A Song of Ice & Fire by George R.R. Martin: Book Discussion Thread

[MidniteJay]

I finished reading The First Law series a while back... @ the ending.

Now I'm reading the first of the stand alone books from the same author called Best Served Cold, even GRRM praised it. It's really good so far and I can say I'm enjoying more than The First Law. I never get tired of revenge plots.

 

[ghostwriterx]

Spoiler

I think you need to watch this again

GoT 2x09 - The Blackwater Battle Part 2/2 - YouTube

Spoiler

Is this some unreleased scene where Stannis doesn't turn tail and bounce once Loras and company show up and crush those buildings?

 

[MidniteJay]

Is this some unreleased scene where Stannis doesn't turn tail and bounce once Loras and company show up and crush those buildings?

I don't know why he used that as canon. Stannis was nowhere near the front lines for the Battle of Blackwater

 

[BonafideDefacto]

So I finally finished Book 3. No chance in hell George Martin can come close to that book with any others. Why did he pack so much piff in it instead of spreading it around. I mean, 3 hugeeeee deaths in the 2nd half of the book. I keep hearing the next book is slow, but I still might read it before season 3 starts. This fool needs to drop 2 mini books detailing Greyjoys rebellion and the rise of Jon Aryn and the defeat of the targarions. That shyt would be must reads.

I now find myself on my day off watching season 1 random parts. Got Dayam at Lady Cats speech in the tavern to get swords turn on the imp.

Up to this point i would love to play an rpg game based on arya and her travels and her becoming like dude in assasins creed.

fav 3 charectors/chapters: 1.Arya 2.Jon 3.The Imp

Not really feeling Stannis yet like my brehs here, but time will tell.

Who are the top 8 swordsmen by the time the series starts in the world of a Song of Fire and Ice?

 

[MidniteJay]

Who are the top 8 swordsmen by the time the series starts in the world of a Song of Fire and Ice?

In no order:

Jaime Lannister
Selmy Barristan
Brienne of Tarth
Sandor Clegane
Gregor Clegane
Garlan Tyrell
Brynden Tully
Jorah Mormont

 

[BonafideDefacto]

In no order:

Jaime Lannister
Selmy Barristan
Brienne of Tarth
Sandor Clegane
Gregor Clegane
Garlan Tyrell
Brynden Tully
Jorah Mormont

Im not letting you off that easy breh, i want an order.

 

[HookersandIceCream]

Best Swordsman

1.Garlen Tryell
1a.Jamie
2.Loras
4.Selmy
5.Oberyn
6.The Hound
7.Brienne
8.Mance

Mount relies more on pure strength than actual sword skill

 

[detroitwalt]

Where does the Red Viper rank? Or is he not considered a swordsman?

 

[Foxmulder]

Where do y'all rank bronn?

 

[MidniteJay]

Im not letting you off that easy breh, i want an order.

1. Selmy Barristan
2. Jaime Lannister
3. Garlan Tyrell
4. Brienne of Tarth
5. Sandor Clegane
6. Gregor Clegane*
7. Brynden Tully
8. Jorah Mormont


*The Mountain is really hard to rank, he's an anomaly.

 

[stepbackj34spud]

So I finally finished Book 3. No chance in hell George Martin can come close to that book with any others. Why did he pack so much piff in it instead of spreading it around. I mean, 3 hugeeeee deaths in the 2nd half of the book. I keep hearing the next book is slow, but I still might read it before season 3 starts. This fool needs to drop 2 mini books detailing Greyjoys rebellion and the rise of Jon Aryn and the defeat of the targarions. That shyt would be must reads.

I now find myself on my day off watching season 1 random parts. Got Dayam at Lady Cats speech in the tavern to get swords turn on the imp.

Up to this point i would love to play an rpg game based on arya and her travels and her becoming like dude in assasins creed.

fav 3 charectors/chapters: 1.Arya 2.Jon 3.The Imp

Not really feeling Stannis yet like my brehs here, but time will tell.

Who are the top 8 swordsmen by the time the series starts in the world of a Song of Fire and Ice?

Book 4 is piff, idgaf what anybody says. If you enjoy Martin's writing then Crows is that book. It's just hard for anything o follow he GOAT Storm of Swords.

