"I know the truth Jon Arryn died for." -Ned "Is that why you summoned me lord Stark, to pose me riddles?" - Cersei Funny on reread you realize Cersei genuinely had no clue what he was talking about. 😂
Not so sure about that. Cercei knows that John Arryn knew. Even though she was not involved in his death she clearly knows what Ned is thinking. But even if she could prove to Ned that she did not kill Jon Arryn it wouldn't help her, so she has to deny it.
So if Cersei and her dresses mirrors Robert and his armor will we get a moment in Winds of Winter of her shouting “Go bring the dress stretcher!!! NOWWWW!” 😂😂😂😂
Cersei literally does exactly this in Feast For Crows remember? It's a whole scene that happens in a Cersei chapter in Feast where she starts yelling about her dresses/stretching/etc.
My favorite foreshadowing happens in the Sansa chapter after Ned Stark dies. She is looking at Janos Slynt receiving commendation for his role: "Sansa stared hard at his ugly face, remembering how he had thrown down her father for Ser Ilyn to behead, wishing she could hurt him, wishing that some hero would throw him down and cut off his head."
@@Ant509y Jon chuckled. "Perhaps you should do the same thing, little sister. Wed Tully to Stark in your arms." "A wolf with a fish in its mouth?" It made her laugh. "That would look silly. Besides, if a girl can't fight, why should she have a coat of arms?" Jon shrugged. "Girls get the arms but not the swords. Bastards get the swords but not the arms. I did not make the rules, little sister." This is some pretty heavy foreshadowing of Arya pulling Cat's body out of the river while warging Nymeria, in case you want/needed another reason to incoherently scream about Lady Stoneheart.
“Why aren’t you down in the yard?” Arya asked him. Jon gave her a half smile. “Bastards are not allowed to damage young princes,” he said. Arya I, A Game of Thrones I love the irony since Joffrey is a bastard disguised as a prince, and Jon a prince disguised as a bastard.
To be fair we don’t actually know if Jon is a prince. The only way for this to be possible is if Rhaegar married Lyanna after Elia died which I’m not really sure is possible but I guess it could be.
In Eddard VI, when Ned is questioning Tobho Mott about Gendry, they share this little back and forth: “None of us wants trouble, but I fear these are troubled times, Master Mott,” Ned said. “You know who the boy is.” “I am only an armorer, my lord. I know what I’m told.” “You know who the boy is,” Ned repeated patiently. “That is not a question.” “The boy is my apprentice,” the master said. He looked Ned in the eye, stubborn as old iron. “Who he was before he came to me, that’s none of my concern.” Ned nodded. He decided that he liked Tobho Mott, master armorer. --- A man who would lie to protect a king's son? Now why would Ned decide he likes someone like that?
Because when it comes between choosing what's right and what's his duty, Ned will choose what's right. That's whats marvelous about him. An "honorable fool" who sullies his own honor for Jon Snow and for three Lannister kids he didn't even know (aka his duty was always telling Robert first). He's just a very good man with very little political cunning, but still is capable of evoking the North against the Boltons with only his ghost. (And lives rent free in Theon's head in ACoK)
Tobho later burned Ned’s sword and reforged it into two Lannister swords under Tywin’s order😢 At least Brienne got to use it. Joffrey’s one is lame as hell. Widow’s Wail. So edgy.
One of the underrated exchanges that only gains prominence after a reread and the seed getting planted that there’s something off about the “official” story of Jon’s mother
@@henriquedaumas9934Ned doesn't lack political cunning. He sees the snakes maneuvering around him, he just refuses to sink to their level and play the game the same way they do. Remember Ned should have never died, he had played the game with honor and would have been okay.. if not for joffrey being an unstable psycho who could care less about politics.
Stage 1: I'm never reading ASOIAF Stage 2: I've read ASOIAF and liked it Stage 3: I'm re-reading ASOIAF Stage 4: I'm reading the other ASOIAF books Stage 5: I have a theory... Stage 6: I'm reading other GRRM books Stage 7: I'm writing my version of Winds
When Jon tells Arya about Joffrey wearing his mother's sigil and Arya defends it by pointing out the woman is important too. They discuss what Arya's sigil would be "a direwolf with a fish in its mouth" foreshadowing Nymeria dragging Cat's body from the river 🥲
Coats of Arms/Sigils in the feudal sense are silly anyway. If I have a symbol it will be for all my descendants. I want to make clear btw that I am not a feminist: anyone with sense can see feminism and brainwashing women to not want to raise kids and men being less assertive is just a sickness of the West. Women should be allowed not want to have kids or to be CEOs or "boss girls" or whatever, but if anyone thinks the West is not just manipulating women in another way is silly. Issue is that anti-family narratives will only cause more socially liberal ideals to fade as more conservative people including Muslims are having kids. But we need to remind both men and women that most are average at best and to just be humble unless they invent or build something of worth.
One cool little detail I picked up on my first reread was Rhaegars little daughter had a black kitten named Balerion after the Black Dread. Then Arya is chasing cats through the Red Keep and comes across a really old and mean black cat. It's been 15 years since there was a black kitten in the castle so the timeline works perfectly. It's clearly meant to be Balerion.
Yeah I’m always re reading the books while I’m on other books, I do it between books or like when I just wanna take a break from a book. It took me this whole year so far to reread a storm of swords and now I’m on a dance with dragons while still reading other books. ASOIAF really is so well written, it kinda makes a lot of other books read like screenplays
@@BookbornI think it’s because you get to know these characters SO well that being around them starts to feel comforting, even when the stuff they’re going through is about as far from comforting as you can get
The scenes that destroyed me on the reread, is when Robb comes to visit Bran a final time before marching south the next morning, and they both spend the time together in silence while Robb is crying because he’s scared. And just how ignored Rickon goes by everyone in Winterfell, he’s constantly alone or with shaggy dog. And wrestling with his feelings of anger and abandonment when he’s far too young to comprehend what is going on around them.
Ugh this is making me realize there was a cat scene I wish I had mentioned in this video! I literally shed tears over the scene where cat won’t leave brans side and then Robb comes in and says rickon needs you… *I* need you!” Such a heartbreaking but realistic scene!!
@@Bookborn That scene kills me! It's a great reminder of how young the Starklings are when they're thrown into this world and war that they're nowhere near ready for.
One dialogue on the reread between Robb and Bran went something like "I wish you were older Bran, there's so much I want to tell you" really has stuck with me. It's so small but very potent. Robb probably wanted to tell Bran about his own wolf dreams, among other more normal brotherly things that are hard to express to siblings that are too young
That is one of my favorite chapters in the whole book. A haunting and beautifully written scene that always leaves me with a gut-wrenching feeling of sadness and anxiety lingering long after reading it, knowing that these are only children, and especially knowing their eventual fates.
The last conversation Ned and Robert share hits SO hard once you see R+L=J "'I will give Lyanna your love, Ned. Take care of my children for me." The words twisted in Ned's belly like a knife. For a moment he was at a loss. He could not bring himself to lie. Then he remembered the bastards: little Barra at her mother's breast, Mya in the Vale, Gendry at his forge, and all the others. "I shall … guard your children as if they were my own," he said slowly."
When Robb receives Sansa's letter asking him to go to King's Landing and bend the knee, he says something on the line of "what's wrong with this girl?," and Bran repplies "She lost her wolf." It always stuck with me Bran's words, it was like she had lost her North identity. Of course, she was a hostage, she had to write what she was bid and in her innocence (she-s 11), she thought she was doing the right thing
Yes I LOVED this scene on reread. Especially because cat also immediately says “this is Cerseis hand”. So many good displays of personality in the scene
I always imagined Sansa being the only one to not exhibit warg abilities due to having lost Lady so early on. She really ends up feeling like the least Stark out of all of them, even less than her mother. As poorly executed as it was in the show, I was eager to see Sansa going back to the North and embrace more strongly her first man, northerner, Stark identity. I hope we get something similar in tWoW.
It also shows that, in a way, Sansa is the odd one out in her family. As much as she considers herself "the good one" or "the dutifull one", her eldest siblings don't really seem to view her that way and tend to get annoyed with her at times. Neither Robb, Arya or Jon really seem to feel a strong connection to her, while Bran and Rickon sometimes appear to look at her as an extra "discount mom who reads them stories", which is how she acts around "the little ones". On reread, I kinda started getting the impression that Sansa struggles with "organically" connecting to people and therefore clings to a more "rehearsed" noble courtesy.
@@Simon-A.-Tan Part of it might be her origin as a character. As far as I know/remember GRRM originally only intended one Stark sister, Arya (whose potential romantic partners was rather crazy). Later he split that character into two most of which is Arya we have but some going to Sansa. So while Arya was always important Sansa is something of an add on. George has been able to build an interesting personality and story for her but she is still somewhat odd and added on to the rest of Stark family.
One of my favorite parts of rereading AGOT is seeing all the anxiety Ned has about Jaime like "oh no Jaime Lannister must never be warden of the east, he is too cunning" like Jaime isn't the most unemployed man in Westerosi history. Just the absolute embodiment of "head empty, no thoughts" he could never handle the bureaucracy he would throw himself out the moon door lol
Don’t hate on my baby Jaime like that 😭 he had a lot of intelligence in many ways! But yeah I don’t think he had any aspirations to be warden of the east lmaooo
@@Bookborn Apparently GRRM's original plan for the series was that it would be a trilogy and that Jaime would become king and one of the main villains by killing everyone in front of him in the line of succession (which canonically I don't think he is even in at all lol). Which is such an extreme difference from what we see of Jaime in his own POV. The man is like the least ambitious person in the story.
I mean, Jaime would be considered as “super smart” if he belonged to Stark family. But since he’s in the Lannister, which is known to have a super smart patriarch and another super smart dwarf son, so…
As a longtime Catelyn stan, I need that video. I never understood the Catelyn hate, beyond standard misogyny. She's a worried mother who can't see the future impact of her actions, doing the best she can to protect her children. Sometimes she makes mistakes because she's human. But she's so full of love for her family, which is what drives her every move. Family, Duty, Honour. She lives those words!
@@thing_under_the_stairs first off, Cat doesn't listen to anyone she should be listening to and takes advice from littlefinger of all people who has every reason to hate her and her whole family. She dishonors Ned through her actions over and over from disobeying his orders to protect the children to having him rendezvous in a brothel in front of his political rival/coworker. Her actions are always impulsive and never thought through. Who cares if she has all the best intentions, her actions bring nothing but problems. She straight up abandoned Rickon just to sit next to Bran and feel bad for herself then she ups and dips on Bran when she decides SHE has to go to kings landing. She really thinks she is the main character and everyone else is just playing a part in her story. To me she seems full of herself and pictures herself as a loving and strong mother but in actuality she is incredibly weak minded and negligent to her own children.
Once there is a Winds of Winter release date set in stone, I will be dropping whatever series I am on to reread ASOIAF. It's definitely a series worth rereading.
There's been rumors yet again that Winds of Winter will be announced soon and be released this year or the next... I really hope it's finally true. I want it so bad.
One of my favorite scenes in the whole series is Catelyn calling out the people at the Inn at the Crossroads to honor their vows and help her take Tyrion. It was such a great demonstration of Cat's authority and political acumen.
