This is my 3rd read of his, & while it was my least favorite of the 3 it was still good. Lots of action, gritty, gory. Would make a great movie.

#blackcatcrew #scarathlon2023
My bucket list!

Arya is having her “dancing lesson” when the Kingsguard comes for her. Syrio at once knows something is amiss. Syrio takes on the knights with only a stick to allow Arya to escape.
Arya runs to find her father but finds only more carnage. She runs, recalling all of Syrio‘s lessons, but when she is almost captured,she remembers only Jon‘s “stick him with the pointy end”.
She makes her way to the crypts so she can go through & home to Winterfell.

Ned still thinks Cersei will flee…
Robert passes on.
The girls are set to leave by ship at midday.
Joffrey seeks to start his coronation immediately, but Ned produces the letter from Robert naming him Protector of the Realm. Cersei tears the letter in half.
Ned proclaims that Joff has no claim to the throne.
The City Watch & Kings guard come to blows, in the carnage Littlefinger holds Ned at knifepoint.

This was really good, & a fitting conclusion (?)
A couple times the characters drove me a bit nuts but mostly made sense from where we left off at the last one. Lots of trauma & sadness, it is a zombie apocalypse after all.
I also feel like 2 books worth of stuff happened. But not the worst thing.

@Laughterhp I took your #lmpbc book to the Witch City @Pogue @bnp

Jon, Sam & others being promoted get their assignments. Jon is upset that he‘s not picked to be a ranger &instead assigned to the stewards. He is picking fights when Sam suggests that Jon is likely getting groomed for leadership. As they head into the godswood to say their vow, Ghost gives them a hand. …literally.

King Robert returns from the hunt gravely injured (by a boar, or treason) & leaves Ned to rule until Joff is of age.

At the end of the chapter Littlefinger tells Ned “you wear you honor like a suit of armor, you think it‘s protecting you but it‘s weighing you down”
There are even more examples of this here, as he declines to tell Robert the truth of Joff‘s paternity & gives up advantage over Cersei dispute Renly‘s protests.

Following the Dothraki custom, horse heart will make her son strong, swift & fearless… if she can eat it all raw & keep it down. Viserys is off buying wine &hiring sellswords. He tried to steal Dany‘s dragon eggs but Ser Jorah stopped him. He returns drunk & carrying a blade which is forbidden, becomes violent & threatening -khal Drogo puts him in his place …& gives the Cart King his crown 👑

Lord Tywin Lannister finds out Ned has sent men after The Mountain. Robert is still hunting. Ned has gotten a clue to break the mystery… from Sansa.
He meets with Cersei in the godswood to confront her. Cersei admits to all without any coaxing, that Jaime is her brother &her lover, that Bran saw them together. That her children are Jaime‘s not Robert‘s. Ned plans to expose her upon Robert‘s return. He encourages Cersei to exile herself.

I wanted to like it, and that‘s why I didn‘t DNF, but nothing happens until 70% of the book. & not in a slow burn/tension building sort of way: I‘m talking confusion that could be resolved in a 5 minute conversation, the glaringly obvious being treated as mysterious, stupid melodramatic side plots. The ending was action packed & rambunctious, but also silly. Can‘t recommend.

Sansa still defends Joff in her mind, saying he‘s not a killer even as she can‘t picture him sparing a magical creature. She still blames Mycah &Arya alone for what happened to Lady. Arya throws an orange at her & ruins her dress. Ned meets with the girls but not about the fight, he wants to send them home. They both don‘t want to go -especially Sansa who wants to marry Joffrey. She speaks of their future son, brave as the wolf &proud as the lion.

We have another whole month with Game of Thrones: set to finish 10/21. As some of us may be doing #Scarathlon2023, have other 👻🎃 plans or in general just need a break, I am planning the start date for Clash of Kings 11/1. So 10/21-31 to catch up. Which means we will finish CoK 1/10/2024.

Thank you to anyone who has joined in on this adventure so far! If anyone wants to be added or dropped from the tag list let me know!

Ned is back to work while King Robert is out hunting. He hears tales from townsfolk that they were attacked by raiders -but not raiders- Lannister men in disguise lead by The Mountain. Ned call for justice against the Mountain & sends men after them. Varys critiques Ned for not sending the young Ser Loras who bested the Mountain at the tourney and Ser Ilyn.

