2025 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin, the third book in A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Pages: 1177 pages

Length: 2 Months (September & October)

Participants: bailey, Lorraine, Jessica, Dominique, Alison, Nate, Darlene, Rebecca, Caterina.

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.


Happy Buddy Reading!

I will probably start this book this weekend 😉

Question: has anyone been watching “House of Dragons”? I have only seen the first episode but really liked it!! ❤️🐉❤️

Alison wrote: "I will probably start this book this weekend 😉

Question: has anyone been watching “House of Dragons”? I have only seen the first episode but really liked it!! ❤️🐉❤️"

I haven't but my spouse did and he likes it. I haven't even watched GOT yet.
I started the book, about 160 pages in.

I watched both episodes; HotD is really good so far! I like the characters and the intrigue brewing.

It will be really interesting to see how the show progresses, because we are many years from the battle for succession. (If they go by the events from Fire & Blood.)

Read 350 pages so far

(view spoiler)[ I thought that with what happened to her in books 1 and 2, Sansa would realize her fairy tale about marrying a prince would go away but now the Tyrell's are sucking her back in and she believes them. She prefers to have Margeary has a sister than Arya but with Arya she would have better protection. Arya for her age is a little bad ass! I wonder if the suggestion of Tyrion to marry Sansa will happen. Is is just me but Catelyn only has eyes for her son Robb? Her daughters are in danger, she left her two youngest by themselves in a castle and are declared dead, the moment she hear Robb's been hurt she panics about his well being. Not the mother of the year material. I like the fact that they included Sam and Jaimie POV in the book. So far Cersei and Joffrey have been quiet, propably will be more later on with the wedding (hide spoiler)]

This has been moved to the October Buddy Reads folder

September has flown by for me, y'all! I just started the book yesterday finally (was catching up on assigned reading and other school stuff) so hopefully I'll be able to post my thoughts in here soon.

As for the HoTD discussion, my husband and I have been watching it a week behind the release schedule, so we've seen episodes 1-4 so far. He is really into it but I've found it really difficult to watch due to personal reasons. I'm also kind of over the whole "women can never rule" thing within the GOT universe. Especially after season 8...
Spoiler for ep 1 (view spoiler)[ I absolutely hated King Viserys's decision to have his wife undergo a C-section. That was really tough to watch for me and I can't imagine what someone who has had a traumatic birth would feel when watching that scene. So having that in the first episode has kind of spoiled my opinion of the rest of the show. (hide spoiler)]

I have made it to page 500 in my paperback copy of the book! This would be starting a Jamie chapter after finishing a Daenerys and then an Arya chapter. I have read your spoilers to page 350, Dominique! I am going to break down my spoilers to every 100 pages (or so, depending on where the chapters break up...at page 500, there truly is a Jamie Chapter starting so will end there for now :)
Bailey...I was not happy with the opening segment of "House of Dragons" either! However, my husband and I carried on and I really like the story behind the series. I just think the series can be a bit too graphic at times.

The first 100 pages (ending on page 100 which starts a Bran Chapter):
(view spoiler)[
I Loved the way this book opened with Chett plotting to kill Lord Mormont and sneaking up on Sam (whom he is jealous of) but then the Three Blasts of the horn sounds and you just know all hell is going to break loose!! The Others are coming...but of course you are left hanging on that at the end of the first chapter :0

I agree, Dominique, that Arya is a little Badass! She and Tyrion are my 2 favorite characters! I love how she recites her names of revenge when she is going to sleep. It seems to me that Arya can "worg" into a wolf in her dreams like Bran can but is what she dreams real or just a dream?

Sansa needs to have more of a backbone at this point and lose her "fairytale" take on marriage/knight-in-shining-armor. I have a feeling that is coming in the future but for now, she still has that outlook. At least she isn't getting married to Joffrey anymore...

I like Davos as a character also...the poor man lost all of his sons!

Jon is with Mance Rayder and Ygritte and is in a dilemma because he is "undercover" for the Night's Watch! "You know Nothing, Jon Snow!"

I find that when I get to chapters about Daenerys, I am not quite as interested in reading about her as I am about the other characters! I wonder why that is...maybe I will change my view as the book goes on!

I like the dynamic of Jamie and Brienne ("the wench") as they are traveling together.
(hide spoiler)]
Spoilers for the next 200 pages (ending with Arya's Chapter on page 194 - Samwell chapter next):
(view spoiler)[
In Jamie's chapter, we get the backstory of why Jamie became a White Cloak, which I didn't know! It was all in order for him to be close to Cersei (of course) and to avoid marrying Lyse Tully.

Arya, Gendry and Hot Pie get caught up with Lord Beric's men. I forgot much of the story of Lord Beric Donderrion and look forward to reading more about this band of men as they are with Arya.

