#imo is the only way myrcella is surviving the series

[sansadaynes]

me making this even tho i'm certain 3/5 are probably gonna die and the only way 2 of the 3 are surviving is if they're brutally maimed/disfigured

ASOIAF AU: After the chaos of the War of Five Kings and the onslaught of the Army of the Dead wrought havoc across the Seven Kingdoms, five queens of some of the Great Houses of Westeros came together to forge peace across the continent; Asha Greyjoy of the Iron Islands, Shireen Baratheon of Dragonstone, Sansa Stark of the North, Arianne Martell of Dorne, and Myrcella Baratheon of King’s Landing. The Seven Kingdoms separated into the sovereign states they were prior to Aegon’s conquest.

[ginmo]

Hi Ginmo, I apologize if you've already answered this but I need your opinion. Do you think GRRM wrote Cersei badly? A lot of Cersei stans say that Cersei was originally conceived as a smart, cunning and intelligent woman who became messed up due to patriarchy and childhood trauma. But then we got the backstory with the Valonqar and Melara, and how she was evil all along. Cersei stans think that that was a bad move because it makes her a less interesting character and makes her one-dimensional. They also seem jealous of Jaime and say it's sexist that Jaime (the man) is given redeeming moments while Cersei (the woman) isn't. I would agree with their logic if Cersei were the only female character but she's not?? Brienne, Arianne, Arya, Sansa and Catelyn also exist. Is it sexist that Dany is written as the better Targaryen sibling while Viserys was fucked up and killed off in the first book? Is it sexist that Joffrey was evil but Myrcella is the kind and smart girl? Is it sexist that Galladon drowned and doesn't have a personality, while Brienne (the woman) is the sibling who lived and has a story? Is it sexist that Euron Greyjoy isn't Euridyce Greyjoy? Sometimes I wonder if Cersei stans are aware that she's not the only character in the books.

I’ve noticed this opinion in the JB fandom as well, so it isn’t only a Cersei stan thing. 

I respect the opinions of those who do find issue with it, and I think it’s open to debate for sure, but IMO no, I don’t think it’s sexist that he wrote Cersei the way he did, because of the reasons you listed and also... women can be narcissists, abusers, selfish, sociopaths, etc. Women aren’t immune to possessing traits that are typically applied to and explored through men. If she were the only woman and it was framed as See Power Makes Women Go Crazy, then sure. And if he has only Dany and Cersei going Mad at the end of the day Because Power while the men are trying to step in to chill them out, then there’s a problem there. But from what we’ve been given, I don’t see it that way. I don’t even see Cersei surviving Winds, so I’m not anticipating a Battle Between Two Mad Women. I see shades of grey, some worse than others, mixed in with men who are also shades of grey. As you mentioned, we have other female characters, some in pursuit of power and others who aren’t, that are various shades of grey. But we’ll see. As of now, I don’t have a problem with how he’s written Cersei. 

Tbh I find it more questionable to have her only sympathetic qualities be through A Mother’s Love For Her Children, which is a popular trope applied to women that the show pushed, as if babies tame her and without them she goes crazy. Not all mothers have an innate, selfless love for their children. Just like not all fathers do. 

She’ll never be redeemed in the eyes of some. She’s a character who’s very protective of her children. You can argue, well, does she genuinely love her children, or does she just love them because they’re her children? There’s certainly a great level of narcissism in Cersei. She has an almost sociopathic view of the world and civilization. [x] 

Unlike the show, he’s intentionally writing in narcissistic and sociopathic tendencies in relation to love and the world around her, which is what makes this female character interesting and different. Some will look past those traits and question if she genuinely loves them, others won’t. Personally, the narcissist read is where I lean, because I haven’t seen any evidence of genuine love throughout the series, and I love the psychology of it. What caused this? How long has she been this way? And considering Jaime isn’t like Cersei, it makes me wonder wtf happened and feel sympathy for her in that way. Many female characters were born into that world, some with similar experiences, and each of those female characters are coming out of it differently. 

