Dany is on Illyrio's ship surrounded by Illyrio's men. Ser Jorah is suspicious of everyone, or perhaps he is being overprotective. Her dragons are flying around now and cooking meat with their own fire. She's training them to obey commands and is planning to be able to ride them.
Jorah goes to visit Dany while she's naked in bed. Dany seems to be naked a lot in these books. He convinces her not to go directly to see Illyrio, but to go to another port on the way and hire a badass army instead, so that she's got some protection against whatever nefarious plans Illyrio has.
I do wonder where they're all going to stay. It's not like you can just call up the Pentos Marriott and ask for 1000 rooms. I suppose people are used to squashing up in one room. Even Dany is sharing a bed with her handmaiden (and not even like that).
Having agreed to his plan, Dany gets out of bed to put on some clothes. She doesn't care if Jorah sees her naked, even though she knows he's in love with her. This is all the encouragement he needs: he's finally plucked up the courage to plant a big smacker on her lips. Also he wants to ride one of her dragons (behave). She likes it, but also thinks it's a bit inappropriate, so tries to pretend she didn't like it. I honestly have no idea whether Jorah is guilty of sexual harassment or not. It's a bit weird seeing as he's kind of a father figure, but then again Dany is from a long line of incestuous couplings so who am I to judge? Probably Dany's problem with it is the same as Darcy's problem with Elizabeth: eventually she'll get over herself and they'll live happily ever after.
Friday, 9 November 2018
ASoS 7: Jon 91
Jon, now working undercover amongst the wildlings, is taken to meet Mance Rayder. At first I think Mance Rayder is being far too freindly. Shouldn't he be throwing Jon in a cage and interrogating him? Or at least not so immediately inviting him into his house and introducing him to his pregnant wife?
But then I start to realise I've got Mance all wrong. He's not some ruffian, scoundrel, raider (despite the name). He's not even a Westeros-style lord who might very likely treat prisoners only as well as it suits.
Mance is civilised and has manners. He is not a ruler: the wildlings associate with him voluntarily. These are free folk, and Mance means it, unlike Craddock whose idea of freedom is the freedom to abuse his daughters. For Mance, freedom is for other people, too. And so Jon is a free man who he invites onto his property to share his food.
As Ygritte says when Jon asks if he will be free to leave, "Sure you will. And we'll be free to kill you. It's dangerous being free, but most come to like the taste o' it."
This is better than it sounds, their interest in killing Jon is only so far as it is necessary to protect themselves.
Mance explains why he left the Watch: "...for a place where a kiss was not a crime, and a man could wear any cloak he chose."
My prediction then, is that Jon is going to go too deep under cover, and come to like the taste of freedom, and realise that a better world is possible than the backwards, medieval society of Westeros.
But then I start to realise I've got Mance all wrong. He's not some ruffian, scoundrel, raider (despite the name). He's not even a Westeros-style lord who might very likely treat prisoners only as well as it suits.
Mance is civilised and has manners. He is not a ruler: the wildlings associate with him voluntarily. These are free folk, and Mance means it, unlike Craddock whose idea of freedom is the freedom to abuse his daughters. For Mance, freedom is for other people, too. And so Jon is a free man who he invites onto his property to share his food.
As Ygritte says when Jon asks if he will be free to leave, "Sure you will. And we'll be free to kill you. It's dangerous being free, but most come to like the taste o' it."
This is better than it sounds, their interest in killing Jon is only so far as it is necessary to protect themselves.
Mance explains why he left the Watch: "...for a place where a kiss was not a crime, and a man could wear any cloak he chose."
My prediction then, is that Jon is going to go too deep under cover, and come to like the taste of freedom, and realise that a better world is possible than the backwards, medieval society of Westeros.
Monday, 5 November 2018
ASoS 6: Sansa 75
I don't know who it was who first said the Sansa chapters were boring, but I've always quite liked them, probably because I sometimes feel as naive and clueless as her when it comes to GRRM's world and can relate to her. And this one is a corker, thanks in part to the wonderful Lady Olenna who might become my new favourite character if she makes more appearances.
Sansa is invited to supper by her replacement for the spot of Joff's wife-to-be, Margaery Tyrell. She doesn't know what it's all about but as I immediately suspected, it's to find out how Joff treats his women. Lady Olenna doesn't beat about the bush, she doesn't give a fuck in a way only old ladies truly don't have to, and she speaks the truth and doesn't care who hears it. She's unimpressed with this whole marrying into royalty lark. "We should have stayed well out of this bloody foolishness if you ask me, but once the cow's been milked there's no squirting the cream back up her udder. [...] All these kings would do a good deal better if they would put down their swords and listen to their mothers."
Olenna could be the most intelligent character in the book so far. By getting the fool Butterbumps to sing loudly so the spies can't hear, she extracts from Sansa the information she needs: that Joff is a monster who had her beaten by the Kingsguard.
The reaction: "That's a pity." Even Margaery seems nonplussed. Which makes me thinks they've got a way out planned. I wonder what it could be.
Anyway, the Tyrells also plan to marry Sansa to their crippled but kind son. Which doesn't sound too bad compared to being stuck at King's Landing and tormented by Lannisters.
