A Clash of Kings by George R R Martin

A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2)

by George R.R. Martin

THE BOOK BEHIND THE SECOND SEASON OF GAME OF THRONES, AN ORIGINAL SERIES NOW ON HBO.

George R. R. Martin, a writer of unsurpassed vision, power, and imagination, has created a landmark of fantasy fiction. In his widely acclaimed A Game of Thrones, he introduced us to an extraordinary world of wonder, intrigue, and adventure. Now, in the eagerly awaited second volume in this epic saga, he once again proves himself a master myth-maker, setting a standard against which all other fantasy novels will be measured for years to come.

Time is out of joint. The summer of peace and plenty, ten years long, is drawing to a close, and the harsh, chill winter approaches like an angry beast. Two great leaders—Lord Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon—who held sway over an age of enforced peace are dead . . . victims of royal treachery. Now, from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns, as pretenders to the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms prepare to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war.

As a prophecy of doom cuts across the sky—a comet the color of blood and flame—six factions struggle for control of a divided land. Eddard’s son Robb has declared himself King in the North. In the south, Joffrey, the heir apparent, rules in name only, victim of the scheming courtiers who teem over King’s Landing. Robert’s two brothers each seek their own dominion, while a disfavored house turns once more to conquest. And a continent away, an exiled queen, the Mother of Dragons, risks everything to lead her precious brood across a hard hot desert to win back the crown that is rightfully hers.

A Clash of Kings transports us into a magnificent, forgotten land of revelry and revenge, wizardry and warfare. It is a tale in which maidens cavort with madmen, brother plots against brother, and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside.

Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, the price of glory may be measured in blood. And the spoils of victory may just go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel . . . and the coldest hearts. For when rulers clash, all of the land feels the tremors.

Audacious, inventive, brilliantly imagined, A Clash of Kings is a novel of dazzling beauty and boundless enchantment—a tale of pure excitement you will never forget.

Reviewed by inlibrisveritas on

5 of 5 stars

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I'm finally finished! 4.5 Stars!! (Theon and Catelyn tried their best to make it four)

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Oh George what have you done to me?! You have made me fall in love with new characters and wish horrible (intensely painful) deaths on other characters…you have me forming attachments to people I know are going to die. Not to mention the fact that you have me committed to a series that has books big enough to render a man unconscious if wielded as a weapon.

This would have been a perfect five like the first book but there were two problems with this one and their names are: Catelyn Stark and Theon Greyjoy. Their chapters were torture on my poor eyes. Mind you it wasn’t because it was poorly written, if anything it was written better than other chapters because of how much I hated these two. Catelyn says awful stuff and feels she justified because her family is broken. Theon can’t keep it in his pants. If it didn’t have the names of the characters at the top of the chapter I’d be able to point his chapters out without having to read more than a few lines because he always seems to be having sex with someone.

Those two aside this was just as good, if not better than the first book. Everything is brewing at a quick pace and things are almost always heated, but believe it or not if I literal clash of kings isn’t enough for you then you’ll be happy to know things are getting even worse. Tyrion, Dany, and Arya remain my favorite characters and chapters to read. Jon’s chapters are pretty good too, but Jon has a knack for being foolish. This does have a slow build toward the middle as the different Kings start their advances for the throne, but once things get started it becomes hard to put down. The chapters that offered insight on Stannis were really good too…and that Red Lady is the stuff of nightmares.

I’m so ready to see what happens in book three. Does Dany finally get to cross the Narrow Sea? Does Tyrion get to slap Joffery again? Does anyone get to slap Joffery again? Do the dragons get to eat people? I must know!

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 23 September, 2014: Finished reading
  • 23 September, 2014: Reviewed