Dominique, I agree that Caitlyn is very focussed on Robb...could that be because she is with him and her other children are either dead or captured so she is doing everything she can for the child (Robb) that she is with? Also, he is "King", supposedly...but I agree, not mother of the year material! ;)

Robb is married! Uh, OH.....he was supposed to marry a Frey!!
(hide spoiler)]
Spoilers for up to page 304 (ending with Jon - Daenerys' Chapter is next)
(view spoiler)[
Oh, I loved Samwell's chapter and the battle with the Others!! Why does dragon glass work on the Others? You Go, Sam...you are not so timid as you think you are!!

I feel sorry for Tyrion and his relationship with his father! I guess Lord Tywin blames Tyrion for his mother's death but I hate the way he treats Tyrion! We are not hearing Cersei's viewpoint in this book but her hatred for Tyrion comes out in his chapters!

Oh No...Jamie lost his hand!! This is going to change his course in this book/series, I think!! He is going to have to relearn himself and I think Brienne is going to help him through part of this journey!

Again, I wasn't that interested in Daenerys' chapter...she is collecting her Unsullied at the moment.

In Bran's chapter, there was a story/fable told by Meera that I got confused with and didn't understand. I am sure it is significant in some way??
I do find I am recognizing some of the Targaryen History that George R R Martin is sprinkling in this book! I am only recognizing it because I am watching "House of Dragons". I am definitely going to read "Fire and Blood" sometime next year after we have finished GOT!
(hide spoiler)]
Spoilers for up to page 404 (ending with Catelyn - Davos' Chapter is next):
(view spoiler)[
OK, I do have to applaud Daenerys for kicking some slave trader butt!! I liked her line in this chapter: "a dragon is no slave."

Sansa's fairy tale dream is dashed because Cersei made her wed Tyrion! I hope that she recognizes in the future that Tyrion is protecting her...

Again, Sam's chapter was one of my favorites in this section of pages! Craster is dealt with, Mormont dies and Sam is urged to flee with Gilly because "Craster's sons are coming..."They'll be here soon, the sons." Those would be Others, me thinks!! :)

Arya's chapter: I see a little more about Lord Beric and Thoros! Sandor Clegan is captured, fights Beric and Beric is struck down. However, he is brought back to life...

Catelyn: I think this chapter is the set up for the Red Wedding! Edmure is betrothed to a Frey and the Freys have invited Catelyn and Robb to the wedding....
(hide spoiler)]
Spoilers up to page 500 (Arya's chapter finished and Jamie's chapter is next):
(view spoiler)[
Davos: He is out of the dungeon and Stannis make him his Hand! Also, Melisandre seems to talk about the White Walkers coming...she dismisses the current battle for power ("These little wars are no more than a scuffle of children before what is to come"). She wants Westeros to unite under its "one true king, the prince that is promised" whom she feels is Stannis, to fight the battle for mankind. She does say, however, "...there is truth in the flames, but it is not always easy to see." So I think she has not chosen the right person to be the "one true king". Stannis is too rigid and such a sourpuss!

In Arya's 1st chapter, we get more backstory on Lord Beric and you can tell that he is getting weary of being brought back to life by Thoros. In Arya's next chapter in this section, you can perhaps see that there may be trouble in the future for Caitlyn and Robb through her talk with the dwarf old lady who can see things in the flames. The old lady predicts Caitlyn is at the Twins..."for there is to be a wedding" but then she can't see either Caitlyn or Robb in the flames.

I liked reading Bran and Jon's chapters...it was too bad that they were so close to one another but didn't know (Bran was in the tower in the lake that Jon could see from the ruined village during the thunderstorm)! Then Jon escapes from the Wildings...I am not sure that he is happy about that because, even though he is drawn to Ygritte, he was still always looking for a way to escape to be loyal to the Night Watch.
(hide spoiler)]

I have read up to page 304 and read your spoilers (view spoiler)[ I find Dominique comments about Catelyn very interesting. It was not something I noticed but yes, it looks like her daughters are not a concern to her. I am curious to see what her reaction will be in the next chapters to the fact Robb did not keep his promise to marry a Frey. Catelyn was very tough with Jon, being the son of her husband broken promises of fidelity. Will she be as hard with Robb?
I am also surprised to see that Sansa has still not realized that fairy tales are just fairy tales. Being surrounded by the Lannister, it is surprising she doesn’t grow out of it. That sad because she will suffer a lot because of this. (hide spoiler)]
I have watched episode 1 to 3 of House of Dragons and I cannot say I like it. Not sure I will continue watching it. But I want to read the book after we finished with GOT.

I have made it to page 557 in the book and I am all caught up on the HOTD episodes.

