Game of Thrones Analysis VI

            In this week’s Game of Thrones analysis, pages 523-618 are reviewed. As mentioned last week, Ned attempts to keep Joffrey from becoming the new king by taking over as interim leader. In the throne room, Ned is turned on by his own “soldiers” and Littlefinger himself. Ned is then jailed for treason. Shortly after, the kingdom goes haywire as Lannister guards fight those loyal to the Starks until one by one they’re killed off. Lannister guards come for Arya and Syrio Forel defends her upon resisting. Arya soon realizes how skilled with a sword Syrio truly is when he defeats four armed guards with a wooden sword. Arya flees the scene after the final guard manages to cut the wooden sword in half and we’re left without knowing how the fight ends, resembling the Schrodinger’s Cat Paradox. Arya retreats the castle safely and makes for Winterfell. Sansa, however, is not that fortunate. In her blinding and often ignorant “love” for Joffrey, she convinces herself to trust the Lannisters. Cersei bargains with Sansa to write letters to the Starks and convince them to take allegiance to the new “king” of the throne, Joffrey. In return, Sansa is promised she will be able to marry her Joffrey one day. At Winterfell, Robb Stark responds to the letters by calling the banners and march to war. Robb had grown much as a leader in the absence of Ned and Catelyn. He brings a respectable sized army to battle. When they stop at Moat Caitlin, Catelyn rejoins her son. Meanwhile on the Wall, The Others are real! Jon fights a reincarnated Othor at Master Aemon’s quarters. In other news, Khal Drogo swears to cross the sea and dominate the seven Kingdoms. Finally, Tyrion leads his barbarian pack to meet up with Tywin Lannister. In a negotiation, Tywin is to command a force of soldiers under Tywin’s allegiance.

Questions/Thoughts:

1.      Winter is just about here. How does Martin expect to fit all of these climaxes, not to mention a sound conclusion, with less than 200 pages left in the book? Anxious to see how Martin comes to any satisfying partial conclusion without totally finishing the book with the line “go buy GoT 2 to find out what happens next!”

2.      Robb vs. Joffrey…somewhere down the line, even if it is in one of the succeeding books, I see it happening.