I really loved when John described his dream to Sam. In the dream he was down in the crypts and the old stark kings and lords were telling him that was not his place. Also he tells Sam he dreams of his mother and she isn’t a whore, she’s high born. Good stuff seeing how George has been setting things up all along
I honestly don't remember if it's in A Game of Thrones or A Clash of Kings but Tyrion gets tasked to lead the mountain clansmen into to battle against the norths splinter army led by Roose Bolton and lists off all the sigils of different houses he spots and despite Roose being in charge he doesn't spot a single Bolton soldier hinting at Rooses true nature while also showing Tyrions knowledge
Ned’s death is a masterclass in trope subversion. It is relentlessly foreshadowed, and yet the vast majority of readers are just unwilling to accept that the most morally upright character in a fantasy book could be punished for doing what he perceives to be “the right thing”. Incredible tone setter for the series!
Funnily enough, I kind of misread the scene where Littlefinger captures Ned. It's something like: 'Littlefinger unsheathed the knife at Ned's belt and shoved it up under his chin and said "I told you not to trust me."' or something like that. I thought Littlefinger had just flat out stabbed him in the throat and killed him. Which made all the following Sansa chapters where the small council is reassuring her that her dad is fine but she can't see him, really meanspirited and evil! It wasn't until Ned's chapter in the dungeon where I was like "Oh... he really is alive still!". But that made Ned's actual death really "meh" for me, I had already grieved! I don't know if it was intuition or lack of reader-experience but it was King Robert's death that really shocked me. The scene where Ned goes in and sees him after the boar... I just thought to myself, "oh no, everything going to completely unravel if Robert dies!" Totally called it *LOL*
No worries about the forgetting. It took me until my re-read to realize the night watch person Ned executes is the survivor of the prologue. No excuse. Brain just didn't connect stuff lol.
One of my favourite things picking up on a re-read was the pyre scene with Drogo being foreshadowed by Dany's conversation with her handmaidens about the origin of dragons in Daenerys III, and the fact that her and Drogo start calling each other 'Moon of my life' and 'Sun and stars' after that (not as a result of that conversation of course). Moon (Dany) comes close the blazing Sun (Drogo), and what happens? Eggs (Moon, dixit Doreah) break and dragons come out.
@@eric2500maybe, more like pet names that couples make up I think, we never hear others say it and regardless it serves multiple purposes/ multiple meanings, none are a coincidence… those are one things missing from these series… coincidences
@@Grungefan331 the things is ned refers to jon as his son out loud of course. all of the westeros believes jon is his bastard son, but not in his thoughts. that's the subtle catch in the books.
1:06 That's the ASOIAF effect, it has no cure unfortunately. There are a couple of rumors that TWOW is finished and coming soon, we had those before but I chose to believe this time
One of my favorite moments is after Tyrion comes to Winterfell and gives Bran the new saddle and Robb is putting Bran to bed and that scene literally broke me because it really showed how young Robb really was and how much he actually cared. (That scene actually made me way sadder than Ned dying but the red wedding BROKE ME on another level)
My faveorite thing I noticed rereading GOT was in Ned's Fever Dream, when he's talking to the kings gaurd and they tell him something to the effect that "the kingsgaurd doesn't flee, then or now. They were telling Ned that they had their king (baby Jon) in the tower and would die to protect him. At least that's how i choose to interpret it.
This is a great video! I never thought of the parallel between Cersei's dresses and Robert's armour. Makes me want to reread it, too, and as someone who will also passionately defend Catelyn, that sounds like a great idea for a video
I remember commenting something like “imagine getting a Winds Of Winter review soon” when you startee the series and there are a lot of good signs lately so I can’t believe I might be right on that thought😭😭
Every re-read gets even better. Around the third or fourth time, I started to really notice a lot of the background houses and characters and connections between them.
I love the detail you noticed about Tyrion never betting against this family and LF saying that he got the dagger from Tyrion in a bet lol. I had never noticed that. It's insanely impressive how George stays so consistent regarding the internal logic of his books.
Georges original plan was for Sansa to wed Joffery and choose him over her family, and that's why Lady died so early to foreshadow her losing her Stark identity, I'm very interested how George is going to deal with this change moving forward
If there was one reason I suggest you watch certain parts of the show, it would be Ramin Djawadi's great job in the series' music. For example, Light of the Seven is a masterpiece. rains of Castemere too
My favorite tidbit I caught on a GoT reread was that, similar to Renly at the tourney, there’s a clue that Catelyn has been deceived in her chapter at the Eyrie. I can’t remember the details, but Catelyn is having a conversation with a knight in Lysa’s service and he contradicts what Lysa had put in her letter to Cat about where Jon Arryn was trying to foster the sweet robin. It’s another blink and you’ll miss it foreshadowing moment.
YES! I actually mentioned that one to Kyle while I was reading. He says "he was to be fostered at dragonstone" and she says "you mean at casterly rock" and he starts saying "no, no I'm quite sure..." but is then cut off by another person
@@Bookborn Yes exactly, the conversation gets cut off…it’s one of those moments in the series where George inserts subtle foreshadowing. It makes re-reading the books such a joy!
I'm rereading AGOT after nine years right now and something that got me was how early on, Jon and Arya have the same thought about each other when they're thinking about missing their siblings. They each name different things they liked doing with their other siblings, but they both miss how Arya would finish Jon's sentences. That and Robb showing more vulnerability than I remember.
Regarding the direwolves and the Starks’ identities, I think there is a significance to Arya’s wolf still living, especially with regards to her wolf dreams and latent warg powers. Whereas Lady is truly dead and Sansa is alone, Nymeria is an inseparable part of Arya’s identity. I think this will be a point of conflict as she strives to become “no one.”
I feel ur so lucky to have read the books without the shows influence and before watching all the TH-cam theorists, I’m now wondering if I could have figured out Jon’s parentage on my own, idk but I think it would have been nice to try, I’m actually glad you aren’t going to watch the show, the books on their own are amazing
YES! Hope you keep up a re-read and keep making videos. I notice something new that I love each time I re-read, it is such a rich series and there is so much to explore even 11 years on from my first time reading the whole series.
My big takeaway from my GOT re-read, in addition to all the foreshadowing we get for events that have transpired is the description of the statues in the crypts of Winterfell, they're always described as alive.
YES. Now is that going to only play thematically or another way? I think we see the stark cause being alive and well through the books even when we feel it is dead. I wonder if that has anything to do with it.
@@Bookborn It's a good question. There are...many theories: That the Night King from Old Nan's stories to Bran was a Stark and is buried in the crypts and is this dark Stark secret, Winterfell itself is alive and a Weirwood Tree, that the Horn of Winter awakens the Stark dead to defend the North and they're the giants the legend speaks of. We know the crypts are the oldest part of the castle, we know the Starks are very serious about the crypts, We know Mance Rayder is desperate to get in there for some reason and he's been looking for the Horn of Winter, We know the crypts are colder the lower you go but we also know Winterfell was built on a hot spring so that shouldn't be the case, characters even remark on this which is...odd. There's also GRMM's naming convention, the Stark kids all gave their Direwolves names that foreshadow their arcs, his place names are very matter-of-fact i.e Casterly Rock, Oldtown, the Hightower...it just feels like Winterfell will be the place where winter fell somehow, at least to me =) Also, I know you mentioned you're going to read Fire & Blood which you definitely should, but any true House Stark fan should read the first coffee table book, The World of Ice & Fire. It's a dry read compared to novels & novellas but gives you a fair amount of additional Northern/Stark history that could well be important contextual help for future books.
On the topic of Cersei and Robert, have you seen the well praised show only scene of them? Theirs is such a bittersweet circumstance, they could've been a hell of a couple. If you type "Cersei Robert scene" it's the first that will pop up.
Something I'm surprised you didn't address that really stuck out to me on my reread of AGoT was what happened to Jeyne Poole. The title of the video made me think you'd mention her briefly, but when they bring Sansa to Cersei to have her write to Robb and ask him to pledge fealty to Joffrey, they ask her a bit how she's doing first and she mentions how she's doing okay but Jeyne won't stop crying and how it's stressing her out. Immediately Littlefinger steps in and basically says he'll take care of it, and then she's just gone, and on my first read I assumed he sent someone to have her killed, but of course knowing where Jeyne ends up in ADWD that is not the case and I can never read that moment the same way again.
I saw a theory that he brought her to one of his brothels 🥲 which makes soo much sense because it would be so easy for him to do. Also, apparently there is a throwaway line in a Theon chapter where Jeyne implies something along the lines that she is used to selling her body...
That's so so so funny because when she shows up in Dance I was like...Jeyne is alive? I assumed she was dead the entire time too LMAO like " take care of it" meant DEATH. but I didn't really think of where she was in the intervening time. I guess I assumed as a maid or something innocuous, maybe when I see her again in Dance I can try to parse it out
You NEED to read "The World of Ice and Fire" I actually enjoyed it more then Fire and Blood and I would actually rly recomend to read it before it. It is a full Westeros history while "Fire and Blood" is only the Targaryen dynasty!
Since you're not planning on watching the show, i think you should listen to the amazing soundtrack for the relevent seasons during your reread. It's honestly the best thing to come out of the tv adaptation..Ramin Djawadi's music is what Westeros sounds like.. especially iconic themes like the Stark theme and Dany's Breaker of Chains, The Rains of Castamere and the Lannister themes..so freaking epic!! I'm sure your friends and subscribers could recommend more..it really elevates the reading experience to have the music in the background
I’m on my 7th or 8th read through of the series now. While I LOVE all the hints George puts in the books for plot points that will be revealed later, I find myself coming back because I just love the prose. I believe GRRM has said a few times that one of the challenges in finishing the series is making sure every line holds up to the standard of the first 5 books. And I do feel that just about every sentence across the thousands of pages is beautifully or powerfully written. I’m looking forward to reading some books my sister gifted me after I finish Swarm of Swords again, but then I’ll be so happy to dive back into books 4 and 5 as I often do. Glad you’re enjoying them!
I know that a lot of people say that Arya is losing her identity. I just don't see it that way. The death list is so personal to Arya and murdering Dareon is all about her identity as a Stark. The way Sansa commits to the Alayne character completely contrast the way Arya uses and discards different identities.
The circumstances are different but I think it’s more just on display how Arya and Sansa’s personalities are different. Sansa has always been the child to willingly play a role, and follow the rules. It’s no different now. Arya has always gone head first into things but also been rebellious. This is also reflected in her going hard in on this difficult new life but also refusing to give up parts of her (like needle or her grudges) that she can’t bear to leave behind. So I feel they are pretty related overall.
My favorite thing about George's writing is his dialogue, but a close 2nd is that he just straight up tells you what is going to happen, he foreshadows a huge percent of his plot points and on a reread its much more obvious (once you can see the whole picture).
I'm currently also on my first re-read of the series! Super nerdy but I highly recommend reading alongside Steven Attewell's chapter-by-chapter analysis (his blog is called Race for the Iron Throne). He has written so many essays for the series and caught so many things that, even on a re-read, I definitely missed. In my opinion, he's also very fair with a lot of the characters. For Catelyn especially, he disproves a lot of the criticisms fans throw at her without completely brushing away her complexities as a character. Overall, his essays have given me such a deeper appreciation for GRRM as a writer
What amaze me the most of ASOIAF 1 is how much of the ground work of the world building is done in this book, there are tons of world building details thay have their payoff even as late as ADWD and is amazing how of a craftman is George of the gardener style, the ultimate trust the process author and what its great is that you don't suspect that certain detail will matter later until you notice, that's why these books have so much rereading value.