I liked it. Especially Ciri‘s parts. But I have issues with the structure of these books, Main Characters on the sidelines that disappear halfway through the book? Dialogue that has paragraph breaks at inappropriate times so you can‘t tell who is talking? Cliffhangers? Come on.
The action made up for my struggle, & I have the next book so I guess I‘ll survive a cliffhanger ending.

Tyrion & Bronn are plotting the best way out & discuss the boundaries of their alliance. Tyrion says, “if the day ever comes where you are tempted to sell me out, I‘ll match their price,whatever it is. I like living.” When the Mountain clan comes, Tyrion offers them first the spoils from their fight on the way up, & then… the Vale of Arryn.

I know we ❤️ a Jon chapter.

Jon hasn‘t given up hope on Benjen‘s safe return.
Jon & a handful of others are promoted, that means leaving Sam behind. Jon contemplates how his world will shrink after he takes the vow, thinking only to himself that he hasn‘t yet taken it. He goes to Maester Aemon to find a proper job for Sam.

#happypubday !
I‘ve been waiting for this one for a long time!

Cat & Brynden make a plan that he will ride to Winterfell & then to Riverrun
Cat has had it with Lysa.She goes to see her to talk her out of trial by combat,because it won‘t prove anything &will get someone killed.Lysa admits that she doesn‘t suspect Tyrion for killing her husband, but is fine with him dying for the crimes of any Lannister. But in the duel”the Gods proclaim Tyrion innocent” ..but Lysa will send him home down the perilous high road

@BookwormAHN @BeckyWithTheGoodBooks @TEArificbooks @Yuki_Onna @LibrarianRyan @Read-y_Picker @TheQuietQuill @hes7 @TheBookDream

1. My friend called me “5feet of fury” 20 years ago & I always thought it was fun, I use it on most socials.
2. thriller
3. Halloween
4. Yeah
5. USA
6. Crazy cat lady (I have 2 black cats #BlackCatCrew ), I like to cook (but not bake), running, hiking, various art projects.

#Scarathlon

My physical list impossible considering I‘m in 2 #lmpbc groups & hosting #ReadingWesteros so I also have to read those BUT I have to read Christine & Enchanted Hacienda because they don‘t fit on the shelf 😂 3 audiobooks picked & whatever spooky goodies come in forLibby holds. 🐈‍⬛
#Scarathlon Reading List #BlackCatCrew @BeckyWithTheGoodBooks @TEArificbooks @Yuki_Onna @LibrarianRyan @Read-y_Picker @TheQuietQuill @hes7 @TheBookDream @BookwormAHN

Ned‘s been asleep for nearly a week after his injury. He worries for his daughters. Jaime has fled the city. Robert & Cersei come to see Ned. Ned sticks to the story about Catelyn seizing Tyrion under his command. Cersei tries to get under his skin so he spills the real reason he was at the brothel. Robert commands that Ned remain the Hand, & gives him no choice by saying if Ned doesn‘t do it, it will be Jaime.

#scarathlon watch list. I‘m already watching Mr Mercedes, im on season 2 so idk if I‘ll have any left to watch realistically 😂 The Walking Dead didn‘t make it to the collage but I will be picking that up again.
#BlackCatCrew

Not too late to get in on the fun 👻

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdnawYo1IDsBAr2s_LlqzBQlxM8KGwIqDxE1Dm4...

Tyrion, a prisoner at the Eyrie, requests to speak before Lysa & “confess his crimes” but the crimes he confesses to are not the attempted murder of Bran or the murder of Jon Arryn.
He then requests trial by combat. When Lysa does not allow his request to have Jaime as his champion Bronn steps up.

A Paris inspired bat? Why not.
I LOVED this. I have always loved her, always knew she was funny &savvy but I initially wanted to dismiss this when in the first few minutes she name dropped Kim & Britney, & blamed being a party girl on her ADHD.
I would have made a huge mistake, this was so compelling. I was yelling outloud at some of the situations from her formative years. Not as gut wrenching as I‘m Glad My Mom Died. But still… really crazy.

