Author: George R. R. Martin
Published Year: 2000
Type: Fantasy
<aside> <img src="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/01a5f38c-0e71-4994-8772-b580b5ec8753/6e7d9522-07d0-46a2-b062-d6f1fe034d0a/Dagger_in_Storm.png" alt="https://prod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/01a5f38c-0e71-4994-8772-b580b5ec8753/6e7d9522-07d0-46a2-b062-d6f1fe034d0a/Dagger_in_Storm.png" width="40px" /> Some people hurt others just because they can. —— Jojen Reed, Chapter 24
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Like Season 4 of Game of Thrones, A Storm of Swords, Book 4 of A Song of Ice and Fire, is fantastic. The storyline in this book covers three weddings — Tyrion Lannister & Sansa Stark, Edmure Tully & Roslin Frey, and Joffrey Baratheon & Margaery Tyrell — and the end of War of the Five Kings (Lannister won it). A lot of supporting characters showed up in this book and impressed me.
Olenna Redwyne, the old mother of Mace Tyrell (Lord of Highgarden), is one of my favorite characters in the whole series. She is known as the Queen of Thorns for her sharp tongue. In Chapter 6, Martin (the author) cost countless words to describe this outstanding female player in the game of thrones.
Sansa: “Your grandmother?” Loras: “Lady Olenna. She is to sup with you as well.” Sansa: “Oh. The Queen of Thorns, she’s called. Isn’t that right?” Loras laughed, “It is. You’d best not use that name in her presence, though, or you’re like to get pricked.” Sansa reddened. Any fool would have realized that no woman would be happy about being called “the Queen of Thorns.” —— Sansa Stark, accompanied by Loras Tyrell, went to Margaery Tyrell and Lady Olenna’s supper.
It is easy to mount a lion and not so easy to get off, I warned my son, but he only chuckles. Should you ever have a son, Sansa, beat him frequently so he learns to mind you. I only had the one boy and I hardly beat him at all, so now he pays more heed to Butterbumps than he does to me. A lion is not a lap cat, I told him, and he gives me a ‘tut-tut Mother.’ There is entirely too much tut-tutting in this realm, if you ask me. All these kings would do a deal better if they would put down their swords and listen to their mothers. —— Olenna Redwyne commented on her son’s stupid political strategy.
The old woman [Lady Olenna] called to Butterbumps: “Fool! Give us a song. A long one, I should think. ‘The Bear and the Maiden Fair’ will do nicely.” …… Lady Olenna squirmed forward, “Even when I was a girl younger than you, it was well known that in the Red Keep the very walls have ears. Well, they will be the better for a song, and meanwhile we girls shall speak freely.” “But,” Sansa said, “Varys... he knows, he always...” “Sing louder!” the Queen of Thorns shouted at Butterbumps. “These old ears are almost deaf, you know. I don’t pay you for whispers. Sing!” …… She patted Sansa on the back of the hand, “Now, child, the truth. What sort of man this Joffrey, who calls himself Baratheon but looks so very Lannister?” …… Sansa felt as though her heart had lodged in her throat. The Queen of Thorns was so close she could smell the old woman’s sour breath. Her gaunt thin fingers were pinching her wrist. To her other side, Margaery was listening as well. A shiver went through her. “A monster,” she whispered, so tremulously she could scarcely hear her own voice. “Joffrey is a monster. …” Lady Olenna Tyrell and her granddaughter exchanged a look. “Ah,” said the old woman, “that’s a pity.” —— Lady Olenna wished to learn from Sansa the truth of what King Joffrey is. Sansa feared that Varys’ spiders were listening, so Lady Olenna commanded Butterbumps (a jester) to sing at the top of his voice.
Petyr Baelish, also called Littlefinger, had ever served as master of coin on the small council of King Robert and then King Joffrey. He played a teaching role in Sansa Stark’s life, and would like to give many instructions on how to play in the game of thrones.
Petyr: “Always keep your foes confused. If they are never certain who you are or what you want, they cannot know what you are like to do next. Sometimes the best way to baffle them is to make moves that have no purpose, or even seem to work against you. Remember that, Sansa, when you come to play the game.” Sansa: “What... what game?” Petyr: “The only game. The game of thrones.” —— Chapter 61
Everyone wants something, Alayne. And when you know what a man wants you know who he is, and how to move him. —— Chapter 68
Near the end of this book, Littlefinger killed his newly-wed wife (Lysa Tully), for Sansa and also for himself.
Littlefinger let Lysa sob against his chest for a moment, then put his hands on her arms and kissed her lightly. “My sweet silly jealous wife,” he said, chuckling. “I’ve only loved one woman, I promise you.” Lysa smiled tremulously. “Only one? Oh, Petyr, do you swear it? Only one?” “Only Cat.” He gave her a short, sharp shove. Lysa stumbled backward, her feet slipping on the wet marble. And then she was gone. She never screamed. For the longest time there was no sound but the wind. —— Chapter 80
Loras Tyrell is the youngest son of Mace Tyrell (Lord of Highgarden). Despite no explicit writing on his sexual orientation, many readers (including me) believe that he was a gay lover of Renly Baratheon. After the death of Renly, he joined the Kingsguard.
Tyrion: “Why would anyone choose to join the Kingsguard at seventeen?” Loras: “Prince Aemon the Dragonknight took his vows at seventeen, and your brother Jaime was younger still.” Tyrion: “I know their reasons. What are yours? To guard the king’s life, you surrender your own. You give up your lands and titles, give up hope of marriage, children...” Loras: “House Tyrell continues through my brothers. It is not necessary for a third son to wed, to breed.” Tyrion: “Not necessary, but what of love?” Loras: “When the sun has set, no candle can replace it.” Tyrion: “Is that from a song?” Loras: “Do you mock me?” Tyrion: “No. If I’ve given offence, forgive me. I had my own love once, and we had a song as well.” —— A chat between Tyrion Lannister and Loras Tyrell in the Red Keep (Chapter 12)
