sunandsilks replied to your post:
Something about that comment didn’t sit right with me, you put it very nicely into words. Also I think it’s worth looking at Arianne as a POV character - how ineffective and unaware she is, even though as a princess she ought to have some capability.
I hadn't thought of this, but this is a good point.
Also, IIRC, GRRM talks about how he was more interested in the stories of the people history sidelined, which is why he gives us Cat's POV instead of Robb's, that he's basically telling the stories of the disenfranchised.
But I think his recent comments have negated some of that. There's also the fact that most of the story is about the aristocracy. The smallfolk often just feel like part of the scenery to me, with a few exceptions like Penny. I think the stories of his female characters are very good, especially in comparison to many other fantasy stories, but I still think there's something lacking. I don't think we can fully make a call until the whole series is complete, but GRRM is ultimately an old dude who is living very comfortably now because of the success of ASOIAF and Game of Thrones.
