A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3)

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A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire #3)

by George R.R. Martin

4.49 · rating details · 56,771 ratings · 3,291 reviews

Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as violently as ever, as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey, of House Lannister, sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the land of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, the victim of the jealous sorceress who holds him in ...more

Mass Market Paperback, 1128 pages

Published March 4th 2003 by Spectra (first published August 10th 2000)

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Community Reviews

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Nov 07, 2011

Jessi rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: six-stars-your-a-superstar, a-song-of-ice-and-fire, yeah-i-d-hit-that-boycrushes, wolves-jessi-s-wolf-shelf

First an update on the Direwolf situation

I still do not have one...sadface.

This series !!! What can I say I am loving it! I don't know if I was just sick of everything else or just needed the escape but I am soooooo enjoying.

The great thing is that I am on the third book and its not like I can't say which book I like better, which was weaker they are one long story that come in three(so far for me) packages.

Its not like Indiana Jones. Where we say...more

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Jul 13, 2011

Matt rated it

This year (2011) has been rough for those of us who count ourselves Minnesota Twins fans. A few weeks ago, however, I watched Francisco Liriano nearly pitch a perfect game. Earlier in the season, Liriano pitched a no-hitter, which was a bright spot in an otherwise unremitting series of losses, injuries, and disappointment. But this was different. This meant more. This was a perfect game (and you can’t get better than perfect).

The announcers, with no regard for karma, started talking...more

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Aug 05, 2011

mark monday rated it

Shelves: operatik-sword, soul-sucking-reviews

it's time again for...A Game of Heroes and Zeroes!
__________

HEROES

he's the Revenant Robin Hood, leader of a band of merry men whose purpose is to steal from the wicked, give to the needy, ransom the royalty, hang the bad guys, and maybe get laid some. Lord Beric comes equipped with a nifty super-power (courtesy of the Lord of Light, 'natch)...he gets to come back from the dead! unfortunately, his various hideous wounds get to come back with him. but so what......more

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Jun 28, 2011

Ryan rated it

So I know Empire is the best film in the trilogy because I've seen it a hundred times, but it's a different thing to choose the best book in a series. Unfortunately, I've only read George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire books twice (and actually only the first three novels at this point). So who can say how A Storm of Swords will be remembered?

The focus of the series becomes a bit fragmented at this point, reflecting the fact that the War of the Five Kings has not only devastat...more

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Oct 09, 2011

Jim Haggerty rated it

A Storm of Swords, by author George R.R. Martin, is the third installment in the 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series, and has become a must-read series for fantasy enthusiasts at this point.

The Battle of the Blackwater is finished, but the Seven Kingdoms are hardly at peace. This story continues with the aftermath of the slaughter outside the walls of King's Landing and the ongoing campaigns of the kings to lay claim to Westeros. Tywin Lannister has arrived at King's Landing to take ...moreA Storm of Swords, by author George R.R. Martin, is the third installment in the 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series, and has become a must-read series for fantasy enthusiasts at this point.

The Battle of the Blackwater is finished, but the Seven Kingdoms are hardly at peace. This story continues with the aftermath of the slaughter outside the walls of King's Landing and the ongoing campaigns of the kings to lay claim to Westeros. Tywin Lannister has arrived at King's Landing to take control of the kingdoms through his grandson, King Joffrey Baratheon. Robb Stark continues his campaign to unite the west and rid his mother's homeland of the Lannisters, but must now contest with the Ironmen taking control of his kingdom in the north. Stannis Baratheon sits defeated back in his home of Dragonstone, but plots his next move with the help of the Red Priestess, Melissandre. Meanwhile, Daenerys Targaryen, mother of the last dragons, plots, maneuvers and rampages her way through the Free Cities in the name of justice. All while Jon Snow contends with infiltrating the massive, reckless barbarian horde as an agent for the Night's Watch.