This is one of those fantastic stories that gets better on a reread ❤ Regarding Sansa, I do have hope for her regaining/holding on to her identity as a Stark. When with Baelish in the Vale pretending to be his daughter, she thinks "I'm not your daughter", how she's Ned and Cat's daughter and "the blood of Winterfell". When she makes the snow castle of Winterfell, and Baelish comes to talk to her, she wonders where her courage came from to speak to him as she did, and realises "From Winterfell. I am stronger within the walls of Winterfell". Combining that with the Ghost of High Heart's prophecy about the maiden slaying a giant in a castle made of snow, I do think Sansa will reject Baelish as a mentor and ally, and return to her Stark roots. That's my hope for her story at least. If we never get Winds, that's how her story will go in my head ❤
So this was put in my recommended never come across the channel before. This is my favourite book series by far and it was so nice to see someone positively engage with it. Criticisms/dislikes are of course okay I just mean like finding good vibes discussion is so nice
You're making me want to reread this series. I read them one time in 2013 and watched the show, and I was kinda burned out with the whole Game of Thrones world. I couldn't even force myself to watch HotD. BUT I did love the books, and I can't remember what things happened in the books and what happened in the show.
"I didn't mean to, it just happened!" I love how certain books, if you happen to pick them up again, just to take a look. They grab you! Pull you right in. And it's off to the races.
I always enjoy revisiting the conversations between Jon and Tyrion. They reveal so much about who they are. It's crazy to think about the different journeys they take after that point and I really hope they meet again. It's been so much fun hearing your fresh perspectives on the series, especially since you haven't watched the show. Thank you for sharing your re-read thoughts. This is by far my favorite series, both because it's so so good, and also because it reignited my love for reading and I will always appreciate George for having such a big impact on me in that way. While waiting 13+ years for the next book has been unfortunate, I will always love this story and world. There is something special about these books and I'm not sure the mantle they sit on will ever be topped even if it's never finished. Also, can you just imagine the excitement if a Winds release date is ever announced? I will be taking time off work to fully immerse myself. Dance ended in a place where there is so much cool stuff on the horizon.
Sansa lost her wolf, lost her north. The characters do not perceive her as a wolf, more and more she seems to be associated with birds. The Hound calls her littlebird, she is in the Eyrie place of the house Arryn who are falcons, accompanied by Sweetrobin and betrothed to The Little Falcon, manipulated by a man whose emblem is a mockingbird. The references are many. Perhaps she has skinchanger abilities, and warg into a bird. This could relate to what Haggon tells Varamyr about these warg types, too much time in a bird can make people go out of their minds. And Sansa already exhibits some unreliable narrator characteristics.
DISAGREE, Sansa is a teenager who is being deliberately confused as to who she is, thinks she is stuck, and she is until she get down off that mountain castle. But in WOW she is starting to get the feeling of the politics around her and use them herself. In the end she will out manipulate LF ( the student exceeds the master trope).
I’m not sure if there is any evidence of her skinchanging into a bird. I think the bird imagery is more of a metaphor for her being a caged bird, who perhaps gets to “spread her wings” in the later books and finally regain some of her autonomy
I would recommend to read the world book. It gives you more information on the places and and history. You also will learn more on some of the characters from the main story.
@@Bookborn I've developed a zen approach to Winds over the years. It will be out when it is done, and it will be done when Martin says it is. In the meantime, there are other books to read.
on the Catelyn defense video, I had been half familiar with her plot with Jon and was poised to dislike her based on my own relationship with my stepmother, but instead i found it easier to empathize with her position, something that has helped me understand my own relationship with her in a much better way.
I can't watch because of the spoiler warning, but I did want to comment: I just finished A Clash of Kings yesterday and watched your reviews of the first two books, so it is quite fun to see that the next day, you're posting a reread video! I guess you end up really liking this series!
I've only ever read the first two books of the series. Read them many years ago. Just read them again last summer and now just started A Storm of Swords. First time I'm going read the whole book. I cannot express enough how much I love these books, and the first four seasons of the show. Just a 10/10 all around. Also I read A Game of Thrones in only six days. Haven't read a book like that in a long ass time.
Being the only Catelyn defender in a group of dudebros, I can’t wait to point to your video as evidence for why she’s such a great character. To me, she epitomizes what it is to be a mother, and I see much of my own mother, my aunts, my grandmothers, and my friends’ mothers in her. Her fierce protectiveness and occasional irrationality it engenders is so raw and so real.
Finally got a chance to watch this. I love hearing all the things that stood out to you on re-read. You mentioned Winterfell being rebuilt once a Stark returns to claim it, and I *think* you will find during your re-read that one Stark in particularly is heavily foreshadowed to rebuild Winterfell, but perhaps that is something to discuss along with your re-read of "A Storm of Swords." One thing that struck me upon re-read is that in Bran II (the chapter that ends with Bran's fall), Bran basically speedruns Sansa's entire GOT arc, starting with him fantasizing about Kings Landing and the Kingsguard, saying his goodbyes to people at Winterfell, then receiving a warning from his wolf, disobeying his parents, and then ultimately being betrayed by the Lannister whose position he dreamed upon one day filling himself.
my favorite little reread tidbit i got was in A Game of Thrones. In Arya’s very first chapter, she talks to Jon abt how the woman’s house symbol is just as important as the man’s in a coat of arms when Jon questions why Joffrey has the lion on his. Jon then suggests that Arya does the same “wed Stark and Tully” in her coat of arms. Arya says that’s stupid “A wolf with a fish in it’s mouth?” she says… A wolf with a fish in it’s mouth,,, just like Nymeria dragging Catelyn’s corpse out of the river. God Martin missed nothing.
Huzzah!! Nothing like your first ASOIAF reread, the foreshadowing slaps you in the face from the jump and doesn’t let up until the last chapter of book 5! In a world where we’ve been waiting years for the next book it was refreshing to see a fresh set of eyes tackle the series for the first time (ya know, actually analyzing the text and themes of the books vs crafting crackpot theories). I definitely enjoyed the wild theory content but it was almost cruel to subject you to some of that before a reread (not that the more outlandish ones make more sense on a reread). Anywho, really enjoy your analysis of the series, enjoy the rest of your reread!
Also shoutout for pointing out how much motherhood acts as a theme in the books. On one hand I obviously was aware of it but if you asked me to tell you the major themes of the books I don’t think I would have mentioned it so good looks. Im also definitely going to mark my favorite passages when I do my winds of winter reread (why don’t I do that in general with books?)
I think Lady dying is a mistake. There’s an original outline of George’s first concept for the series as a trilogy that I won’t spoil but a lot changed. Some of the original foreshadowing can be found in the book that we ended up getting but not all of it is followed through.
I'm in the middle of the first read - I've watched the series 3 times through - amazing how closely the series followed the books up to a point ( Winds is missing ) I mainly read SciFi ( don't hold that against me ) but I love a good epic Fantasy like this, I will re-read many times, I love the Thomas Covenant series from Donaldson and the Elric series from Moorecock especially. - thanks for a great video as always
Just discovered your channel and it's nice to watch someone with a passion for reading! I've read and reread GOT several times over the years and although I enjoyed (most of) the television series, I still find the books more satisfying. Anyway, I'm now a subscriber and I appreciate your channel. Have a good one!
So pumped for ‘winds of winter’ I’m sure it will come out any time now! I bet we will get a release date for that the same day we get a release date for the third book in the kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss, and the fourth book in the gentleman bastards by Scott Lynch. 😅😂
i've just started my reread after 12 years as i feel the winds of winter are finally coming... i'm looking forward to all the plotlines that are different from the show which i've completely forgotten!
I've loved your ASOIAF videos! Just wanted to say that you truly are such a natural in front of the camera! Your thoughts seem to flow really effortlessly and I could really listen to you talk all day
The direwolves tell a lot about their owners. "Lady" is what Sansa aspires to be, and she's the first to lose her direwolf, therefore her Stark identity is kind of lost when she goes to KL and she stays close to Cersei, because she wanted to be The Queen and she "loved" Joffrey. Arya loses her identity in a way too because she is forced to go on her own and she is forced to conceal herself and her identity, and then she goes to Braavos to become a faceless man which even more so removes her identity (even still she dreams about Nymeria because the wolf is still alive and all stark children are wargs in a way but some develop it more than others). Then when the Direwolves are found, there are 5 of them, one for each Stark child, and Jon's the one that notices that, but then after that they find a sixth one, which is an ALBINO with RED eyes, and that's a HUGE clue to Jon's true identity, white because of Targaryen hair and to distinguish him from the other wolves/Starks, and red eyes because of fire I'm not sure. Also Jon's direwolf (which is called ghost maybe in reference to Jon dying at the end and then his consciousness being transported into Ghost) is the first to open its eyes, meaning that it's the first that lost that naiveté that all Stark children have at the beginning about the world and how things work in KL and in other parts of the realm; Jon is the one that makes a hard decision to go to the wall and take care of himself and do something about his life (this isn't very clear though). I'm sure there are many more important bits of info about the wolves but I don't remember them all lmfao
After all these years of waiting it’s sooo refreshing to hear your new perspectives on ASOIAF and I’m so glad you’ve fallen in love like the rest of us. Know that we will devour new ASOIAF content, we’re starved😅
You mentioned the theories around Arya regaining her identity if she were reunited with Nymeria. That is sort of what I think will happen. I think she has to put her quest for revenge aside and probably come face-toface with Lady Stoneheart before that happens. There are also theories I have seen that Sana "isn't a Stark" anymore because her wolf is dead and that angers me. They will cite a line of Bran's after she sends the letter to bend the knee that Cersei dictated. Also that she was married off so is technically a Lannister now. But I don't think Catelyn loses her Tully-ness or Cersei her Lannister-ness because they are married. I think Sansa losing her wolf is just about the wildness of her. Ned calls it the "wolf blood." To survive, she has to be completely tame. She exists in the court and not in the wild. But I thinks he is very much still a Stark, and I hope Littlefinger forgets for a moment he's talking to a Stark in the future.
Soooo many re-reads (couldn't tell you how many at this point lol) and never ever gets old! TBH I wasn't in the right headspace for ASOIAF for a long time over the last year but finally got some stuff worked out and was so happy to be back in westeros recently. Listening to Dunk and Egg then its on to the main series next!!
This is a side note, but i think you are my favorite TH-camr. I love your personality and character. You are so beautiful and incredibly well spoken. I adore your content and I think you are doing an amazing job 🌬️💕
10:30 Arya isn't without her wolf as much as Sansa because she still wargs into Nymeria in her sleep. That means they can still meet up later, while Sansa has no chance because Ned unjustly executed Lady (foreshadowing his own unjust execution) I think Sansa is going to warg with a bird. She's constantly referenced as one and being in the Vale a falcon makes sense. I might be mistaken but she mentions I think when she's with Margery that she loves falconry and is very skilled.
