Hello, all!
As you may or may not know, Wars and Politics of Ice and Fire has its own Tumblr page (as well as its own Twitter and Facebook pages). Even more excitingly, we here at the blog have partnered with ASOIAF University to answer questions about A Song of Ice and Fire. We – that is, SomethingLikeaLawyer and I – take the text-based questions submitted to us, write up thoughtful, text-based answers, and publish these answers on the Tumblr.
Usually I try to write something cute in this intro paragraph. But it’s late as I’m writing this. I’m tired. I feel like I wrote “the Explosion of King’s Landing” a hundred times. Brilliant analyses from the Hand, but then would you expect anything else? Guy is insanely smart. His Maekar one made me equal part delighted and sad, and goddamn the man knows his military stuff forward and back. What did I write. I don’t know. Something about poor Tyrek, something about Daemon. Oh! And an essay about House Yronwood; check that out.
Without further ado, here’s The Ravenry for the week of March 14:
- SomethingLikeaLawyer considers the best units to use against the Others
- SomethingLikeaLawyer names whom he might have whispered to Jaqen had he been Arya
- SomethingLikeaLawyer maps a Dothraki invasion of Westeros
- NFriel confirms the likelihood of Melisandre originally being a slave
- SomethingLikeaLawyer chooses which monarch would have done Westeros the msot good
- SomethingLikeaLawyer doubts earlier Braavosi banking involvement in Westeros
- SomethingLikeaLawyer measures Unsullied against Westerosi knights
- SomethingLikeaLawyer believes the independent Kingdom of the North was salvagable
- NFriel plans out how Jaime might kill Cersei
- SomethingLikeaLawyer imagines who might be in power at the end of the books
- NFriel suspsects Bran will not indeed walk again
- SomethingLikeaLawyer briefly notes why Stannis considers Robb a usurper
- NFriel follows up on the Jaime/Cersei killing scenario
- NFriel discusses GRRM’s writing style and narrative revelations
- NFriel predicts what the Faith’s role could be post-kingdom breakup
- NFriel writes alternate paths for Stannis and Renly if either were born a girl
- NFriel guesses how Varys might have turned Tyrek away from his Lannister loyalties
- SomethingLikeaLawyer gives his thoughts on the siege of Mardosh
- SomethingLikeaLawyer lists potential casualties and escapees of the Explosion of King’s Landing
- SomethingLikeaLawyer disagrees that the Brave Companions were formed by Oberyn Martell
- NFriel analyzes why the Faith turned a blind eye to Targaryen incest
- SomethingLikeaLawyer hypothesizes what will happen to Daenerys in the burning of King’s Landing (with a follow-up here)
- SomethingLikeaLawyer points out a fundamental truth about Robb’s negotiations with the Iron Throne
- SomethingLikeaLawyer underlines the real culprit for most succession issues
- SomethingLikeaLawyer crafts a circa-281 AC all-star group of commanders
- SomethingLikeaLawyer emphasizes Stannis’ excellence as a commander
- NFriel outlines the succession to the Hellholt
- NFriel talks about Daemon’s mindset before his last battle
- NFriel envisions most if not all the smallfolk of King’s Landing dying in its explosion
- NFriel reviews a possible connection between the Reach and the Lord of the Rings
- NFriel challenges the idea that Euron is a servant of a greater power
- SomethingLikeaLawyer briefly affirms the Red Wedding’s long term consequences for House Frey
- SomethingLikeaLawyer corroborates Jaime’s wildfire story
- SomethingLikeaLawyer places Stannis over Randyll Tarly in terms of military commanders
- SomethingLikeaLawyer touches on Other defenses against dragonglass
- SomethingLikeaLawyer weighs the geopolitical benefits of the Blackwood-Bracken trade of mills at the end of the War of the Five Kings
- NFriel sees the Velaryons as no less ambitious than the Hightowers if Laena became queen
- NFriel ponders whether Princess Rhaena was content to marry a Hightower
- NFriel examines the crude giant drawn on Ramsay’s letter to Asha
- SomethingLikeaLawyer compares Holy Roman Empire infighting and that in the feudal structure of Westeros
- NFriel picks some familiar words for House Casterly
- NFriel specifies where problems lie even if Rhaenyra ascended with no living siblings
- SomethingLikeaLawyer pits Westerosi generals against real-world analogues
- NFriel rejects the idea of direct dragonseeds still living on Dragonstone
- SomethingLikeaLawyer dismisses Rhaenyra’s being able to take the crown even if warned by Beesbury in advance
- NFriel spells out her scenario for the Explosion of King’s Landing
- SomethingLikeaLawyer settles on a new capital if King’s Landing were destroyed
- NFriel briefly says why Maegor did not simply burn the Starry Sept
- SomethingLikeaLawyer turns to a real-world military analysis
- SomethingLikeaLawyer illustrates the relationship between Maekar and each of his children
As always, we love to hear your text-based questions, so if you have a burning question about ASOIAF, click this link to send us a raven.
Be safe and make good choices,
The Queen Regent (NFriel)
Wars and Politics of Ice and Fire 