Without question this is the best of the series so far. Sure, Martin obsesses with his usual style of describing every single character's clothing and armor down to the last ridiculous detail. He also maintains his peculiar fondness for having to explain countless extravagant meals with his famous 'birds launching out of pies' dish! But he makes up for it with a realism and grit rarely found in the fantasy genre. Plus, this book has everything men love to read about: blood, guts and decapitations galore, giant knights whacking helpless stable boys' heads in half, hot priestess babes with red eyes, teenage lesbian sex, an angry noseless midget, and some fat kid who slays zombies. What could be better? Martin has some amazing plot twists that you just don't see coming and he's fearless with torturing, maiming and killing off vital characters. The character development is getting deeper and better, the action is kick-ass Braveheart style, and the magic and mysticism continue to get more entwined to create a mysterious and wondrous world. This is the best book I've read in some time.

(less)

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Aug 18, 2011

Cassy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: physical-own, 2011, fiction-scifi-fantasy-paranormal, region-elsewhere

Martin outdid himself. And honestly, he didn’t have to try so hard. I was already going to give him five stars for this scene alone: (view spoiler)

Have you ever seen a car accident? Not the aftermath that messes up traffic, but the actual event itself? Having driven in both Atlanta and Houston’s rush hour, I’ve seen a handful. It’s horrible horrible horrible. There is that signature sou...more

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Aug 08, 2011

Nastassja rated it

· review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. ***SPOILER ALERT******SPOILER ALERT******SPOILER ALERT******SPOILER ALERT******SPOILER ALERT***

What can I say that hasn't been said before? This series just keeps getting better and better. The third instalment had more twists and turns than I could count, taking me from utter elation to despair and back again, sometimes within a few pages. Things get pretty bleak but also incredibly awesome, everyone suffers horribly, but in the end some really pivotal events occur that I really, re...more

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Feb 06, 2012

Lorre rated it

· review of another edition

I loved A Storm of Swords!
It is a huge book with it's 1000+ pages, but it never felt like the book was too long because there was so much happening and I just wanted to keep reading.

There are some many twists and turns in this book, some expected but others totally unexpected. I loved all the intrigue, betrayal, fighting that was going on.
All that struggle for power, plotting to take each others land, castle, title, wife or kingdom...

The characters are so ...more

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Jun 04, 2011

Jackie rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Another excellent book in the Song of Ice and Fire series.
I can see why this is a favorite among fantasy enthusiasts.

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Oct 28, 2011

Joyzi rated it

Recommends it for: not for the faint of heart

Recommended to Joyzi by: Goodreads

Shelves: author-american, 5-stars-or-more, adult, e-book, fiction, fantasy, political-intrigue, reviewed, book-series, favorites, thought-provoking

Jesus. Christ. Christ. Jesus.

Best book of the series so far. I have heard that the book series is originally intended as a trilogy, but the story became so complicated that it needs seven books to resolve all the problems and plot issues.

I think that the series is really a complicated story even more complicated than Lord of the Rings. When I started the series I feel that I know who the villains and who the good guys were, but even the characters are complic...more

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Sep 24, 2011

Samantha rated it

Shelves: favorites

My favourite so far in the series. I want to give this book ten stars. The Red Wedding. The chapters with Sansa and Tyrion I found totally heartbreaking.

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Dec 11, 2011

Ken-ichi rated it

Shelves: fantasy, escape

Ok, so I'm 3 books into this series. 2972 pages. Let's take stock of the Starks:
(view spoiler)...moreOk, so I'm 3 books into this series. 2972 pages. Let's take stock of the Starks:
(view spoiler)[
* Eddard was a lord. Now he is dead.

* Catelyn was a lordly lady with a loving, honorable husband with 5 beautiful children. Now she's a widow, her kids are all dead (or so she thinks), and she, also, is dead. Bonus: she's a zombie.

* Sansa was an annoying, helpless, spoiled preteen. Now everyone she's ever loved is dead, but she remains annoying and helpless despite it all.

* Arya was an endearing highborn tomboy. Now's she's a murderous urchin, but still endearing.

* Jon was a bastard. Now he's a lord. But he's still a bastard.

* Rob was a nondescript dude. He's still that, except now he's dead.