Idk how you feel about audiobooks (I generally don't like them) but Roy Dotrice's reading of ASOIAF is amazing. Their decision to get a stage actor to read the story instead of just some "narrator" person was a great decision. I read the series probably ten times before I listened to the audiobooks and I still enjoyed the heck out of it. Highly recommended.
The Stark that returns to Winterfell is probably Jon since he is the one that keeps dreaming about going into the crypts. Though I'm not sure if he will be the one that stays there afterwards, could be Rickon. I have a feeling Sansa will stay in the south, probably the Eerie as she is a "little bird". Arya is a wild card. Bran will become God-King from the Isle of Faces probably. Jon will probably become a lone undead ranger like Coldhands staying beyond the Wall.
Great video! I've re-read all the books dozens of times and there's stuff to pick up, theories to imagine, etc on every single re-read. I have re-read a lot of my favorite series, notably Kingkiller, Stormlight, LotR, Mistborn, and other Sanderson books. While they're enjoyable, None of those are nearly as deeply layered at SoIaF. There's just so much to unpack in all the books! I liked your wolf analysis but I would add that Jon, being an outsider, his wolf is vastly different than all the other Stark wolves. It's very fitting given all his struggles to find his own identity with a wolf very unlike the other "Stark" wolves. I'm sure someone mentioned already but the whole "Davvos's mission to find Rickon and SHAGGY DOG" thing, given the definition of "SHAGGY DOG", that's just too good to not work out that way :) GRRM has his sense of humor. I think someone mentioned it already but there are a bunch of things that GRRM changes about the characters and world building that jump out at you in a re-read. Like Jaime, being Kingsguard can NEVER inherit, but Ned specifically says something like "Jaime can't be warden of the East because he'll inherit Casterly Rock when his dad dies and he'll then be both Warden of the East and West." For that matter, I think this is the only time this "Warden" thing is ever even mentioned. What does it even mean? Another that jumps out at me is how spry Tyrion is when we first meet him. He jumps off a low roof and rolls, impressing Jon despite himself and freaking out Ghost. But then pretty much the rest of the book he's got "bent legs" and has trouble walking. GRRM I think tries to ret-con it a bit by having Tyrion talk about his being a bit of a gymnast as a boy but I still say GRRM wanted him to be a more literally active character but then decided to lean into the "brains over disability" thing. As you mentioned, the biggest "oh wow" moments on my first re-read was just noticing all the names of people/places that come into play in later books. Mentions of Dorne, Jorah Mormont, Stannis, The Martels (I think are mentioned in book 1), House Reed, House Greyjoy and so on. Not to mention the "throw away" characters in book 1 that become more important later on, like Renly, Payne, and so on.
I'm sure you already know but George's plans for the series changed dramatically multiple times, it was going to be a trilogy originally and that changed to setting up a big time skip after ASoS. So, a lot of things you thought might have been foreshadowing very well could have been at some point! I have loved this series of you reading ASOIAF, I finished it just a short while before you started and it's my favorite fantasy series, I love seeing your thoughts unbiased from the show or the ASOIAF theory community. I really hope we get TWoW soon!!!
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this before so forgive me if it has been; there is an amazing scene in the show from season 1 (I want to say episode 5??) between Robert and Cersie, which obviously you don't get in the book because neither of them are POV's. I know you're not against watching random scenes from the show and this one is strickly dialogue (no violence) but it may be my favorite scene in the entire show so I would suggest watching it! It gives you more insight into the relationship between the two charachters which I think fits well with the books even though it was just an imagined conversation from the show runners.
One thing I noticed on reread is the moment Robb is declared King in the North. Robb really wants to be a warrior, he really wants vengeance for his father and he really dislikes Joffrey and the Lannisters. But he just can't find a way to justify it all. As Catelyn points out, with Ned dead there isn't even a clear war goal. Renly's claim is clearly frivolous, Stannis hasn't declared yet and he doesn't believe Joffrey is illigitemate. Eventually the Greatjon declares him king in the north and Robb accepts it, with the riverlands for good measure. In that scene, he does something he does often: wave around a sword when there is no need for it, symbolic for what really drives him. In that moment he dooms himself and most of the people around him. There is no way he can ever hold the riverlands against all of the South regardless of how well he fights. And by becoming a seperatist, eventually he'll have to fight all of the south. By accepting Riverlands loyalty, he can't rely on moat cailin or scorched earth strategies either. The common reading of Robb is that his love and honor killed him, but I think it was his bloodthirst.
@@Bookborn Whoa whoa whoa, this is the internet where sensbile takes like thinking you could like two characters at the same time aren't welcome here, haha. You must choose a side! In all seriousness, I'm not a Cat stan by any means, but I don't get the hate either. I actually think it's pretty realistic that a woman would struggle to live with a constant visual reminder that the man she loved cheated on her. Thinking she's excessively cruel to Jon is a valid opinion to have, but thinking it makes Cat this inhuman monster seems detatched how real humans would act in a similar situation.
You can like 2 separate characters my issue with Cat defenders is they claim she's a good mom when she's a horrible mom to all her kids she literally does the worst thing possible for her kids at ever turn. Like who ever you want but objectively she fails as a mother.
@saviourly3186 I am willing to go greater in depth if you would prefer more of a long form conversation but just the tip of the iceberg is the fact she doesn't even leave Bran's bed to see the girls off when they leave Winterfell. Now I do understand one could argue that a mother would stay by her sick child's bed but that argument falls a part pretty quickly when you realize it has been some time (admittedly an unknown amount of time but clearly at least a week or two) since he has fallen and been in a coma. Any normal mother would get a nurse to sit there and spend an hour or so seeing her daughters off for what everyone knew would be possibly years before they saw each other again. Again I can go greater in depth if needed but don't want to type novels if they aren't needed in a comment section. Have a great day.
My favorite quote is when Robert is complaining to Ned about the North, and he says the people wouldnt expect to find their king hidden in the snow. Snow(in italics), Ned. Early foreshadow of Jon Snow being the secret king.
One more comment I'm sorry, I should have waited til the end of your video lol. The thing you have to realize about Ned's death, whether foreshadowed or not, and this is the thing I tell a lot of people who question the "shock" value of it, is we have to consider when AGOT came out. 96. We are mid 90s height of epic fantasy. Shanarra, Wheel of Time. Those big books following Tolkien's footsteps. We kind of expect bad shit to happen now but back then as a new reader, I wish I could have experienced that. Like, oh Arya, this little child and her fencing sword, is going to cut through all these people and save her father. No. That's not how that works. And having it he Arya's chapter that he dies and not Sansa is perfection. Sansa is the aftermath and that too is perfect.
I think a good, foreshadow, hint, clue, what have you of Jon's linage that is often glossed over is his relationship with Arya. They have, I believe, one chapter together but, aside from that one chapter fortifying their relationship in such an amazing way (Jon gets her more than the rest of her family, even Ned/Arya doesn't even mention that he's a bastard, ect ect), i think it's interesting that they say Arya is most like Lyanna (spelling, I'm sorry) and Jon is most connected to Arya and she is the one he often thinks about in a fond, loving way. Subtlety thy name is Martin.
"I know the truth Jon Arryn died for." -Ned
"Is that why you summoned me lord Stark, to pose me riddles?" - Cersei
Funny on reread you realize Cersei genuinely had no clue what he was talking about. 😂
I know lmao it always cracks me up
Damn, great stuff.
ok how did I not catch that lmao that's fantastic
Not so sure about that. Cercei knows that John Arryn knew. Even though she was not involved in his death she clearly knows what Ned is thinking. But even if she could prove to Ned that she did not kill Jon Arryn it wouldn't help her, so she has to deny it.
First few books, you think Cersei is clever.
First Cersei pov-chapter: Oh my God this woman is stupid.
So if Cersei and her dresses mirrors Robert and his armor will we get a moment in Winds of Winter of her shouting “Go bring the dress stretcher!!! NOWWWW!” 😂😂😂😂
more plausible given the Cersei weight gain of Feast
well she needs it since they dont fit well anymore
The dress is todo small, it wont come🍷🦁
Shell b needing a dress stretcher if she has more kids to replace the others
Cersei literally does exactly this in Feast For Crows remember? It's a whole scene that happens in a Cersei chapter in Feast where she starts yelling about her dresses/stretching/etc.
My favorite foreshadowing happens in the Sansa chapter after Ned Stark dies. She is looking at Janos Slynt receiving commendation for his role:
"Sansa stared hard at his ugly face, remembering how he had thrown down her father for Ser Ilyn to behead, wishing she could hurt him, wishing that some hero would throw him down and cut off his head."
Jon Snow: “Guess I’m a hero now.”
"edd fetch me a block"
okkkkk 😭
OMG, so many of these are fire.
Another line I picked when I reread was:
"Sometimes she felt as though her heart had turned to stone" by Catelyn
*incoherent screaming*
@@Ant509y Jon chuckled. "Perhaps you should do the same thing, little sister. Wed Tully to Stark in your arms."
"A wolf with a fish in its mouth?" It made her laugh. "That would look silly. Besides, if a girl can't fight, why should she have a coat of arms?"
Jon shrugged. "Girls get the arms but not the swords. Bastards get the swords but not the arms. I did not make the rules, little sister."
This is some pretty heavy foreshadowing of Arya pulling Cat's body out of the river while warging Nymeria, in case you want/needed another reason to incoherently scream about Lady Stoneheart.
@@sammcclure1553 oh. Oh no. Oh no no no no no
@@sammcclure1553 I just read that scene like two days ago and I didn’t even notice.
@@sammcclure1553 I read this excerpt with Lady Stoneheart in mind and I still didn't catch it! Props to you for spotting it!
“Why aren’t you down in the yard?” Arya asked him. Jon gave her a half smile. “Bastards are not allowed to damage young princes,” he said.
Arya I, A Game of Thrones
I love the irony since Joffrey is a bastard disguised as a prince, and Jon a prince disguised as a bastard.
Dude.... 😮
NICE!
ok excuse me 🔥
This is the greatest example of foreshadowing in the series IMO
To be fair we don’t actually know if Jon is a prince. The only way for this to be possible is if Rhaegar married Lyanna after Elia died which I’m not really sure is possible but I guess it could be.
In Eddard VI, when Ned is questioning Tobho Mott about Gendry, they share this little back and forth:
“None of us wants trouble, but I fear these are troubled times, Master Mott,” Ned said. “You know who the boy is.”
“I am only an armorer, my lord. I know what I’m told.”
“You know who the boy is,” Ned repeated patiently. “That is not a question.”
“The boy is my apprentice,” the master said. He looked Ned in the eye, stubborn as old iron. “Who he was before he came to me, that’s none of my concern.”
Ned nodded. He decided that he liked Tobho Mott, master armorer.
---
A man who would lie to protect a king's son? Now why would Ned decide he likes someone like that?
Because when it comes between choosing what's right and what's his duty, Ned will choose what's right. That's whats marvelous about him. An "honorable fool" who sullies his own honor for Jon Snow and for three Lannister kids he didn't even know (aka his duty was always telling Robert first). He's just a very good man with very little political cunning, but still is capable of evoking the North against the Boltons with only his ghost. (And lives rent free in Theon's head in ACoK)
Tobho later burned Ned’s sword and reforged it into two Lannister swords under Tywin’s order😢
At least Brienne got to use it. Joffrey’s one is lame as hell. Widow’s Wail. So edgy.