My order:
Book 3
Book 4
Book 1
Book 5
Book 2

I really can't rank book 1, 4 or 5 over each other. They're tossups to me.

 

[Black Magisterialness]

1. Selmy Barristan
2. Jaime Lannister
3. Garlan Tyrell
4. Brienne of Tarth
5. Sandor Clegane
6. Gregor Clegane*
7. Brynden Tully
8. Jorah Mormont


*The Mountain is really hard to rank, he's an anomaly.

remove Brynden and Jorah. And Garlan is a better swordsman than Selmy, who no longer has age on his side. Garlan trains to fight 4 nikkas at time breh

1. Healthy Jamie/Garlan
2. Selmy
3. KHAL DROGO
4. Loras
5. The Hound
6. Brienne
7. The Halfhand
8. Red Viper

again he said at the start of the series.

 

[Mr. Pink]

I thought it was established already that there is no best, and that it's impossible to rank the best warriors. All the great warriors/swordsmen in the series fall within the "margin of Selmy".

“A warrior without peer… those are fine words, Your Grace, but words win no battles.”
[...]
“He did, ser, but… I have seen a hundred tournaments and more wars than I would wish, and however strong or fast or skilled a knight may be, there are others who can match him. A man will win one tourney, and fall quickly in the next. A slick spot in the grass may mean defeat, or what you ate for supper the night before. A change in the wind may bring the gift of victory.”

The only one I really feel stands above all others in pure swordsmanship is Syrio Forel, however based on what we've seen thus far he's at a great technological disadvantage against Westerosi knights, since he doesn't wear armor or a shield. That may change in the future though, if the bravos fighting style is explored more. We see bravos in Essos, and one is even second-in-command in Brown Ben's sellsword company, so obviously they have some way of competing with armored men.

That being said, at the start of the series the top swordsmen are Jaime, Bronn, Sandor, Gregor and Barristan. Qhorin Halfhand or Mance, or maybe both, may belong there as well.
Based on hype Oberyn Martell and Lyn Corbray are also probably top swordsmen, though we haven't actually seen it yet. Brynden Tully as well. Another guy I get the distinct impression is very dangerous is Stannis' second-in-command Richard Horpe.

I really don't think Loras and Garlan Tyrell make the cut. Loras is known for being an excellent jouster, not a swordsman. And the only thing we know of Garlan is that he's better than Loras and that he trains against 3 or 4 guys. One handed Jaime also trained with Ilyn Payne, and we know how well that went.
There's a difference between sparring against 3 random fodder with blunted weapons in the practice yard and beating 3 determined, skilled, fully armored knights who have the intention of killing you. Almost anyone can do the former, while the latter is impossible to achieve.

 

[Black Magisterialness]

I'll give you that....but the fact that garlan was chosen to lead the attack on Stannis says a lot. Totally forgot about Lyn Corbray...dude has a rep but the Vale aint got down so i didnt include him....Bronn HAS to be at least top 15 to have survived this long he might have the most battles we actually read instead of just hear about.

Bravo's are fighting against mostly Dothraki and Unsullied i would say, not heavily armored...but i would say more skilled than damn near any forces in Westeros...Bravos are not to be slept on.

We all know without doubt though that Jamie, Selmy, The Half-hand and the Hound (who is a better swordsman than the mountain, who is a freak of nature) are pretty much God teir

 

[MidniteJay]

remove Brynden and Jorah. And Garlan is a better swordsman than Selmy, who no longer has age on his side. Garlan trains to fight 4 nikkas at time breh

1. Healthy Jamie/Garlan
2. Selmy
3. KHAL DROGO
4. Loras
5. The Hound
6. Brienne
7. The Halfhand
8. Red Viper

again he said at the start of the series.

Well like Mr. Pink said below me Garlan's only known rep is training with 3 to 4 guys. Not much is said about how he fairs in real combat so I can't just really throw him above Jaime and Selmy like that without knowing much.

I named Jorah because he beasted on nikkas during the Greyjoy rebellion being the first dudes through the breach which earned him knighthood. He also got his simp on and went HAM on a tourney to marry a broad. He even kills one of Drogo's bloodriders breh

Brynden Tully is known for having a rep (Ninepenny Kings war, fighting alongside Selmy, Band of Nine) and even Jaime used to look up to him. So I felt he should be mentioned.