* Bran was a little boy with two eyes who liked to climb. Now he's a slightly older little boy with three eyes who hangs out with frog-eaters, mind melds with animals, and is looking to get lessons from another three-eyed mind melder who might be undead.

* Rickon was a side note. He remains so.

I keep wondering whether these books are sexist or not, which usually boils down the question of whether or not female characters have agency. I don't know if that's a reasonable test of gender bias, but that's where my mind goes. It's certainly true that most of the female characters rarely make decisions that influence the narrative, but I think that's equally true of the males. Some exceptions I can think of include Arya escaping Harrenhall, Catelyn freeing Jaime, Danaerys freeing slaves. Cersei, despite being one of the most overtly willful women in the story and the most vocal about gender bias in her society, seems to have little real power. She wanted to spare Eddard, he ended up dead. She wanted to save her kids, Joff ended up dead. She wants to marry her brother but her dad keeps wedding her off for political reasons.

Another possible way to approach the issue might be to ask whether the books sanction male chauvinism. I don't think you can read these books and believe that men are intrinsically superior to women, because there are plenty of idiotic men and plenty of capable women. As I wrote in a previous review, I do think these books objectify women much more than they do men, which at the very least is distinctly gynophilic (a new word I just looked up!), and probably allows some hetero men and lesbians to indulge in fantasy that many women would might find demeaning. That said, though, speaking as a heterosexual guy, I find most of the sex in these books to be more ham-fisted than arousing. However, I doubt Martin did that intentionally.
(hide spoiler)]

Anyway, these are all comments on the series. This particular book was no better or worse than the previous ones, which is another way of saying it still kept me up reading until 2am most nights. I wish Martin would work in a few more comic relief characters like Dolorous Ed, though. Jaime and Brienne were good for a few laughs. More of that, please.

Also, I'm finding one of the most amusing parts of this series to be moments when I have to stop and wonder whether or not a sentence implies a fatality. Like, "..and then a boulder fell on him." Did he say how big the boulder was? Where, exactly did it hit him, and who, exactly, is "him" referring to? Fun times. Also, am I the only one who looks ahead at chapter titles to see if a character really died? I know, cheating. (less)

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May 23, 2011

Ben Babcock rated it

Shelves: own, 2011-read, fantasy, hugo-nominee, nebula-nominee

N.B.: As with my review of A Clash of Kings, I will avoid spoilers for this book but not for previous books.

We had a good thing going back in the beginning of A Game of Thrones. Robert Baratheon was King of Westeros, and while he wasn't a great guy, at least the kingdom was stable. Then he died and it all went to hell. Now we have more kings than castles. Joffrey and Stannis both lay claim to the Iron Throne, and Robb Stark has managed to get himself declared the King in the North an...more

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Jun 08, 2008

Ryan rated it

I started reading Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series a couple of years ago, and have loved it ever since. It's a gritty, dirty, clever, foul-mouthed, and witty take on the fantasy novel. Martin has no problem killing the characters he knows everyone's fallen in love with (which, ahem, may happen again in this book), and no problem giving crowns and laurels to the most despicable characters around. Martin seems to say: THIS is the real medieval world. This is what it was like. Mor...more

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Feb 29, 2008

Collin rated it

Recommends it for: anyone and everyone who professes to enjoy Fantasy lit

Shelves: fantasysci-fi

This book is George R.R. Martin times 1000. If you liked "Game of Thrones", with its callous treatment of major characters, moral ambiguity, spilling of various fluids and high quotient of badasses, then "A Storm of Swords" will make your head explode. I knew I liked the series prior to reading Storm of Swords; I loved it after this book.

Pacing and plotting are good. There really aren't any slow patches here. Every point of view is engaging and there are revel...more

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Sep 06, 2011

Lucy rated it

Shelves: adult, fantasy, great-world-building, gloomy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I read that the next two books are really one book split up based on POV because Martin had too many characters telling the tale to squish it into one book. Since the abundant narrators have come close to giving me a nose bleed from surpressed annoyance, I was prepared to set the series down for a few weeks and read other places before coming back to it. I wanted to read some less sizable books to keep myself on my reading goal for the year. Unfortunately for my little plans, A Storm of Swords i...moreI read that the next two books are really one book split up based on POV because Martin had too many characters telling the tale to squish it into one book. Since the abundant narrators have come close to giving me a nose bleed from surpressed annoyance, I was prepared to set the series down for a few weeks and read other places before coming back to it. I wanted to read some less sizable books to keep myself on my reading goal for the year. Unfortunately for my little plans, A Storm of Swords is by far the best of the three books in the series.

