ASOIAF Book Club - A Game of Thrones Chapters 44-58

a song of ice and fire book club

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Let's do this! This post of the A Game of Thrones group read covers off Chapters 44-48. Take a look at the ASOIAF Book Club page to see all the participants in the book club and follow along with each fortnight's questions!

Here are the questions from the book club this update:

Ria: What do you think of the chapters from Bran's perspective? Do they more like filler material, a means to see what's going on where other main characters can't be, or do you think there's going to be something more important that he'll take a central role in?

How to answer this without giving away spoilers I've picked up from the TV show?

I think there's such a focus on him being 'broken' that there's going to be something big later on to compensate for his injuries, but mostly I agree that his place so far is to show the reader what's going on at Winterfell in his family's absence. Even though Winterfell is one of the safest places in Westeros, the sudden absence of Starks compromises that safety.

Allison: Why do you think so much emphasis is put on Dany's dragon eggs in the story so far?

I think it's to remind us of the lost power of the Targaryans, which is emphasised in the dragon skulls in King's Landing. Dany is the last dragon, but the power of the dragons is long gone. She is a Dothraki now, and these dragon eggs are the last symbol of her heritage and her home.

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Heather: Do you think [Ser Jorah Mormont] is helping Daenerys as part of a new life for himself, or rather he sees her as his ticket back to his homeland?

Mormont has his own agenda; it wouldn't surprised me if he was one of Varys' little birds that reported every damn thing that went on. He wants to go back to Westeros, whether that be on a ship with Dany or carrying her head is all the same to him.

Jamie: Why do you think Jon Snow goes to such great lengths to protect and help out Sam Tarly?

jon-snow-sam-tarly.gif What fantasy wouldn't be complete without a bromance? Jon needs to feel like he belongs, and sympathises with anyone else who doesn't belong, which is why him and Tyrion got on so well. Sam's relationship with his father is similar to Jon's relationship with Catelyn, so they're both treated like bastards.

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Thoughts on the book so far

Things are nearing the end game now, and it's not looking good for a lot of people. Still, there's only 200 pages to go and there's so much I know that's left to happen (from the TV show) - this series truly is epic. It's interesting to see Robb Stark's turmoil between being a lord and being the 15 year old boy he is.

Want to join in the book club? There's still time! Leave a comment or send me an email at mithrilwisdom[at]gmail[dot]com and I'll send you more info on joining in.

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Jamie Gibbs is the bearded, bespectacled geek who runs Mithril Wisdom and drinks too much coffee, usually at the same time.
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