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[Morrigan Stark]

Not quite as "OMG HOLY SHIT" as Mercy was, but still enjoyable. Funny as hell dialogue, especially the awkward pick-up lines from the lines and Randa being all raunchy.

And damn Sansa's getting cunning. Very interested to see how this unfolds.

 

[bone_and_sinew]

Excerpt from the Winds of Winter -- April 2, 2015 -- Alayne

I haven't read it yet.

This is like giving alcohol to someone who's been sober for years. ASOIAF was completely outside of my mind for a while. Give me my delicious crack George. I want more!

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Hurry up and come out, book! (I haven't read any preview chapters because I want to go in fresh) (it's hard) ()

 

[Iksenpets]

Not quite as "OMG HOLY SHIT" as Mercy was, but still enjoyable. Funny as hell dialogue, especially the awkward pick-up lines from the lines and Randa being all raunchy.

And damn Sansa's getting cunning. Very interested to see how this unfolds.

Spoiler

Not as shocking as Mercy was, but Mercy is a chapter I like less the more I think about it. I think it would be one of the best chapters in the series if it were Arya's first chapter after the five-year gap as originally planned, but it feels like it was never rewritten to account for the fact that Arya hasn't actually advanced five years in age anymore. This though feels like a perfect continuation of Sansa's development.

Plus it definitely is building the groundwork of things to come with Corbray and Shadrich, and Littlefinger's scheming is great. His plans to milk as much money as possible out of his harvest should be interesting, and it's cool to see how through all the shit that's gone down, he's managed to maintain such a sense of normalcy in the Vale. People are just organizing a party, and bickering over the same sorts of petty politics they've always bickered over.

 

[Fjordson]

Pretty good chapter with some nice dialogue.

Boy do I miss this series =[ I'm a little worried about what I have and haven't retained. I should probably reread the entire thing from the beginning, but that seems sort of daunting.

 

[adamsappel]

If that's your description, it heavily applies to every book in the series. Martin has always been a heavily descriptive writer, especially when it comes to scenes of pageantry - which makes up the majority of that chapter.

True. I'm rereading the series and GRRM has always described every flag, every piece of armor or garment, or every plate of food. This is not something he started in Dance.

 

[BobTheFork]

Spoiler

Damn Sansa... I was expecting her to say 'something wrong with your third leg boy?' It wasn't shocking but I like her taking charge and thinking ahead

 

[You Know Nothing]

Elio confirmed on Twitter that this is the "controversial" chapter they've referenced in the past.

His reasoning for it being controversial is:

To be honest, I was expecting a lot more judging by their comments.

Wow, I was expecting something truly scandalous based on those comments he made a while back. What a way to hype up nothing.

Spoiler

Pubescent girl begins to explore her sexuality. Mormons everywhere were shocked!

 

[RatskyWatsky]

True. I'm rereading the series and GRRM has always described every flag, every piece of armor or garment, or every plate of food. This is not something he started in Dance.

so you're saying the series has been nothing but filler since the beginning?! my life is a lie

 

[ZeroRay]

Elio clarified a while back that the "controversial" statement was taken from a Spanish interview and that it is more "controversial to certain parts of the fandom."

Those SanSan people are weird.

Anyways, really liked this chapter. Enjoyed seeing Sansa's development and some nice, good old fashioned playing of the game. Some nice foreshadowing involved with Shadrich and Littlefinger's economic plans. Also according to GRRM, his assistants took the chapter straight from his DOS machine. Probably not as simple as copy/pasting (they may had to find a floppy disk laying around somewhere lol). But this was rough as hell with grammar issues and full on writing mistakes. I was surprised as the rest of you guys when GRRM actually cut to the feast and the dancing, as AFFC and ADWD conditioned me to expect events built up in one chapter happen in the next - or after the next two or three.

 

[PHOENIXZERO]

Shippers are usually weird in general.

 

[bengraven]

Here's something else for us to debate.

GRRM wants Winds out in 2016 via EW.

