General Fiction > Fantasy
(A Song of Ice and Fire #3)
The Seven Kingdoms are divided by revolt and blood feud, and winter approaches like an angry beast. Beyond the Northern borders, wildlings leave their villages to gather in the ice and stone wasteland of the Frostfangs. From there, the renegade Brother Mance Rayder will lead them South towards the Wall.
Robb Stark wears his new-forged crown in the Kingdom of the North, but his defences are ranged against attack from the South, the land of House Stark’s enemies the Lannisters. His sisters are trapped there, dead or likely yet to die, at the whim of the Lannister boy-king Joffrey or his depraved mother Cersei, regent of the Iron Throne.
And Daenerys Stormborn will return to the land of her birth to avenge the murder of her father, the last Dragon King on the Iron Throne.
Literary Awards: Hugo Award Nominee for Best Novel (2001), Nebula Award Nominee (2002), Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (2001), Geffen Award for Best Translated Fantasy Book (2002), Ignotus (2006)
Book 1: A Game of Thrones review Book 2: A Clash of Kings review
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I should’ve learned my lesson from A Game of Thrones, that anything and everything will never be what it seems.
A Storm of Swords left me open-mouthed (literally), especially when the Red Wedding took place. There I was, reading leisurely on a Sunday afternoon, when I got the shock of my ASoIaF reading life. So cruel! And yet so grudgingly cunning.
New POVs are introduced: Jaime Lannister and Samwell Tarly. I actually enjoyed Jaime’s, I mean, who wouldn’t want to know what’s join on inside the Kingslayer’s head? Whatever befell Jaime in ASoS made him change his mind on what the Lannisters are all about. He was running blind, taking orders from who and for what, without asking. But now, ah, Jaime’s not as compliant as before, not anymore. Cersei and Tywin were aghast about that.
Jon’s journey is equally absorbing. The war between the kings seems child’s play with what Jon and the brothers of the Night Watch have to face. And those bleak scenes at the Wall, those hopeless actions against the Others and the Wildlings — a terrific treat to my fantasy appetite.
Catelyn‘s POV are heartbreaking. Such defiance, and ominous pride for a Stark! Arya‘s plight is getting worse after every chapter. I cannot believe the strength in this skinny girl. Unbelievably daunting.
Tyrion. Oh, Tyrion! Dare I say you have the biggest balls amongst the players in the game of thrones? The many, many pages of A Storm of Swords were deduced to nothing, nothing(!) because of the spectacular ending you gave me. *fist pump*
Best installment so far. 😀 Vengeance will soon be ours.
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A STORM OF SWORDS by George R.R. Martin
Paperback, Part 1: 623 pages | Part 2: 554 pages
reading is the ultimate aphrodisiac. 