2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss A Dance with Dragons, the fifth book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin.


Pages: 1125 pages


Length: 1 Month (February)


Participants: Trisha, Ruthie .


Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!


Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

I got this from the library so I'll start either today or tomorrow

I already have my copy, will start in a day or two.

I'm 12% in and so far, the book has been slow. Primarily because this book takes place in parallel with the last one we read, so we already what's happening and some of the information seems repeated.
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Only two observations:

1. Jon Snow, through his warging abilities, knows that Bran, Rickon and Arya's direwolves are alive and he wonders if that means some part of his siblings could be living in the wolves. It doesn't add anything to our knowledge-base but makes for an interesting comparison with the tv series, in which Jon kept saying throughout that all his siblings except Sansa were dead.

2. In Tyrion's POV chapter, we get to know through Ilyrio (what was the spelling?) that Viserys tried to rape Daenerys before her wedding night - I don't remember that from the tv series, although I do remember Viserys doing obscene actions when around her but not the rape thing.
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I'm finally starting lol I was addicted to Salem's Lot so I finished that first. Except now I only have 9 more days with the library audiobook so I'll have to listen about 8 hrs a day lol

I'm sure you'll fly through this book like you did with the other GOT audiobooks.

I'm 24% in. Thoughts: (view spoiler)[

Finally, we are introduced to Aegon Targaryen, firstborn son of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Princess Elia Martell, who was confirmed being killed by the Mountain. Why was this skipped from the TV series? It would have been interesting to see who among the surviving Targaryen's had the best claim to the Iron throne.

This is the only new development so far! (hide spoiler)]

Aw thanks! I hope so. I'm about 15% in. I did notice the Jon part was a repeat but the rest seems new

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Yes I do like the addition of Jon Snow wondering about his siblings

I know, I don't remember that either but I do remember those creepy scenes with him "wanting" her or it seemed like he did and now we know for sure. I'm glad Illyrio put guards at her door

I also wrote down that I liked in the show that Jorah was the one taking Tyrion to Dany but now Illryio and other people we don't know are taking him to her (hide spoiler)]

Ruthie wrote: "Aw thanks! I hope so. I'm about 15% in. I did notice the Jon part was a repeat but the rest seems new..."

Response to your last point: (view spoiler)[

Even in the tv series, Tyrion is first taken to Illryio where he stays for a few days and is then made to journey to Volantis where he is abducted by Jorah. Since the tv show cut Aegon Targaryen completely off the script, Varys accompanies Tyrion instead of Griff and company who are summoned by Illryio in the book. Rest of it remains the same. Also, the stone men scene involved Tyrion and Griff in the book, instead of Tyrion and Jorah, so there is a chance that Jorah might not suffer from greyscale like in the tv show. (hide spoiler)]

I’m 39% in. Thoughts: (view spoiler)[

Although I already knew about the twists in the book since I looked up all the theories while watching the tv series, I’m enjoying them now that they are actually taking place.

Love how it’s not Sansa married to Ramsay, and is instead her friend Jeyne Poole who is playing the role of Arya on Cersei/Tywin’s command. I’m curious to know how this would develop.

The scene involving Davos and Wyman Manderly, was quite good. Again, this never happened in the show. The chapter ends in a cliffhanger so I’m dying to know where Manderly has asked Davos to go to search for one of the Stark boys.

Asha has her own chapter now! She has been forcibly married on Euron’s order, but has managed to escape. Stannis moving to Deepwood Motte and taking her captive is an interesting twist; this has changed Stannis’ course of events. Does that mean he’ll die differently in the books? Doesn’t look like he is dying in this one. (hide spoiler)]

Based on your notes
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I kinda liked that the show had Jorah with greyscale it upped the stakes and that moment when Dany tells him to go find a cure was touching too

Yes I'm curious about How they Jeyne Poole marrying Ramsay will effect future books

I agree about the chapter with Davos and Manderly as well

Yes I liked the focus on Asha as well and I wonder how that will affect the future books too. Now we just have to wait for him to write them (hide spoiler)]

30% Dany

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I'm still looking for signs that match the end of Dany as we know it in the show and I noticed she refers to herself as a monster when talking about Dario (hide spoiler)]

50% Dany

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But then in this section we see that she is acting basically like a mother teresa to her people and washing them, feeding them, talking to them and holding their hands

I really don't see this Dany turning into the Dany we saw in the show. Out of nowhere she doesn't care about people when she always has before?? Hoping GRRM changes her storyline in the books (hide spoiler)]

Melisandre 43%

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It was so cool that she also had powers to change how people looked, they should have shown this in the show. wanting to see how her saving the Lord of Bones will effect future plot points. She's trying to get on Jon's good side talking to him about rescuing arya (hide spoiler)]

80% Jon

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noticing clues about bran watching like the crow saying Jon Snow and earlier with Theon when he thought he saw Bran's face in the tree (hide spoiler)]

Ruthie, (view spoiler)[

I agree, that glamor part with Melisandre was so cooool!!!! The show only hints at it when they showed her transformation to a crone after she took off her ruby necklace. I'm also wondering now that the tv show has shown at least 2 seasons worth of content of what could possibly happen after this fifth book, how would that impact Martin's writing? Would he intentionally change his plans - say not resurrect Jon Snow, or skip the Frey killings? He obviously can't duplicate the content that has already been shown, although he was involved in its production.

I was also trying to note down clues concerning Bran's skills and the ones you mentioned are all that I noticed too.

Agree with your notes wrt Dany - she is not her father. She definitely has a temper but it is justified in her situation. She is kind and motherly, very different from the Dany of the last season of the tv show. There are still 2 books so Martin can transform her character entirely, unlike the show which did everything in the last few episodes making it difficult to believe.

What happened to Jamie? We know Brienne was killed by Lady Stoneheart in the last book, so this resurrected, or undead Brienne lured Jamie into Lady Stoneheart's trap to get him killed. Is that so? Is he dead? I like him so much! His character has had such a transformation from the first book. (hide spoiler)]

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Yes I know, I wish they showed that part with Melisandre.

I am wondering if he will change his plans, maybe that's why he's taking so long? I mean how often to authors get to crowd source their ideas? lol maybe he told the show crew an idea of a direction he was thinking about but now he will change it. Hopefully he does change it, esp with Dany. I hope he still resurrects Jon tho

ya I see that he could make Dany into the person we saw but I hope he decides not to. We already have ruthless Cersei, we need a good queen.

I don't know! I hope Jamie isn't dead, maybe just lured to be a part of her crew? (hide spoiler)]