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and what was your reaction when you learned about jonnelsansa and sansa's crush on waymar royce? it was what really confirmed jonsa to me. even more than the ashford tourney.

This was my reaction ⬇️

Although what finally cemented jonsa for me was “no one will marry me for love” and then bamf next chapter is Jon and “you will dance with me anon”

#jonsa #cassia <3 #chapter transitions

Winter rose chain of references in ACOK

The blue flower that grows from a chink in a wall of ice...

48. Dany's ominous HOTU visions include Rhaegar playing the harp, ignoring Elia's suggestion to bond with his son and insisting on "one more", as well as a blue flower growing from a wall of ice filling the air with sweetness.

-> 49. Tyrion deals with some treasons cropping up ahead of battle. (The guy Sansa will be forced to marry - but who is blocked out with her wall of icy courtesy. He is resentful.)

-> 50. Theon at Winterfell contemplates that Sansa would have been "ripe for bedding" a.k.a. "a maiden flowered" by this time, and could have cemented his hold on Winterfell.

-> 51. Jon hears the tale of the Winter Rose and Bael the Bard, the wildling who "plucked" the Stark maiden and left a son in payment. This chapter forms one half of an embrace of the following chapter.

-> 52. Sansa's flowering. She inists "Everyone wants to be loved." Cersei tells her "Love is a poison. A sweet poison but it will kill you all the same."

-> 53. Jon mentions the tale of the Winter Rose again. This chapter forms the second half of the embrace of Sansa's flowering, shielding her from Theon and Tyrion both.

-> 54. Cersei and Tyrion talk about holding Sansa and needing to take good care of her.

-> 55. Catelyn talks about her children, including Sansa, and confronts Jaime, who mocks her over Ned's supposed infidelity and bastard son. Revealed in the next book, she frees him to liberate her daughters from captivity.

-> 56. Theon has a nightmare of the Stark crypts, seeing Lyanna Stark, a "slim, sad girl who wore a crown of pale blue roses and a white gown spattered with gore".

Just, it goes on and on.

If the winter rose was only a symbol for Lyanna and Jon, we wouldn't need the story to present a frame around Sansa's flowering. She wouldn't need to be connected to this imagery at all. Yet GRRM gives us a mirroring image of a girl being "bedded" for Winterfell by an invader, of white gowns stained with red (her ivory dress in AGOT) and a girl spattered with blood (her flowering) and a "bed of blood". Nor would her flowering need to be transitioned into a conversation about love of all things. Sansa's flowering is not just an elaborate hint at Lyanna and R+L=J. It is very plot relevant to her. It's two stories playing out in parallel, in the past and in the present.

One is the tragic story of Bael and Rhaegar stealing winter roses and leaving a son in "payment", and the other is the story of a blue flower growing in a chink in a wall of ice. A story about love. The Hound, Tyrion, Baelish... they all are repelled. This winter rose is embraced by a person who will protect her.

#winter rose #chapter transitions #sansa stark #rlj #anti jonerys #<- just in case #jon snow #symbolism #jonsa

Operation Stumpy Re-Read

A FEAST FOR CROWS

Summary & Foreshadowing Smorgasbord (Part III)

The epic conclusion of the blockbuster trilogy.

AFFC PART III: UNDER THE CUT

Chapter Transitions

JONSA 🐺❤️❄️

#operation stumpy re-read #foreshadowing smorgasbord #affc summary #chapter transitions #jonsa #jon x sansa #sansa stark #jon snow

Considering Chapters and Chapter Transitions

Hey Story Crafters,

This week, I was able to attend ACES Accelerate, a virtual conference for editors. It was an amazing two days full of sessions led by very smart, experienced editors who were kind enough to share their knowledge. There are definitely a few tools I’ve picked up that I’m excited to add to my editing practice. There are also several recordings I plan to check out while they’re available. 😊

One of my favorite sessions, presented by Christina Frey, focused on story mapping. (I’ve taken line editing classes with Christina, so I went into this session prepared to get blown away—I wasn’t disappointed!) Story mapping is basically evaluating how effective a story is on the chapter-level—the individual chapters, and in the context of the overall story. I’ve been using a version of story mapping in my own writing and editing, and when I perform a developmental edit for clients. I’m excited to apply parts of Christina’s even more streamlined method (and color coding!) into my own practice.

Which brings me to the topic I’d like to talk about this week: chapters, and the transitions between them.

