A new ADWD sample chapter is up

[Werthead]

The chapter released earlier this year in Bantam Spectra's PULSE magazine has been put onto Amazon. Check it out.

It's a POV we haven't seen for a long time, and not one of the three chapters currently cycling through GRRM's website.

 

[Wiggum]

I almost....almost feel bad for the guy.

 

[Ghost of Harrenhal]

I do feel bad for him. Not even the Seven Hells could be as cruel as a sentence in the Dreadfort dungeons. He tried to bite off his own finger to quench the pain... When has he ever hurt someone that much? Sure he claimed Bran and Rickon were dead and betrayed the Starks but any man would feel mixed loyalties after being brought up for 10 years by one father and 9 years by another.

A good chapter but short, thanks for posting it. When I heard about it a while back it sounded too good to be true. Now I just wish it was brand new to me.

FINISH THE BOOK GEORGE!

 

[Rainswept]

First he makes us relate to and understand Jaime, now he wants us to feel bad for poor Theon.

I think ole George just likes to **** with us sometimes.

 

[viZion]

Wow, what a chapter. I'd forgotten how stomach-turning reading some of the chapters for the first time can be. I think this is the best chapter of the ones that have been released so far. I'm thinking that this will be the most interesting POV in ADWD for me.

 

[khankill]

Wow, Just found this place today and have been reading for hours. Nice forum you guys have made here.

Now on to the topic:

I have always felt a bit sorry for Theon. He was stripped of his true identity by Robert and Ned when he was taken as a hostage to Winterfell. When he returned home he was not welcomed, he was mistrusted and treated with a lot of disregard. He set about trying to earn his fathers approval and the respect of the Ironmen. He was overzealous to make a name for himself and get what he thought was rightfully his (Pkye). Catelyn knew more of the Ironmen than Robb; who's only real knowledge came from a man he consided a brother. Not sending Theon to treat with the Greyjoys was Catleyn's most sound council in the entire series.

 

[whiskeyntattoos]

welcome khankill

and i agree with your look about him , remember when davos is rescued and meets with stannis and stannis quotes mels fortelling about a hero returned from the sea i have always thought it would be theon "the sea" being the ironmen since they worship it.

 

[Eulalia]

Thanks, Werthead, how did you manage that?!

Umm, ouch. I wonder what Reek will do.

 

[Werthead]

Thanks, Werthead, how did you manage that?!

Umm, ouch. I wonder what Reek will do.

I'm a mod on the official ASoIaF forum, and pretty much all ASoIaF-related news on the web comes through us sooner or later. In this case someone randomly stumbled across it on Amazon.co.uk and filled us in.

 

[JDP]

I was thinking about abstaining from ASOIAF until the series was finished, but that just keeps looking less and less likely. Chapters like these don't help...!

 

[Koopa]

This chapter sheds some light in a Cersei chapter in AFFC.

To me that is one of the most information full chapter of the books, when she holds her small council. The north is very much discussed during it, and we find out that both the Umbers and the Ryswells have joined alliances with Bolton. In this chapter we see that it is one of the older castellans of Last Hearth, one of the uncles, and the Ryswell is old as well. Mentioned as well is White Harbor whom also supposedly joined the lannisters. All this makes it seem to me that the Bolton alliance is a unsteady one. We dont know if those old uncles actually speak for all the Ryswells and the Umbers for instance. We do know that the Manderlys are lying from another spoiler chapter, that they do in fact not hold Davos. I'm thinking that The Boltons and thus the Lannisters are in for a surprise, and that mayhaps they are in for a doublecross, the other using the Boltons to clear out the ironmen, then fall upon them when they least expect it.

Also, the Boltons i feel are making a mistake in taking Theon with them, first off he is gonna recognize Jeyne poole, secondly whilst his sister might see it beneficial to have Theon back, Euron does not. (Granted it is Asha who holds the lands in the North) And it is very questionable yet how far she is willing to go for her younger brother.So far she only wants to use him as a figure head.