Bran gets his horse & custom saddle.
Robb is dealing with all the bad news as the Lord of Winterfell, Catelyn is in the Vale, Benjen is still missing, Jory is dead & Ned is injured. Robb has difficult decisions to make for the honor of Winterfell.
While Robb roses off to get the wolves, Bran is threatened by a group of wildlings & defectors from the Wall. They take 1 alive, Osha, to interrogate her.

Went to go see the new Hercule Poirot movie today! It was fantastic! My favorite of the 3 so far.

1/2 way in-but I have 2 incredibly strange literary/cinematic comparisons to share

1.Paris‘s bimbo persona reminds me of in Game of Thrones when Tyrion tells Jon basically “what they say about you, make that your armor”. So many times she uses peoples perception to her advantage

2.the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. When you think they‘ve escaped but then the people who were “helping” drag them back to Leatherface. That‘s Paris escaping these “schools”

They reach Vaes Dothrak. Viserys smack talks in a language the Dothraki don‘t speak. V bold 😂 Ser Jorah & Dany discuss if Dothraki might be successful taking the 7 Kingdoms back …if lead by someone stronger.
“The lords of the 7 Kingdoms have the wit the gods gave a goose.” Jorah holds a grudge against Ned
Dany gives her brother a gift, but he threatens her. She strikes back & then snuggles with her dragon eggs, calling her unborn the true dragon.

Old photo from my friend‘s mom‘s lake house since all these rich brats talked about was their lake houses.

There was an extra twist that was fun. But it does not excuse the stupid& preposterous story: Stupidly drunk, horny & impulsive MC. Vapid & erratic side characters. Police & medical professionals that would never behave like this. A few key things left unexplained.

I thought the same for My Summer Darlings, so I‘m done with May Cobb

We start in a brothel, once again Littlefinger tries to get under Ned‘s skin. Ned poses the question of just how my bastards Robert has sired. Littlefinger says many including the ones Cersei killed. On the way to the castle they are confronted by Jaime Lannister & soldiers over Tyrion‘s detainment. Ned takes responsibility for Cat‘s actions. Jaime spares Ned but he orders the soldiers kill Ned‘s men & Ned gets a broken leg in the fight.

anniversary gifts from my smush. A bookish box - we don‘t know what the wooden thing is, a book he liked and wanted to share & a Leslie Knope POP

Officially at the half way mark in this one… it‘s pretty bad actually. The MC is a bad person, is stupid & needs rehab. The woman she is obsessed with (but “not in a 🌈 way, I swear”) is childish & terrible. The side characters are all pretty bad. Age gaps give me the creeps & mid 30s women making out with teen boys… ick. Like teen boys weren‘t even cool when I was a teenager, get a grip ladies.

Cat, Tyrion & what remains of the travelers arrive at Eyrie. She is met by her Uncle Brynden the Blackfish. They plan to camp that night but Lisa insists Cat make the journey to the castle, a perilous journey by mule …while Lysa sleeps. Lysa accuses Cat of bringing danger to her door for bringing Tyrion. We meet @BooksNBowls favorite 😂 Lydia‘s son Robert Arryn Lord of the Vale, who is 6. & we see why Brynden suggested Lysa & son were unbalanced.

How cuuuute is this??
It‘s just some random photo on the internet, but definitely providing some potential inspo

Ned confronts Robert about his plot to kill Dany & the “dragonspawn” in her belly. “Have the years unmanned you so that you tremble at the shadows of an unborn child?” After a heated argument with the king and his advisers, Ned quits & feels it may be best to make a quick exit because of what he‘s just done -& what Catelyn has done. But the mysteries still eat at him.

1 part satire “welcome to Hell; where the beer is always flat, your pen is out of ink & everything is carpeted” which follows a resident of Hell making deal with mortals & the other part is a family drama surrounding a decades old murder.

I was wrong several times on how these perspectives would converge, it was fun, funny & very compelling.

Arya is catching cats. She‘s seen by Mycella & Timmon,but they think she‘s a boy. Calm as still water, slippery as an eel, she flees; while hiding she finds 2 men conspiring to kill this Hand same as the last! She overhears that Ned “has the bastard & the book” She tries to warn Ned but the story gets mushed in her young mind. Ned is dismissive. Yoren comes from the nightwatch, to ask for recruits &brings concerns of what happened at the inn.

