Thus so far the two previously mentioned kings met their demise and Lord Eddard Stark,
My thoughts so far?
It's an interesting story. Engaging enough. I will probably continue to listen to it, but at a total of 198 and some change hours so far (there are still a minimum two books plus several prequels Martin has planned), it will be a huge time commitment. I'll probably be done with them sometime in the spring.
Characters I like?
Jon Snow. He is interesting and flawed but developing his own moral code modeled after that of the man who raised him. Jon's lineage is interesting and believable enough if such a big deal of Eddard's honor and morals hadn't been established. Which makes you wonder who his parents really are.
And it is all there. In that. the first book, if you actually read between the lines and think about Eddard's character. Would be be so dishonorable to father a child out of wedlock? I think not. Would he be so honorable as to honor the wish of his dying sister, even if it means lying to his wife and king to keep that promise? I think yes. If it means actually being able to fulfill the promise.
Arya Stark. She started as a little tomboy. Made it to King's Landing, ended up on the run. She's growing up fast, and sadly, I fear, she's going to grow up mean.
The Stark boys. I like them well enough, but for the most part they all seem like bit parts at the moment. Yes, even Rob...The recently crowned King of the North. His story is starting to pick up and get more important seeming, but I have the suspicion that it will be a short one.
Tyrion "The Imp" Lannister. He really isn't what he is supposed to be. That is what makes him an outcast in his family.
Lord Eddard Stark. As previously mentioned. Most moral person in probably the entire world. He was deemed a traitor basically because he knew too much. He figured out the Lannister's secret. That led him to (correctly) contest the line of succession which led him to being named a traitor to the crown. Cersei was willing (I find that hard to believe, but that makes no nevermind here) to let him take the black and live out his life on the wall, where he would be no threat to them. Joffrey decided to ignore his mother's advice/command(?) and have him killed instead. With his own sword. I feel that Cersei may have been more or less okay with the execution as well. Given what he had figured out. Even though the Watch doesn't involve itself with the affairs of the outside world, I cannot imagine Stark's threat level being at all decreased so long as he would have lived. Especially given what I am pretty sure is Jon Snow's lineage.
Daenerys Targarian. She has had a rough life. Her parents being murdered while she was very young, her brother being so much of a jerkbag that he married her off to some guy in exchange for an army and thereafter proceeded to call her a whore for doing it. Watching the husband she came to love very much suffer to the point where she was the one to kill him. Their child being a stillborn, malformed thing as a result of a woman's cruelty. She is getting very bold and very cold, but she remains a likeable character.
Characters I don't really like.
Lady Stark. She is made out to be this strong, intelligent woman who knows what she's about and shouldn't let emotion cloud her judgement. Then she goes and kidnaps Tyrion because her childhood friend, Lord Shifty Finger (more on him further down) told her he had lost the weapon that was used to try and kill one of her sons to Tyrion in a bet. Here is the deal, Stark. You have met Tyrion. You know he's not an idiot. Seriously. Why did you have to go and basically start a war? You aren't supposed to be that rash.
Sansa Stark. Don't care much for her gullibility or her "go with the flow because my future husband blah blah blah even though he doesn't make much sense" attitude. Granted she has started to wise up...Post execution of her father.
Cersei Lannister. Scheming, conniving
Characters I despise.
King Joffrey. Because seriously? Who makes a barely literate 13 year old pompous jerkbag king and doesn't expect some serious problems? Cersei. That is who. I seriously cannot wait for this king to die.
Petyr Baelish. AKA Little Finger AKA (in my mind) Lord Shifty Finger. This guy seems to be the one moving the pieces around the chessboard more than anyone. I cannot stand him. I cannot understand why Lady Stark was stupid enough to take him at his word about Tyrion's dagger. He was the one who sold Eddard out.
I left (with the exception of Eddard) the dead characters out of this list. Also most of the supporting bit players. Not that I really did or didn't like them, but they really aren't fresh enough in my mind at this point. There was a king that would have been on like list and another king on the despise list. But again, they had such small roles it didn't seem to matter.
Anyway. There is so much that happened that it is hard to keep straight. I basically omitted everything that happened to Jon on the wall so far. Which is pretty interesting and worth writing about, but this is long enough already.
The Stark's journey to Kings Landing, also very eventful. The War in the North. Arya's "dancing" lessons. Bran's fall. The Kingslayer. Benjan Stark. These were also important things I decided to skip over.
Again. It was worth it, so I will keep going I guess.
No comments:
Post a Comment