In this post, my focus is on the effect chapter transitions have on the overall story—not when a chapter break should happen.

What do I mean by the effect of a chapter transition? One example is the effect of the cliffhanger. When a chapter ends on a cliffhanger, the tension is high—the reader is on the edge of their seat, gripping the book tightly, eager to read the next sentence—and then the tension cuts off as the chapter ends and transitions into a new chapter, which may or may not continue the tension from that cliffhanger ending.

There is a lot of writing advice that discusses the structure and the effect of chapters. A couple of techniques that have stuck with me include:

Chapters can follow the same narrative shape of the 3-act structure.

If a chapter starts on a point of high tension, it should switch to a point of low tension by the end. (This can also apply at the scene-level.)

(I can’t remember where, exactly, I picked up these techniques. I know they’re from webinars, but I can’t remember which ones, or who the speakers were. If I do find out, I’ll revisit this post and add the proper credit.)

Saying that either of these techniques, or any of the other techniques that exist, “should” be the method to follow for how a chapter is structured or for chapter transitions feels too prescriptive for me. Maybe it does to you, too. But I do think it’s important to evaluate how a chapter starts, ends, and transitions, and the effect those factors have on the overall story, and on the reader.

To think of it another way: The effect a story has on the reader is a lot like a rollercoaster ride.

While the initial buildup to the highest point of most rollercoaster tracks reflects the narrative shape of the 3-act structure, the rest of a rollercoaster ride has a similar effect that engaging stories have on readers. There are flat or straight sections on the track (i.e., narrative lulls between points of tension), sudden twists and turns (i.e., plot twists and unexpected developments), fast rises and sudden drops (i.e., points of high and low tension). (Of course, we don’t want the story to end as abruptly as a rollercoaster ride. But that’s a different topic.) By the end of the story—depending on the genre—the reader will, hopefully, be exhilarated and satisfied by the experience of reading your story.

And part of that effect is thanks to strategic chapter transitions. Just like engineers need to consider how a rollercoaster’s design will effect the average amusement park-goer, factors like speed (i.e., pacing), tolerance to abrupt twists, turns, rises, and drops, authors need to consider how chapter transitions affect the reading experience of the overall story.

Let’s take a look at the cliffhanger transition as an example. If a book is full of chapters that almost always ends in a cliffhanger, with the tension continuously rising and falling each chapter, the reader’s experience will be jarring, like a rollercoaster that only rises and falls, and abruptly comes to an end.

But you also don’t want a story that only has rising and falling tension within chapters, or too many chapters in a row that are static (e.g., more backstory than action).

So, what are the storytelling elements that cause this effect of rising and falling tension?

Storytelling elements to increase tension:

Conflict (e.g., an argument, or a battle) or drama (e.g., an emotional struggle the character is working through, either internally or by interacting with another character)

Character goals and motivation (e.g., a character taking action)

Stakes

Storytelling elements to reduce tension:

Backstory

Setting

Character (e.g., reflection, establishing character through familiar or comfortable interactions with other characters)

For example, there might be a chapter that ends on an argument between two characters. That argument can pick up again at the beginning of the next chapter (high tension), or the new chapter can open by setting the scene (low tension) where one of the characters reflects on the argument from the previous chapter (depending on the character’s personality, this could be a point of low or middle tension).

If you want to take this exercise a step further, you can consider the effect of transitions between scenes, and their effect within a chapter.

This exercise is one to try out once you’ve reached the editing stage for your manuscript. You could think about chapter transitions and their effect on the reader while you’re writing, but you may run the risk of spreading your attention too thin—and, worst of all, losing your motivation to write. Finish writing your manuscript first, and then try evaluating the chapters and chapter transitions.

I won’t tell you how you should or shouldn’t transition between chapters. During a developmental edit, I present possible chapter transitions for consideration, and I may advise one type over another. But the final decision is yours.

To write a story that’s engaging for readers, chapter structure and the transitions between chapters are important factors to keep in mind.

Until next time!