One of the underrated exchanges that only gains prominence after a reread and the seed getting planted that there’s something off about the “official” story of Jon’s mother
@@henriquedaumas9934Ned doesn't lack political cunning. He sees the snakes maneuvering around him, he just refuses to sink to their level and play the game the same way they do. Remember Ned should have never died, he had played the game with honor and would have been okay.. if not for joffrey being an unstable psycho who could care less about politics.
He's a man who would lie to protect a child. That's what Ned likes.
Bookborn really went from "im never reading asoif" to "dont spoil me for my 3rd re-read" 😂
My own personal character growth that I never saw coming 💁♀️
Stage 1: I'm never reading ASOIAF
Stage 2: I've read ASOIAF and liked it
Stage 3: I'm re-reading ASOIAF
Stage 4: I'm reading the other ASOIAF books
Stage 5: I have a theory...
Stage 6: I'm reading other GRRM books
Stage 7: I'm writing my version of Winds
@@iliaponomarev1624 Bookborn's Thousand Worlds Arc would be fun to see.
(And hey, George does have some bangers in there.)
@@iliaponomarev1624 The fact that you wrote seven stages isn't lost on me.
Major spoiler: Ned doesn't die on the fourth read-through.
On the re read it was super enlightening to see all the clues as to why Ser Pounce is Azor Ahai reborn
All hail Ser Pounce
The Pounce That Was Promised!
When you see his little cat butt start to wiggle, get ready for the POUNCE THAT WAS PROMISED!
When Jon tells Arya about Joffrey wearing his mother's sigil and Arya defends it by pointing out the woman is important too. They discuss what Arya's sigil would be "a direwolf with a fish in its mouth" foreshadowing Nymeria dragging Cat's body from the river 🥲
Oh my god! Never caught that
Coats of Arms/Sigils in the feudal sense are silly anyway. If I have a symbol it will be for all my descendants. I want to make clear btw that I am not a feminist: anyone with sense can see feminism and brainwashing women to not want to raise kids and men being less assertive is just a sickness of the West. Women should be allowed not want to have kids or to be CEOs or "boss girls" or whatever, but if anyone thinks the West is not just manipulating women in another way is silly. Issue is that anti-family narratives will only cause more socially liberal ideals to fade as more conservative people including Muslims are having kids. But we need to remind both men and women that most are average at best and to just be humble unless they invent or build something of worth.
One cool little detail I picked up on my first reread was Rhaegars little daughter had a black kitten named Balerion after the Black Dread. Then Arya is chasing cats through the Red Keep and comes across a really old and mean black cat. It's been 15 years since there was a black kitten in the castle so the timeline works perfectly. It's clearly meant to be Balerion.
ok I LOVE This detail!!! this is the stuff I"m talking about!
If Balerion nuzzles up to YG that's all the confirmation we need.@@Bookborn
The thing about picking up other books and putting them down, and returning to yet another re-read of ASOIAF is so relatable.
I did this for about...a decade 😅
Yeah I’m always re reading the books while I’m on other books, I do it between books or like when I just wanna take a break from a book. It took me this whole year so far to reread a storm of swords and now I’m on a dance with dragons while still reading other books. ASOIAF really is so well written, it kinda makes a lot of other books read like screenplays
asoiaf being a "comfort" book feels wild but HERE WE ARE lol
@@BookbornThat always seems to be the case with any book that has great characters.
@@BookbornI think it’s because you get to know these characters SO well that being around them starts to feel comforting, even when the stuff they’re going through is about as far from comforting as you can get
The scenes that destroyed me on the reread, is when Robb comes to visit Bran a final time before marching south the next morning, and they both spend the time together in silence while Robb is crying because he’s scared.
And just how ignored Rickon goes by everyone in Winterfell, he’s constantly alone or with shaggy dog. And wrestling with his feelings of anger and abandonment when he’s far too young to comprehend what is going on around them.
Ugh this is making me realize there was a cat scene I wish I had mentioned in this video! I literally shed tears over the scene where cat won’t leave brans side and then Robb comes in and says rickon needs you… *I* need you!” Such a heartbreaking but realistic scene!!
@@Bookborn That scene kills me! It's a great reminder of how young the Starklings are when they're thrown into this world and war that they're nowhere near ready for.
One dialogue on the reread between Robb and Bran went something like "I wish you were older Bran, there's so much I want to tell you" really has stuck with me. It's so small but very potent. Robb probably wanted to tell Bran about his own wolf dreams, among other more normal brotherly things that are hard to express to siblings that are too young
@@Bookborna great scene. I love what Martin does with Cat. I disagree with many of her choices but Martin is an inspiration in how he writes her!
That is one of my favorite chapters in the whole book. A haunting and beautifully written scene that always leaves me with a gut-wrenching feeling of sadness and anxiety lingering long after reading it, knowing that these are only children, and especially knowing their eventual fates.
The last conversation Ned and Robert share hits SO hard once you see R+L=J
"'I will give Lyanna your love, Ned. Take care of my children for me."
The words twisted in Ned's belly like a knife. For a moment he was at a loss. He could not bring himself to lie. Then he remembered the bastards: little Barra at her mother's breast, Mya in the Vale, Gendry at his forge, and all the others. "I shall … guard your children as if they were my own," he said slowly."
When Robb receives Sansa's letter asking him to go to King's Landing and bend the knee, he says something on the line of "what's wrong with this girl?," and Bran repplies "She lost her wolf." It always stuck with me Bran's words, it was like she had lost her North identity. Of course, she was a hostage, she had to write what she was bid and in her innocence (she-s 11), she thought she was doing the right thing
Yes I LOVED this scene on reread. Especially because cat also immediately says “this is Cerseis hand”. So many good displays of personality in the scene
I always imagined Sansa being the only one to not exhibit warg abilities due to having lost Lady so early on. She really ends up feeling like the least Stark out of all of them, even less than her mother.
As poorly executed as it was in the show, I was eager to see Sansa going back to the North and embrace more strongly her first man, northerner, Stark identity. I hope we get something similar in tWoW.
It also shows that, in a way, Sansa is the odd one out in her family. As much as she considers herself "the good one" or "the dutifull one", her eldest siblings don't really seem to view her that way and tend to get annoyed with her at times.
Neither Robb, Arya or Jon really seem to feel a strong connection to her, while Bran and Rickon sometimes appear to look at her as an extra "discount mom who reads them stories", which is how she acts around "the little ones".
On reread, I kinda started getting the impression that Sansa struggles with "organically" connecting to people and therefore clings to a more "rehearsed" noble courtesy.
@@Simon-A.-Tan Part of it might be her origin as a character. As far as I know/remember GRRM originally only intended one Stark sister, Arya (whose potential romantic partners was rather crazy). Later he split that character into two most of which is Arya we have but some going to Sansa. So while Arya was always important Sansa is something of an add on. George has been able to build an interesting personality and story for her but she is still somewhat odd and added on to the rest of Stark family.
Sansa’s return to the North is something I look forward to
One of my favorite parts of rereading AGOT is seeing all the anxiety Ned has about Jaime like "oh no Jaime Lannister must never be warden of the east, he is too cunning" like Jaime isn't the most unemployed man in Westerosi history. Just the absolute embodiment of "head empty, no thoughts" he could never handle the bureaucracy he would throw himself out the moon door lol
Don’t hate on my baby Jaime like that 😭 he had a lot of intelligence in many ways! But yeah I don’t think he had any aspirations to be warden of the east lmaooo
@@Bookborn I roast jaime with all the love and care that only a true jaime fan can haha
@@Bookborn But compared to his super intelligent little brother and father, he seems very dumb.
@@Bookborn Apparently GRRM's original plan for the series was that it would be a trilogy and that Jaime would become king and one of the main villains by killing everyone in front of him in the line of succession (which canonically I don't think he is even in at all lol). Which is such an extreme difference from what we see of Jaime in his own POV. The man is like the least ambitious person in the story.
I mean, Jaime would be considered as “super smart” if he belonged to Stark family.
But since he’s in the Lannister, which is known to have a super smart patriarch and another super smart dwarf son, so…
I'm so here for Bookborn's GoT obssession era. I'm lowkey expecting the Catelyn video to just be a feature length doccumentary.
As it should
As a longtime Catelyn stan, I need that video. I never understood the Catelyn hate, beyond standard misogyny. She's a worried mother who can't see the future impact of her actions, doing the best she can to protect her children. Sometimes she makes mistakes because she's human. But she's so full of love for her family, which is what drives her every move. Family, Duty, Honour. She lives those words!
@@thing_under_the_stairs ur comment has the answer to ur question..... it's just standard misogyny, nothing else
Don't tempt me
@@thing_under_the_stairs first off, Cat doesn't listen to anyone she should be listening to and takes advice from littlefinger of all people who has every reason to hate her and her whole family. She dishonors Ned through her actions over and over from disobeying his orders to protect the children to having him rendezvous in a brothel in front of his political rival/coworker. Her actions are always impulsive and never thought through. Who cares if she has all the best intentions, her actions bring nothing but problems. She straight up abandoned Rickon just to sit next to Bran and feel bad for herself then she ups and dips on Bran when she decides SHE has to go to kings landing. She really thinks she is the main character and everyone else is just playing a part in her story. To me she seems full of herself and pictures herself as a loving and strong mother but in actuality she is incredibly weak minded and negligent to her own children.
Once there is a Winds of Winter release date set in stone, I will be dropping whatever series I am on to reread ASOIAF. It's definitely a series worth rereading.
There's been rumors yet again that Winds of Winter will be announced soon and be released this year or the next... I really hope it's finally true. I want it so bad.
Same... even if I just finished a reread in the spring!
@@nick_4972 aww .... i admire ur optimism
Man it seems there has been a lot of movement...imagine if Winds comes out soon...
Yuuuuuup same here, I don't care if I'm in the last 50 pages of a book, I'm dropping it and picking up my dusty copy A Game of Thrones
One of my favorite scenes in the whole series is Catelyn calling out the people at the Inn at the Crossroads to honor their vows and help her take Tyrion. It was such a great demonstration of Cat's authority and political acumen.
say it louder 😌
I really loved when John described his dream to Sam. In the dream he was down in the crypts and the old stark kings and lords were telling him that was not his place. Also he tells Sam he dreams of his mother and she isn’t a whore, she’s high born. Good stuff seeing how George has been setting things up all along
the stark kings were saying it's not his place!!! once again didn't catch it and I KNOW
I honestly don't remember if it's in A Game of Thrones or A Clash of Kings but Tyrion gets tasked to lead the mountain clansmen into to battle against the norths splinter army led by Roose Bolton and lists off all the sigils of different houses he spots and despite Roose being in charge he doesn't spot a single Bolton soldier hinting at Rooses true nature while also showing Tyrions knowledge
That's in AGOT! It's a fantastic scene! Also is great to show the family dynamics of the lannisters
Ned’s death is a masterclass in trope subversion. It is relentlessly foreshadowed, and yet the vast majority of readers are just unwilling to accept that the most morally upright character in a fantasy book could be punished for doing what he perceives to be “the right thing”. Incredible tone setter for the series!
yes EXACTLY. well said
Funnily enough, I kind of misread the scene where Littlefinger captures Ned. It's something like: 'Littlefinger unsheathed the knife at Ned's belt and shoved it up under his chin and said "I told you not to trust me."' or something like that. I thought Littlefinger had just flat out stabbed him in the throat and killed him. Which made all the following Sansa chapters where the small council is reassuring her that her dad is fine but she can't see him, really meanspirited and evil! It wasn't until Ned's chapter in the dungeon where I was like "Oh... he really is alive still!". But that made Ned's actual death really "meh" for me, I had already grieved! I don't know if it was intuition or lack of reader-experience but it was King Robert's death that really shocked me. The scene where Ned goes in and sees him after the boar... I just thought to myself, "oh no, everything going to completely unravel if Robert dies!" Totally called it *LOL*
Ned's the fatherly figure who always dies at the beginning in every fantasy story. We just get to see it through his eyes.
