the dragon eggs were essentially fossils, they weren't supposed to hatch but it was known that they were real eggs from some time in the past

Ned told Cersei what he knew because he wanted to spare her children. At that time, Robert was still alive and once he heard the news, Ned knew he'd immediately have all of her bastards executed, so he gave them a chance to escape before shit hit the fan. And as to why he didn't join Renly: it would've been treason to support him as king while Stannis still lives. Regardless of how good a ruler Renly thinks he might be, he's still just a younger brother to the rightful heir, and Ned declaring for him would cause unnecessary divisions (and what's worse, could potentially endanger his entire family even further). So I don't think Ned made these decisions carelessly or out of stupidity, but of course as the reader you want to shake him and scream at him. lol I'm also a Sansa defender, I think it's easy to say we would do differently in her place but if you think about it, she is an isolated, sheltered, and manipulated little girl who is trying to survive whilst coming to terms with the fact that reality is so much different from the fairy-tale dreams she's always had. And of course, abuse is still abuse even if you're eating good food and wearing nice dresses. Sure, she's still naive and learning what the world really is, but at the same time I think she doesn't get enough credit for how quickly she's learning to adapt. She's trapped in a viper's nest and is beginning to understand that to survive, she has to perform a delicate balancing act. In fact, her plea that Ned would recant if given the chance proved to be true, and had it not been for Joffrey being such a monster that even Cersei lost control of him, Sansa's intervention would've saved her father's life. I do feel as the books progress she becomes more likeable and understandable. But that's just my 2c of course :) Anyway, really cool to see the viewpoint of a new reader, and glad you like the book so much! Hope you enjoy the rest just as much or more.

the reason why they're so young in the books is because George planned for their to be timeskips in the series however those never got implemented in the end. Great video, glad you enjoyed the book!

As somebody who's halfway through his third read through I have many things I want to say but I'll bite my tongue for now. A few things that might help that were made clear in this book, but you might have missed: The decisions of King Robert and Sandor Clegane (the hound) make more sense if you realize they are drunk most of the time. This goes for some other characters as well, later in the story. Catelyn is largely well meaning but quite narrowminded. Ned is traumatized by the death of Rheagars children at the hands of the Lannister forces, as well as Roberts positive reaction to it. He didn't expect Robert to die and wanted Cercei's children to escape before Robert would kill them. It's not clear that Robert would do that but that was Ned's thinking. The two people Arya heard in the dungeon were probably Varys and Illyrio.

One thing about jon not being told about what the nights watch is really like is because in the north the nights watch is still somewhat a respected position due to its history yes they know that its not what it used to be and they definitely should have told him what he was signing up for but for the high lord's its still seen as an honourable place as they are protecting the realm from whats up north past the wall as the history of it used to be much better. There are 19 castles along the wall and they all used to be manned and kept up with 10s of thousands of people in the nights watch a lot of them willingly signing up but as time has gone on people have stopped believing in a threat from north of the wall, especially the further south you go, so the lords of westeros and the royal family stopped asking people to recruit willingly and instead used it as a place of exile for criminals who didn't want to receive any other punishment, they also stopped sending certain amounts of supplies and such causing a lot of the castles on the wall to go into disrepair. The reason northern lords still see it as somewhat honourable is because they still slightly believe in the threat from beyond the wall but only as myth and not a current threat, plus the northern houses are also the ones that have to deal with the murderous wildings that cross the wall that raid and pillage their lands.

It's always fun to rediscover these books through new readers. Looking forward to your vlog on A Clash of Kings.

I understand what you feel about Caitlin, but is good to remember that bastards are known to kill their kin in this books (maybe a false believe, but it does happen, and people do believe it), in order to legitimize themselves. SO, is not only that Jon represents the infidelity, she sees a direct threat to her sons.

