The Sword and Laser discussion

1) I'll start easy...who is your favorite Stark?
Aria

2) When did you realize this series was different from other Fantasy series?
Within about an hour of reading

3) Which death was the hardest for you to accept, or most surprising?
Ned's but mainly because it started as though he was the hero and then - bang - it was a bit of a shock. After that it soon became clear no one is safe.

4) Which death did you enjoy or think was the most poetic?
Joffrey

5) Do you add 5 years to everyone's age so that you don't feel like a dirty old man when reading this series (Hint: the answer is yes!)?
No - and not cos i'm pervy - it makes uncomfortable reading and that is how it is

6) Who is your favorite secondary or tertiary character (i.e. the Mountain, Brienne, Ygritte, etc.) and why?
The "hound" - such a tormented soul - this was my most disappointed deaths

7) Which storyline is the least enjoyable / most tedious?
hard this one - i really like them all - but i guess Rob's quest. I think this was more obvious in its outcome than most.

8) Which "the s is going to hit the f" moments do you remember thinking were awesome? I'm talking about Joffrey chopping Joffery's book to pieces, or Brienne sailing with Jaime down the coast.
Aria when she was captured by the mountain's men but they didnt know who she was

8) What's one thing that you'd love to see happen in the next book (death, battle, stylistic change, etc)?
Tyrion hang - not really I love that little guy. I hope brienne is saved. And Cercei hanged.

My favorite scene is the death that I enjoyed the most: the wounding of the Mountain. This huge invincible character taken down by an ancillary character (I didn't expect that at all). Then, for all his service, to be used for medical experiments. Poetic and just.

1) Jon Snow (followed closely by Arya)
2) When Jaime pushed Bran off the tower
3) Nymeria (Sansa's dire wolf)
4) Theon (but is he dead?)
5) Nope - it's a different world based on different mores
6) Tough one there - almost want to say Samwell Tarly - but not sold on it. Otherwise it would be the Onion Knight
7) Cersei - she's such a whiny b***
8) The birth of Danaerys' dragons. Whoa Nelly!
9) I really want Jon to find out the truth about his heritage (or at least what I think is the truth)

1) Arya (Though Eddard was my really my fav but is not the the story long enough to count, I guess).

2) When everything died... twice! :) The story really moved from having a central character to being about a world - almost like a history of sorts. Most epic fantasy can't / doesn't pull that off.

3) Robs... happened so pointlessly, violently, and suddenly. Almost made me quit reading the series.

4) Joff's - I cheered all the way.

5) Not really. :) Never really projected myself into the scenes or thought of myself as an observer... its just what happened.

6) Arya's sword trainer... "Just so" Loved the guy and although I really hated his death, I liked the way he went.

7) Sasha's - Please! Make it stop...

8) Danaery's pushing for the ritual to save her hubby. Knew that was a gonna go awry fast.

9) Can't wait for Arya to find out about "valar morghulis".

1) Who is your favorite Stark? Arya or Jon (even assuming Jon is not Neds [which I do:])

2) When did you realize this series was different from other Fantasy series? When Ned died in the first book. He was so obviously the "good guy" that I expected the Lightning Lord to come pounding in and save him or something. But then...dead...and I figured "if Ned can die, anyone can die!". And indeed they can

3) Which death was the hardest for you to accept, or most surprising? Hard question. Renly maybe? The narrative had seen so little magic by then that it came as a shock to see a man killed by it.

4) Which death did you enjoy or think was the most poetic? Lysa's. Hahahaha. Am I evil? Second place goes to Viserys.

5) Do you add 5 years to everyone's age so that you don't feel like a dirty old man when reading this series (Hint: the answer is yes!)? No. Did anyone say yes above? We're all grody ;)

6) Who is your favorite secondary or tertiary character (i.e. the Mountain, Brienne, Ygritte, etc.) and why? Which ones are the primary ones? I'm a big fan of Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish. Talk about pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. And now he's got himself a quarter of the kingdom AND a Tully girl.

7) Which storyline is the least enjoyable / most tedious? The Ironborn one from book 4. It always annoys me and I can never remember how it comes out and I don't care.

8) Which "the s is going to hit the f" moments do you remember thinking were awesome? I'm talking about Joffrey chopping Joffery's book to pieces, or Brienne sailing with Jaime down the coast. Brienne and Jaime on the river. Something had to happen. Does Jaime remind anyone else of Emilio Estevez from Young Guns?

8) What's one thing that you'd love to see happen in the next book (death, battle, stylistic change, etc)? Dany has to get her army to Dorne so they can start north when the wall falls. That's my prediction.