I kinda guessed he was going to die becuse to develop the plot of all his children they couldn't have a stable father figure lol
No worries about the forgetting. It took me until my re-read to realize the night watch person Ned executes is the survivor of the prologue. No excuse. Brain just didn't connect stuff lol.
I'm glad we all have stuff that's obvious that we just miss 😭 Our brains can't do it all lmao
Don’t feel bad, on my first read of Storm 13 years ago I thought Vargo Hoat killed Rob. I’m still not sure how I came away with this conclusion.
@@chriscueva1866 😭 okay u win
After my first read I couldn’t remember who tried to kill bran…now I’m even less sure…
One of my favourite things picking up on a re-read was the pyre scene with Drogo being foreshadowed by Dany's conversation with her handmaidens about the origin of dragons in Daenerys III, and the fact that her and Drogo start calling each other 'Moon of my life' and 'Sun and stars' after that (not as a result of that conversation of course). Moon (Dany) comes close the blazing Sun (Drogo), and what happens? Eggs (Moon, dixit Doreah) break and dragons come out.
woah!! 🤯🤯
No no no! Moon is no egg, silly YT poster, moon is god, wife of sun, it is known!
I think "Moon of my Life" and "My Sun and Stars" is like calling your spouse "Honey" in Dothraki.
@@eric2500 It is known.
@@eric2500maybe, more like pet names that couples make up I think, we never hear others say it and regardless it serves multiple purposes/ multiple meanings, none are a coincidence… those are one things missing from these series… coincidences
I noticed on a reread that Ned never thinks of Jon as his son. "His blood" but never his child.
Exactly!
also when he is praying "let them grown up as brothers with only love between them" if they were brothers it wouldn't make sense
In bran’s first chapter, ned refers to jon as his son
@@Grungefan331 the things is ned refers to jon as his son out loud of course. all of the westeros believes jon is his bastard son, but not in his thoughts. that's the subtle catch in the books.
1:06 That's the ASOIAF effect, it has no cure unfortunately. There are a couple of rumors that TWOW is finished and coming soon, we had those before but I chose to believe this time
There seems to be a LOT of smoke about it so I’m convinced there is a fire…
One of my favorite moments is after Tyrion comes to Winterfell and gives Bran the new saddle and Robb is putting Bran to bed and that scene literally broke me because it really showed how young Robb really was and how much he actually cared. (That scene actually made me way sadder than Ned dying but the red wedding BROKE ME on another level)
This is what I'm saying, on the reread, knowing what happens to everyone, all those little moments became 10x more emotional.
My faveorite thing I noticed rereading GOT was in Ned's Fever Dream, when he's talking to the kings gaurd and they tell him something to the effect that "the kingsgaurd doesn't flee, then or now. They were telling Ned that they had their king (baby Jon) in the tower and would die to protect him. At least that's how i choose to interpret it.
This is a great video! I never thought of the parallel between Cersei's dresses and Robert's armour. Makes me want to reread it, too, and as someone who will also passionately defend Catelyn, that sounds like a great idea for a video
Yesss another Catelyn defender 😭 We need to stick together haha
10:36 May I add the thought that the point where Jon perhaps questions his identity most is with the Wildlings, when Ghost is most far away
Love this 👏🏻
I remember commenting something like “imagine getting a Winds Of Winter review soon” when you startee the series and there are a lot of good signs lately so I can’t believe I might be right on that thought😭😭
I’m fully convinced. There’s been so much smoke… (but I can also afford to believe because I haven’t been let down before ☠️)
I put all my hope into a release date announcement at World Con in August.
I have been burned before, so my hopes are buried 😭
@@govinddas7876 I've been burned before, but like with all things in life, I'm not writing off hope. Plus, I really want to see Glidus eat that book.
@@Bookbornsweet sumer child 😭
OMG! I knew you were re-reading it but I didn't think you would make a video about the re-read, this is awesome!!
I'm glad people are enjoying it, wasn't sure if anyone would care what I thought on a reread 😂 but I need to express my feelings somehow lol
If she didn’t have anything ehh my she to say then she read it too fast!
You can read it 100x and still come up with new things you missed before
Every re-read gets even better. Around the third or fourth time, I started to really notice a lot of the background houses and characters and connections between them.
All the tourney of the Hand is my favorite part, tons of foreshadowing there too. Hope we get a CoK reread video too, I really liked this one ✨
I think I'm going to do Fire&Blood since I've heard it'll give greater context to the other books as I reread
We need a collab with Quinn the GM and Fantasy Haven for all the theories
YES! That would be great.
check out: David Lightbringer
Tyrek Lannister was last seen *a horse*
Love Quinn and Fantasy Haven, The People’s Glidus and Alt Schwift X
I love the detail you noticed about Tyrion never betting against this family and LF saying that he got the dagger from Tyrion in a bet lol. I had never noticed that. It's insanely impressive how George stays so consistent regarding the internal logic of his books.
Georges original plan was for Sansa to wed Joffery and choose him over her family, and that's why Lady died so early to foreshadow her losing her Stark identity, I'm very interested how George is going to deal with this change moving forward
She'll marry and join other house. She won't be a Stark so there's no point for a wolf.
The fact she’s Alayne now is certainly part of it.
I think he's already dealt with it. That was a very early draft and she is on a different path.
@@bananaforscale1283nah
If there was one reason I suggest you watch certain parts of the show, it would be Ramin Djawadi's great job in the series' music. For example, Light of the Seven is a masterpiece. rains of Castemere too
Yes to both of those.
And the main theme is iconic for a reason.
YESSS!! Just listen through the different house themes
It makes for a great playlist while reading, too.
The Stark theme as well
My favorite tidbit I caught on a GoT reread was that, similar to Renly at the tourney, there’s a clue that Catelyn has been deceived in her chapter at the Eyrie. I can’t remember the details, but Catelyn is having a conversation with a knight in Lysa’s service and he contradicts what Lysa had put in her letter to Cat about where Jon Arryn was trying to foster the sweet robin. It’s another blink and you’ll miss it foreshadowing moment.
I thought that was just gossip, everyone with a different opinion..
YES! I actually mentioned that one to Kyle while I was reading. He says "he was to be fostered at dragonstone" and she says "you mean at casterly rock" and he starts saying "no, no I'm quite sure..." but is then cut off by another person
@@Bookborn Yes exactly, the conversation gets cut off…it’s one of those moments in the series where George inserts subtle foreshadowing. It makes re-reading the books such a joy!
@@davidyousavich7451I caught that one right away but took too many rereads to put together that it was just another lie from lysa, lying lysa…
I'm rereading AGOT after nine years right now and something that got me was how early on, Jon and Arya have the same thought about each other when they're thinking about missing their siblings. They each name different things they liked doing with their other siblings, but they both miss how Arya would finish Jon's sentences. That and Robb showing more vulnerability than I remember.
Regarding the direwolves and the Starks’ identities, I think there is a significance to Arya’s wolf still living, especially with regards to her wolf dreams and latent warg powers. Whereas Lady is truly dead and Sansa is alone, Nymeria is an inseparable part of Arya’s identity. I think this will be a point of conflict as she strives to become “no one.”
I think Nymeria will stop her from becoming No One.
They will reunite in the Riverlands sometime in the next two books.
I feel ur so lucky to have read the books without the shows influence and before watching all the TH-cam theorists, I’m now wondering if I could have figured out Jon’s parentage on my own, idk but I think it would have been nice to try, I’m actually glad you aren’t going to watch the show, the books on their own are amazing
YES! Hope you keep up a re-read and keep making videos. I notice something new that I love each time I re-read, it is such a rich series and there is so much to explore even 11 years on from my first time reading the whole series.
My big takeaway from my GOT re-read, in addition to all the foreshadowing we get for events that have transpired is the description of the statues in the crypts of Winterfell, they're always described as alive.
YES. Now is that going to only play thematically or another way? I think we see the stark cause being alive and well through the books even when we feel it is dead. I wonder if that has anything to do with it.
@@Bookborn It's a good question. There are...many theories: That the Night King from Old Nan's stories to Bran was a Stark and is buried in the crypts and is this dark Stark secret, Winterfell itself is alive and a Weirwood Tree, that the Horn of Winter awakens the Stark dead to defend the North and they're the giants the legend speaks of. We know the crypts are the oldest part of the castle, we know the Starks are very serious about the crypts, We know Mance Rayder is desperate to get in there for some reason and he's been looking for the Horn of Winter, We know the crypts are colder the lower you go but we also know Winterfell was built on a hot spring so that shouldn't be the case, characters even remark on this which is...odd. There's also GRMM's naming convention, the Stark kids all gave their Direwolves names that foreshadow their arcs, his place names are very matter-of-fact i.e Casterly Rock, Oldtown, the Hightower...it just feels like Winterfell will be the place where winter fell somehow, at least to me =) Also, I know you mentioned you're going to read Fire & Blood which you definitely should, but any true House Stark fan should read the first coffee table book, The World of Ice & Fire. It's a dry read compared to novels & novellas but gives you a fair amount of additional Northern/Stark history that could well be important contextual help for future books.
On the topic of Cersei and Robert, have you seen the well praised show only scene of them? Theirs is such a bittersweet circumstance, they could've been a hell of a couple.
If you type "Cersei Robert scene" it's the first that will pop up.
Kyle sent this scene to me! I agree it was EXCELLENT!
Nice you got the Folio Society version of A Game of Thrones, the whole series is on my wish list.
My husband surprised me with it after I started becoming obsessed 🥹
Something I'm surprised you didn't address that really stuck out to me on my reread of AGoT was what happened to Jeyne Poole. The title of the video made me think you'd mention her briefly, but when they bring Sansa to Cersei to have her write to Robb and ask him to pledge fealty to Joffrey, they ask her a bit how she's doing first and she mentions how she's doing okay but Jeyne won't stop crying and how it's stressing her out. Immediately Littlefinger steps in and basically says he'll take care of it, and then she's just gone, and on my first read I assumed he sent someone to have her killed, but of course knowing where Jeyne ends up in ADWD that is not the case and I can never read that moment the same way again.
I saw a theory that he brought her to one of his brothels 🥲 which makes soo much sense because it would be so easy for him to do. Also, apparently there is a throwaway line in a Theon chapter where Jeyne implies something along the lines that she is used to selling her body...