Reading the books back to back and so rapidly has made them blur into one another a bit. On top of that, none of the books really have proper endings. I still believe the entire series is one book that's only 5/7ths finished. It's very difficult to discuss and review one part of a story so I'm just going to keep hitting major points in the review and move along to the fourth book sooner rather than later.

The POV switching reached a new level of fuck-buggery. I never liked the constant switching, but initially it was because I lost some of my emotional investment and focus every time the story changed hands. This time I found myself angry instead of annoyed by the switching. Martin would bring you right to the edge of a battle or event and then meander off, only to come back when everything was done.

We missed tremendous chunks of what happened with Jon's battle at the wall. We kept tuning in and out of that fight and coming in at uninteresting moments. The audience missed 98% of the fighting, but we got to watch someone drop some ice off the wall (do you hear my unenthussed 'yay?'). We also miss everything about Stannis coming to the rescue except the first five minutes and a mental recap.

The same goes for parts of Daenerys's story. She leads a rebellion against one city and once the rebellion starts end of chapter. We tune back in while they're marching and it's all over and in the past. Great. We get to the point where she's laying seige somewhere else and it all looks hopeless but then she has an idea, tune out. Tune back in when that fight's over and you get the defeat recapped in a few sentences. If Martin had taken out all the 'You know nothing, Jon Snows' and given us legitimate material I'd be a lot less irritated.

*breathes*

Still I found myself impressed with how Martin handled the cast of characters. He proved himself capable of killing off some of his darlings, but that's because the man's a bit of a whore and just took a few replacements up. I wanted to loathe all the new narrators and I couldn't. I liked Sam before he became a narrator and I found him more endearing once I was in his head.

The action scenes Martin doesn't skip over were good. The entire plot of the Red Wedding caught me off guard and I love that nothing happens without consequences. The Red Wedding is the consequence of choices made in other books and the Red Wedding has its own ripples. Every event in the book can be traced back to one event or another. It would be an entirely different series if Brandon Stark hadn't caught the Lannister twins in the broken tower, etc etc.

I think two characters have confessed to murdering Jon Arryn? Either Martin lost track of himself or he was killed twice over. I find it odd that both people poisoning him chose the same poison. At first I thought, "Well it was a subtle poison and a good choice so it's possible two people aimed for it." -- But it was also supposed to be a rare poison, so less likely two people got ahold of it. Also, the second person who poisoned him went about claiming him murdered by someone else so why wouldn't Lady Arryn have chosen an more obvious method? I'll have to read wikis on the character's to sort some of it out.

I have a quibble about the female and male characters in the book. The male characters are much more inclined to realize the error of their ways and set themselves on new paths, making them more likable through the struggle for redemption, whereas the female characters all go down with the sinking ship. Jamie is finding his honor; his twin sister is digging herself deeper in wicked games. Catelyn remains anti-Jon Snow the bastard in the most shrewest way possible while other (male) characters learn to over look it and he shines as a result. Sansa lets herself remain a pawn even when told point blank she is one, but her husband gets shuffled around the same board and learns not to be easily pushed over. Arya and Bran are mutually stagnated in the same loops of poor choices, but they're also both young. I really hope the female characters are afforded the same character development as some of the male characters in later books.(less)

