A Reading of Ice and Fire: Now It Begins

[Lunar Wolf]

A Song of Ice and Fire
by George R. R. Martin
The ResetEra Book Club

OT by The Gunslinger and LukarWuff
Thread cover artwork by Josu Hernaiz​

-What is This?-
Towards the end of the final season of Game of Thrones, several members here expressed interest in going through George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire books once the show was over. Some of us have never read the novels that spawned the HBO series, while others have been readers for decades. This thread is meant to allow all of us to join in discussion of the novels as we all go through them together. Beginning with A Game of Thrones, we will be reading several chapters each week. If interest maintains, we will go through the series until it's eventually completed.

Whether you're a first-timer or a long-timer, we welcome you to participate in our little book club and journey through these stories of Westeros and beyond!

-Finished Reading Schedule-
Below is the schedule we are following for the first book in the series, A Game of Thrones. We will be reading five chapters per week until we finish the book, at which point we will move on to A Clash of Kings. While adherence to the schedule doesn't need to be strict necessarily, please be aware that once a deadline arrives, all spoilers from its chapters will be allowed to be discussed without the use of spoiler tags.

Game of Thrones:

• June 2, 2019: Prologue, Bran I, Catelyn I, Daenerys I, Eddard I
• June 9, 2019: Jon I, Catelyn II, Arya I, Bran II, Tyrion I
• June 16, 2019: Jon II, Daenerys II, Eddard II, Tyrion II, Catelyn III
• June 23, 2019: Sansa I, Eddard III, Bran III, Catelyn IV, Jon III
• June 30, 2019: Eddard IV, Tyrion III, Arya II, Daenerys III, Bran IV
• July 7, 2019: Eddard V, Jon IV, Eddard VI, Catelyn V, Sansa II
• July 14, 2019: Eddard VII, Tyrion IV, Arya III, Eddard VIII, Catelyn VI
• July 21, 2019: Eddard IX, Daenerys IV, Bran V, Tyrion V, Eddard X
• July 28, 2019: Catelyn VII, Jon V, Tyrion VI, Eddard XI, Sansa III
• August 4, 2019: Eddard XII, Daenerys V, Eddard XIII, Jon VI, Eddard XIV
• August 11, 2019: Arya IV, Sansa IV, Jon VII, Bran VI, Daenerys VI
• August 18, 2019: Catelyn VIII, Tyrion VII, Sansa V, Eddard XV, Catelyn IX
• August 25, 2019: Jon VIII, Daenerys VII, Tyrion VIII, Catelyn X, Daenerys VIII
• September 1, 2019: Arya V, Bran VII, Sansa VI, Daenerys IX, Tyrion IX
• September 8, 2019: Jon IX, Catelyn XI, Daenerys X

-Current Reading Schedule-

Clash of Kings:

September 22, 2019: Prologue, Arya I, Sansa I, Tyrion I, Bran I, Arya II, Jon I,
September 29,2019: Catelyn I, Tyrion II, Arya III, Davos I, Theon I
October 6, 2019: Daenerys I, Jon II, Arya IV, Tyrion III, Bran II
October 13, 2019: Tyrion IV, Sansa II, Arya V, Tyrion V, Bran III
October 20, 2019: Cat II, Jon III, Theon II, Tyrion VI, Arya VI
October 27, 2019: Daenerys II, Bran IV, Tyrion VII, Arya VII, Catelyn III
November 3, 2019: Jon IV, Bran V, Tyrion VIII, Theon III, Arya VIII
November 10, 2019:Catelyn V, Daenerys III, Tyrion IX, Davos II, Jon V
November 17, 2019: Tyrion X, Catelyn VI, Bran VI, Arya IX, Daenerys IV
November 24, 2019: Tyrion XI, Theon IV, Jon VI, Sansa IV, Jon VII
December 1, 2019: Tyrion XII, Cat VII, Theon V, Sansa V, Davos III
December 8, 2019: Tyrion XIII, Sansa VI, Tyrion XIV, Sansa VII, Daenerys V
December 15, 2019: Arya X, Sansa VIII, Theon VI, Tyrion VX, Jon VIII and Bran VII

-Regarding Spoilers-
As mentioned before, some people who are participating have read the books before, while others have not. However, this thread was started under the assumption that all participants have either watched the entirety of HBO's Game of Thrones, or don't mind reading spoilers from the show. While part of the intent behind this book club is to introduce show-watchers to the source material, it's also meant to help fuel speculation for how the series' various story threads will eventually conclude in the final two novels by combining book knowledge with show knowledge.

