A Game of Thrones, Part IV

April 12, 2016 10:01 AM - by George R. R. Martin

The first novel of the Song of Ice and Fire Saga, and the basis of the HBO Show. Part IV of our re-read of this book.

The conclusion of the first novel. Shit gets real as the novel builds towards the War of the Five Kings. Chapters in this section:

Catelyn VIII: The war begins in truth
Tyrion VII: The other side of the war
Sansa V: Barristan makes an exit
Eddard XV: The price of honor
Catelyn IX: Lord Frey's toll
Jon VIII: The test of the vows
Daenerys VII: As the khal fares
Tyrion VIII: A small victory
Catelyn X: The Whispering Wood
Daenerys VIII: Blood magic
Arya V: Baelor the Blessed
Bran VII: The truth of a dream
Sansa VI: Sansa remembers her courtesies
Daenerys IX: When the sun rises in the west
Tyrion IX: A new Hand
Jon IX: Where he belongs
Catelyn XI: The King in the North
Daenerys X: Enter the Dragons

posted by nubs (9 comments total)

As always, feel free to discuss points from this as you read through. This is a re-read, and is being treated as Spoilers-All.
posted by nubs at 10:02 AM on April 12, 2016

So interesting to read these sections with the knowledge of what is to come.

In Catelyn VIII, she specifically points out that Bolton and Karstark are Robb's bannermen, not his friends.

Tyrion VII: Tywin stays seated when Tyrion arrives, and Tyrion tells him not to "strain himself" in greeting him. Gave me a chuckle. Also the first time that we get a comment about Tywin's shit having gold in it.
posted by nubs at 9:23 PM on April 27, 2016 [2 favorites]

Yes! "Don't strain yourself, father" also had me chuckling. I do so enjoy foreshadowing-because-you're-rereading.

I just finished Daenerys VII. I completely forgot that Jorah suggested taking the captives from both the Lhazarene village and Khal Ogo’s khalasar to Meereen for slave trading, where they can get a good price that will pay for more ships. How ironic that Daeny would become queen there later with freed slaves.
posted by numaner at 8:46 PM on April 28, 2016

hi guys, haven't dropped out. work schedule changed and nixed the hour a day reading on the treadmill i had been doing, and now the new season's here so, you know, the shiny.
posted by mwhybark at 9:57 PM on May 8, 2016

Finished book 1. Is there a link to Clash of Kings? I may be blind and am not seeing it.

What book 1 reminded me is that there are so many names that I start out holding on to and try to remember, but many of them don't survive for long, either they die in this one or the next. A large core of characters that eventually develop plot armor (especially if they're POV characters) aren't really obvious until the 3rd/4th books. But surprisingly, even if I know they're going to die during this reread, the writing is so well that you can't help but care for them and get your heart broken all over again. #fattomforever
posted by numaner at 5:53 AM on May 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

I haven't started a thread for Clash of Kings yet, I've gotten distracted with the new season. But I will make something soon.
posted by nubs at 7:26 AM on May 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1)(265)

Catelyn was thinking of her girls, wondering if she would ever see them again, when the Greatjon lurched to his feet.

"MY LORDS!" he shouted, his voice booming off the rafters. "Here is what I say to these two kings!" He spat. " Renly Baratheon is nothing to me, nor Stannis neither. Why should they rule over me and mine, from some flowery seat in Highgarden or Dorne? What do they know of the Wall or the wolfswood or the barrows of the First Men? Even their gods are wrong. The Others take the Lannisters too, I've had a bellyful of them." He reached back over his shoulder and drew his immense two-handed greatsword. "Why shouldn't we rule ourselves again? It was the dragons we married, and the dragons are all dead!" He pointed at Robb with the blade. "There sits the only king I mean to bow my knee to, m'lords," he thundered. "The King in the North!"

And he knelt, and laid his sword at her son's feet.

Watch Jon Snow's and Robb Stark's King in the North Speeches - Game of Thrones' Jon Snow and Robb Stark: Two Kings in the North
posted by homunculus at 3:58 PM on July 13, 2016

Rewatching those scenes after having read the books, I gotta say that the Greatjon's sword and Lord Manderly's belly are both sadly underwhelming.
posted by homunculus at 4:00 PM on July 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

A Clash of Kings
posted by nubs at 8:28 AM on August 15, 2016 [2 favorites]