** spoiler alert ** 'A Storm of Swords' has left me as fractured and bruised as the Seven Kingdoms. I'm still gasping for air the morning after finishing it & trying to wrap my brain around everything that happened. Once again it's every man for himself and life and death teeters on a knife edge. It's mind boggling to believe there's anyone left standing, there have been scores of losses, brutal and far reaching. I guess that's why George Martin stuffed his fantasy series with so many hated and compelling characters ~ so there's always someone left standing & the battle(s) can rage on.
Before I say anything else, a confession ~ I'm still baffled as to why I'm so engrossed in this series? It's as alien & remote to my person & "typical" reading habits as anything could possibly be. All of my friends look at me incredulously & have the same response when I tell them what I'm reading. They know as well as I do, that I'm not a blood, guts, violent, gore kind of girl. That said, from the opening chapter of the first book, I knew I would read this series to completion. I wonder ~ has it corrupted my character? It's elicited thoughts & feelings from me that I never thought possible ~ cheering when someone dies or wishing for vengeance and retribution for my favorites. Some of the deaths impact me powerfully. In 'A Storm of Swords,' ~ Robb Stark & Grey Wind. That was horrendous. I'm as invested in these direwolves as much as the people and we're down two so far. I think George R.R. Martin is going to push my capacity for violence to the ultimate brink. Can I take all that remains to come? I don't know. It's a tribute to his skills as a writer that he can ensnare a reader (such as myself) into this world & keep us captive there by our own volition. 5 stars for that alone!
Okay, having said all that, on everything that's holy in the Godswood, what the heck didn't happen in this hefty almost 1200 page tome? There's so much ground covered, I've almost forgotten how it started off. Like I usually do when I'm bereft of words, I think I'll just cover the high points:
Tyrion: How was he not a hero for all he did to save 'King's Landing' in 'A Clash of Kings?' I was shocked at where we found him. His story continues to be a fascinating centerpiece to the series. Sansa tho?? Crazy! and his retaliation against his father and Shae, left me breathless. Heartbreaking revelation about his first wife too.
Arya: I love this girl. She's been thru so many captors & situations and she LIVES! Of all the characters, in the beginning, I worried she might be one of the first Starks killed. Turns out she's got longevity & guts out the wazoo. Still not sure I grasp 'The Hound,' her latest captor??? He seems a monster at times but at others??? Do all roads lead to the "Free Cities??" It seems like Tyrion & Arya are both headed that way. Will they collide?? I would not mess with this girl and her "needle!"
Jaime & Brienne: An ingenious pairing. They bring out the best in each other & I love them together. I hope their journey isn't over.
Sansa: When is she going to show some gumption??? Always a passenger or victim in her life. At risk of repeating myself, I'm still waiting for a breakout move! Was meeting Dontos it??? Sansa, please! She keeps exchanging one "incarceration" for another. Now Littlefinger has control of her and what control it is. He's probably the person I underestimated the most. The moves it appears he's orchestrated are mind blowing. Is he the "victor" ultimately by being the most treacherous and underhanded? This could be the most dangerous situation Sansa's found herself in to date.
Joffrey: Tears of joy that his twisted soul is no longer torturing the people of 'King's Landing' or sucking up valuable oxygen at all. I can't say when I've hated a character more (maybe Black Jack Randall in 'Outlander??') I see the House of Lannister crumbling. When will Cersei get her due?
The Freys: ugh, ugh, ugh and ugh. Hateful, hateful black souls. The 'Red Wedding.' No, no, no and no. What they did to Robb Stark, Lady Catelyn & Grey Wind was despicable. I can't even think about it, let alone write anything. Oh, except for ~ is it possible Lady Catelyn is alive?? That scene at the end with Merritt Frey left me reeling.... Oh wait, a slender glimmer of hope ~ Nymeria! It had to be her (onto the Stark scent) that pulled Lady Catelyn out of the river. She was so close to Arya too. *sigh* I'm not giving up!!!!!
Davos: Love, love, love him. A solid man if ever there was one. The voice of sanity & reason. Stannis is lucky to have his loyalty. And, speaking of Stannis ~ moving from 'Dragonstone' to the Wall? Whoa. How will that play out with him so close to the Brothers Black & them sworn to not take sides??
Jon Snow: His story is epic. He was beyond the Wall, running with 'wildlings,' seeing his own brothers of the black killed and having to kill 'Halfhand' himself. Losing Ghost then reuniting at the end. Elected Lord Commander. Ygritte. When the final chapter is written, if it's down to one man standing, I'm holding out hope it's Jon Snow.
Bran: A story unfolding. His role was minimal in this book but with abilities largely untapped, I'm not counting him out for having a pivotal role in how this whole series culminates. Intriguing things to come, I'm sure. Meeting Samwell & finding the gate under the Wall was curious. You see the 'Pieces' in this 'Game of Thrones' becoming more entwined. Samwell himself, is coming into his own. I like him more and more too.
Daenery's: Still waiting..... The dragons are growing. Will the next book be "her story?" It sure is a slow build.
You already know I'm reading on. No question. I think I'll break off for something less intense tho before jumping into the next book. My heartrate is seriously high & I need to bring it down!
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