Because of this, in this thread, any discussion of spoilers from the television series is allowed without the use of any spoiler tags. However, any book-specific spoilers from ahead of where we currently are in our reading must be clearly labeled with spoiler tags-- this includes tagging spoilers for chapters that we are currently reading. Ideally, this will include the specific book and chapter that your spoiler is from. For example, if we're currently reading A Game of Thrones and you want to reference something that doesn't happen until A Clash of Kings, and that event did not happen in the show (or it did, but played out in a drastically different way) mark your spoiler tag as such:

Spoiler: A Clash of Kings, Tyrion II

Tyrion does the thing!

If you can't remember where exactly the spoiler originates from, or if you have multiple spoilers to discuss, please just be sure to tag your spoiler as specifically as you're able to. We do not want to ruin any differences or surprises that may exist for people who are only familiar with the HBO series, so please, be courteous-- if you aren't sure whether or not you should tag something as a spoiler, it's probably best to do so anyway just to be on the safe side.

-Reference Material & Useful Links-
A Wiki of Ice and Fire (warning: contains spoilers for the entire ASoIaF series)
A World of Ice and Fire mobile app (iOS App Store - Google Play Store) (official companion app for the series; allows you to set which book you're on in order to avoid spoilers)
George R. R. Martin's official website
George R. R. Martin's Not a Blog (GRRM's personal blog, used for news and updates on things such as ASoIaF and HBO's Game of Thrones projects)

-Related ResetEra Threads-
A Song of Ice and Fire |OT|
Game of Thrones Season 8 |OT1| - |OT2| - |OT3| - |Spoiler OT|
George RR Martin talks about Game of Thrones' ending on his blog.
Game of Thrones - a list of major differences between the show and the book [ALL SPOILERS]
HBO's Game of Thrones prequel series and spinoffs: everything we know so far
The Game of Thrones story we almost had: early letters to GRRM's editor show his plan for a trilogy ending in Jon vs Bran vs Daenerys

 

[Lunar Wolf]

The World of Ice and Fire​

The stories of A Song of Ice and Fire are told across many different locations, through the viewpoints of a variety of characters. While the world is far too vast to detail in great length here, this post will help you become acquainted with several of the series' major locations and characters. For further information, please refer to sources such as the Wiki of Ice and Fire, or the World of Ice and Fire mobile app (iOS, Android).

The world / region descriptions below are pulled from the Wiki of Ice and Fire, with links to their respective pages provided. As mentioned in the original post for this thread however, please beware of potential unmarked spoilers if you follow the links to the sources.

-The Known World-

(Click here for 6788x4500 resolution image)

The known world is composed of at least three continents (Westeros, Essos, and Sothoryos), a large landmass (Ulthos), and a number of many smaller islands. None of the four major landmasses have been completely mapped. The known world is part of a round planet, which might be a little larger than Earth. There might still be smallfolk who believe the world to be flat. (source)

• Westeros - Westeros is one of the four known continents in the known world, the others being Essos, Sothoryos, and Ulthos. Most of the area of Westeros is covered by a political entity known as the Seven Kingdoms, while the far north beyond the Wall includes the free folk. The closest foreign nations to Westeros are the Free Cities, a collection of independent city-states across the narrow sea in western Essos. To the south of Westeros lie the Summer Isles. (source)
  • Beyond the Wall
  • The North
  • The Iron Islands
  • The Riverlands
  • The Vale of Arryn
  • The Westerlands
  • The Crownlands
  • The Reach
  • The Stormlands
  • Dorne
• Essos - Essos is the largest of the four known continents in the world. It lies east of Westeros and north of Sothoryos and Ulthos, stretching from the Shivering Sea in the north to the Summer Sea in the south, and from the narrow sea in the west to the lands surrounding the Jade Sea in the east, if not farther. Essos is populated by many different peoples and has a vast and varied geography. (source)
  • The Free Cities
  • The Kingdom of Sarnor
  • The Dothraki Sea
  • The Shivering Sea
  • The Valyrian Peninsula
  • Slaver's Bay and Ghiscar
  • Lhazar
  • Qarth
  • Eastern Essos