I read all 5 of these books in a few weeks after binging season 1, and the pacing of the POV chapters kept me up well past a reasonable hour every night. A character's chapter would either be super interesting or end on a cliffhanger, and I'd peek ahead to seee how many pages until their next chapter. If I could justify it I'd keep reading but you'd inevitably get another good chapter that resets the goal posts ha!

The people Arya overheard are actually Varys, the master if whisperers and Illyrio Mopatis, the guy that gave Dany the eggs and housed her in Pentos

As a non-native English speaker, I try to read fantasy books in the original English whenever possible. I first read the ASOIAF books during the pandemic, and loved every bit of it. For whatever reason, I especially loved all the parts and characters which have been left out of the TV series. I haven't been able to watch the show ever since, it's just not the same story without the large and complex character cast of the books.

Loved this vlog sm as also just finished reading it and needed to hear someone else's thoughts - pls keep this as an ongoing series!!

Loved your review / reaction! Dany’s dragons came alive because of the blood sacrifice. They were petrified, literally stones. If Daenerys didn’t go into the fire, they wouldn’t hatch. Also there is an interesting detail about the order dragons hatching: one hatches as Drogo “goes” to night lands (This and Rhaego by extension being the First sacrifice for one of the dragons); one hatches right after the mentioning of Mirri Maz Duur (Second sacrifice - second hatching) and one only after Dany herself steps into the pyre - so her sacrificing herself is the final third sacrifice. Or at least this is how I interpreted it :)

I really loved this video:) I was really enjoying the books but ended up getting busy and put them down a long time ago. Now I want to pick them up again hahaha. I’d love to see a video on the second book!

I remember reading the book the first time after watching the first season of GOT. And LOVED it.

feels really refreshing to see someone of a similar age to me reviewing ASOIAF, you should deffo continue this series. Also strongly recommend A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, it’s some of my personal favourite ASOIAF literature and it’s a bit of a lighter read, comprising three short novellas. I believe Martin wrote it around the same time he wrote Clash as well so it kinda fits for where you’re at.

Loved your vlogs with your thoughts while you were reading this book. Please keep doing it for all the other books 😄

It’s great to vicariously watch someone read ASoIaF for the first time! It’s a book that encourages you to really think about it, so I love hearing people’s thoughts on it. Subbed!

also Cat didn't take Tyrion for no reason, she did so because Littlefinger told her it was his (Tyrion's) dagger the Catspaw assassin was armed with

When I watched the series, Daenerys was my favorite character. However, after reading and rereading the books, Jon Snow became my favorite character. His personality in the books is much better. Daenerys was a character that I ended up not liking when I read the books. For many reasons, she is a very important character and the things that happen around her are interesting. About Catelyn and Sansa, I really like these characters and I believe that the perspectives they bring to events are essential, however I am not that person who will defend them for the wrong and bad actions they took. Catelyn was a horrible person to Jon, there's no defense against that. Sansa was stupid and treated her family badly, also without defense. But, they are not bad characters for that reason, and the best thing about liking them is that they are not perfect women, but very gray.

It's not explained if Illyrio knew that the eggs could be hatched or not. My guess is "no".

These books were so captivating in 2005 when I read them that I credit them with having saved my life by keeping me away from the bar and out of trouble. I had to wait until 2012 for ADWD and still waiting for TWOW. I fear ADOS is exactly that… a dream.

I like the full spoilers videos it gives me the same experience of knowing what happens but saves a bunch of time hahaha Also I would love to see videos about the other books

