…and especially when seasoned Westeros/Esteros warrior Jorah Mormont utterly failed at that move…better quality sand?, tougher opponent?, better aim? more surprising?

I think they've been setting her up for 'Nice Breaking It, Hero[ine]'—a (to most) sympathetic character with some ideas appealing to most readers who leaves things much worse in her wake, thereby messing with us more than killing-off any sympathetic character (except Ste Arya of the Knife).

I disagree, I think to people raised to believe in his religion, or to want to so believe, his words could be powerful; I also think him to be completely sincere, and all the more dangerous for it (all 'round—think of Da'esh' s threat both to the Assad regime and to decent people).

It would have been less cartoon-y if one of the khals she had killed had been more reasonable.

I've often thought that Ice King (and before what he was were known, Tree Trunks) was something of a reaction to a generation of children that sees more dementia in their grandparents than recently had, both because of greater openness and because survival times are longer.