Best,

Leah

Substack Post: https://thecraftyfoxwriterscorner.substack.com/p/considering-chapters-and-chapter

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#Writers #Writing #Editing #Chapters #Chapter Transitions #Storytelling #Writing Advice #Editing Advice #Considering Chapters and Chapter Transitions

Dany III in ADWD again transitions to Jon& Tyrion

This book is not subtle about the holy trinity, starting with a Tyrion-Dany-Jon chapters & then a Jonerys transition with major foreshadowing. What’s funny is that Dany as a Queen is getting terrible advise from Xaro this chapter, who are trying to convince her that apparently, “For some men to be great, others must be enslaved.” On the other hand Jon & Tyrion are stuck with pretender Kings... Jon is literally laying out a plan for conquering North to Stannis who just does’t have a grip over reality & is also too busy digging Jon’s grave and Tyrion is travelling with fake Aegon & just drowned while saving him from a greyscale afflicted stone man.

DANY

So Dany’s chapter starts with a pretty saucy party... Xaro, the guy from Qarth brought dancers to Meereen to entertain Dany (the one who betrayed her & was locked in his vault on the show but he’s still alive in the books). It’s a dirty nude dance/fire show/sex show performance & Dany’s wearing her famous Qartheen dress - a deep off shoulder with an exposed boob. In Dany’s words, “This was the first time she had seen lust put to music.” It honestly puts the nudity on the show to shame!

Dany wants to establish trade with Qarth but all Xaro is interested in, is convincing Dany that slavery isn’t so bad & Slaver’s Bay has nothing to offer other than slaves. For all the arguments I have heard on Dany destroying Meereen’s economy from book readers..here’s the thing...that hellhole had no resources to offer or industry other than slave trade. So that is Dany’s challenge, to rebuild economy from scratch. Here’s a gist of their economy & how it fits into Essos

Dothraki sack every city or village which emerges in the Dothraki sea, take back a statue as a token to decorate Vaes Dothrak & sell the prisoners of war to Slaver’s Bay.

Slavers’s Bay trains them as Unsullied, pleasure slaves, dancers, gladiators, teachers, skilled labour, etc

Slaver’s Bay sells them to the rest of the cities in Essos, even the ones where slavery is officially banned.

The only other thing they had worth buying was olives, but the slavers burnt olive trees when Dany came for the siege & the trees takes several years to grow & become productive. Though she does talk about the city farming for food now that there is dire need but I doubt they’ll produce enough beans to trade. Anyway, as someone with experience in finance, specifically bankruptcies, I’ll be taking a good look at this economic disaster & maybe I’ll write a meta on it.

While reading this chapter it became clear why some readers put so much more importance on the economy of Slaver’s Bay & are so blind to slavery that it makes every show only fan & decent person uncomfortable. Dany is surrounded by slavers who constantly remind her that she’s bad for business & George articulates their pro-slavery pretty well. Here is an example of Xaro’s mansplaining slavery...

Do you know how Unsullied are made and trained?” “Cruelly, I have no doubt. When a smith makes a sword, he thrusts the blade into the fire, beats on it with a hammer, then plunges it into iced water to temper the steel. If you would savor the sweet taste of the fruit, you must water the tree.” “This tree has been watered with blood.” “How else, to grow a soldier? Your Radiance enjoyed my dancers. Would it surprise you to know that they are slaves, bred and trained in Yunkai? They have been dancing since they were old enough to walk. How else to achieve such perfection?” He took a swallow of his wine. “They are expert in all the erotic arts as well. I had thought to make Your Grace a gift of them.” “By all means.” Dany was unsurprised. “I shall free them.” That made him wince. “And what would they do with freedom? As well give a fish a suit of mail. They were made to dance.” “Made by who? Their masters? Perhaps your dancers would sooner build or bake or farm. Have you asked them?” “Perhaps your elephants would sooner be nightingales. Instead of sweet song, Meereen’s nights would be filled with thunderous trumpetings, and your trees would shatter beneath the weight of great grey birds.” Xaro sighed. “Daenerys, my delight, beneath that sweet young breast beats a tender heart … but take counsel from an older, wiser head. Things are not always as they seem. Much that may seem evil can be good. Consider rain.” “Rain?” Does he take me for a fool, or just a child? “We curse the rain when it falls upon our heads, yet without it we should starve. The world needs rain … and slaves. You make a face, but it is true. Consider Qarth. In art, music, magic, trade, all that makes us more than beasts, Qarth sits above the rest of mankind as you sit at the summit of this pyramid … but below, in place of bricks, the magnificence that is the Queen of Cities rests upon the backs of slaves. Ask yourself, if all men must grub in the dirt for food, how shall any man lift his eyes to contemplate the stars? If each of us must break his back to build a hovel, who shall raise the temples to glorify the gods? For some men to be great, others must be enslaved.” He was too eloquent for her. Dany had no answer for him, only the raw feeling in her belly. “Slavery is not the same as rain,” she insisted. “I have been rained on and I have been sold. It is not the same. No man wants to be owned.”

