I just finished Dance with Dragons, and I've been left fretting over the fate of Jon Snow.

For those who've read the book, do you think he's dead? I'm thinking yes, but that he come back as semi-good (much as Coldhands did, who's got to be Uncle Benjen right?).

I think you've got it pegged, Gina...

From the minute Coldhands appeared I had the eerie feeling that he was Benjen "re-animated" and yeah... poor Jon... I do think he's dead, but I also think he's likely to be back much like Benjen (if not more "powerful")... less White Walker and more Other, perhaps?

Could be. Although the Other that Sam killed sounded more unearthly, as if it was definitely non-human.

If only he'd married Val ...

Note to self: don't read spoiler threads.

Sorry!

I hereby retract my earlier statements... Jon is not dead... Neither is Ned or Robb or Benjen, for that matter... They're all on a spaceship orbiting Jupiter, playing plinko with Elvis, James Dean, and Marilyn Monroe.

Book 7 will "Newhart" the whole series, in fact... Ned (I mean Boromir) wakes up in Gondor, reaches over, nudges his wife and says; "Honey, you won't believe the dream I just had!" *winks*

I always thought Boromir was gay. Just saying...

...mayhaps Ned wakes up with Boromir, then? *winkwinknudgenudge* Eh? Eh?

That would be weird! Although I fancy Ned would be on top.

I don't generally enjoy books that have a "chosen one", a single hero who is the only one that can and will save the world. But I think Martin is almost going too far with his "murderous rage" in his attempt to keep a fantasy novel series as realistic as possible.

Of course having said that I must immediately apologize for writing the above against my better judgement. I have not read all the books and don't know the reasons behind all those deaths. It was just my immediate reaction to the spoiler, which I like Olan, should never have read.

...that the end of the series is probably going to be a barren, ruined landscape scattered with bones, myself, you know?

There is no "chosen one" and everybody dies in the end. *nods*

Except for maybe the kitchen staff of the various castles... meal descriptions do get a lot of page space as compared to battles and such, after all... *winks*

I think Daeneyrs/Dany is the one character Martin seems to really love. Plus she's the centre of oodles of prophecies and has survived umpteen near death experiences. It may be foolish of me, but I think she'll survive (or survive long enough to die in the epilogue of the last book).

I had really decicided that Jon was going to be the hope for the North, considering that Robb had made arrangements to legitimize him and set him up as heir to House Stark prior to the Red Wedding.

I was expecting conflict from the various oaths and duties (quite obviously, the Black being a huge issue), but was thinking that these would be minor in the fact of all the terrible crap to come... to me, the threat from beyond the wall feels like it will make the war for the throne look like a squabble among children.

If Jon truly is dead... what then? I agree that Danaerys has to be a major player; if she dies, that whole branch of the story dies... but darn it, I WANT a Stark!

Both of Ned and Catalyn Stark's daughters are still alive, although the Arya situation is a little complicated... (I don't want to ruin the story any more...)

I am aware of the path Arya has taken; I don't see this leading to her being a viable candidate to picking up the mantle of the North.

And Sansa? Blech. She's been useless since day one. I've never liked her, she's too much like a Lannister.

Of course, this ignores the fact that there pretty much HAS to be a male heir, or there is no more House Stark, anyway.