Her character is still complex, but in a psychologically complicated way that’s very human and realistic, not a cartoonish, flat depiction. 

[lifeofnickripley]

Game of Thrones: Fav characters and characters I dislike

(Long post) Kay so, today is the premiere of the final season, guess I'll do my top Ten favorite characters(it is pretty much my favorite show of all time). Show only since I have yet to read the books. If you wonder my opinion on any character not mentioned I either forgot to mention them or I didn't think they really earned a spot on the lists. Yes I do censor things in this a bit buuut I want my web comic to have a wider audience so yea, deal with it. (SPOILER WARNING, at this point, if ur not caught up tho, you have only yourself to blame) Liked Honorable mentions: - Melisandre - before I found out bout the necklace, I had the HUGEST crush on her. She's evil, yes, but she adds a sense of wonder and magic to the show, so I still like her character (other than that necklace scene obviously). Plus Jon wouldn't be back if it weren't for her so haters gonna hate. - Bronn- if he doesn't get his damn castle...lol I doubt I need to say why this wise cracking sword for hire is a favorite, I think most people love him. - Yara Greyjoy - Badass pirate/Viking chick on the high seas? Hell yeah! Plus I love Greyjoy armor, I don't doubt Euron will probably kill her though. - Oberyn Martell - Awesome character, the Red Viper was fierce with a spear and even moreso with his attitude. Unfortunately his pride wound up being his undoing in the end, arguably one of the most effective deaths in the series. - Tormund Giantsbane - How can you not love this absolute bro? I don't even like Brienne and I ship them. Geniune badass. - Jorah Mormont - Lord of the Friend zone, his loyalty makes him one of my favs, not top ten tier though - Petyr Baelish: The events of Game of Thrones wouldn't have happened without this slimy bastard. He was smart and cunning (which made him fun to watch) and though his death was cool, the build up was kind of weak (weird Sansa/Arya storyline) Favorite characters: 10.) Ned Stark - Everyone's original favorite character, his death cemented that GOT wasn't f*ckin around. I mean, damn, still a brutal death scene to watch to this day. Props to Sean Bean for making his so awesome. He was honorable to a fault in a dishonorable world. 9.) Ramsey Bolton - Kay, so I might get some flack for this one, but he was a great bad guy. I mean he was legit terrifying and despicable! Made the Battle of the Bastards have an entirely different level of intensity than most of the battle scenes. Dude was an absolute monster, but unlike another widely disliked villain, this psycho got his own hands dirty instead of beckoning others to. His death scene was poetic but I kinda wanted it to be gorier. (I'm an edgelord though) 8.)Jon Snow - Awesome character, obviously I dig him, so why so low on the list? Honestly, there's characters I like more. But he's still really cool, definitely has the best fight scenes of any of the characters. WE BETTER SEE GHOST THIS SEASON THOUGH!! Lol things are gonna be hella awkward when he finds out Dany is his aunt, yet we still root for them as a couple...that's wincest for you hurr hurr hurr hurr (sorry) I could see him living in the end cus tbh killing him again would be repetitive BS. 7.)Tywin Lannister - Kay...so he died on the sh*tter (imo probably the worst place to die) AND he was an absolute d*ck to Tyrion...but dude, he was awesome. He literally has a song about him in the world of GOT that is used as a warning to others to not f*ck with him!! He took a house that was laughed at and turned it into one of the most feared houses in all of Westeros. That is pretty frickin cool. 6.) Cersei Lannister - Another one I'll get flack for but whatever lol She's cool! So what she shags her brother and is an awful human being? She's a badass! Did you SEE how she blew up all of her enemies in the court and solidified her queen status in one fell swoop? That was dope!! She's vile but very entertaining to watch. RIP the Tyrells. Probably gonna get choked out though by her brother like Maggie the frog predicted. (By my second favorite character no less) 5.) Daenerys Targaryen - Dany! One of my cats is named after her! I love this character. The dragons are amazing, she's cute, she's powerful, maybe a little insane cus of Targaryen madness, and she's overcome some amazing odds. Her storylines could be a little meh in the grand scheme of things but Emilia Clarke's portrayal has made a character that we really root for. I suspect she'll die