I don't think Illyrio knew the eggs he gave to Daenerys would hatch. He probably just thought it was a fitting gift, and he made so much for his part in selling her to Drogo that he could afford it. Anyone who knew they would hatch likely wouldn't have parted with them. No spoilers, but he has a part to play in the later books. I think Petyr would know that Tyrion had nothing to do with the attempt on Bran's life. You're right that he doesn't work for the Lannisters, he wants to create chaos which he can profit from. Ned told Cersei because he's too honourable for his own good, he wants to spare her children because he thinks Robert will have them (and her) killed when he returns from the hunt. Yeah it was a foolish move to make her aware he'd discovered the same secret Jon Arryn had, and give her time to prepare. I think he doesn't take up Renly's offer for the reason he stated, that he doesn't want to dishonour his friend Robert's memory "by dragging frightened children from their beds", and Stannis is next in line not Renly. It might have been Petyr that said it, I forget, but he says of Ned that he wears his honour like a suit of armour, thinking it'll protect him, but it just slows him down. Ned's just not very good at playing this game. Cersei wanted to send Ned to the Wall, but Joffrey decided to execute him on a whim. It even surprised Varys, who comes running to try and dissuade Joffrey. The first 4 seasons of the TV show follow the books quite closely, but then the show diverges, you'll see. It's my favourite book series, there's so much to it. Looking forward to your commentary on the other books...

I looked up the whole Daenerys receiving the eggs and according to what I've read is that the person who gave them to her didn't know they'd hatch... "You need to go to therapy" 😂 Sansa was SO ANNOYING in the beginning and then she became one of my favorites by the end... Arya is AMAZING

The Actor of Ned (Sean Bean) apparently sat down before every scene he was in and read his chapter of the scene he was about to play!

I think a lot of the hate early sansa gets from the fandom is purely down to her naivete, in a world as cruel as that being naive not only gets you at risk of death but everyone around you this is why people start to like arya because she knows what the world is really like especially later on when she starts experiencing the world first hand, people tend to be more drawn to characters with a better survival instinct because its interesting to see how they deal with certain situations, theyre also more likely to live longer leaving more room for attachment from fans

Small note on Catelyn. I don't think she mistreated Jon because he's a reminder of Ned's infidelity. They didn't marry out of love, but rather duty (even if there's love now). She reviles him because he threatens the status of her and her children. Women in Westeros exist at the mercy of their husband. The fact that he had a bastard is a stark reminder that he could cast her aside. Bastards have also betrayed their houses and staged revolts in the past, which is part of their negative reputation in-universe. "It should've been you" was obviously far too much, but her being wounded not only by Ned sleeping around, but by raising the bastard in the home, is fully rational. Further compounded by his refusal to say anything about the mother. Is she alive and/or also some form of nobility & thus still a threat? Is she dead or some common prostitute, thus not a real threat to her? Ned won't tell🤫

This may come as a surprise but Sansa is actually my favourite asoiaf character ! I will say, I understand people disliking her in the first book, though she develops remarkably throughout the series. I think what I grow to love and appreciate about Sansa is that her empathy and kindness grow despite her trauma. She refuses to turn bitter and cynical (as you shall see) because she is a fundamentally hopeful character ; a projection of romanticism if you will. Sansa is very much a product of her upbringing, this is a pseudo-medieval patriarchal world where girls would be expected to act like Sansa, and being 11 years old, a preteen, she really doesn’t know any better and is only doing her duty . There is a lot of pressure on her to act “adult and responsible” and often it falls on to her to manage Arya, when really it shouldn’t be her responsibility. Septa Mordane was a negative influence on Sansa and Arya and her constant placing of Sansa on a pedestal (so Arya doesn’t ever feel like she could be a “proper lady”) only further causes the sisters to clash. And there is certainly resentment on both sides!) because they are two very different girls. They honestly remind me of me and my sister when we were that age haha. Once you’ve finished the series, I would recommend the happy thought tree’s analysis of Sansa and her arc, he is a child psychologist so he approaches things from a very interesting angle ! Anyway great review and looking forward to your thoughts on the next few books ;p

loved the video you should do one for all 5 of the books ❤

Great vlog!! About the unpredictable seasons, George has confirmed it's magic related. We know that ice magic and fire magic are associated with winter and summer respectively, so one explanation would be that the balance between the levels of each of those types of magic determines the current season. There have been many events of severe imbalance in seasons, and one of the most prominent ones is the Long Night, a winter that lasted a generation, with a full blown White Walker invasion of westeros, and thus a prevalence of ice magic in the world. Also, there are two locations associated with these types of magic: ancient Valyria, that lies in the Lands of the Long Summer; and north of the Wall, also known as the Lands of Always Winter.