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Jan 11, 2012

Tim rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: blog, fantasy

A Storm of Swords is where George R.R. Martin's fantasy series goes from good to great. Everything about this volume is a step beyond the well-crafted social realism of the first two books. Swords functions as a 1000-page long treatise about how to live and act honorably in a cruel and unjust world. While that may sound like a tired fantasy cliche, Martin's use of multiple character perspectives, his focus on the rippling consequences of actions and his willingness to cruelly torment his char...moreA Storm of Swords is where George R.R. Martin's fantasy series goes from good to great. Everything about this volume is a step beyond the well-crafted social realism of the first two books. Swords functions as a 1000-page long treatise about how to live and act honorably in a cruel and unjust world. While that may sound like a tired fantasy cliche, Martin's use of multiple character perspectives, his focus on the rippling consequences of actions and his willingness to cruelly torment his characters makes his answer to that question anything but. Plus it has like 4 or 5 totally kick-ass action scenes.

Every main character undergoes a major transfiguration in the course of the book. In some cases that change involves grisly death, but in others it puts them on a path toward becoming who they really are. Tyrion confronts his deepest fears (that his family despises him) while Jon Snow grapples with his deepest desire (to have a place in the world). Jaime Lannister becomes a first-person character in this book and sheds much of his golden-boy villainy (funny how that works). Arya Stark has been severed almost entirely from her former station in life, and seems unsure who she will become next. (OK, Sansa doesn't change very much. She's still pretty useless and seems to have learned exactly nothing over the course of 3 books.)

This book also marks the first time Daenerys emerges as a believable character. Prior to this book, she was the "westerner" set adrift among the "exotic others" across the narrow sea and her megalomaniacal personality seemed ripped from a different, inferior fantasy novel. Her chapters also suffered from being isolated from the main story arc. Here she learns more about her past and faces up to some of the contradictions in her plan for world domination, thereby becoming a little more human. Plus the slave-market scene is one of the most-satisfying Martin has written.

These changes hint that the apparent trajectory of the story is not the one Martin has in mind and that with four books left to go we should expect more drastic swerves before he finishes. Now, too much of this sort of thing can start to seem like writerly contrivance. In the real world, not everything happens in a way that maximizes dramatic tension. Plus, its one thing to have a dark second act provided we get a rousing finale as a reward for our patience. But despite all that, he's made a good case for continuing with the journey, even if it takes him another decade to finish.(less)

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Jun 30, 2011

Terry rated it

I've come to the conclusion that George RR Martin doesn't write books so much as he writes plot buckets. He has a world inhabited by characters whom aren't always interesting but about whom you want to know more and he keeps adding events to the plot bucket until it tips the scale in the neighborhood of 1100 pages. The text he's produced so far could have been recut in a dozen ways to produce something more akin to a story arc and he seems to have compassion for what this does to the reader.
...more

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Sep 19, 2011

David rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A Storm of Swords represents the turning point for Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire in many ways. The book sees the relatively abrupt end of the War of Five Kings as the driving force of the series plot. It establishes a number of other forces at work, ranging from the Daenery's continuing story along the coast of Slaver's Bay to the emerging war along the Wall. The new pieces on Martin's board separates A Song of Ice and Fire as something more than just another account of regicide and civil war ...moreA Storm of Swords represents the turning point for Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire in many ways. The book sees the relatively abrupt end of the War of Five Kings as the driving force of the series plot. It establishes a number of other forces at work, ranging from the Daenery's continuing story along the coast of Slaver's Bay to the emerging war along the Wall. The new pieces on Martin's board separates A Song of Ice and Fire as something more than just another account of regicide and civil war in some fictionalized stand-in for medieval Europe.

However, the third book in the series is a turning point in that it is frequently the one many readers put down. A Storm of Swords suffers from the problems that were beginning to be emphasized in A Clash of Kings. Martin's scope is becoming so broad as to become a challenge for his audience to work through. A Storm of Swords is a brick that barely misses the thousand page mark. The number of characters in the novel is also trying, even with Martin's strict point-of-view structure, and the middle of the novel is often muddled as the audience is moved rapidly from Daenery's distant campaigns, to the war-torn southern kingdoms, and to the distant perils Beyond the Wall with almost a wild abandon on the part of the author. The end of the book's distance from its point of origin only emphasizes that A Storm of Sword could easily have formed two installments in the Song. Martin's decision to split its sequel into A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons may be the saving grace that makes the latter part of the Song more accessible to its audience.

