This thread is for the discussion of George RR Martin's "Game Of Thrones" series of books, and the HBO series that is derived from them. Be advised that this thread may contain significant spoilers if you have not read the series to date.

Winter is Coming.

I wanted to talk about the direwolves / wargs for a minute.

The direwolves and their companions are:

Ghost / Jon Snow
Grey Wind / Robb
Lady / Sansa
Nymeria / Arya
Summer / Bran
Shaggydog / Rickon

Of those, we know for sure that Jon and Bran can warg. I think Arya probably can as well, I can't remember if she's ever had the dreams (I am not current on my re-read yet) but there are certainly hints about it starting in at least book 2.

Grey Wind & Robb are dead, and we haven't seen Rickon in ages (although I think he's still alive.)

So that leaves Sansa, who is alone since Lady was killed. Does this mean that Sansa does not survive the series? Or does it hint that she will be the only one who can really rule Winterfell / the North / Westeros (because she's not busy slipping into wolfskin and roaming around)?

I'm not done with the entire series, just through book two, so I will join the discussion when complete!

I have not read the books, but am hooked on the series. My dad is reading them now, and I will start them once he is finished.

I think, and it has been a while since I've read the first 4 books, that Arya can warg. Doesn't she have a dream about seeing a dead body in water time after the red wedding and Catlyn is dumped in the river?

I can only hope Sansa goes soon. Of all the characters that have been killed off, why is she still around? I wonder if the Stark children can only warg if their wolf is alive.

Good points, Dazey. I don't know if we will get the answers to that in Book 5 or not. Sansa is definitely not one of my favorites.

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I am really interested to find out who the 'random returning from the dead point of view character' we've seen spoilers on is. I am still pulling for the Hound, although having just recently seen something about Bran being able to warg through time (?!) maybe it's going back to Ned's death.

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Emmy nominations were announced today - GOT got 13 nominations!! Boardwalk Empire got 19; True Blood got 4, I think. The ones I really think GOT should win include Best Supporting Actor for Peter Dinklage (Tyrion) and the opening credits. Casting, hair & makeup, writing for the Baelor episode (Ned's death), and stunts were some of the others.

Can we agree to no spoilers from Dance with Dragons? I'm only on page 30.

I, for one, like Sansa. She seems to be learning the dirty business of politics from Littlefinger, and I see her becoming a powerful figure.

Arya is my favorite character, and I was distraught to read the condition she found herself in in the last Arya chapter. If that condition persists, she may have to warg to make her way through life.

**tiny Dance spoiler alert**

Is it just me or is this reading like the middle of book 4 instead of a separate volume? I know he said he split them this way for a reason, but it's a little weird to be reading chapters we already know the outcomes of - like Davos.

KFitz - No, because then we can't go "OMG!!!" together, which is a lot of the fun with GRRM. If you don't want Dance spoilers, don't come back until you're done.

Becca - I think he acknowledges that in the intro though - he says it's the companion to 4, rather than a new story, basically. I don't think we'll get real new stuff / advancement until the next book (Winds of Winter).

You're farther than me, I'm sure - any sign of an Arya chapter? I don't remember if it's been said anywhere that she is in this one and like KFitz above, I am dying to know what happens with her cliffhanger.

In the prologue to Dance, GRRM says that towards the end, characters from book 4 will return, as the two parallel books merge. So, I'm hoping by then end of the book, we'll see Arya, Jaime, and that b***h sister of his.

I wonder if we'll find out what Brienne shouted.......

No Arya yet, but I'm not even quite 1/4 of the way through yet. My Kindle says 22% - Jon is counting food stores at the Wall.

Do we care if Brienne lives? I like her but other than her hanging out with Jamie and making him a better man, is her storyline that interesting?

I really hope the Hound is back. He can hang out with Lady Stoneheart if he has too. His character is way more interesting than Sansa. Speaking of Sansa, do we ever see any growth in her or is she a twit the whole time?

Well maybe her storyline is going to GET interesting.

I guess there is SOME growth in Sansa; she has learned the hard way that pretty words and promises do not a friend (Queen) make. But mostly she seems to be a useless twit the entire time.

I don't know, she seems to be taking a bit of responsibility with horrible little Lord Robert.

But, she's what - 13? 14? Talk to any eighth grade girls lately? She was a naive child. She's learning. Note her caution in speaking as they ride down the mountain, and her ability to size up the people she meets at the end of book 4. She didn't have that when she left Winterfell in GoT.

But for that time period 13 or 14 does not equate to being a child like it does today. She probably is learning (very slowly)but is pretty much a twit when compared with her siblings. She does seem to be taking care of Little Robert but that only proves she would make a good babysitter.

I'm still only about half way through A Feast for Crows. Hoping to finish it this weekend and get started on the dance. Not going to check back in here until then.

I also hope to start the Dance this weekend. I'm trying to finish up another book first.

Okay, I started book 3 this weekend. Have a theory about Jon Snow's parents - but need to ask - do they ever tell us? I think Eddard Stark wasn't his father - that his father was RT and the mom was eddard's sister Lyanna. I think that's what Lyanna kept making eddard promise in the 1st book - to keep her son safe. The only way to do that was to say it was his son instead since the lannisters and Robert were killing babies. Am I close - or have they covered this at all?

Waldensouth, your theory is a theory many readers of this series have. As of book 5, this question has not been addressed and it is not a topic of debate in book 3, 4 or 5.

ARGHHhhhhhhhh! I hope he ties up some of these loose ends by book 7.

I barely got any reading done on Dance over the weekend. With a new puppy in the house, free time is in short supply.

I know. This is one question I really want an answer to. Do we know if he has started Book 6? I say be pull a Misery on him and lock him in a room until the series is done.

What kind of puppy did you get?