Did we really start at Britney‘s wedding & we are on the heels of her divorce right nowwwww

1st unofficial spooky szn read while I am making my stained glass🦇 assembly line (this one is 👻tries to walk a 🦇)

A premise that easily could have been hokey; this book was fun, insightful & action packed. I really enjoyed it! Essentially a zombie apocalypse interrupts the Civil War, BIPOC are sent to combat schools to serve as “attendants” & fight shamblers. Jane is 1 of those students. Trying to help a friend, she uncovers a conspiracy.

After Catelyn calls for his capture, she goes to her sister‘s instead of Winterfell. Worried they will be overtaken by Lannister men, they are riding hard. & they have to fight some mountain folk.
He tries to reason with Cat. Littlefinger says he lost the knife in a bet when Jaime lost to Ser Loras. Tyrion argues that Littlefinger is lying & why would he give the killer his own knife? ..& most importantly, he would never bet against his family.

💭🌎🌍🌏🦄

@IMASLOWREADER @Bklover @EclecticBookLover @tdrosebud @Sargar114 @Roary47 @HeyT @BookwormAHN @BethM @BooksNBowls @majkia @Lizpixie @StayCurious @mjdowens #Eddard Day 30 #ReadingWesteros #GOTChapterADay

A longer than usual chapter, let me know what stood out to you!
some plots coming together, some just winding up ⬇️

It‘s the day of the tourney! Sansa & Jeyne Poole are enthralled by the knights. The Mountain kills someone. Sansa prides herself on her composure. She hasn‘t spoke with Joff since “the awful thing” but she‘s decided to blame the queen & Arya -not Joff. They happily eat snails & drink summerwine until Robert starts arguing with Cersei. Then Joff sends her with the Hound as an escort, he mocks her ruthlessly, trauma dumps, regrets it, threatens her.

Catelyn is on the road back to Winterfell, as of yet she has been undetected even as many travelers pass them on the way to the tourney. They decide to stop at an inn. …which happens to be the same inn Tyrion goes to after his cold reception from Robb. Tyrion immediately blows her cover, & she calls on her allies, mainly of her family the Tullys, to detain Tyrion for the attempted murder of Bran

I liked it, & loved the trilogy as a whole. But this being the last book I have a few issues with. There were some brutal side plots that didn‘t add value to the overall story. But the central plot was good, I did have to look up 1 part that I overlooked on the authors blog, but idk if I spaced out or if it was too intellectual & went right over my head 😂

Upcoming tourney creates problems.
Ned reads the book of lineages Jon Arryn had, tries to retrace his steps. Leading to an armorer‘s apprentice, Gendry, who he takes for a king‘s bastard, his apprentice fee was paid by a mysterious lord

@IMASLOWREADER @Bklover @EclecticBookLover @tdrosebud @Sargar114 @Roary47 @HeyT @BookwormAHN @BethM @BooksNBowls @majkia @Lizpixie @StayCurious @mjdowens #Eddard Day 27 #ReadingWesteros #GOTChapterADay

In a short time, Jon‘s interactions have changed drastically. He has gained respect, stepped up as a leader but done so with compassion. This is on display as Samwell Tarly joins, we get some backstory on the Tarlys. Samwell was disinherited from his father for both land & sword, was told to take the black -or be hunted down. Plump& cowardly Samwell is an easy target but Jon takes measures to ensure he is protected.

Eddard is investigating the death of the former Hand (Catelyn‘s sister‘s husband, Lord Arryn). Ned asks for a book that Lord Arryn requested hoping for a clue. Littlefinger advises that there are many spies to lookout for.

🐺
@IMASLOWREADER @Bklover @EclecticBookLover @tdrosebud @Sargar114 @Roary47 @HeyT @BookwormAHN @BethM @BooksNBowls @majkia @Lizpixie @StayCurious @mjdowens #Eddard Day 25 #ReadingWesteros #GOTChapterADay

Another great addition to the Slaughter shelf 😂
I‘m glad we got to see Sara confront her past, since this event shaped her life & we have been hearing about it since book 1 of Grant County, it‘s shaped her relationships, it‘s why she is where she is doing what she is doing. I wish there was a little recap of Will‘s family, because I had forgotten & it played a big role in a side plot. Loved the ending. Looooved it.