That's so so so funny because when she shows up in Dance I was like...Jeyne is alive? I assumed she was dead the entire time too LMAO like " take care of it" meant DEATH. but I didn't really think of where she was in the intervening time. I guess I assumed as a maid or something innocuous, maybe when I see her again in Dance I can try to parse it out
She was broken when we find her again… I figure she’s had a miserable time forced to work for petyr
You NEED to read "The World of Ice and Fire" I actually enjoyed it more then Fire and Blood and I would actually rly recomend to read it before it. It is a full Westeros history while "Fire and Blood" is only the Targaryen dynasty!
Since you're not planning on watching the show, i think you should listen to the amazing soundtrack for the relevent seasons during your reread. It's honestly the best thing to come out of the tv adaptation..Ramin Djawadi's music is what Westeros sounds like.. especially iconic themes like the Stark theme and Dany's Breaker of Chains, The Rains of Castamere and the Lannister themes..so freaking epic!! I'm sure your friends and subscribers could recommend more..it really elevates the reading experience to have the music in the background
I’m on my 7th or 8th read through of the series now. While I LOVE all the hints George puts in the books for plot points that will be revealed later, I find myself coming back because I just love the prose.
I believe GRRM has said a few times that one of the challenges in finishing the series is making sure every line holds up to the standard of the first 5 books. And I do feel that just about every sentence across the thousands of pages is beautifully or powerfully written.
I’m looking forward to reading some books my sister gifted me after I finish Swarm of Swords again, but then I’ll be so happy to dive back into books 4 and 5 as I often do.
Glad you’re enjoying them!
I know that a lot of people say that Arya is losing her identity. I just don't see it that way. The death list is so personal to Arya and murdering Dareon is all about her identity as a Stark.
The way Sansa commits to the Alayne character completely contrast the way Arya uses and discards different identities.
The circumstances are different but I think it’s more just on display how Arya and Sansa’s personalities are different. Sansa has always been the child to willingly play a role, and follow the rules. It’s no different now. Arya has always gone head first into things but also been rebellious. This is also reflected in her going hard in on this difficult new life but also refusing to give up parts of her (like needle or her grudges) that she can’t bear to leave behind. So I feel they are pretty related overall.
My favorite thing about George's writing is his dialogue, but a close 2nd is that he just straight up tells you what is going to happen, he foreshadows a huge percent of his plot points and on a reread its much more obvious (once you can see the whole picture).
I'm currently also on my first re-read of the series! Super nerdy but I highly recommend reading alongside Steven Attewell's chapter-by-chapter analysis (his blog is called Race for the Iron Throne). He has written so many essays for the series and caught so many things that, even on a re-read, I definitely missed. In my opinion, he's also very fair with a lot of the characters. For Catelyn especially, he disproves a lot of the criticisms fans throw at her without completely brushing away her complexities as a character. Overall, his essays have given me such a deeper appreciation for GRRM as a writer
What amaze me the most of ASOIAF 1 is how much of the ground work of the world building is done in this book, there are tons of world building details thay have their payoff even as late as ADWD and is amazing how of a craftman is George of the gardener style, the ultimate trust the process author and what its great is that you don't suspect that certain detail will matter later until you notice, that's why these books have so much rereading value.
this series has inspired me to re-read a song of ice and fire again
This is one of those fantastic stories that gets better on a reread ❤
Regarding Sansa, I do have hope for her regaining/holding on to her identity as a Stark. When with Baelish in the Vale pretending to be his daughter, she thinks "I'm not your daughter", how she's Ned and Cat's daughter and "the blood of Winterfell". When she makes the snow castle of Winterfell, and Baelish comes to talk to her, she wonders where her courage came from to speak to him as she did, and realises "From Winterfell. I am stronger within the walls of Winterfell".
Combining that with the Ghost of High Heart's prophecy about the maiden slaying a giant in a castle made of snow, I do think Sansa will reject Baelish as a mentor and ally, and return to her Stark roots.
That's my hope for her story at least. If we never get Winds, that's how her story will go in my head ❤
Ah yay, more aSoIaF video
the bookshelves look good, and the background is fine, it is you we tune in for!
you mean you guys don't notice every micromovement I make with my camera to make the background look slightly better??? 😱
So this was put in my recommended never come across the channel before. This is my favourite book series by far and it was so nice to see someone positively engage with it. Criticisms/dislikes are of course okay I just mean like finding good vibes discussion is so nice
You're making me want to reread this series. I read them one time in 2013 and watched the show, and I was kinda burned out with the whole Game of Thrones world. I couldn't even force myself to watch HotD. BUT I did love the books, and I can't remember what things happened in the books and what happened in the show.
As someone who thinks the Game of Thrones show was kinda mid from the start: you should watch HotD, it's very good.
"I didn't mean to, it just happened!"
I love how certain books, if you happen to pick them up again, just to take a look. They grab you! Pull you right in. And it's off to the races.
I always enjoy revisiting the conversations between Jon and Tyrion. They reveal so much about who they are. It's crazy to think about the different journeys they take after that point and I really hope they meet again.
It's been so much fun hearing your fresh perspectives on the series, especially since you haven't watched the show. Thank you for sharing your re-read thoughts. This is by far my favorite series, both because it's so so good, and also because it reignited my love for reading and I will always appreciate George for having such a big impact on me in that way. While waiting 13+ years for the next book has been unfortunate, I will always love this story and world. There is something special about these books and I'm not sure the mantle they sit on will ever be topped even if it's never finished. Also, can you just imagine the excitement if a Winds release date is ever announced? I will be taking time off work to fully immerse myself. Dance ended in a place where there is so much cool stuff on the horizon.
Sansa lost her wolf, lost her north. The characters do not perceive her as a wolf, more and more she seems to be associated with birds. The Hound calls her littlebird, she is in the Eyrie place of the house Arryn who are falcons, accompanied by Sweetrobin and betrothed to The Little Falcon, manipulated by a man whose emblem is a mockingbird. The references are many. Perhaps she has skinchanger abilities, and warg into a bird. This could relate to what Haggon tells Varamyr about these warg types, too much time in a bird can make people go out of their minds. And Sansa already exhibits some unreliable narrator characteristics.
DISAGREE, Sansa is a teenager who is being deliberately confused as to who she is, thinks she is stuck, and she is until she get down off that mountain castle.
But in WOW she is starting to get the feeling of the politics around her and use them herself. In the end she will out manipulate LF ( the student exceeds the master trope).
I’m not sure if there is any evidence of her skinchanging into a bird. I think the bird imagery is more of a metaphor for her being a caged bird, who perhaps gets to “spread her wings” in the later books and finally regain some of her autonomy
I would recommend to read the world book. It gives you more information on the places and and history. You also will learn more on some of the characters from the main story.
I really enjoy watching you talk about the ASOIAF series :D thanks for uploading so many :D
I did my first reread right after finishing book three. I had to wait a whole year for Feast to come out, back when I was a sweet child of summer.
Oh so you've been around for a while 🥲 You probably don't want to hear about how we all think winds is coming out soon huh
@@Bookborn I've developed a zen approach to Winds over the years. It will be out when it is done, and it will be done when Martin says it is. In the meantime, there are other books to read.
@@kendershot ok EXACTLY!!!
on the Catelyn defense video, I had been half familiar with her plot with Jon and was poised to dislike her based on my own relationship with my stepmother, but instead i found it easier to empathize with her position, something that has helped me understand my own relationship with her in a much better way.
I can't watch because of the spoiler warning, but I did want to comment: I just finished A Clash of Kings yesterday and watched your reviews of the first two books, so it is quite fun to see that the next day, you're posting a reread video! I guess you end up really liking this series!
I've only ever read the first two books of the series. Read them many years ago. Just read them again last summer and now just started A Storm of Swords. First time I'm going read the whole book. I cannot express enough how much I love these books, and the first four seasons of the show. Just a 10/10 all around. Also I read A Game of Thrones in only six days. Haven't read a book like that in a long ass time.
Being the only Catelyn defender in a group of dudebros, I can’t wait to point to your video as evidence for why she’s such a great character. To me, she epitomizes what it is to be a mother, and I see much of my own mother, my aunts, my grandmothers, and my friends’ mothers in her. Her fierce protectiveness and occasional irrationality it engenders is so raw and so real.
Finally got a chance to watch this. I love hearing all the things that stood out to you on re-read. You mentioned Winterfell being rebuilt once a Stark returns to claim it, and I *think* you will find during your re-read that one Stark in particularly is heavily foreshadowed to rebuild Winterfell, but perhaps that is something to discuss along with your re-read of "A Storm of Swords." One thing that struck me upon re-read is that in Bran II (the chapter that ends with Bran's fall), Bran basically speedruns Sansa's entire GOT arc, starting with him fantasizing about Kings Landing and the Kingsguard, saying his goodbyes to people at Winterfell, then receiving a warning from his wolf, disobeying his parents, and then ultimately being betrayed by the Lannister whose position he dreamed upon one day filling himself.
my favorite little reread tidbit i got was in A Game of Thrones. In Arya’s very first chapter, she talks to Jon abt how the woman’s house symbol is just as important as the man’s in a coat of arms when Jon questions why Joffrey has the lion on his. Jon then suggests that Arya does the same “wed Stark and Tully” in her coat of arms. Arya says that’s stupid “A wolf with a fish in it’s mouth?” she says…
A wolf with a fish in it’s mouth,,, just like Nymeria dragging Catelyn’s corpse out of the river. God Martin missed nothing.
Huzzah!! Nothing like your first ASOIAF reread, the foreshadowing slaps you in the face from the jump and doesn’t let up until the last chapter of book 5! In a world where we’ve been waiting years for the next book it was refreshing to see a fresh set of eyes tackle the series for the first time (ya know, actually analyzing the text and themes of the books vs crafting crackpot theories). I definitely enjoyed the wild theory content but it was almost cruel to subject you to some of that before a reread (not that the more outlandish ones make more sense on a reread). Anywho, really enjoy your analysis of the series, enjoy the rest of your reread!
Also shoutout for pointing out how much motherhood acts as a theme in the books. On one hand I obviously was aware of it but if you asked me to tell you the major themes of the books I don’t think I would have mentioned it so good looks. Im also definitely going to mark my favorite passages when I do my winds of winter reread (why don’t I do that in general with books?)
I think Lady dying is a mistake. There’s an original outline of George’s first concept for the series as a trilogy that I won’t spoil but a lot changed. Some of the original foreshadowing can be found in the book that we ended up getting but not all of it is followed through.
I'm in the middle of the first read - I've watched the series 3 times through - amazing how closely the series followed the books up to a point ( Winds is missing ) I mainly read SciFi ( don't hold that against me ) but I love a good epic Fantasy like this, I will re-read many times, I love the Thomas Covenant series from Donaldson and the Elric series from Moorecock especially. - thanks for a great video as always
Yessss! Can’t wait for the Catelyn defense vid. I have a feeling I’ll be sharing it more than a few times lol
Just discovered your channel and it's nice to watch someone with a passion for reading! I've read and reread GOT several times over the years and although I enjoyed (most of) the television series, I still find the books more satisfying. Anyway, I'm now a subscriber and I appreciate your channel. Have a good one!