The detraction of size and the problems of literary logistics aside, A Storm of Swords does improve the Song by expanding the "game of throne's" board to include players with radically different motivations from those established in the first two novels. The introduction of the Dornishmen is my favorite addition to the Song's cast. The Martells and their bannermen introduce the shades of grey that were less noticeable in the Westeros than they were in Daenery's exploration of the lands beyond the Narrow Sea. They demonstrate the vast scale of the Seven Kingdoms--a realm where vast regions can be wholly untouched or even oblivious to a war of succession consuming almost all other major noble houses. The perpetual fatalism of Stannis Baratheon's royal court is a stark contrast to the success of Lannister-dominated King's Landing and the mixed hope and tragedy associated with the Stark's Kingdom of the North. The development of all three courts illustrates a deep appreciation for how the character of the ruler ultimately formed the nature of his--or her--government. Martin's efforts to expand the world along and beyond the Night Watch's Wall is another strong addition to the series, even if the view of this world is made to drab by Jon Snow's narrow outlook on the world around him.

Finally, the Song's third installment embraces one of the most interesting conflicts being played out in Martin's series. The formerly stable world of rational-if medieval-science most commonly represented by the Maesters of the Citadel is being upset by forces that these learned men cannot easily explain. Martin's expansive scope does allow him to explore how deeply this is starting to affect the Kingdoms of Westeros and the world beyond their borders. Many formerly static norms in politics, diplomacy, and society are resting on shaken foundations as centuries of perceived progress are up-ended. While Martin uses the term magic sparingly, there can be no doubt some form of magic is what is at work in many areas of this world. A Song of Ice and Fire may represent the latest fantasy series that successfully exploits a realm of unknown without leaning on it like a fatigued crutch since Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. (less)

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Nov 06, 2011

Rad Ryan rated it

Shelves: all-time-favorite, e-book-read

"Some battles are won with swords and spears, others with quills and ravens."

A Storm of Swords picked up the BEST story where A Clash of Kings left off. The Seven Kingdoms were in the middle of the War of the Five Kings namely, Robb Stark, Joffrey baratheon, Stannis Baratheon, Balon Greyjoy and the deceased Renly Baratheon.

All claiming that they are kings and the imaginary kingdoms were theirs to begin with, some by rights, some by conquering and some by manipul...more

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Nov 20, 2011

Brian rated it

· review of another edition

Series 11/13/11 - 9/10
I re-read the first 4 books and then read the 5th. The first 3 books are amazing...some of the best, grittiest, most surprising fantasy I've read. Unfortunately the 4th (and now the 5th), really slow things down. It seems like the plot is getting a bit unwieldy with all the characters. It's also getting a little repetitive with some of the statements, and a little cheesy with some of the viewpoints and the copouts of bringing lots of people back. I'm still really...more

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Jun 16, 2011

JG (The Introverted Reader) rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: own, fiction, 5_stars, author_american, characters_i_love, fantasy, on_the_screen, read_in_2011, reviewed

Just when I thought this series couldn't get any more twisty-turny,

(view spoiler)

How the hell is Martin doing this? No, seriously. Not only is he keeping up with 50 pages' worth of characters without bogging the story down in names, but he has twisted this story in every conceivable direction without turning it back on itself. I keep thinking that I have made my peace with losing characters that I love, but ...moreJust when I thought this series couldn't get any more twisty-turny,

(view spoiler)

How the hell is Martin doing this? No, seriously. Not only is he keeping up with 50 pages' worth of characters without bogging the story down in names, but he has twisted this story in every conceivable direction without turning it back on itself. I keep thinking that I have made my peace with losing characters that I love, but I am enraged every time another gets knocked off. I cheer when a bad guy gets it. I want to reach inside the pages and bitch-slap an awful lot of people. They are asking for it. Trust me.