I have the same edition and I absolutely love it. The books are so beautiful (compared to standard ones)

I love seeing people coming in blind to these books. Please, please, please don't look for spoilers, can't wait for the rest of the journey. Instant sub!

To your comment about the Summers and Winters in Westeros, it's best not to think about it too much or to apply some actual science to it. Just roll with it. In this world the Summers and Winters are not a standard set of months.

Firstly. I had to subscribe based on how thoughtful and well spoken you are. Great video, looking forward to the rest. Secondly: One thing I noticed in the books is that Catelyn's decisions ALWAYS were the wrong decision that brings then worst case scenario, and you know she did everything with the best intentions. But, if the people she was influencing did what they were planning instead of listening to her advice, they would have been successful. It's kind of interesting looking back, and seeing that, I wonder if anyone else realized this.

Nice review!! Subbed and the bell icon for the next parts! :D I think you had a really great grasp of the story. The dragon eggs hatching was a magical event. You'll find this out more as you read, and it's not really a spoiler, just part of the world, the world is kind of very ordinarily human at the start. No one believes in the Others, so they don't care about the nights watch. Dragons haven't been alive for like 4 generations now, and even the last few dragons were like little runts. The Children of the Forest are extinct. But as time goes on, magic comes back slowly into the world. Dany's dragons, Bran's visions, the wights at the wall, etc. You'll see more and more as you read! And the cool thing is, that whole part of the books isn't explored in the show much, and that parts they did are really watered down, because it works so well reading it, but not so much watching it. I hope you enjoy the next few books! And yes omg Sansa is such a little fool!

I dunno if anybody else has commented this yet but George has said the seasons being different lengths is deliberate and has a reason and once upon a time they were normal lengths but has been very aloof about the details

you sounded great, if i had a vote id say make videos like this for the reat of the books , i was enthralled.

I can't express how happy it makes me that you're loving Jon so much. He is my absolute sweetheart. But the amount of hate his character gets from the fandom is saddening. It largely has a lot to do with the show. Cause they massively fucked everything up. I'm glad that you're loving him like I do.

This is why I loved these books. They are so engaging. I’m rarely so engaged in a story and invested in its characters . George RR Martin is a great writer. 🙌🏾💯

love this!! yes please to a reading vlog of book 2! also! no matter what u do dont watch the last season please!!!!! or if u'll still watch it anyway, treat it as if its not canon!!!!! just take the last season with a grain of salt!!! pretend that it's just a bad fan fiction!!!

The old ways, the Starks participate/d in the ritual of sending 1/10 men to the wall voluntarily. It’s not uncommon for a Stark to Serb the wall, it’s a great honor in all their minds. They live by their duty.

I am trying to listen to this while doing an intense arm and back workout and my reps are suffering because your commentary is making me laugh over and over. 😂

I figured when I started reading like 5 or 4 years ago that surely winds of winter couldn't be to long off and that I was lucky to get into the franchise late. I purposely read the series very slowly and stopped between books. I've now finally picked up a ADWD and am around 350 pages in.......still I think to myself that surely winds should be announced at the very least in a few years but.....I don't know....

I see Ned as a tragic character. He loves his family and wants to do the right thing but neglects to do the expedient thing even at the cost of his own life. Ned puts his honor above everything. He confronts Cersei because he doesn't want the blood of children on his hands. He's hoping to convince her to leave because he knows exactly what Robert will do.

So many answers I want to give....I've been through this complete series of books 5 times, and I notice new hints every time. I read the first 4 books twice in a row for the first time while on a deployment, and the 5th book came out right after I came home in 2012. Been addicted ever since. Won't spoil it though. Once you've gotten all the way through the series, if you're as into it as you seem to be, you should watch some of the youtube theory channels. In Deep Geek, Disputed Lands, History of Westeros, and Joe Magician are my top pics, but there's TONS of really good theory channels.

