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Book Discussion: World of Ice and Fire Overview

December 19, 2014 | By History of Westeros

In this episode, we give our first impressions of The World of Ice and Fire. We discuss all of the immediate revelations. The latter half of the episode contains discoveries more related to the ‘current events’ of the series.

Special attention is paid to the Kingdom of Sarnor, other ancient cultures, and the mysterious oily black stone that keeps popping up. There is, of course, a lot of discussion on House Targaryen. We also talk at length about the sections on Dorne. The mystery of Asshai’s children is also debated. Who is Hyrkoon the Hero? What’s the deal with Bonetown? Join us on a journey through the world of ice and fire. It is also a journey back to 2014 now!


On the Isle of Toads can be found an ancient idol. A greasy black stone crudely carved into the semblance of a gigantic toad of malignant aspect, some forty feet high. The people of this isle are believed by some to be descended from those who carved the Toad Stone, for there is an unpleasant fishlike aspect to their faces, and many have webbed hands and feet. If so, they are the sole surviving remnant of this forgotten race.


Such questions abound even to this day. Before the Doom of Valyria, maesters and archmaesters oft traveled to the Freehold in search of answers, but none were ever found. Septon Barth’s claim that the Valyrians came to Westeros because their priests prophesied that the Doom of Man would come out of the land beyond the narrow sea can safely be dismissed as nonsense, as can many of Barth’s queerer beliefs and suppositions.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq4DBiY-ej0

NOOOOO, SALLOSH!

For scholars and students of history, the fall of Sallosh by the Silver Shore was especially tragic. For when that City of Scholars burned, its great library was not spared, and most of the history of the Tall Men and the peoples who had gone before them were lost for all time.


Episode Details

Episode Summary

Dive into our deep-dive discussion of George R.R. Martin’s “The World of Ice and Fire”! We unpack the book’s immediate revelations, from the Targaryen dynasty’s tumultuous history (including Aegon VI and Aerys II) to the enigmatic oily black stone and its connection to ancient cultures like the Rhoynar. We explore the mysteries of Asshai, debate the identity of Hyrkoon the Hero, and delve into the fascinating histories of Dorne and House Blackfyre. This episode is a journey through Westerosi history and beyond, touching on everything from the Doom of Valyria to the Isle of Faces and the chilling tale of Bonetown. We revisit our initial reactions from 2014, revisiting the book with fresh eyes and exploring lingering questions about forgotten races and lost civilizations – a truly epic exploration of the world before “A Song of Ice and Fire.”

Characters

Aegon VI TargaryenAerys II TargaryenBarthBetha BlackwoodBrienne of TarthDuncanIllyrio MopatisJoanna LannisterLyanna StarkMelisandreRhaegar TargaryenSaera TargaryenSerraTodderTyrion LannisterTywin Lannister

Houses

House BlackfyreHouse GreyjoyHouse LannisterHouse StarkHouse Targaryen

Tags

aegon vi targaryenaerys ii targaryenaliandra martellasshaiaudioBarthbetha blackwoodbrienne of tarthdiscussionduncan the tallessosfive fortsh.p. lovecraftHigh Septonhightowerhouse blackfyrehouse greyjoyhouse targaryenhyrkoonillyrio mopatisisle of facesjoanna lannisterking's landinglenglomas longstriderlyanna starkmaegelle targaryenmelisandremuppet tullysoily black stoneothersqueen nymeriarhaegar targaryensaera targaryensarnorseastone chairsepton barthserrasothoryosThe Crownlandsthe doom of valyriathe rhoynarthe westerlandsthe world of ice and fireToddertwoiaftyrion lannistertywin lannisterulthosvalyriavideoviserra targaryenwesterosyeenyi ti

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