Watching the series on HBO made me brave enough to pick up this one. Much as I love these, they are monsters. I need some courage to tackle them. Watching the series is giving me a better idea of how good Martin actually is. I am a slow series reader, so I do lose a lot of details between books. Seeing how things from the first book tie directly into the third book, about--oh, 3000 pages later, is amazing. It's also making it hard for me to keep my mouth shut as I watch with my sister and husband. They would never forgive me if I let a spoiler go, but it is so. freaking. hard. Like that spoiler up there. I want to tell them all about it and hash out exactly what happened where.

I really don't want to give away any spoilers, but I am bursting.

(view spoiler)

Whew. I'm exhausted. That has been building up for a while.

Read this book if you like beyond-excellent epic stories. Really. So. Freaking. Awesome.(less)

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Jul 12, 2008

Lucie rated it

Recommends it for: people who enjoy epic fantasy and appreciate strong characters and well-written prose

While the first book of the series was okay and the second book was good, this one - the third in the series - is brilliant. The thing I love are first and foremost the characters. You get a whole row of well-built characters, each with their own unique personality, quirks and fates. Usually, I find it bothersome when an author keeps switching perspectives chapter after chapter, but Martin makes this work to his favor - this way, we get to see the story from many differenet angles and viewpoints...more

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Mar 18, 2008

Camille rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 02, 2011

Brittany rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I have come to the conclusion that there are four types of people who read (or at least begin to read) Song of Ice and Fire

1. People who start to read it, get 100 pages in (or a whole first book) before giving up in disgust, throwing the book across the room, and wondering what happened to the (usually) good sense and good taste of the friends who will not stop vehemently recommending these books.

2. People that read them, enjoy them somewhat, but don't get caught up in them

...moreI have come to the conclusion that there are four types of people who read (or at least begin to read) Song of Ice and Fire

1. People who start to read it, get 100 pages in (or a whole first book) before giving up in disgust, throwing the book across the room, and wondering what happened to the (usually) good sense and good taste of the friends who will not stop vehemently recommending these books.

2. People that read them, enjoy them somewhat, but don't get caught up in them and don't think about them much once they're over. They appreciate Martin's writing, concede there are some weaknesses, but otherwise go on with their lives. (In my sample population, this is a very small group.)

3. People who love long stories. They read stories for the detail, and don't want the story to end. They would have been easily wiled by Scheherazade. They revel in books that go on and on and on. They long for the next book, yes, but are in no hurry whatsoever for the books to be over, because that means that there won't be any more of them.

4. People who are immediately sucked into the story. They love the characters and the plot. But it's more a compulsion than true love. They skim paragraphs that are mostly about food and clothes. They get rabidly furious with Martin when cruel, bad things happen to their favorite characters. They swear they're going to stop reading. But, like addicts, they keep coming back, even though they don't really enjoy the experience. They want Martin to end the books, tie them up with a big bow, so they can move on with their lives and not have their hearts and affections tormented in such a manner.

People who belong to group number four are the reason, I believe, Martin gets so much crap for taking three to four years to write books. These books are more than 1,000 pages long. That seems a reasonable time to produce a book of that length to me. Novels, especially ones as intricate as these, don't fly off the production line.

These are the people who tell you they love the books, but then in the next breath, go on about how excessively long they are, and how there's too much talk about food, and how whole chapters go by with essentially nothing happening, and how there aren't enough battles and action scenes. When these people are complaining to me about the books, I want to ask (and maybe I should next time) "Well, why are you still reading them, then?" But I think it's the compulsion thing. I don't think they really have a choice. I don't know if they can change from group four to group three. I feel a little sorry for them.

I clearly belong in group three. I love the descriptions. I delight in being told what people are wearing and eating and what the rooms look like. I like the quirky humor Martin sneaks in. I hate long, complicated battle scenes. I tend to skim those when they pop up in books by authors other than a select handfull who can write good battle scenes. I adore Martin's books, and I am having so much fun reading them. I'm eager to read the next one, but not panting to have them over with, either. I'm savoring them.