personally by the Night King buuuuut we'll see. 4.)Tyrion Lannister -Tyrion's writing has gone down a bit in recent seasons but still, most people's favorite Lannister. His quick wit and resilience make him a solidified favorite. Still seems like the person you'd most wanna drink with. I'd be pretty damn surprised if he bit the dust. 3.) Arya Stark - My other cat is named after her and there's a good reason why, SHE'S BASICALLY BECOME A FREAKING FACE STEALING NINJA!!! She was always likeable and I think I've enjoyed almost every storyline she's been a part of (excluding her main one last season) Maisie Williams is a great actress and I hope to see more of her in the future. I doubt Arya will die, but based on that one trailer, things do seem rather bleak for her. Who knows...maybe GRRM wants a divorce... 2.) Jaime Lannister - Yes. This dude is my favorite Lannister. In case you couldn't tell, Lannister is my favorite house. He's really had the best redemption arc in the series. He went from a character I disliked to my second favorite. I predict he will be the one to kill his sister, what happens to him after that, idk. It'll be awkward when he meets Bran again though... 1.) The Hound (Sandor Clegane) - CLEGANEBOWL BETTER HAPPEN!! Kay so... admittedly I screamed like a little freaking girl when this character came back. He... HE'S JUST SO FREAKING COOL!! Admittedly being a 6 footer and a rather grumpy individual, I probably relate to him more than I'd like to admit. Probably will die, but as long as he fights his brother, I'll be a very happy edgelord. Characters I dislike: 10.) Sansa Stark - Kay so I just...I dislike her, I never liked her. I feel sorry for her, sure. She's gotten better over time, sure. I still see her as very entitled and kinda whiny/bratty. She'll probably die. If not I won't be disappointed, still though, not a fan of Sansa. It was cool how she killed Ramsey, tho again, do wish the scene was gorier. 9.) Robb Stark - Ned Stark 2.0 but way less cool. Nuff said. I was okay with his death in the Red Wedding. Shouldn't have made a promise you weren't gonna commit to. Even if Walder Frey is a d*ck. 8.) Catelyn Stark - She was just such a jerk to Jon Snow and Tyrion, seriously. Even moreso in the books from what I have read of them. She got on my nerves. Honestly, I don't feel like Lady Stoneheart would've added much in terms of storyline. 7.) Brienne of Tarth: I find her annoying. Sure, her fight with the hound was FREAKING COOL, but she's kinda too self righteous for her own good. Duty is her thing and all but she is really not good at holding up to her vows. Still ship her and Tormund though. 6.) Theon Greyjoy - hated this dude, then felt sorry for him, now I roll my eyes at him. Honestly, Greyjoys other than Yara are pretty meh characters. Good for him finally regaining figurative cajones. Doubt he'll save his sister though, or survive the White Walkers for that matter. 5.) Euron Greyjoy - this one is a shame cus I hear the book character is amazing. Feels like a pretty generic bad guy of the week type for a show with outstanding villains. Funny like here or there, but kinda a weak character overall. Theon will probably kill him, though I'd love to see a twist where he kills Theon. 4.) Walder Frey - Old dude that got what was coming to him, props to the guy who plays Filch, portrayed two characters who were absolutely despicable. I doubt I really have to list the ways this cowardly character was despicable. Awesome death scene though. Winter came for House Frey. 3.) Shae - Grrrr. The actual actress I feel very sorry for cus I've heard her story, but man this character. Dumb but smart enough to screw over Tyrion. For personal reasons, I really hate this character, reminds me of people I've known. 2.) Tommen and Myrcella Baratheon - Most. Useless. Lannisters. Ever. I'm a Lannister fan so you could see why I roll my eyes so hard with these two. Tommen rolled over so hard you might as well have called him a wheel. And Myrcella was just kinda there, admittedly sad to watch her death scene though (pretty much moreso because it was the only time Jaime was really able to connect with his daughter) 1.) Joffrey Baratheon - Everyone probably saw this coming. Joffrey is that kid on the playground that'd hit you, you'd hit back, they'd start crying and get you in trouble. Everybody knew that kid, I think that's why everyone hates this character so. But man, his death scene was soooo satisfying. Props to the Jack Gleason for making him so horrible. There ya have it. My opinions on GOT characters. Freaking excited for tonight's premiere!! WINTER IS HERE!!