Interesting bit we can now chew on, harass him with, destroy forums, hate each other, be smug about, and spend the next year crying over:

In one intriguing new wrinkle, Martin says he just came up with a big, revealing twist on a long-time character that he never previously considered. “This is going to drive your readers crazy,” he teases, “but I love it. I’m still weighing whether to go that direction or not. It’s a great twist. It’s easy to do things that are shocking or unexpected, but they have to grow out of characters. They have to grow out of situations. Otherwise, it’s just being shocking for being shocking. But this is something that seems very organic and natural, and I could see how it would happen. And with the various three, four characters involved… it all makes sense. But it’s nothing I’ve ever thought of before. And it’s nothing they can do in the show, because the show has already—on this particular character—made a couple decisions that will preclude it, where in my case I have not made those decisions.”

GRRM just discovered the Tyrion is a Targ theory for himself and is making it canon.

 

[cashman]

Jeyne Westerling is making a comeback

 

[bengraven]

I seriously suspect this twist he's figured out is already a theory.

We've covered so many bases that it wouldn't shock me. Not to say he ripped it from a theory because he apparently stays away from those. (I was joking about the Targ thing obviously).

But he may have unintentionally made a tinfoil theory canon.

 

[RedShift]

Given how reluctant he's been on making promises can we assume this means he's making some reasonable progress?

 

[NeoGiff]

I know what it is.

Varys returns to Westeros once again, his masterplan of pitting his proxy armies against one another just a distraction until he can complete his true intention.

After some time, he makes his way to White Harbor using Victarion's fleet, unleashes lava-fisted justice on Lord Fat the Usurper, ascends Seal Rock, takes his rightful place on the Scaly Throne, and achieves his final form.

 

[RedShift]

I know what it is.

Varys returns to Westeros once again, his masterplan of pitting his proxy armies against one another just a distraction until he can complete his true intention.

After some time, he makes his way to White Harbor using Victarion's fleet, unleashes lava-fisted justice on Lord Fat the Usurper, ascends Seal Rock, takes his rightful place on the Scaly Throne, and achieves his final form.

The decision the show took that precludes it is obvs showing that Varys has legs.

 

[Cpt.Underpants]

Varys is NOT a eunuch

Checkmate

 

[pieatorium]

gotta be someone the show has changed considerably, I can only think of off the top of my head

Jeyne Westerling
Tyrion
Jamie
Cersei
Tormund
Mance
Littlefinger
Daario
Varys
Asha
Margaery
Catelyn
Meera
all the ommited people and everyone mentioned in dreams and flashback

 

[Brakke]

This is why the show isn't "spoilers" for the books.

Varys is NOT a eunuch

Checkmate

Doesn't someone grab his package at some point though? Unless Varys the champ of The Tuck.

 

[bodyofanamerican]

gotta be someone the show has changed considerably, I can only think of off the top of my head

Jeyne Westerling
Tyrion
Jamie
Cersei
Tormund
Mance
Littlefinger
Daario
Varys
Asha
Margaery
Catelyn
Meera
all the ommited people and everyone mentioned in dreams and flashback

Mago and Marillion are both dead in the show as well, by the way.

 

[Basileus777]

gotta be someone the show has changed considerably, I can only think of off the top of my head

He could be including the decisions made for the upcoming season.

 

[pieatorium]

I was basically just saying that it could be anything

 

[Steelyuhas]

Could be anything, but if we're going to speculate, George's mention of having a few characters it affects makes me think a Riverlands character is the most likely scenario. That's the area that season 5 of the show and the state of Feast/Dance probably match up the least (Jeyne/Talisa is dead in the show, Stoneheart is likely not a part of the show, Jaime isn't going to be in the Riverlands in season 5).

 

[Junior Asparagus]

Doesn't someone grab his package at some point though? Unless Varys the champ of The Tuck.

You can still be a eunuch and still most of your junk down there still...

 

[pieatorium]

Could be anything, but if we're going to speculate, George's mention of having a few characters it affects makes me think a Riverlands character is the most likely scenario. That's the area that season 5 of the show and the state of Feast/Dance probably match up the least (Jeyne/Talisa is dead in the show, Stoneheart is likely not a part of the show, Jaime isn't going to be in the Riverlands in season 5).

or considering its 3 or 4 people it could be a bastard,

Wife, Husband, father and child

 

[BobTheFork]

You can still be a eunuch and still most of your junk down there still...

