Archon vs MVP game 2 and MVP vs Vega Game 2 were some of the most interesting games I've seen in awhile. If this is a taste of the drama we may see with some of the upper tier teams I'm very excited for the rest of the tournament.
I keep seeing Powdermage trilogy around... I just haven't picked it up yet. Maybe because the last few books I've tried to read have treated me as a child... And "Powdermage" just doesn't sound very appealing. Does it have an adult feel to it?
"Almost dead" has never really worked for GRRM. I'm at a point where if I don't see a character die explicitly, I assume they're alive. Although I guess seeing them die explicitly hasn't been 100% either.