So pumped for ‘winds of winter’ I’m sure it will come out any time now! I bet we will get a release date for that the same day we get a release date for the third book in the kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss, and the fourth book in the gentleman bastards by Scott Lynch. 😅😂
i've just started my reread after 12 years as i feel the winds of winter are finally coming... i'm looking forward to all the plotlines that are different from the show which i've completely forgotten!
I've loved your ASOIAF videos! Just wanted to say that you truly are such a natural in front of the camera! Your thoughts seem to flow really effortlessly and I could really listen to you talk all day
The direwolves tell a lot about their owners. "Lady" is what Sansa aspires to be, and she's the first to lose her direwolf, therefore her Stark identity is kind of lost when she goes to KL and she stays close to Cersei, because she wanted to be The Queen and she "loved" Joffrey. Arya loses her identity in a way too because she is forced to go on her own and she is forced to conceal herself and her identity, and then she goes to Braavos to become a faceless man which even more so removes her identity (even still she dreams about Nymeria because the wolf is still alive and all stark children are wargs in a way but some develop it more than others). Then when the Direwolves are found, there are 5 of them, one for each Stark child, and Jon's the one that notices that, but then after that they find a sixth one, which is an ALBINO with RED eyes, and that's a HUGE clue to Jon's true identity, white because of Targaryen hair and to distinguish him from the other wolves/Starks, and red eyes because of fire I'm not sure. Also Jon's direwolf (which is called ghost maybe in reference to Jon dying at the end and then his consciousness being transported into Ghost) is the first to open its eyes, meaning that it's the first that lost that naiveté that all Stark children have at the beginning about the world and how things work in KL and in other parts of the realm; Jon is the one that makes a hard decision to go to the wall and take care of himself and do something about his life (this isn't very clear though).
I'm sure there are many more important bits of info about the wolves but I don't remember them all lmfao
After all these years of waiting it’s sooo refreshing to hear your new perspectives on ASOIAF and I’m so glad you’ve fallen in love like the rest of us. Know that we will devour new ASOIAF content, we’re starved😅
You mentioned the theories around Arya regaining her identity if she were reunited with Nymeria. That is sort of what I think will happen. I think she has to put her quest for revenge aside and probably come face-toface with Lady Stoneheart before that happens.
There are also theories I have seen that Sana "isn't a Stark" anymore because her wolf is dead and that angers me. They will cite a line of Bran's after she sends the letter to bend the knee that Cersei dictated.
Also that she was married off so is technically a Lannister now. But I don't think Catelyn loses her Tully-ness or Cersei her Lannister-ness because they are married.
I think Sansa losing her wolf is just about the wildness of her. Ned calls it the "wolf blood." To survive, she has to be completely tame. She exists in the court and not in the wild. But I thinks he is very much still a Stark, and I hope Littlefinger forgets for a moment he's talking to a Stark in the future.
Soooo many re-reads (couldn't tell you how many at this point lol) and never ever gets old! TBH I wasn't in the right headspace for ASOIAF for a long time over the last year but finally got some stuff worked out and was so happy to be back in westeros recently. Listening to Dunk and Egg then its on to the main series next!!
This is a side note, but i think you are my favorite TH-camr. I love your personality and character. You are so beautiful and incredibly well spoken. I adore your content and I think you are doing an amazing job 🌬️💕
10:30 Arya isn't without her wolf as much as Sansa because she still wargs into Nymeria in her sleep. That means they can still meet up later, while Sansa has no chance because Ned unjustly executed Lady (foreshadowing his own unjust execution) I think Sansa is going to warg with a bird. She's constantly referenced as one and being in the Vale a falcon makes sense. I might be mistaken but she mentions I think when she's with Margery that she loves falconry and is very skilled.
It has been great following your coverage of this series. Keep going!
Idk how you feel about audiobooks (I generally don't like them) but Roy Dotrice's reading of ASOIAF is amazing. Their decision to get a stage actor to read the story instead of just some "narrator" person was a great decision. I read the series probably ten times before I listened to the audiobooks and I still enjoyed the heck out of it. Highly recommended.
man they are rough in some areas ... have to skip a lot of parts due to the voice choices made
The Stark that returns to Winterfell is probably Jon since he is the one that keeps dreaming about going into the crypts. Though I'm not sure if he will be the one that stays there afterwards, could be Rickon. I have a feeling Sansa will stay in the south, probably the Eerie as she is a "little bird". Arya is a wild card. Bran will become God-King from the Isle of Faces probably. Jon will probably become a lone undead ranger like Coldhands staying beyond the Wall.
Please do the reading of "A Feast for Dragons" when you get to the fourth and fifth books! It's a unique experience!
Great video! I've re-read all the books dozens of times and there's stuff to pick up, theories to imagine, etc on every single re-read. I have re-read a lot of my favorite series, notably Kingkiller, Stormlight, LotR, Mistborn, and other Sanderson books. While they're enjoyable, None of those are nearly as deeply layered at SoIaF. There's just so much to unpack in all the books!
I liked your wolf analysis but I would add that Jon, being an outsider, his wolf is vastly different than all the other Stark wolves. It's very fitting given all his struggles to find his own identity with a wolf very unlike the other "Stark" wolves. I'm sure someone mentioned already but the whole "Davvos's mission to find Rickon and SHAGGY DOG" thing, given the definition of "SHAGGY DOG", that's just too good to not work out that way :) GRRM has his sense of humor.
I think someone mentioned it already but there are a bunch of things that GRRM changes about the characters and world building that jump out at you in a re-read. Like Jaime, being Kingsguard can NEVER inherit, but Ned specifically says something like "Jaime can't be warden of the East because he'll inherit Casterly Rock when his dad dies and he'll then be both Warden of the East and West." For that matter, I think this is the only time this "Warden" thing is ever even mentioned. What does it even mean?
Another that jumps out at me is how spry Tyrion is when we first meet him. He jumps off a low roof and rolls, impressing Jon despite himself and freaking out Ghost. But then pretty much the rest of the book he's got "bent legs" and has trouble walking. GRRM I think tries to ret-con it a bit by having Tyrion talk about his being a bit of a gymnast as a boy but I still say GRRM wanted him to be a more literally active character but then decided to lean into the "brains over disability" thing.
As you mentioned, the biggest "oh wow" moments on my first re-read was just noticing all the names of people/places that come into play in later books. Mentions of Dorne, Jorah Mormont, Stannis, The Martels (I think are mentioned in book 1), House Reed, House Greyjoy and so on. Not to mention the "throw away" characters in book 1 that become more important later on, like Renly, Payne, and so on.
I'm sure you already know but George's plans for the series changed dramatically multiple times, it was going to be a trilogy originally and that changed to setting up a big time skip after ASoS. So, a lot of things you thought might have been foreshadowing very well could have been at some point! I have loved this series of you reading ASOIAF, I finished it just a short while before you started and it's my favorite fantasy series, I love seeing your thoughts unbiased from the show or the ASOIAF theory community. I really hope we get TWoW soon!!!
Really interested in hearing your opinion on fire & blood down the line
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this before so forgive me if it has been; there is an amazing scene in the show from season 1 (I want to say episode 5??) between Robert and Cersie, which obviously you don't get in the book because neither of them are POV's. I know you're not against watching random scenes from the show and this one is strickly dialogue (no violence) but it may be my favorite scene in the entire show so I would suggest watching it! It gives you more insight into the relationship between the two charachters which I think fits well with the books even though it was just an imagined conversation from the show runners.
See your videos on the books are what spurred my most recent reread, cool that it comes full circle
One thing I noticed on reread is the moment Robb is declared King in the North. Robb really wants to be a warrior, he really wants vengeance for his father and he really dislikes Joffrey and the Lannisters. But he just can't find a way to justify it all. As Catelyn points out, with Ned dead there isn't even a clear war goal. Renly's claim is clearly frivolous, Stannis hasn't declared yet and he doesn't believe Joffrey is illigitemate. Eventually the Greatjon declares him king in the north and Robb accepts it, with the riverlands for good measure. In that scene, he does something he does often: wave around a sword when there is no need for it, symbolic for what really drives him.
In that moment he dooms himself and most of the people around him. There is no way he can ever hold the riverlands against all of the South regardless of how well he fights. And by becoming a seperatist, eventually he'll have to fight all of the south. By accepting Riverlands loyalty, he can't rely on moat cailin or scorched earth strategies either. The common reading of Robb is that his love and honor killed him, but I think it was his bloodthirst.
Lets go!!! Every reread you will join the madness as we wait for winds.
Ciatlyn needs your defense, Attorney Bookborn! The court of public opinion is blinded by their love for jon!
I’ll open their minds to realizing you can love catelyn and Jon at the same time 😌
@@Bookborn Whoa whoa whoa, this is the internet where sensbile takes like thinking you could like two characters at the same time aren't welcome here, haha. You must choose a side!
In all seriousness, I'm not a Cat stan by any means, but I don't get the hate either. I actually think it's pretty realistic that a woman would struggle to live with a constant visual reminder that the man she loved cheated on her. Thinking she's excessively cruel to Jon is a valid opinion to have, but thinking it makes Cat this inhuman monster seems detatched how real humans would act in a similar situation.
You can like 2 separate characters my issue with Cat defenders is they claim she's a good mom when she's a horrible mom to all her kids she literally does the worst thing possible for her kids at ever turn. Like who ever you want but objectively she fails as a mother.
@@MarkSewing ?????????????? like what???
@saviourly3186 I am willing to go greater in depth if you would prefer more of a long form conversation but just the tip of the iceberg is the fact she doesn't even leave Bran's bed to see the girls off when they leave Winterfell. Now I do understand one could argue that a mother would stay by her sick child's bed but that argument falls a part pretty quickly when you realize it has been some time (admittedly an unknown amount of time but clearly at least a week or two) since he has fallen and been in a coma. Any normal mother would get a nurse to sit there and spend an hour or so seeing her daughters off for what everyone knew would be possibly years before they saw each other again. Again I can go greater in depth if needed but don't want to type novels if they aren't needed in a comment section. Have a great day.
My favorite quote is when Robert is complaining to Ned about the North, and he says the people wouldnt expect to find their king hidden in the snow. Snow(in italics), Ned. Early foreshadow of Jon Snow being the secret king.
One more comment I'm sorry, I should have waited til the end of your video lol. The thing you have to realize about Ned's death, whether foreshadowed or not, and this is the thing I tell a lot of people who question the "shock" value of it, is we have to consider when AGOT came out. 96. We are mid 90s height of epic fantasy. Shanarra, Wheel of Time. Those big books following Tolkien's footsteps. We kind of expect bad shit to happen now but back then as a new reader, I wish I could have experienced that. Like, oh Arya, this little child and her fencing sword, is going to cut through all these people and save her father. No. That's not how that works. And having it he Arya's chapter that he dies and not Sansa is perfection. Sansa is the aftermath and that too is perfect.
I think a good, foreshadow, hint, clue, what have you of Jon's linage that is often glossed over is his relationship with Arya. They have, I believe, one chapter together but, aside from that one chapter fortifying their relationship in such an amazing way (Jon gets her more than the rest of her family, even Ned/Arya doesn't even mention that he's a bastard, ect ect), i think it's interesting that they say Arya is most like Lyanna (spelling, I'm sorry) and Jon is most connected to Arya and she is the one he often thinks about in a fond, loving way. Subtlety thy name is Martin.