Did they take the pillar or the stones?

 

[RatskyWatsky]

ben, you left out the biggest and bestest quote from that interview:

Looking back, Martin says his one regret is not plowing ahead into Winds after finishing 2011’s A Dance with Dragons.

“I was red hot on the book and I put it aside for six months” he says. “I was so into it. I was pushing so hard that I was writing very well. I should have just gone on from there, because I was so into it and it was moving so fast then. But I didn’t because I had to switch gears into the editing phase and then the book tour. The iron does cool off, for me especially.”

please please please jump right into A Dream of Spring when you finish The Winds of Winter...

This is why the show isn't "spoilers" for the books.

Except it still is in many respects.

 

[Real Hero]

That's so frustrating that he says he was into it but had to stop. Better than him seeming bored with it all I suppose.

 

[You Know Nothing]

Here's something else for us to debate.

GRRM wants Winds out in 2016 via EW.

Interesting bit we can now chew on, harass him with, destroy forums, hate each other, be smug about, and spend the next year crying over:

GRRM just discovered the Tyrion is a Targ theory for himself and is making it canon.

God is real.

Did they take the pillar or the stones?

I believe Varys was completely cut. There's a scene in ACoK when he tells Tyrion how it happened. Been a while since I've read it but I'm pretty sure he has nothing left down there.

 

[PHOENIXZERO]

If anyone has been interested in Crusader Kings II and the A Game of Thrones mod now might be a good time to pick it up if you haven't, I just bought it finally. You can get the Collection for only $15.99 or the base version for $9.99 through GreenManGaming.com and you can take off another 22% with the code below, the sale ends some time tomorrow.

SAVE22-OVERHO-LIDAYS

http://www.greenmangaming.com/crusader-kings-titles/

http://blog.playfire.com/2015/04/paradox-24-hr-deals-save-80-on-crusader.html

$12.48USD for the CKII Collection seemed like a pretty damn good deal to me.

 

[Brakke]

Except it still is in many respects.

except you won't know they were spoilers
until you've read all the rest of the books

;p

 

[RatskyWatsky]

except you won't know they were spoilers
until you've read all the rest of the books

;p

u___u

 

[Kain]

Well, it could be

- Jojenpaste (pretty much a given soooo)

- Tyrion is a targ

- LSH will eat LF at the end and will die together

- Faegon (another given)

- Or something completely new involving Arianne or Dorne in general, seeing as their parts in the show are completely changed.

I think those are the best candidates but I'm forgetting something for sure.
































BUT, he says the show can't do it so Euron=Daario confirmed at last.

 

[PhoenixDark]

The first thing that came to mind concerning Martin's comments was Jeyne Westerling. He's ready said she'd be in the prologue (not as the main character). Jeyne being pregnant would put quite a wrench in many plots. And could perhaps tie into Sansa's story a lot easier than a "Rickon returns" plot that is buried in 20 feet of snow in the north.

The negative is that it compounds an issue and thus could be redundant. Rickon is alive and we still haven't seen Robb's will. If it's Jon then things become simpler - or harder depending on how he survives the whole "getting stabbed, possibly to death" thing.

I'm still bummed Robb's will didn't play a part in ADWD.

 

[RedShift]

So glad I got my dad into the books. Just asked him where he was, and the Starks are on route to a certain wedding. Then he said he hopes Robb wins the war.

I would feel bad but he said he didn't have much time for the true king. Maybe the suffering to come will make him see straight.

 

[Fuzzy]

You're evil. I like you.

 

[foxtrot3d]

So glad I got my dad into the books. Just asked him where he was, and the Starks are on route to a certain wedding. Then he said he hopes Robb wins the war.

I would feel bad but he said he didn't have much time for the true king. Maybe the suffering to come will make him see straight.

Your dad doesn't watch the show?

 

[Kain]

To be fair, I started to like the true king after he arrives at the wall. Was Robb dead by then?

 

[RedShift]

Your dad doesn't watch the show?

He's started watching it now, but only after I got him the books for Christmas.

 

[bengraven]

ben, you left out the biggest and bestest quote from that interview:

please please please jump right into A Dream of Spring when you finish The Winds of Winter...