[lilbreck]

AGoT Chapter 9 - 13

If you want to follow along, I'm tagging my ASoIaF reading as tonya rereads asoiaf. While I may read more than five chapters a night, I’ll only have five per post. I wonder how many posts I’ll have per day?

Chapter 9: Tyrion I

Age 25

You know, given the opening of Tyrion’s chapter, I can see why people would want to like him. He starts off by slapping the spoiled and bratty prince. So far, he’s the only likable one out of the whole Southern group.

Also, Tommen is a little angel who deserves far better than the family he was born into. Yes, I’m biased to those who aren’t assholes to Starks, what of it? Also, Myrcella is also an angel. Did Cersei have nothing to do with raising them? Was she too busy spoiling and pampering her eldest?

“Oh, yes,” Tyrion admitted. “I hope the boy does wake. I would be most interested to hear what he might have to say.”

His brother’s smile curdled like sour milk. “Tyrion, my sweet brother,” he said darkly, “there are times when you give me cause to wonder whose side you are on.”

Tyrion’s mouth was full of bread and fish. He took a swallow of strong black beer to wash it all down, and grinned up wolfishly at Jaime. “Why, Jaime, my sweet brother,” he said, “you wound me. You know how much I love my family.”

Given how he noticed the way Jaime and Cersei were acting, it’s obvious Tyrion knows they had something to do with Bran’s fall. Of course, Tyrion is loyal to his family, regardless of how his father and sister regard him.

Chapter 10: Jon II

Catelyn is very brittle and nasty in her grief. Though, I do like how we get a glimpse of her guilt. It’s hard to forgive her for this scene, but as a mother, I can understand how grief and guilt in that situation, and faced with the boy you’ve seen as a threat to your children, might cause you to act like that.

Okay, it says a lot about Jon that he would lie and tell Robb that his mother had been very kind. It also makes me side-eye Robb that he so easily bought it. I still want to know, do they normally go around calling each other by their surnames, or is this a special occasion thing?

“Different roads sometimes lead to the same castle. Who knows?”

Fuck you, this hurts. I wonder what it means that the only people we didn’t see a goodbye scene with from his POV were Sansa and Ned.

Okay, these goodbyes hurt.

Chapter 11: Daenerys II

Okay, a billion people have probably noticed this, but Daenerys’ dream:

Yet that night she dreamt of one. Viserys was hitting her, hurting her. She was naked, clumsy with fear. She ran from him, but her body seemed thick and ungainly. He struck her again. She stumbled and fell. “You woke the dragon,” he screamed as he kicked her. “You woke the dragon, you woke the dragon.” Her thighs were slick with blood. She closed her eyes and whimpered. As if in answer, there was a hideous ripping sound and the crackling of some great fire. When she looked again, Viserys was gone, great columns of flame rose all around, and in the midst of them was the dragon. It turned its great head slowly. When its molten eyes found hers, she woke, shaking and covered with a fine sheen of sweat. She had never been so afraid …

This, in a way, mirrors the way she ends up becoming the Mother of Dragons. And, given how afraid she is of her brother and how seems to be taking on some of his worst traits in later books, it could be that she’s afraid of what she’ll become. Of course, that could just be all coincidence.