Sansa is invited to supper by her replacement for the spot of Joff's wife-to-be, Margaery Tyrell. She doesn't know what it's all about but as I immediately suspected, it's to find out how Joff treats his women. Lady Olenna doesn't beat about the bush, she doesn't give a fuck in a way only old ladies truly don't have to, and she speaks the truth and doesn't care who hears it. She's unimpressed with this whole marrying into royalty lark. "We should have stayed well out of this bloody foolishness if you ask me, but once the cow's been milked there's no squirting the cream back up her udder. [...] All these kings would do a good deal better if they would put down their swords and listen to their mothers."
Olenna could be the most intelligent character in the book so far. By getting the fool Butterbumps to sing loudly so the spies can't hear, she extracts from Sansa the information she needs: that Joff is a monster who had her beaten by the Kingsguard.
The reaction: "That's a pity." Even Margaery seems nonplussed. Which makes me thinks they've got a way out planned. I wonder what it could be.
Anyway, the Tyrells also plan to marry Sansa to their crippled but kind son. Which doesn't sound too bad compared to being stuck at King's Landing and tormented by Lannisters.
ASoS 5: Davos 67
Davos survived the green fire and Tyrion's chain after falling off his ship by swimming under the water. He ended up washed up on a rocky outcrop. He was ready to give up on life, since his sons are all dead as far as he knows, and he spends most of the chapter in various states of nearly dying. Then he decided that Melisandre and her weird magic and her god are probably to blame for all this bad luck. Now he has a purpose, presumably to kill her. A passing ship comes to the rescue, and luckily for him it is crewed by men loyal to Stannis.
Saturday, 3 November 2018
ASoS 4: Tyrion 53
Tyrion makes it out of bed, finally. Bronn still seems loyal to him. He's now Ser Bronn. After getting up to date, Tyrion goes to moan at his father who does not seem sufficiently grateful to Tyrion for saving the city.
Tywin appears to know most of what Tyrion has done but isn't that impressed. When Tyrion asks to be Tywin's heir and inherit Casterly Rock (Jaime apparently can't since he's a kingsguard), Tywin says no. Tyrion might have low cunning but he sleeps with too many whores and anyway he's too ugly and deformed. It seems a bit harsh to begrudge him the whores, and anyway is it such a big deal with everything else the gentry of Westeros get up to?
Tywin appears to know most of what Tyrion has done but isn't that impressed. When Tyrion asks to be Tywin's heir and inherit Casterly Rock (Jaime apparently can't since he's a kingsguard), Tywin says no. Tyrion might have low cunning but he sleeps with too many whores and anyway he's too ugly and deformed. It seems a bit harsh to begrudge him the whores, and anyway is it such a big deal with everything else the gentry of Westeros get up to?
ASoS 3: Arya 43
Arya, Hot Pie and Gendry are heading north on horses to Riverrun. Hot Pie does not travel well. They assume they are being chased. Eventually they sleep and Arya now gets the benefit of Bran's dream powers. As her wolf she kills their pursuers, so that's handy.
Presumably at some point Arya will meet up with her wolf again.
We don't learn much else. Gendry knows who Arya really is but Hot Pie does not. He's even surprised she can read.
Presumably at some point Arya will meet up with her wolf again.
We don't learn much else. Gendry knows who Arya really is but Hot Pie does not. He's even surprised she can read.
ASoS 2: Catelyn 33
Catelyn's release of Jaime was not exactly authorised by the powers that be, so she's in the doghouse and confined to her father's solar. This seems a bit odd since the powers that be are her son, but he's not around to sort things out.
She first learns that Tyrion is no longer the hand, which is a bit of a problem for her plan since he's the only one she thinks would actually release her daughters. She also knows that Ser Robin is after Jaime, so she's watching anxiously to see if he returns. We already know he won't, of course, at least not with Jaime.
When Edmure returns from battle she learns that he's told Roose Bolton to look for Jaime, which is another worry. On the other hand perhaps this will distract Bolton from Arya's disappearance.
Her father mumbles something about Tansy, from which she deduces that he got Jon Arryn to marry Lysa in return for Tully alliance, which Catelyn sees as a huge wrong even though that seems to be par for the course amongst the Westeros gentry.
She also learns that Robb is injured in battle, but it's only a minor injury. He's probably only lost an arm or a leg, then.
She first learns that Tyrion is no longer the hand, which is a bit of a problem for her plan since he's the only one she thinks would actually release her daughters. She also knows that Ser Robin is after Jaime, so she's watching anxiously to see if he returns. We already know he won't, of course, at least not with Jaime.
When Edmure returns from battle she learns that he's told Roose Bolton to look for Jaime, which is another worry. On the other hand perhaps this will distract Bolton from Arya's disappearance.
Her father mumbles something about Tansy, from which she deduces that he got Jon Arryn to marry Lysa in return for Tully alliance, which Catelyn sees as a huge wrong even though that seems to be par for the course amongst the Westeros gentry.
She also learns that Robb is injured in battle, but it's only a minor injury. He's probably only lost an arm or a leg, then.
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