The conflict builds with Xaro starting out by slowly build an atmosphere of fear under the guise of worry for her safety, escalating to thinly veiled death threats & finally delivers news of a war brewing

Yunkai has hired several sellsword companies & is preparing to fight her (The show made it clear that Yunkai was behind sons of Harpy too but that’s still a mystery in the books right now)

The guy who declared himself King of Astapor attacked Yunkai against Dany’s advise & is now trying to rope her into his fight, which she refuses to join at the end of the chapter.

Xaro offers her 13 ships as a gift from Qarth to save herself & leave for Westeros

But here’s the thing about Xaro & Dany, the last time they negotiated, he was trying to use her desperation for ships to convince her to sell him a dragon in exchange for 30 ships but Dany gives him a good lesson in economics that one of the only three dragons in the world should be priced closer to the cost of 1/3 the ships of the world rather than 30 (demand & supply). This time she’s able to see through his act of using fear of war & lack of resources other than slaves for trade. So she bids him goodbye, decides to stay in Meereen & the next day finds a bloody glove he left behind. (“A bloody glove… means war,” said the queen.)

There’s a beautiful quote from her conversation with Xaro, though she doesn’t say what it is that frightens her...

“Is that meant to frighten me? I lived in fear for fourteen years, my lord. I woke afraid each morning and went to sleep afraid each night … but my fears were burned away the day I came forth from the fire. Only one thing frightens me now.”

There was this cute Dany x Drogon moment when she’s alone on the roof : “Drogon,” she whispered softly, “where are you?”

There was this epic line, another foreshadowing for the dragons being Lightbringer : “When your dragons were small they were a wonder. Grown, they are death and devastation, a flaming sword above the world.”

Before having a conflict over her staying in Meereen & Xaro threatening to kill her, he gifts her a giant map of Essos from before the Doom of Valyria. After he leaves... “Dany seated herself upon her bench again to gaze across the blue silk sea, toward distant Westeros. One day, she promised herself.” They find Xaro’s declaration of war & it transitions to Jon’s chapter.

JON

In the spirit of my boys being stuck with the pretender Kings instead of Dany, my favourite quote this chapter was Stannis’s : “Your father’s bannermen seem to have no liking for my cause in any case. I must assume they see me as … what was it that you called me, Lord Snow? Another doomed pretender?” Hahaha... you go, Jon!

Jon’s chapter might not have a similarly glamorous beginning but just as she’s worried about food supplies, trade & trying to get the city to grow more food, Jon too is going through their inventory to inspect the food & was told that if they keep feeding Stannis’s men & Wildlings, they’ll run out of food by the end of the year. Two interesting parallels here:

1. The deadline for food supplies - end of year. When Xaro offered Dany ships & her council was brainstorming how long it would take them to reach Westeros if they decide to leave, even their estimate was year end

2.Remember how olives were the only thing Xaro were interested in buying but Dany didn’t have olives?

“I would gladly take as many olives as you cared to sell me. Olive oil as well.” “I have none to offer. The slavers burned the trees.” Olives had been grown along the shores of Slaver’s Bay for centuries; but the Meereenese had put their ancient groves to the torch as Dany’s host advanced on them, leaving her to cross a blackened wasteland. “We are replanting, but it takes seven years before an olive tree begins to bear, and thirty years before it can truly be called productive.

Well Jon totally has olives in his store rooms (”clay jars packed with olives in oil and sealed with wax”) and it might not mean anything but it made me smile because it reminded me of Marshall & Lily’s olive theory on ‘How I met your mother.’ He has olives, she doesn’t :)

He decides to cut everyone’s food by 25% and wonders if they could buy more food, which leads to yet another sad childhood memory...

We could, thought Jon, if we had the gold, and someone willing to sell us food. Both of those were lacking. Our best hope may be the Eyrie. The Vale of Arryn was famously fertile and had gone untouched during the fighting. Jon wondered how Lady Catelyn’s sister would feel about feeding Ned Stark’s bastard. As a boy, he often felt as if the lady grudged him every bite.

So up until now Jon has these major conflicts with the Watch :

Stannis let the Wildlings through the Wall, the ones he captured after the battle on the Wall after they bent the knee, it wasn’t Jon’s decision in the books, he’s just dealing with the backlash.