-The Primary Cast of A Game of Thrones-

Eddard "Ned" Stark, the Lord of Winterfell
As depicted by TeiIku

Catelyn Stark (née Tully), the Lady of Winterfell
As depicted by quickreaver

Jon Snow, the Bastard of Winterfell
As depicted by Michael Komarck

Daenerys Targaryen, the Princess of Dragonstone
As depicted by RobotDelEspacio

Brandon "Bran" Stark, the second son of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Tully
As depicted by TeiIku

Sansa Stark, the eldest daughter of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Tully
As depicted by Drazenka Kimpel

Arya Stark, the youngest daughter of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Tully
As depicted by KaylaWoodside

Tyrion Lannister, "Heir" to Casterly Rock

As depicted by litanilitani

Other important characters:

Robb Stark, Heir to Winterfell

Theon Greyjoy, Heir to Pyke and Eddard Stark's Ward

Cersei Lannister, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms

Prince Joffrey Baratheon, Heir to the Iron Throne

Renly Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End

Jaime Lannister, Eldest son of Tywin Lannister and a Knight of the Kingsguard

The Prince of Dragonstone, Rhaegar Targaryen, who died before the series began. Daenerys Targaryen's oldest brother.

The Wolf-maid, Lyanna Stark, who died before the series began. Lord Eddard Stark's only sister

The White Walkers/the Others.

GRRM:"They are strange, beautiful...think, oh...the Sidhe made of ice, something like that...a different sort of life...inhuman, elegant, dangerous."

Click to shrink...

GOT wiki: The Sidhe are a kind of otherworldly fairy creature from Irish mythology, said to inhabit burial mounds, etc., not unlike the Barrow-wights of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth.

Click to shrink...

The Iron Throne.

 

[Kanann]

I will watch this thread in hoping that we will finally get TWOW in time sooner.

https://news.miami.edu/stories/2019/05/the-historian-of-westeros.html

Do you have any insight on the completion of the novels? Do you know if George is currently working on them?

Garcia: He's absolutely working on them. Just yesterday, he mentioned he's back at his office working away. The series finale has probably relieved a lot of pressure. Now he can just focus on the books and forget about the TV shows. All we know is that the books will be published 3 months after he's finished, but I won't go on to say anything further than that.

Antonsson: Having that dragon breathing fire down his neck was stressing him and interfering with the process. He's now working from the mountains in an isolated cabin and that's been working well for him. There is hope for something sooner rather than later.

Click to shrink...

2020 should be one of the most awesome year.

 

[BDS]

How could you list all those characters but forget Bobby B?

 

[Vashetti]

I'm in.

 

[DonaldKimball]

Nice. I am re-reading, almost done with book 1 but I will still participate here.

 

[YukiroCTX]

I'm up for reading the books again. It reminds me how I've still got to get a copy of Storm of Swords and Feast for Crows.

 

[Lunar Wolf]

How could you list all those characters but forget Bobby B?

Click to shrink...

I purposefully didn't list Robert Baratheon because the show incarnation is so perfect already. Just make him 6 foot 6 and he is Book! Robert Baratheon walking out the page.

It's also why I decided not to include Varys and Littlefinger.

Varys looks exactly the same .

I debated on whether to include Littlefinger since Aiden just looks like an older Littlefinger from the books. Just de-age LF's actor to 29 and swap out the mustache for a pointy beard and you have Book! Littlefinger.

 

[thesoapster]

I'll consider reading these some day if he ever fucking finishes them.

 

[Artdayne]

Those pictures are really good, they definitely look closer to what is described in the books.

 

[NuclearCake]

I'm in. Let's hope by the time we are done WoW actually comes out.

 

[ryseing]

No. Nowytends.

 

[opticalmace]

Interesting. I've never read them. Any idea how many hours per week we're talking about to stay on schedule?

 

[Cronen]

I've recently picked up ACOK again after originally getting about halfway through it back in 2013 or so. Hopefully I will be in a position to read along with you guys with ASOS or a future book!

 

[Lukar]

Woohoo! Just started reading a bit ago. Excited to finally dig into the books.

Also, I know it was mentioned in the OT, but for anyone who hasn't watched all of Game of Thrones and has wandered into this thread: show spoilers are allowed without the use of spoiler tags. So please be cautious!