Catelyn - (view spoiler)[I'm not sure I agree with the characterization of Catelyn. I think she wants to be back in Winterfell with her children, where she can take care of and protect them, but that's not possible. In the last book, she freed Jaime so that he could send Sansa and Arya back to her. She took a huge chance, because she felt it was their only hope. I don't think there is anything she can do for her girls at this point; it's a waiting game. As far as she knows, her younger sons are dead. I'm sure she blames herself for leaving them, but it's too late. She's grieving for Ned, her sons, her father... and she only has Robb and her brothers there with her. I liked she was so welcoming towards Jeyne, even tough Robb's marriage won't bode well for the alliance with the Freys. (hide spoiler)]

Daenerys - (view spoiler)[Dany gets her army in the most badass way possible! Also, I had forgotten how much of a creep Jorah Mormont was to her. She was 13 when the story began, so I feel like she's 14 or 15 at this point? Meanwhile, he's ogling her and kissing her against her will. Yikes. (hide spoiler)]

Jaime - (view spoiler)[It was interesting to hear his side of the Kingslayer saga. For Robert's Rebellion to succeed, someone would have had to kill the king. It doesn't seem like the Mad King would have conceded. If Ned or Robert had killed Aerys, would they have been known as Kingslayers? (hide spoiler)]

Robb - (view spoiler)[I can't remember who said this, but one of the characters was talking about Robb and saying how he won every battle and yet he's losing the war. He's too young to be able to play all the political games he needs to play to succeed. (hide spoiler)]

Stannis - (view spoiler)[On page 492 and 496, Stannis talks about the succession with Davos. It's interesting that he doesn't want the throne but feels like it's his duty to claim it. He has managed to get a lot of people killed for sometimes he doesn't want. (hide spoiler)]

Stannis cont'd / HOTD spoiler - (view spoiler)[ He also talks about Rhaenyra being a traitor, saying "she died a traitor's death for trying to usurp her brother's throne." This characterization is interesting, because Rhaenyra is the Viserys I's heir and her brother Aegon was the usurper. I wonder why the Targaryen history is taught this way. Ultimately, Rhaenyra died but it was her line who prevailed on the Iron Throne. (hide spoiler)]

HOTD - I generally like the show, but I also dislike almost every character. There's no one to root for. Some of characters are still young, and yet they already seem irredeemable. I'm not sure I can handle 3.2 seasons of a civil war without a worthy character I can get behind. I also did not like the scene with Aemma in the first episode.

Caterina wrote: "I have made it to page 557 in the book and I am all caught up on the HOTD episodes.

I am at pages 587 so I little bit further than you. Make sure not to read this spoiler before you are at 50% of the book! (view spoiler)[ I finished the Red Wedding chapter and the one after that (Arya). I did not remember the Red Wedding was in this book. (The Red Wedding was the name of the episode where Robb and Catelyn get killed).
I find your comments quite accurate and very empathic, especially when you talk about Catelyn. You are right. She is experiencing many deaths around her and she must feel really lost in this war and world. I also liked reading Jamie’s side of the ‘KIngslayer’ saga. It shows a side of Ned and Robert we do not see often in the fact that they talked only about the killing of the Mad King but not the fact that the Mad King was about to kill a lot of people.
I am wondering if the characterization of Rhaenyra in the history presented by Stannis is not due to the fact that for now, except for Cersei, all the rulers are men. And even Cersei is still doing what her father tells her to do. I look forward reading this story when we finished the GOT series. (hide spoiler)]

Lorraine- I didn't read your spoiler, but I think I know what you are referring to. I am dreading that scene as much as I was dreading the end of the first book.

Arya - (view spoiler)[ In Arya's previous chapter (p 538 in the mass market paperback), Tom Sevenstrings sing the Rains of Castamere and there's talk about what Tywin does to those who cross him. There's quite a lot of foreshadowing. I am also dreading the chapter where Arya finds out what happened. (hide spoiler)]

I finished the book. I have to say I am happy that this one is read. I thought it was a bit too long for my taste. I was (view spoiler)[ surprised to learn that Tywin Lannister was the organizer fro the red wedding. I did not remember reading that (hide spoiler)]. I hope the next one is shorter.

The next one is also a chunky!

Finished as well and looking forward to the next one.

So much happens in the second half of this one. (view spoiler)[The Red Wedding, Joffrey killed at his wedding, Tyrion's trial, the Red Viper and the Mountain in the trial by combat, Jamie releasing Tyrion an telling him about his complicity, Tyrion killing Shae and Tyrion, Petyr killing Lysa to save Sansa, and Lady Stoneheart. And more! (hide spoiler)] Lots of deaths, but the intrigue around those events is great.