blood' has lost its meaning.
That's an interesting observation, and is really driven home in this book. I won't discuss anything that you haven't because I'm not sure how far along you are. I wonder if royal blood will continue to lose its meaning for the remainder of the series? We still have Danaerys out there being royal in both blood and demeanor.
Tywin's rotting corpse reminded me of the corpse of the rich woman in The Thorn Birds. She also decayed very quickly. In that book it stood in for the corruption of the soul--perhaps it is the same here.
BTW, I friended you last week because queenofthorns kept linking you whenever she talked about ASOIAF. I hope you don't mind.
Hee! I didn't think of that. The two series couldn't possibly be more different, although I like them both.
Are you by any chance referring to Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series? I was actually just being silly with the La Serenissima reference, which was an old name for Venice, and likely why Carey chose to use that name in her novels.
Anyway, yes, you're right, Dany is out there and seems worthy of being a queen - but Viserys was horrid, as was Joffrey and Balon - and Stannis isn't all that great either. I guess all I mean to say is what I think Martin is saying is that blood doesn't have much to do with it - that perhaps there isn't or shouldn't be any mystical property attached to one's birth or familial connection.
I like what you describe in regards to Tywin's rotting corpse...Tywin is a fascinating creature (never the king but almost a king - how many times has he been Hand?), and as my pal kitsah mentioned to me recently, it's a pity he died before we got to learn more about him on a personal level
( ... )
Cersei views everything through a prism that just refracts her own interests. Ugh. Her paranoia is actually rather disturbing. She's going to be MAD if she keeps this up, and I'm only two of her POV chapters in.
I was thrilled to read that Jaime was growing his beard back. I'm not sure why; in an odd way it feels like it's a way for him to move on, and move away from his old life, as an outward symbol anyway.
You're right of course: Poor Brienne! I ache for the poor girl. The fact that she's thinking about Jaime in the bath, even after knowing all the she knows, well, it just shows how far he's gotten under her skin. She takes everything so seriously, though. One day I long for Brienne to be *happy* and to laugh and enjoy life. I know that this may never happen in these books, as sometimes I feel like GRRM subscribes to the Joss Whedon philosophy: never let you characters be happy. When something good happens, something EVEN MORE HORRIBLE than anything before will immediately fall on their head. Red Wedding, anyone?
Interesting...so you do think that there is some mystical quality neccessary for kingship - which is bestowed on only a rare few, the Targaryens being one of them. I'm not sure I agree completely, but I see what you mean, and also what you mean by the prophecies being significant to leadership or at least to indicate something important, whatever it might for people like Jon (as the blue rose on the Wall).
I do agree with you completely that a true King or Queen of Westeros must be the sword in the darkness - their leadership is necessary to bind Westeros together against their greatest threats
( ... )
Comments 6
Hee! I didn't think of that. The two series couldn't possibly be more different, although I like them both.
'royal blood' has lost its meaning.
That's an interesting observation, and is really driven home in this book. I won't discuss anything that you haven't because I'm not sure how far along you are. I wonder if royal blood will continue to lose its meaning for the remainder of the series? We still have Danaerys out there being royal in both blood and demeanor.
Tywin's rotting corpse reminded me of the corpse of the rich woman in The Thorn Birds. She also decayed very quickly. In that book it stood in for the corruption of the soul--perhaps it is the same here.
BTW, I friended you last week because queenofthorns kept linking you whenever she talked about ASOIAF. I hope you don't mind.
Reply
Hee! I didn't think of that. The two series couldn't possibly be more different, although I like them both.
Are you by any chance referring to Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series? I was actually just being silly with the La Serenissima reference, which was an old name for Venice, and likely why Carey chose to use that name in her novels.
Anyway, yes, you're right, Dany is out there and seems worthy of being a queen - but Viserys was horrid, as was Joffrey and Balon - and Stannis isn't all that great either. I guess all I mean to say is what I think Martin is saying is that blood doesn't have much to do with it - that perhaps there isn't or shouldn't be any mystical property attached to one's birth or familial connection.
I like what you describe in regards to Tywin's rotting corpse...Tywin is a fascinating creature (never the king but almost a king - how many times has he been Hand?), and as my pal kitsah mentioned to me recently, it's a pity he died before we got to learn more about him on a personal level ( ... )
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
I was thrilled to read that Jaime was growing his beard back. I'm not sure why; in an odd way it feels like it's a way for him to move on, and move away from his old life, as an outward symbol anyway.
You're right of course: Poor Brienne! I ache for the poor girl. The fact that she's thinking about Jaime in the bath, even after knowing all the she knows, well, it just shows how far he's gotten under her skin. She takes everything so seriously, though. One day I long for Brienne to be *happy* and to laugh and enjoy life. I know that this may never happen in these books, as sometimes I feel like GRRM subscribes to the Joss Whedon philosophy: never let you characters be happy. When something good happens, something EVEN MORE HORRIBLE than anything before will immediately fall on their head. Red Wedding, anyone?
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I do agree with you completely that a true King or Queen of Westeros must be the sword in the darkness - their leadership is necessary to bind Westeros together against their greatest threats ( ... )
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I am just at the beginning of ASOS, but i don't mind spoilers ;)
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