The Winds of Winterneeds to fix a disappointing Sansa Stark trend from the previous twoA Song of Ice and Firebooks, and fortunately, the sequel looks poised to do so. AfterA Dance With Dragons’shocking ending, there’s a lot the nextASOIAFbook needs to cover when it finally arrives. And withThe Winds of Wintertaking so much longerthan expected, there’s even more pressure on the sequel to successfully move George R.R. Martin’s story forward — especially since it’s building to what should be the series' final book,A Dream of Spring.
Jon Snow’s fate is at the top of readers' minds heading intoThe Winds of Winter, and the book will likely be tasked with getting Daenerys Targaryen to Westeros and tackling the problem of the Others. Even with so much to accomplish, Martin’s sequel needs to address its biggest Sansa issue from the previous installments.There’s simply not enough of the elder Stark sister inA Feast for CrowsandA Dance With Dragons,and she needs more attention heading intoASOIAF’s final two books.
Sansa Stark Was Missing From Too Much Of The Last 2 A Song Of Ice & Fire Books
Sansa Stark is a character who should become more important asA Song of Ice and Fireprogresses, as the series has set her up to become a major player in the Game of Thrones. Unfortunately, Martin’s chapters don’t reflect this.Sansa has had fewer POV chapters in the last twoASOIAFbooks,when her narrative should be gaining importance. Sansa has six POV chapters inA Game of Thrones,eight inA Clash of Kings, and seven inA Storm of Swords— and the third installment sets her up for an intriguing storyline in the Eyrie.
The Winds of Winterneeds to fix this, delivering on Sansa’s setup and making her a more important figure politically.
Despite this,Sansa only gets three POV chapters inA Feast for Crows. And because of how Martin split the narrative inA Feast for Crows and A Dance With Dragons— having them unfold simultaneously, but focusing on different characters and locations in each book — Sansa doesn’t show up at all in the latter.The Winds of Winterneeds to fix this, delivering on Sansa’s setup and making her a more important figure politically. Fortunately,The Winds of Winter’s preview chaptersbode well for those hoping to see more of her.
The Winds Of Winter’s Preview Chapter Is A Good Start For Sansa Stark
The Book’s Sansa Chapter Promises A Big Story For Her In The Rest Of ASOIAF
AmongThe Winds of Winterpreview chapters Martin has shared is one from Sansa Stark’s perspective, though she’s disguised as Petyr Baelish’s bastard daughter, Alayne Stone, for the entirety of it (viaGitHub).The chapter shows more of Sansa’s time in the Vale, laying the groundwork for a tourney she has persuaded Lord Robert Arryn to host. Unbeknownst to him, the goal of the event is to secure a marriage to Ser Harrold Hardyng and eventually reclaim Winterfell. Obviously, that’s a huge deal for Sansa’s story, promising to make her a much bigger player in Westeros' political landscape.
The Winds Of Winter Theory Resurrects Jon Snow With White Targaryen Hair In A Horrifying Way That Game Of Thrones Would’ve Never Done
Jon Snow will almost certainly be resurrected in The Winds of Winter, and there could be a major difference to Game of Thrones with how he looks.
It’s also promising that Martin has already released a POV chapter from Sansa’s perspective, especially after focusing on her so little in the past two books. With Sansa only having three perspective chapters inA Feast for Crows, it’s nice to know that she’s already a third of the way towards matching that inThe Winds of Winter.Considering the story Martin is setting up for her in the sequel, it’s probably safe to assume she’ll at least match the number of chapters she had in the past two books. However, she seems poised to surpass it — and she deserves to.
Why Sansa Stark Deserves To Be More Important In A Song Of Ice & Fire
Her Game Of Thrones Ending Was One Of The Best Parts Of Season 8
After everythingA Song of Ice and Firehas put Sansa through in its first five books, she deserves to have a large role in the series' ending. Sansa learns how to play the Game of Thrones on the heels of her father’s death, and she does an impressive job of overcoming the terrible circumstances she repeatedly finds herself in. Martin’s Sansa has this in common with herGame of Thronescounterpart, andshe deserves an ending on par with Sansa’s season 8 fate. While the books won’t follow the same exact trajectory, they should see Sansa returning to Winterfell.
It wouldn’t be terrible for her to become Queen in the North by the end ofA Song of Ice and Fire, either, as Sansa’s journey sets the stage for her to become a smarter and stronger leader. She’s not yet there in Martin’s books, but her political marriage and quest to reclaim Winterfell could change that. The growth her character has is compelling, andThe Winds of Winterneeds to take it even further. Of all the characters from Martin’s books who deserve justice, Sansa is one of the most obvious — but she needs more POV chapters to get it.
