I stopped reading this book. I'm just very tired of fantasy novels wherein the hero/heroine is "destined" or "choosen" or "picked by god". Nearly every character in this book is somehow "special" like this, and it just got to be tiring. Sorry, but I believe in the American way - pull yourself up by your own damned bootstraps. We don't need a divine power, we just need to work hard. I have to find a fantasy setting that reflects this. That's probably why I enjoy the Martin's Saga of Ice & Fire so much. They seem to be real people in a slightly fantastical setting, any of whom could be killed off at any time.