Chapter Thirty-Four - Bran 3 - A Dance with Dragons | A Song of Ice and Fire (ASOIAF)

Bran begins his training with the three-eyed crow. It’s disconcerting, slightly dangerous, but he begins to glimpse that it might give him a life far beyond what he could have expected. Simon and Mackelly are rooting for him.

Chapter Review:
Bran Stark starts his training in green-seeing and skin-changing with the three-eyed crow, who we learn is former Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch Bryden Rivers. Jojen Reed’s health has recovered but he seems resigned to a fate that he won’t share with his increasingly concerned sister Meera.

Bran continues to use Hodor to explore the cavern system, the big man has taken to curling up in a mental ball when Bran intrudes. Bran successfully wargs into a relatively willing raven and enjoys the experience of flying. 

He’s also introduced to the skill of greenseeing. The immortal weirwoods have no conception of time, and so by becoming one with them Bran can see events that are remote in both distance and time. His first forays take him to the Winterfell godswood where he sees his relatives, and then in a cinematic montage a collection of his ancestors. Brynden has explained that he cannot interact or change the past, but Bran seems to be able to catch their attention.

Characters/Places/Names/Events:
Brandon Stark - Prince (now king?) of Winterfell. Paralyzed when pushed from a tower by Jamie Lannister.
Hodor - Enormous but simple-minded helper of Bran.
Meera Reed - Daughter of Howland Reed.
Jojen Reed - Son of Howland Reed. Has green dreams that invariably come true.
Summer - Bran’s direwolf.
Brynden Rivers - Given name of the last greenseer.
Children of the Forest - Humanoid original inhabitants of Westeros.
Greenseer - Leader of the Children of the Forest. Known to have special abilities.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction
• 8:28 Character Recap
• 9:02 Chapter Summary
• 16:33 General Discussion
• 1:00:16 Background Information
• 1:04:49 Comparison with the TV Show
• 1:06:00 Pedantry Corner
• 1:06:43 News and Notes
• 1:08:55 Conclusion