 

[DonaldKimball]

Interesting. I've never read them. Any idea how many hours per week we're talking about to stay on schedule?

Click to shrink...

5 chapters is definitely on the lower end in my opinion but it depends how fast you are reading.

 

[Released]

I read the first one last year but didn't go any further. Maybe I'll join in when it gets to A Clash of Kings.

 

[Lunar Wolf]

Interesting. I've never read them. Any idea how many hours per week we're talking about to stay on schedule?

Click to shrink...

I'm not sure. Everyone's reading speed is so different and some are going to listen to the audiobooks which have a set pace. It's a pretty relaxed pace and I'm willing to slow down or speed up based on the group's preferences.

 

[Walter White Walker]

In.
The first set of chapters is just 48 pages for those that are wondering and haven't read them.
This will be my first re-read of the series. I'm looking forward to picking up on stuff I didn't the first time through.

 

[Ortix]

Will there not be any discussion until the first deadline? (next sunday)
Or are we meant to read and discuss the chapters gradually as the week goes on?

Interesting. I've never read them. Any idea how many hours per week we're talking about to stay on schedule?

Click to shrink...

Chapters vary in length, but average at no more than 15 pages/ chapter and are easy enough to read. I'd say 5 chapters would take maybe 1,5 hours? Perhaps a bit longer if it's your first read and you stop to look at the map after any geographical mention or to type some thoughts up in here after reading one.

 

[hydruxo]

Noh, nowy tends

I should probably try and get back on the train for this. I read the first two books in 2012 and then never got around to the rest. Might have to join in.

 

[Jeff6851]

I'd be down but I'm already about two thirds into Clash and have a bunch of other books to read.

 

[Lukar]

Will there not be any discussion until the first deadline? (next sunday)
Or are we meant to read and discuss the chapters gradually as the week goes on?

Click to shrink...

Just use spoiler tags until the date comes, and you're golden. :D Also, unless something varies significantly from how it happened in the show (if it happened at all), you should be good to speak freely. That said, if you aren't sure whether you should use spoiler tags or not, it doesn't hurt to do it just to be on the safe side.

Regarding Spoilers-
As mentioned before, some people who are participating have read the books before, while others have not. However, this thread was started under the assumption that all participants have either watched the entirety of HBO's Game of Thrones, or don't mind reading spoilers from the show. While part of the intent behind this book club is to introduce show-watchers to the source material, it's also meant to help fuel speculation for how the series' various story threads will eventually conclude in the final two novels by combining book knowledge with show knowledge.

Because of this, in this thread, any discussion of spoilers from the television series is allowed without the use of any spoiler tags. However, any book-specific spoilers from ahead of where we currently are in our reading must be clearly labeled with spoiler tags-- this includes tagging spoilers for chapters that we are currently reading. Ideally, this will include the specific book and chapter that your spoiler is from. For example, if we're currently reading A Game of Thrones and you want to reference something that doesn't happen until A Clash of Kings, and that event did not happen in the show (or it did, but played out in a drastically different way) mark your spoiler tag as such:

Spoiler: A Clash of Kings, Tyrion II

Tyrion does the thing!

If you can't remember where exactly the spoiler originates from, or if you have multiple spoilers to discuss, please just be sure to tag your spoiler as specifically as you're able to. We do not want to ruin any differences or surprises that may exist for people who are only familiar with the HBO series, so please, be courteous-- if you aren't sure whether or not you should tag something as a spoiler, it's probably best to do so anyway just to be on the safe side.

Click to shrink...

 

[SurrenderDorothy]

Finished the prologue a few days past. It honestly felt so good to read this again.
Though for now before the schedule starts I'll just read up some lore in TWOIAF.

 

[Disclaimer]

I'm really excited to read newcomers' thoughts on the books vis-a-vis the show.

 

[saenima]

Yay it's here. Time to read these books. Again. I went throught the series a few times but always through the audiobooks. This time i bought the kindle edition to go along with it. I'll finally know how to spell things!

Interesting. I've never read them. Any idea how many hours per week we're talking about to stay on schedule?

Click to shrink...

5 chapters should come to around 2-3 hours a week, on average. The last two books tend to have longer chapters but the first three are a breeze.

 

[Deleted member 16452]

I should be done with Fire and Blood soon.

Perfect timing on the thread, I should follow along too. I wanted to do another reread soon anyways.

