George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire Series *spoilers*

[KatesMom]

Yeah that's one of my questions, what happens to Tyrion? He is the heir to Casterly Rock, with Jamie being in the Kingsguard. He could also arguably rule Winterfell, being married to Sansa (although I think that marriage will end - I think her future is intertwined with The Hound in some way). The smarter money is on Rickon eventually being the Lord of Winterfell. And Arya is being trained to be an assassin - so she has a major role to play in the end too. Who is she being trained to kill? My money's on Cersei, but that just seems too easy and one thing GRRM isn't, is easy to foresee! So what happens to Jamie and Brienne? And where do Stannis and Theon play into everything? Oh, so many questions! Only two books to go - they are gonna be good ones!

[CCL]

I can't have Arya or Tyrion die. I would also prefer that Bran, Sansa and Jon stay alive. And Dany even though she annoyed me no end in the last book.
I think Sansa's marriage could be annulled/deemed invalid as it wasn't consummated.

[KatesMom]

One thing I will give to GRRM - we are 2/3 of the way through the series (assuming 7 books total) and I'm not sure anyone really has a good idea of where this thing is going to end up. There are so many stories going in so many directions. I think when he killed Ned in Book 1, he pretty much made clear to all that no one is safe and anything can happen! I love the speculation but I also love that none of us really knows where this is going or who will end up on top (or on the Iron Throne)!

[CCL]

Indeed. Or if there will even be an iron throne.

[KatesMom]

Ahhh, touche' CCL!!!

[WrigleyDogA2]

Please not Jon and Dany! I love him and cannot stand her!

I honestly have no clue where any of this is going. As someone said, there are so many story lines going that I can barely keep them straight.

[PWS]

I'll certainly not remember them all when the next book comes out....half the time when I'm reading this thread I'm not sure who is being talked about, and I only read them this last fall.... Not sure I can face reading all the 1000's of pages again... I need a Cliff Notes version!

[KatesMom]

I actually just started re-reading them. Finished the first one (and then got dragged into Fifty Shades of Grey). It is so different reading it the second time, now that I know who everyone is and how it ends up, at least so far. There is a lot of symbolism in the first book that I completely missed. The biggest one being the direwolf dead by a stag at the very beginning of the book. Holy crap - talk about foreshadowing! I also saw when Ned thinks back on Lyanna multiple times, there is always reference to a blue rose (which is what Rhaegar gave Lyanna at that tournament). I seem to remember there being reference to a blue rose multiple times through the later books - in particular, doesn't Dany see a blue rose at the House of the Undying?

One thing that came up for me last night watching the season finale of the TV show - does everyone pretty much assume that Coldhands is Benjen Stark? I do, and I know I have seen others say it too, but as I am relatively new to this whole thing, I didn't know if that was settled among fans or if it is just speculation.

[Critical]

That's what I thought too - the discussion is somewhere upthread, I think.

I think it was CCL who pointed out that, in book 5, one of the children of the forest says that Coldhands has been around for a long time. Since Benjen had only been gone (and potentially dead) for a few years, and the children of the forest have been alive for hundreds of years, it doesn't seem possible that it's Benjen.

I think we will likely find out what happened to Benjen eventually. He's been mentioned too many times for us to never find out...I hope!

[cantstopwatchin]

Reading them a second time brings a whole new depth to the books, I think. I remember when I got to the House of the Undying, I did a palm-to-forehead, realizing all the foreshadowing he gave us w/o us knowing it was so. That's why I read Dance with Dragons so slowly - I assumed everything was foreshadowing and I didn't want to miss anything.

I think Jon's destiny lies at the Wall and I think he'll keep his command of the Night's Watch b/c Stannis and Melisandre will force it to be so. That said, I think he's Azor Ahai and will unite the 7 Kingdoms with his claim through Rhaegar and Lyanna and will also carry Lightbringer and he'll lead the defense against the Others. I've always assumed he was the "Ice" to Dany's "Fire".

I still need to figure out where Bran fits into it all...will his gifts wake the old gods so they can help in the final battle? Or will he warg his way into a dragon?