A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, victim of the sorceress who holds him in her thrall. Young Robb still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world. And as opposing forces maneuver for the final showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost limits of civilization, accompanied by a horde of mythical Others—a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords…
Many people say this is their favorite of the entire series….I would say this is the most shocking of the series. If you’ve seen the television series you know…it sucks to be a Stark.
This book manages to be more violent and more shocking than even the others. The world expands still further as Daenerys continues her travels, John presses northward towards Mance Rayder, and the people of Dorne to the south put in an appearance.
I loved having Jamie Lannister as a viewpoint character…such a good choice. Again, we have the awesome Tyrion, Dany, and John as viewpoint characters. I also liked Ser Davos and Sam.
As always, Martin astounds me with his skill at weaving a story, the complexity of the narrative, the deviousness of the characters, and the perfect delivery of dialogue and events.
The series does a great job adapting this book. It covers so much incredible and important material, the book was split into two seasons. The first half just finished airing. It was as well-done as the other, minus the Theon Greyjoy stuff. Random liberties that aren’t exactly advancing the series, but merely just making everything uncomfortable. Torture porn? Ew.
All in all, it’s a good season for a Red Wedding.
Since I’m not talking much about the events of this book, leave me a comment down below about how you liked it. If you don’t want spoilers, I would avoid the comments!