 

[Walter White Walker]

Finished the prologue a few days past. It honestly felt so good to read this again.
Though for now before the schedule starts I'll just read up some lore in TWOIAF.

Click to shrink...

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I think the dates (like June 2nd for the first chapters) are deadlines, not start dates.

 

[Lunar Wolf]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I think the dates (like June 2nd for the first chapters) are deadlines, not start dates.

Click to shrink...

You are correct but it'll be easy to catch up since the pace atm is relaxed.

 

[Navidson REC]

Fantastic idea! I've been meaning to re-read. Not sure if I can commit to the schedule, but l'll try to chime in every now and then.

 

[John Doe]

Will the re read include the Dunk and Egg novellas or the other Targaryen prequel books?

For some reason, I enjoy those more than I do the main story

 

[Madison]

great idea, uni is intense but I"ll see if I can manage to read a couple of chapters every week

 

[SurrenderDorothy]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I think the dates (like June 2nd for the first chapters) are deadlines, not start dates.

Click to shrink...

Oh, if that's the case I'll carry on reading lol.

 

[Deleted member 4434]

Thanks for making this post OP and those who contributed!
I've been wanting to reread the books now that the show's ended, and this is a reading schedule that's actually doable, so count me in! d(●´∀｀●)

 

[Lunar Wolf]

Will the re read include the Dunk and Egg novellas or the other Targaryen prequel books?

For some reason, I enjoy those more than I do the main story

Click to shrink...

Yep. They will. We'll fit at least the first one in between A Clash of King and A Storm of Swords maybe the first two.

 

[John Doe]

Yep. They will. We'll fit at least the first one in between A Clash of King and A Storm of Swords maybe the first two.

Click to shrink...

Thanks, I'll keep an eye out then. We all want the main series to be finished but I'm just dying for more Dunk and Egg stories as well.

If George finishing the main series itself is unlikely, I highly doubt we'll get any more prequel novels.

 

[gitrektali]

Please do stop after book three. Don't put forward through what lies ahead. There's no coming back.

 

[Lunar Wolf]

Please do stop after book three. Don't put forward through what lies ahead. There's no coming back.

Click to shrink...

 

[Domcorleone]

Im down, ive been meaning to read these.

 

[ZattMurdock]

I'm actually very much game for this. Thank you for making this thread.

 

[stupei]

Please do stop after book three. Don't put forward through what lies ahead. There's no coming back.

Click to shrink...

Why would you stop right before the best book?

 

[Lunar Wolf]

Every book that we complete, I'll make another updated post about the POVs and important characters with art. Might do an anime version for the next one.

I've been wanting to use this one for Jon Snow.

Or maybe, I'll use the current Clash of Kings graphic novel art for the next book and save the anime art for A Storm of Swords.

 

[GK86]

I bought the first book two days ago. Started to read it yesterday before I knew this thread was going to be a thing. I think I have already passed the five chapters mark. I'm enjoying it thus far.

 

[Lunar Wolf]

I bought the first book two days ago. Started to read it yesterday before I knew this thread was going to be a thing. I think I have already passed the five chapters mark. I'm enjoying it thus far.

Click to shrink...

You can talk about it still as long as you spoiler it until we finish the deadline.

What POV chapter did you leave off of?

 

[chiraledge]

Having a schedule set might help me actually finish these.

 

[GK86]

You can talk about it still as long as you spoiler it until we finish the deadline.

What POV chapter did you leave off of?

Click to shrink...

Just checked, I just started chapter five.

 

[Lunar Wolf]

Updated the cover and added Robb Stark along with the Iron Throne into the OP.

 

[DonaldKimball]

Cersei early description, tagged just to be safe

Spoiler

I have to say, judging by character descriptions Cersei was a tad miscast in the show. The descriptions in the book make her out to be a near perfect looking goddess. Not a knock on Lena Headey, she is an amazing actress but I feel like Charlize Theron would have been absolutely perfect. I watched that Snow White movie a few weeks ago and instantly thought that GRRM's descriptions matched her pretty well. This is just a very very minor nitpick though.

Click to shrink...

 

[Forgotten_Taco]

Can I ask, when we get to book 4/5, if anyone's interested in using The Ball of Beasts reading order?

 

[Yonafunu]

I started rereading a while ago, so I'll try to join up when y'all get to CoK