Stannis is demanding Night’s Watch’s lands to settle Wildlings & the Wall’s castles for his defences.

The Stewards & Builders want Jon to seal the tunnels & not even send men out for hunting. The Rangers feel like it’ll cripple them.

Jon has sent all of his close friends away.

Which brings us to the main conflict this chapter, Stannis summoning him to join his council meeting. Paralleling Dany, just as she doesn’t trust Xaro & constantly tries to understand his true motivations, Jon too distrusts Melisandre.

Stannis has no understanding of Northern politics, dynamics of the Houses & his advisers just go with ‘kill these tree worshippers’ approach. Jon reminds himself, “The Night’s Watch takes no part, Jon thought, but another voice within him said, Words are not swords.” But he still ends up explaining Northern politics to them & how to best go about with the conquest.

Stannis plans to attack the Dreadfort, seat of House Bolton, and again Jon tells him which routes to take, which alliances he’ll need, strengths of the castle & why he would still fail to take it.

Stannis demands weapons for the Wildlings who are going to march with him & this time Jon finally realises that Stannis is walking all over him. “He means to plunder our armory, Jon realized. Food and clothing, land and castles, now weapons. He draws me in deeper every day. Words might not be swords, but swords were swords.”

At last he tries to make him understand the beef between Northerners & Wildling and why people won’t get behind him if he marches with Wildlings but Stannis just begins chastising him for refusing to be face of his conquest.

“You could bring the north to me. Your father’s bannermen would rally to the son of Eddard Stark. Even Lord Too-Fat-to-Sit-a-Horse. White Harbor would give me a ready source of supply and a secure base to which I could retreat at need. It is not too late to amend your folly, Snow. Take a knee and swear that bastard sword to me, and rise as Jon Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North.”

How many times will he make me say it? “My sword is sworn to the Night’s Watch.” (The real reason for his refusal)

Jon’s first Kingly act

After realising that his words are falling upon deaf years, Jon offers to tell him where he could find 2-3k men if he left the Wildlings behind. An important point to note, at this point Jon only knows that Theon & Ironmen attacked North & Winterfell and the Boltons defeated them afterwards.

Jon realized that his words were wasted. Stannis would take the Dreadfort or die in the attempt. The Night’s Watch takes no part, a voice said, but another replied, Stannis fights for the realm, the ironmen for thralls and plunder. “Your Grace, I know where you might find more men. Give me the wildlings, and I will gladly tell you where and how.”

This might be hands down my favourite Jon moment in ADWD so far, like he literally schooled Stannis on how to King. There’s also bit of a parallel with Jon telling Stannis “The map is not the land” with Dany staring at the giant map of Essos from back when Valyria existed and staring in the corner, wondering that one day she’ll go home.

“You’ll find them here.” Jon spread his burned hand across the map, west of the kingsroad and south of the Gift. “Those mountains?” Stannis grew suspicious. “I see no castles marked there. No roads, no towns, no villages.” “The map is not the land, my father often said. Men have lived in the high valleys and mountain meadows for thousands of years, ruled by their clan chiefs. Petty lords, you would call them, though they do not use such titles amongst themselves. Clan champions fight with huge two-handed greatswords, while the common men sling stones and batter one another with staffs of mountain ash. A quarrelsome folk, it must be said. When they are not fighting one another, they tend their herds, fish the Bay of Ice, and breed the hardiest mounts you’ll ever ride.” “And they will fight for me, you believe?” “If you ask them.” “Why should I beg for what is owed me?” “Ask, I said, not beg.” Jon pulled back his hand. “It is no good sending messages. Your Grace will need to go to them yourself. Eat their bread and salt, drink their ale, listen to their pipers, praise the beauty of their daughters and the courage of their sons, and you’ll have their swords. The clans have not seen a king since Torrhen Stark bent his knee. Your coming does them honor. Command them to fight for you, and they will look at one another and say, ‘Who is this man? He is no king of mine.’ ”

This seriously made me wish that it was Dany he was sharing his insights of the land with instead of wasting it on Stannis. Damn Targaryens & their natural skills for conquest. LOL... Ugh get to this map asap you two crazy kids!

