It sounds like new players such as myself are greatly encouraged to pick up the Beyond the Narrow Sea Chapter Pack cycle, but as it's the first cycle to include content from A Dance With Dragons , I'm worried that it will contain spoilers, and I'm only about halfway through A Feast for Crows at the moment. Are there any big spoilers in the first two Chapter Packs, and if so, what cards in particular should I avert my eyes from?

You find out a few new characters and locations are called. Beyond that, the art and flavor text only give things away if you already know what they show.

The only possible exception is Victarion (in the second CP). The art on that one is slightly more telling, although the picture doesn't really tell you much.

Yeah, it's been the same throughout all of the CPs in my opinion. I was playing this game years ago as I was reading through the books and I do recall that there were some telling cards, but because they are only glimpses it enhanced the reading experience more than anything. I'd see a dwarf with a crossbow and I get excited as I wonder how this comes to be, and who's on the other side of the bow. Or the plot Red Wedding, that was the most 'spoiler-ific' IMO, still only served to build a thrilling anxiety before every wedding scene, lol.

Just wandering through the internet will accidentally stumble you upon more direct spoilers than the LCG. Furthermore, the LCG is so much fun that it's worth the few hints you might receive. None of them, to my recollection, tell you that Dumbledore dies.

PlebeianMaw said:

~What?!? No way!

Yeah, there's a huge difference between looking at the card and saying "What in the world is 'The Red Wedding'?" and having no real reaction when you come across the inspiration for the card in the books because you knew it was coming.

I actually respond to some of the spoiled material oppositely.

It excites me to come across it in the book after seeing it on a card from the game or seeing how certain cards combo together. It makes me want to read the book more. When I come across certain things in the book, I instantly establish the relationship the card game has with the book and I say to myself "Oh that's why the card does that." or "Wow that's who that is?".

Whilst there is some excitement to be said for finding something unknown, its best to appreciate the journey or you may find reading tedious.

I played the game before watching the show or reading the books. So for example, I knew ahead of time the death a certain character played by a famous actor. However, when I watched the show, it was still shocking. I read the books after the first season and I still found the death shocking.

Game of Thrones is well written enough that knowing a few plot points (cough Red Wedding cough) ahead of time won't really dilute your enjoyment of the books.

Amuk said:

~Not only that, also Luke is Darth Vader's father! There! Hawhaw!