This whole wedding just hurts. It’s beyond brutal, and poor Dany is left up there all alone. Though, I do like that, for a moment during the wedding, while she was on the horse, she was happy and felt… free, maybe? Of course, her brother had to fucking ruin it.

Um, is anyone else questioning why he seems to know the word “no” so well? It doesn’t say anything good to me. Though, the way the scene went, it could easily be interpreted that he was… checking in with her or something of that nature, making sure she knew she had a say. Now, I won’t find out until I read further, but I seem to remember that he doesn’t give her a choice later one. So… it gets very confusing that he’s all gentle and sweet this first time, but then it turns brutal and nasty later on. I’ll comment when and if that happens.

Chapter 12: Eddard II

Okay, am I the only one shocked that Robert wakes before noon? Okay, so Ned didn’t exile Jorah, Jorah fucking ran. Ned doesn’t like slavers, spies, and Lannisters. Though, given what we hear about Tywin presenting the bodies of Rhaegar’s wife and children to Robert, I think we can all understand.

Now that we’ve read Ned’s version of the aftermath of the sacking of King’s Landing, I’m ready to hear Jaime’s. I think that, of all the Lannisters, Jaime is the one he least has to worry about when it comes to wanting power.

Chapter 13: Tyrion II

I wonder if others find Ghost’s silence unsettling, or if it’s just Tyrion. I’m sure if they do, we’ll find out about it.

No doubt the boy had made the mistake of thinking that the Night’s Watch was made up of men like his uncle. If so, Yoren and his companions were a rude awakening. Tyrion felt sorry for the boy. He had chosen a hard life … or perhaps he should say that a hard life had been chosen for him.

You know, we hear a lot from certain fans how Sansa is so naive and doesn’t understand the world, but this right here shows that she’s not the only one. For all that Jon has been raised as a bastard, he’s had a privileged and sheltered life. All of the Stark children have, and that’s part of what leads to their early downfall, IMO. I lay the blame for this on Ned and Catelyn. They raised their children in a time of peace as if war and reality would never intrude. This whole series is about reality making itself painfully known to the Starks and not all of them survive it.

I know it’s Tyrion’s chapter, but I seem to be focusing a lot on the Starks. Though, honestly, does Tyrion not get why the Starks can’t stand his family? Does he not know what people think of them?

Reading the description of dragon bones and… I don’t remember the ones on the show being black. I know, I shouldn’t expect them to get every detail right, but still! I’m assuming that, since Dany’s dragons got so big, they were not from the lines that her family bred to minuscule size and then extinction.

It was the only time that Vhaghar, Meraxes, and Balerion were all unleashed at once. The singers called it the Field of Fire.

Near four thousand men had burned that day, among them King Mern of the Reach. King Loren had escaped, and lived long enough to surrender, pledge his fealty to the Targaryens, and beget a son, for which Tyrion was duly grateful.

I wonder how many Drogon killed on the show and if we’ll get a scene much like that in the book.

My sister married the new king and my repulsive nephew will be king after him.

Nobody likes Joffrey except his mother. And maybe Jaimie, though I don’t know if we really find out. We do find out that Tyrion really doesn’t like his sister or his father (for good reason). He assumes that Jon feels the same way. IIRC, Jon uses this kind of assumption about him to his advantage with Mance. We’ll see how good my memory is.

I like how they had Ghost come out of nowhere to attack Tyrion when Jon was feeling angry. And, let’s be honest, Tyrion was poking at Jon, trying to get a rise out of him, and Jon did react to it. I think that Jon making Tyrion ask politely for help was more of him poking back then straight up humiliating Tyrion. Of course, that could be wrong, but since we don’t have Jon’s POV in this, I can only assume.

I do like how we are shown that Jon is quick to adapt to changes in his reality.