 

[viZion]

Also, the Boltons i feel are making a mistake in taking Theon with them, first off he is gonna recognize Jeyne poole

That might be exactly the point of bringing him along. Obviously, they've got him under their control through the magic of torture. They can make him confirm that Jeyne Poole is "Arya". Since he lived with Arya for her entire life it would be a great way to make outsiders believe that Jeyne is Arya.

 

[Koopa]

Perhaps later on, what matters first, is how Asha will react.Cause at the moment the fake arya is still stuck below or above the neck (depends on how you look at it), and the two Bolton armies will be separated by asha's forces/ironmen.

Also in another spoiler we see a great victory of Stannis around Asha's stronghold.

 

[Boaz]

I have always felt a bit sorry for Theon.

Me too. He's had to learn to be conciliatory in all things. He's never been trusted. He's never been taught the ways of the Ironborn. But he never had any spine or character. Did anyone force him to seduce the captain's daughter? Did anyone force him to attempt to seduce his own sister? Did anyone force him to attack Winterfell? Did anyone force him to execute scores of Stark servants and peasants?

For me, Theon falls into the same category as Viserys and Joffrey... mean spirited, petty, spiteful, arrogant, privileged, foolish, vindictive boys who never matured into men. You've heard the saying, Male by birth, man by choice. Well, these three never heard it or nor would ever understood it. They define immaturity.

Edit: I also noted that it's a short chapter. Either GRRM has more to add or else it's a prologue or epilogue. You'll notice the lack of a title... no name. It's not titled Theon nor Reek nor The Prisoner. It just is... so I think it's the prologue. But then again, all of the prologue characters have died. Will, Cressen, Chett, and Pate (and even Merret as the epilogue in ASOS) were all one off POVs. This Theon chapter is short, but he doesn't die so mayhaps it's a real chapter.

 

[Werthead]

Edit: I also noted that it's a short chapter. Either GRRM has more to add or else it's a prologue or epilogue. You'll notice the lack of a title... no name. It's not titled Theon nor Reek nor The Prisoner. It just is... so I think it's the prologue. But then again, all of the prologue characters have died. Will, Cressen, Chett, and Pate (and even Merret as the epilogue in ASOS) were all one off POVs. This Theon chapter is short, but he doesn't die so mayhaps it's a real chapter.

It isn't the prologue. The prologue POV is:

Varamyr Sixskins

The previous version of the chapter, the one in the Pulse magazine, was entitled REEK in big letters at the top.

 

[Wiggum]

Yeah, I remember the prologue, scary stuff there.

But Boaz is right, that's a very, very short chapter.

And where are the Bolton's banners riding off to war to?

Or am I being dense?

 

[Boaz]

I don't know that the Boltons need to ride very far to go to war. They've got Stannis to the north, Asha to the west, Euron's forces to the south, and they're surrounded by Stark loyalists. But with winter coming on, I think the immediate concerns are to control the Neck and to gain control of White Harbor. The Ironborn don't want to try and conquer the North during Winter and Stannis won't leave his destiny on the Wall.

Wert, thanks. I'd forgotten the Varamyr prologue... it seems that he'll be the first prologue/epilogue character not to die... he's already died once or even twice.

 

[Ghost of Harrenhal]

Yeah, I remember the prologue, scary stuff there.

But Boaz is right, that's a very, very short chapter.

And where are the Bolton's banners riding off to war to?

Or am I being dense?

Well this book takes place in a similar time frame to AFFC so it could be to White Harbour to press the Manderly's into swearing fealty to Tommen. And as we know, Bear Island will only answer to a Stark King so we can assume there are various lords that still wish to oppose the Lannisters and Boltons. I'm sure the Umbers are among them.

 

[Koopa]

Doesn't the chapter basically says that they are going to moat cailin(?)-> the place that controls the Neck and that is held by the ironborn, it is the reason why they bring Theon along, to help clear them out, so that the two Bolton forces (below and above the Neck) can join up, and thus sweep up and control the North.

As for the Umbers, i find them to be intriguing, the old uncle, one of the castellans seems to have joined up with the boltons, but does he bring all the remaining Uber strenght with him, is he true to the Boltons, or will he playing them false, ....

 

[whiskeyntattoos]

i think both ned and robb at one point say the umber are among the most loyal the them, maybe they hear about arya being married to a bolton and want to help her.