[Tom Bombadil]

@Arabesque

Great post and very interesting to read. I lol-ed at the "word is wind" part, and I can't put words better than this remark:

A lot of stuff had happened, for sure, but I can't say that a lot of it was important or really advanced the plot from the end of Feast by much.

About your remark on Tyrion

Spoiler for HEAVY SPOILER:

As Gorool already remarked, Tyrion's plot had too much twist for twist's sake. First he has to fight the stone-skins and almost drowned, then he lives through a storm where their ship is wretched, then he narrowly escaped the fate of being eaten by lions, then he actually managed to get free from the slavers, that's not counting other narrow escapes he had in previous books. What can we say, he must have nine lifes.

I think those chapters need editing, I'd go without chapter 6 at all, and all his walk with the bear from the brothel to the hotel is boring as hell, too. Martin painted a vivid cityscape, no doubt, but when it goes on and on it become dreary. I have no idea what's with the red priests on the ship, as they did nothing except to become fishfood.

But overall, it is still good, I think. Before reading the book someone in another forum remarked that Tyrion is a character who desired to be loved but found none. Those words came back to me with such power when reading the development of his relationship with Penny that I actually shed some tears. Most touching scene in the whole book, I believe.

About the Dornish prince and the ironborn chapters

Spoiler for spoiler:

Most pointless chapters in the book, right? I think Martin just want to have someone to release the dragons for the plot so he has to give him a chapter just in case people say this guy come out of nowhere. In fact, I like the way Martin did with the dragons, if Dany simply feeds the dragon and prepares some oversized saddles so one day she climb on it and take to the sky, that will be boring. But if the frog is going to be burned crisp, why should we care how he bought a ship ticket, who he met on the road, and what he eat, etc.
I skipped most of his chapters. I am amazed that some Chinese fan is translating his PoV chapters.

Ironborn chapter? I have this vague impression that someone is leading a fleet to find the dragon queen. That's all I need to know. If he turned out to be import in the next book (which I highly doubt), I'll come back and read his chapter.

As for Asha's chapter, the first of her chapter is pointless. But I don't have any complain about the chapters after she is captured, because they describe the state of Stanis's army quite nicely. That remind of me the first chapter of Davos.

Spoiler for Davos:

So the pirates forsake stanis and Davos has to get to White Harbor on his own. Some how that become a chapter.

Talking about Arya

Spoiler for Arya:

How did she killed the insurer. At first I thought that seeing the assasin's coin (like the one arya used to by her passage) gave the old man an heart attack. But that's not a very reliable method. Someone mentioned that since the old man took a bite of every coin he received, Arya can simply coat a coin with poison. That's sounds more likely. The priest actually toss the coin arya gained into the pool, which we know that it's filled with poisoned water. I don't remember whether there were other coins in the pool or not. Could Arya took one from the pool if there were?

About Griff

Spoiler for Young Griff:

I think something bad might come to the young Griff when they attack Storm End. But if he die, all his chapters become pointless, too.

About Rikon

Spoiler for Rikon:

I expect the fat lord will introduce him any moment in Davos's chapters. But Martin put a spin on that, too. Any speculation where he might be?

On Jon,

Spoiler for Jon:

I am puzzled by his decision to ride south. What can he achieve to go south? And what a cliff hanger Martin made! We are going to have Jon on four legs soon, and that won't work as a character (for one chapter, maybe). We all know that he won't stay dead for long. So how is Martin going to resurrect him? Using Melissandre or using the Others?

About Jaime's chapter,

Spoiler for Jaime:

I found it strange that Brienne mentioned the hound. My memory is fuzzy about previous books, but how did people know that the hound took Arya?