Jon ends his pitch by convincing him to attack Deepwood Motte instead of Dreadfort(Seat of House Bolton) because only place held by Ironmen when the Boltons have allegedly defeated Ironmen at Winterfell & are marching South to take Moat Cailin from them as well. I have doubts that Jon did it out of personal reasons (anti Greyjoy & needing Stannis’s Wildlings) but he convinces Stannis that in order to take the North he has to appear just as Anti Ironmen & Wildlings as the Boltons because of the history of the land. Also because it would be much easier to take. Stannis agrees because, “If I can smash the ironmen as well, the north will know it has a king again.”

Jon’s chapter comes a good full bitter sweet circle with, “And I will have a thousand wildlings, thought Jon, and no way to feed even half that number.” I would parallel it with Dany but even though she got 13 ships, declaration of war on all fronts despite her efforts to establish peace & trade, makes it a bit more sad. Though Tyrion’s ending is a complete tragedy later. Btw Stannis is leaving Melissandre behind at the Wall & Jon is not very happy about it, though my interests are piqued.

TYRION

As for Tyrion, his journey through Essos is way more interesting than on the show. After his drunk road trip from Pentos with Varys’s friend, he has a fun little cruise down river Rhoynar, to Volantis, with a pretty awesome squad of :

Fake Aegon - Right now he seems like Rhaegar’s elder son who somehow survived. He’s posing as a sellswords’s son, Young Griff.

Jon Connington - Griff, posing as the sellsword/Aegon’s dad. He was briefly Hand to King Aerys & he’s Rhaegar’s gay best friend who was totally in love with him.

A sexy Septa, who strips & jumps from deck to go skinny dipping in the river every morning. Tyrion has the weirdest flirty dynamic with her.

A Half Maester - Skills but no chain who is teaching Tyrion a chess like game with dragons.

Few more minor characters & giant turtles swimming along but it’s so much better than Jorah & his pointless trip with Tyrion to Valyria for no reason. Also these guys don’t know he’s Tyrion, they call him...Yollo. Tyrion is having a ball making up his backstory, apparently he always wanted to travel to Essos, which he had only read about, but Tywin didn’t let him and since they are heading to meet Dany my boy is...writing a book on everything he remembers reading about Dragons! There’s good stuff, like Tyrion getting to see a giant turtle as big as their boat assumed to be the river’s god & the ruins of Nymeria’s palace, the warrior princess who brought Rhoynish people to Dorne from Essos in her 10,000 ships.

But when they sail a bit more south, they pass a patch covered in thick fog, a place where stone men afflicted with greyscale live & there’s a tiny parallel with Jon. Scared of the fog, Tyrion thinks, “This fog is not natural,” and it’s really not that much but in the previous chapter when Jon is inspecting their inventory & he’s lead into a room which is cut into the Wall to store meat, Jon too notes his unnatural surroundings, “the room felt colder than it should.” But much like Jon, Tyrion too ends up being sassy smartass with his pretender King as well.

“The blue hair makes your eyes seem blue, that’s good. And the tale of how you color it in honor of your dead Tyroshi mother was so touching it almost made me cry. Still, a curious man might wonder why some sellsword’s whelp would need a soiled septa to instruct him in the Faith, or a chainless maester to tutor him in history and tongues. And a clever man might question why your father would engage a hedge knight to train you in arms instead of simply sending you off to apprentice with one of the free companies. It is almost as if someone wanted to keep you hidden whilst still preparing you for … what? Now, there’s a puzzlement, but I’m sure that in time it will come to me. I must admit, you have noble features for a dead boy.” The boy flushed. “I am not dead.” “How not? My lord father wrapped your corpse in a crimson cloak and laid you down beside your sister at the foot of the Iron Throne, his gift to the new king. Those who had the stomach to lift the cloak said that half your head was gone.” The lad backed off a step, confused. “Your—?” “—father, aye. Tywin of House Lannister. Perhaps you may have heard of him.”

Tyrion’s conflict & plot mystery is a bit more literal with the thick fog & stone men attacking their boat and just like Dany has war brewing all around her & Stannis is slowly digging Jon’s grave, Tyrion’s troubles are a bit more urgent...in an attempt to protect Aegon, Tyrion ends up is drowning in the river. His last thought broke my heart a little though...

There are worse ways to die than drowning. And if truth be told, he had perished long ago, back in King’s Landing. It was only his revenant who remained, the small vengeful ghost who throttled Shae and put a crossbow bolt through the great Lord Tywin’s bowels. No man would mourn the thing that he’d become. I’ll haunt the Seven Kingdoms, he thought, sinking deeper. They would not love me living, so let them dread me dead.