An entertaining booktuber reading ASOIAF? How can I not subscribe?

2:58, i thought that too, until i got to this quote “you dont understand, sor. My mother died giving me birth, and my father and my brother Rhaegar even before that. I would never have known so much as their names if Viserys had not been there to tell me. He was the only one left. He is all I have." - Daenerys Viserys is dick and deserved to die, but he's a tragic character. lost his whole family at the age of 7 and then spent almost his whole life in the streets running away from Robert's assassins while having to take care of baby sister who didn't understand a thing. dany missing when viserys would tell her bedtime stories about how their lives would get better in the future, it breaks my heart. and after years of hoping, it only got worse. “When Viserys sold their mother's crown, the last joy had gone from him, leaving only rage.” - Daenerys.

Great, can't wait to see your reaction on A Storm of Swords.

People in the fandom use POV chapter counts as where they are in the book. Like Tyrion I or Tyrion IY.

would love to see a review of book 2

I will die on the defending Catelyn hill. ESPECIALLY when you realise Jon’s parentage.

About the dragons hatching. Yes, it's because of blood magic. In defense of Sansa... see Bookborn's video about it. After you finish the series... Looking forward to A clash of kings...

Great vid!

Yooooooo When u start reading Clash of Kings, make sure to keep mind on page 628 Dany’s chapter. It has a really cool easter egg you might wanna talk avout

no spoiler! but you should check the map from "the known world" (this is how they called it, since it's not all mapped yet), cause it's HUGE! and the author said that it's at least four or more times bigger than the earth. since it's a fantasy world, your theory about the two suns might not be wrong, although imo I think the world from a song of ice and fire is flat, and that makes sense with a lot of things: the weather, the sunset sea, essos, sothoryos and some sailors' stories about the edge of the world.

this was a great review

I read this in 2000 and kept thinking wow this would make a great HBO show lol but that will never happen

You should read memory sorrow thorn because it’s a bit lighter than game of thrones and a lot of game of thrones is inspired from it.

Keep reading. Storm of Swords is the greatest fantasy book ever released imo

Catelyn = KAYT-LIN Other than the final season, GoT was such an AMAZING series... I've watched the whole series a few times. Are you watching House of Dragon?? I'm considering reading Fire & Blood Great VLOG!

I look forward to when you get to Feast For Crows

Please come back for the second book...

Love people are getting in to it, i wont spoil it but a hint. 2 suns in the sky would be pretty noticeable

We refer to the chapters as Bran I, Bran II, Tyrion III, Eddard VI, etc Also you can skip the last two seasons of the show. Matter of fact, skip the last four.

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The show and the books practically have nothing in common. The thing about tv writers is they think they can do a better job at telling the story the author wrote.

George has said there is no scientific reason for the season’s being out of whack…

Good 📖

Jon didn't get sent to the wall, he chose to go. Ned didn't want him to go, but he accepted the decision because the Starks treat joining the watch as a mark of honour (obviously Ned's own brother is already a member). Jon could have chosen not to take his vows when he got to the wall, there was no obligation. Also Jon was treated far better than most bastards in the 7 Kingdoms. Ned raised him as part of the family and treated him the same as his other children. Catelyn disliked him and Sansa called him her half brother, but otherwise he's very close to all his siblings.

As you read you're going to find that many of the characters and their personalities are different then what you find in the TV series. Catelyn Stark is much less likable in the books that she is in the TV series. She's impulsive, vengeful, and makes some very poor decisions.

You may consider yourself fortunate not to have seen the last two seasons of the TV series. The writing was already terrible in the 6th and it only kept getting worse. You'll be happier just reading the books and waiting for the next one, which may be coming in your lifetime (lucky young people).

The last two seasons have the worst reputation you should look it up, honestly you shouldn’t even watch them they ruin the entire show