There’s so much to dissect when it comes to Sansa and the Hound, I find their relationship fascinating. Through Sansa’s perspective the reader cannot help but hope that the Hound is her hidden knight in shining armor but at the same time you can tell that her naïveté is putting him in a better light than he deserves. Their dynamic has the classic markers of grooming which I’m stressed to see the climax of, but when you think of all of Sansa’s current ‘allies’ he may be the most well-intentioned (yikes). It’s also interesting to see how many of the Hound’s lines were given to littlefinger in the show, not only did he tell her his backstory himself but he’s the one who said the “they’re all liars here” line. As the story continues it will be interesting to see if the Hound has a mild redemption as he did in the show and how much Sansa will impact it.

It’s very interesting to see who Sansa regards as her protectors/allies in King’s Landing. So much of it relies on who shows her basic decency and with it shines through her longing to be saved by a knight in shining armor. There’s been an attempt by her to grow up quickly and never trust again but in her descriptions of Ser Arys, the Hound, and even Cersei you can tell she is still idealistic at heart.

The characterization of the children is this book is heartbreakingly good. All of them, (Daenerys, Sansa, Arya, Jon, Bran, and Robb) are consistently stubborn, naive, childish, and infuriating and it makes this story so much more tragic. At some points I have the inkling to grab them by the shoulders and shake some sense into them but that’s when I remember just how young they are, the cards they’ve been dealt. Daenerys surrounded by rapists and pedophiles who are all actively abusing her or in the process of grooming her (we can get into her relationship with Drogo if we must I hate that man), Sansa surrounded by much of the same while also navigating court politics, Jon being outcast for his conception and treated like shit ever since and much more. Through all that they’ve been through they are expected to act like adults and take it on the chin while now being forced to try and outsmart kings, commanders, queens, lords etc. who are twice their age. I mean in his first chapter Ned was annoyed that his three year old son was afraid of the dark, those are the conditions the children with loving parents are in, in this world. Starting the series at this point in their lives is brilliant, they will all become much smarter but they will have to endure horrors beyond imagination to do so and I get the feeling that many of them will die in the process. I think it was a big mistake to age them all up for the show adaptation, it takes away from the tragedy Martin has built.

Sansa and Cersei’s dynamic is so deliciously evil and intriguing. It has all of the marks of the distorted sweet creepiness between her and Littlefinger and the contempt sort of infatuation between her and the hound, while having its own special twist to it as Cersei chooses to continue the cycle of abuse rather than granting kindness to a young version of herself. They both annoy me often but they remain some of my favorite characters and one of my favorite dynamics because of this complexity!!