Quirky Cat
Written on Sep 8, 2012
HBO’s hit series A GAME OF THRONES is based on George R R Martin’s internationally bestselling series A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE, the greatest fantasy epic of the modern age. A CLASH OF KINGS is the second volume in the series.
‘Characters so venomous they could eat the Borgias’ Guardian
‘
‘Tears: the woman’s weapon, my lady mother used to call them. The man’s weapon is a sword. And that tells us all you need to know . . . ‘
Throughout Westeros, the cold winds are rising.
From the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding lands of Winterfell, chaos reigns as pretenders to the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms stake their claims through tempest, turmoil and war.
Five factions struggle for control of a divided land. Against a backdrop of incest, fratricide, alchemy and murder, the price of glory is measured in blood.
- ISBN13 9780007548248
- Publish Date 27 March 2014 (first published 16 November 1998)
- Publish Status Out of Stock
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
- Imprint HarperVoyager
- Format Paperback
- Pages 752
- Language English
- URL http://harpercollins.co.uk
Reviews
Amber (The Literary Phoenix)
Written on Jul 8, 2012
A Clash of Kings saw the removal of Eddard Stark (obviously) from the character narratives, and much of the focus turns to the place of fighting. We see the addition of Theon Greyjoy, who I decidedly don't care about, and of another man in Stannis' care who obviously I also didn't like because I cannot be bothered to conjure his name. Here, Martin splits the reader to watch the real battle, instead of the individual characters. As a character writer, this is less to my taste. We see nearly nothing of Robb, Little of Arya and Bran, but a good taste of Tyrion (who strangely, I like) and Catelyn... and of Greyjoy. The characters remain consistent and well-written... the way a person views the chapters, I think, is based less on the writing of them and more to the fact or whether or not you like the character as a person.
You know Martin has big plans for Dany, because he isn't dropping her, but she still feels so far away from the action, I found that reading her chapters were frustrating because of the distance of the "important" plot.
I have a difficult time reviewing this book because all I want to do is compare it to the first one (which I LOVED). It's also difficult because there is so much to it. It's actually overwhelming at times trying to keep everything straight - sometimes you need to go back and flip to the last section narrated by that character to review. I liked it, but I didn't at the same time. That's why it gets three stars.
Martin undoubtedly succeeded in one thing, however. I want to know what happens next. So I will be reading the next book.
layawaydragon
Written on Jun 23, 2012
It is very involved and frustrating when the perspective shifts characters. Having maps of this world and a list of the players is very helpful to keep them all straight.
I do feel it should be noted for Trigger Warning due to rape being common in the series.
I'm at a loss on what else to add. I feel so inadequate when talking about this series. It's on my list of all time favorites already. I hope the next books live up to it.
Michael @ Knowledge Lost
Written on Mar 14, 2012
I blogged about my issues with the writing here.
Ace
Written on Jun 21, 2011
Artemis
Written on Jul 11, 2010
jesstheaudiobookworm
Written on Jan 1, 2010