I was actually kind of disappointed reading that. Angry that he didn't just go with the flow. Whenever I've written and stepped away during a hot "streak", I know how hard it is to get back. And I'm not even a professional; he should have known.

And yes, I'm hoping he just keeps soldiering through until his editors sneaky-like decide to publish what he's sent them.

God is real.

You know nothing...

I believe Varys was completely cut. There's a scene in ACoK when he tells Tyrion how it happened. Been a while since I've read it but I'm pretty sure he has nothing left down there.

Varys is actually up there on my list of probable deaths.

So glad I got my dad into the books. Just asked him where he was, and the Starks are on route to a certain wedding. Then he said he hopes Robb wins the war.

I would feel bad but he said he didn't have much time for the true king. Maybe the suffering to come will make him see straight.

Ah, the good ol' days of the grinchgif. After months of using it, it finally caused me to get banned. lol

 

[adamsappel]

"Hey, George, you just finished writing a fifteen-hundred page book. Now get back to work you lazy fatass!"

 

[PhoenixDark]

"Hey, George, you just finished writing a fifteen-hundred page book. Now get back to work you lazy fatass!"

I don't think any sensible people would say that. I'm just arguing taking a year long break/victory lap was a bad idea that ultimately put him in the position he's in now.

 

[WaffleTaco]

I think after he finishes TWOW, he could take a short break, maybe write a few episodes for the final season, definitely the last episode would be good.

 

[KuwabaraTheMan]

That quote about the new twist is intriguing. I'm going to go for Jeyne Westerling as well, as she would fit the twist being something that the TV series can't do, and she could wind up effecting a whole lot of characters and plotlines potentially.

I don't think any sensible people would say that. I'm just arguing taking a year long break/victory lap was a bad idea that ultimately put him in the position he's in now.

A couple of months doing some readings and cons would be expected after getting Winds out, but I think he would agree right now that the best thing he could do would be to get back to it within six months at the latest.

 

[foxtrot3d]

That quote about the new twist is intriguing. I'm going to go for Jeyne Westerling as well, as she would fit the twist being something that the TV series can't do, and she could wind up effecting a whole lot of characters and plotlines potentially.



A couple of months doing some readings and cons would be expected after getting Winds out, but I think he would agree right now that the best thing he could do would be to get back to it within six months at the latest.

Robb warged into Jeyne Westerling after he died due to the amount of times he spread his seed inside of her. He/She rallies the North and ousts the Boltons riding on the back of Nymeria during the Battle of Winterfell. Rickon then returns and marries Jeyne Westerling and becomes the new Lord of Winterfell. Robb, warged into Jeyne Westerling, never tells anyone who he truly is and fully accepts this sacrifice honoring this marriage contract which will benefit the family. Doing in "death" what he could not achieve in his first life.

They must never know.

 

[CassSept]

Rickon x Robb fan fiction.

This is art.

 

[Mr. Fantastic]

Robb warged into Jeyne Westerling after he died due to the amount of times he spread his seed inside of her. He/She rallies the North and ousts the Boltons riding on the back of Nymeria during the Battle of Winterfell. Rickon then returns and marries Jeyne Westerling and becomes the new Lord of Winterfell. Robb, warged into Jeyne Westerling, never tells anyone who he truly is and fully accepts this sacrifice honoring this marriage contract which will benefit the family. Doing in "death" what he could not achieve in his first life.

They must never know.

Incredible.

 

[fallout]

Robb warged into Jeyne Westerling after he died due to the amount of times he spread his seed inside of her. He/She rallies the North and ousts the Boltons riding on the back of Nymeria during the Battle of Winterfell. Rickon then returns and marries Jeyne Westerling and becomes the new Lord of Winterfell. Robb, warged into Jeyne Westerling, never tells anyone who he truly is and fully accepts this sacrifice honoring this marriage contract which will benefit the family. Doing in "death" what he could not achieve in his first life.

They must never know.

..... Jeyne. Jeyne. They call me Jeyne. It rhymes with Pain.

 

[RedShift]

..... Jeyne. Jeyne. They call me Jeyne. It rhymes with Pain.

Westerling, Westerling. It rhymes with incesterling.