Perusing the internet today, it was hard to miss the strong reactions to one of the most brutal moments in the Game of Thrones story. The thing of it is, I can’t really blame the viewers. It was just as shocking to read. I remember reading the scene twice because after the first time I felt like I’d misread it. Having verified it, I went back and read it a third time.
The thing was, reading the story I think Martin gives readers a sense that not everything will work out for Robb Stark. Really, in the books, the only thing he does well is win on the battlefield. Everything else he jumbles. There was even some foreshadowing in the dream sequence of Daenerys’ during her visit with the warlock.
Still, the scene is a jolt to the system. A testament to Martin’s storytelling capabilities I daresay.
For those that happen by here, I’ll say they shouldn’t abandon all hope yet. The story isn’t really about the Starks, and Martin starts running out of good guys for bad things to happen to. And bad things continue to happen, so who does that leave?