# 180 copies of A Dance With Dragons shipped early, and I got one! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 29, 2011, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/180-copies-of-a-dance-with-dragons-shipped-early-and-i-got-one/587259 "2011-06-29T14:24:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/180-copies-of-a-dance-with-dragons-shipped-early-and-i-got-one/587259/21 "2011-06-29T20:42:23Z")
A bit of a hijack, but since we’re on the subject of Martin: Do the [Dunk & Egg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_of_Dunk_and_Egg#House_Targaryen_at_the_time_of_the_Hedge_Knight_.28208.29)stories add anything to the Ice & Fire canon or are they stand alone? I know they’re set 80+ years before the War of the Five Kings but was curious if there’s any insight into the history of the major houses, and a couple of characters (Aemon, Walder Frey) would be alive, though children. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/180-copies-of-a-dance-with-dragons-shipped-early-and-i-got-one/587259/22 "2011-06-29T20:45:21Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > If we want spoilers, does anyone know where we can get them? Please spoiler-box your link so people don’t accidentally\*\* lick \*\*it. Good idea, wouldn’t want to accidentally lick something that’s spoiled! ---
**Author:** ![mkl12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@mkl12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkl12)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/180-copies-of-a-dance-with-dragons-shipped-early-and-i-got-one/587259/23 "2011-06-30T00:07:07Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > So, a spoiler question but only about format: any new characters who are p.o.v./chapter title characters this time? I’m wondering if he’s going to bring back Rickon or Osha and make them p.o.v. characters. And just from flipping through, how Daenerys heavy is it? I’m sorry, but I don’t think I want to know the answers to these questions myself yet. I’m only a few chapters in, and I think it’s possible that knowing the titles of later chapters could spoil something. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/180-copies-of-a-dance-with-dragons-shipped-early-and-i-got-one/587259/24 "2011-06-30T00:23:11Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > Good idea, wouldn’t want to accidentally lick something that’s spoiled! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![brocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@brocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brocks)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/180-copies-of-a-dance-with-dragons-shipped-early-and-i-got-one/587259/25 "2011-07-22T14:53:50Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > A bit of a hijack, but since we’re on the subject of Martin: > > Do the [Dunk & Egg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_of_Dunk_and_Egg#House_Targaryen_at_the_time_of_the_Hedge_Knight_.28208.29)stories add anything to the Ice & Fire canon or are they stand alone? I know they’re set 80+ years before the War of the Five Kings but was curious if there’s any insight into the history of the major houses, and a couple of characters (Aemon, Walder Frey) would be alive, though children. Just saw this while looking for something else. The answer is yes — they add something to the saga, and they stand alone. They are not prequels in the sense that you should read them first; you’ll probably enjoy them more if you read the books in the order they were published, rather than according to the internal chronology. But they’re good stories on their own, and you will learn more about Aemon’s relatives. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/180-copies-of-a-dance-with-dragons-shipped-early-and-i-got-one/587259.md?page=1)