Storm of Swords gave us some of my favorite characters and themes in the Song of Ice and Fire (so far). We get the Queen of Thorns whom I adore. We get "The Bear and the Maiden Fair." And the Maid of Tarth. And Jaime's arc developing (the beautiful image of him staring at the mostly-empty page). We get a satisfying comeuppance to some characters we despised and tragic things happened to characters we love. We get two of the most memorable weddings I've ever read. The lead-up to the first one was excruciating the second time through. We don't have to find the patience to deal with Theon as a point-of-view character anymore, and we get Jaime instead.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I can't recommend it highly enough. The group twos will enjoy its twists, the group threes don't need to be told to read it, and I can only beg the group fours: Try to enjoy the lemon pies and Myrish lace, OK? It'll all be over soon enough, and then we'll all be sad.

The point-of-view characters in this book are: Jaime Lannister, Jon Snow, Catelyn Stark, Tyrion Lannister, Sansa Stark, Arya Stark, Bran Stark, Samwell Tarly, Davos Seaworth, and Daenerys Targaryen.(less)

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May 27, 2011

Becky rated it

Shelves: 2011, highly-recommended, nook, reviewed, leg-hump_worthy

I seriously need a "Whoa!" or "WTF?!" shelf for these books. They are seriously in a league of their own when it comes to... well, everything. I just finished, and the last chapter (before the epilogue) literally (and I mean literally) had me reading with wide, disbelieving eyes. This, despite all that I've seen before in these books. And that's a lot.

I love these books, and I am mentally kicking myself for never having read them before. The characters are fantas...more

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Nov 21, 2007

Roberta rated it

Recommends it for: masochists and Martin fans, folks who like a bit more reality to their fantasy

Shelves: fantasy

Okay, I know Martin is the second coming of Tolkien or whatever, but I didn't like this book nearly as much. I know it is supposed to be realistic and gritty, but he killed off too many characters that I honestly liked. I fear that there will be no happy ending at all for any characters. I know sometimes characters die, but he seems to kill off or maim most of his characters. Also, I don't think everyone is morally gray like his characters are. I think there are some people that do fit a bl...more

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Mar 07, 2008

Laura rated it

Darker and darker yet... Martin is an author of stories frightening and sorrowful both, this I knew already. But this book! Betrayal upon betrayal and murder most foul, not to mention the dead who get back up and come back to take their revenge upon the living.

One thing about this series which is strange to me: usually a story has a hero and a villain, a good guy and a bad guy, they battle each other and the story ends when the hero defeats the villain once and for all. Not this stor...more

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Jun 22, 2008

Jordan rated it

They think: My least favorite in the series so far, but still enjoyable. This book is actually split into two books, so thus far I've only read Part 1, at a whopping 602 pages. Though I do enjoy the story line, I can't help but feel like Martin's Editor was a little overly enamoured with him, as this book could have used some SERIOUS cutting. The amount of superfluous information doled out borders on indulgent at times. And as one is bound to cling to their favorite story thread, it makes the ti...more

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Oct 01, 2011

Ren the Unclean rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This book is, unbelievably, better than the first, and an awesome continuation of the series. Martin adds in a couple of new points of view, and kills off a couple of characters. That isn't a spoiler in this series.

The best addition is Jaime Lannister's point of view. He is fairly sideline in the first two books, but becomes more important starting in this one. It is incredible how Martin is able to take a character he has convinced the reader is a complete bastard and then mak...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
too many characters?	4	42	Jan 31, 2012 11:41pm
Meera's Story to Bran	13	104	Jan 31, 2012 08:07pm
Valar Morghulis--...: A Storm of Swords - ASOIAF #3 - Marked Spoilers	32	39	Jan 30, 2012 12:46am
GRRM's disregard for genre conventions Spoilers	5	67	Jan 16, 2012 02:01pm
Arya, Jon and Others Major Spoilers	4	65	Dec 25, 2011 08:25pm
Friends of Fictio...: A storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin	1	3	Dec 25, 2011 12:50am
A Song of Ice &am...: Question re:Storm of Swords+ <SPOILERS>	23	92	Dec 22, 2011 02:42am

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About George R.R. Martin

George R.R. Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.

Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children f...moreGeorge R.R. Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.

Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: "The Hero," sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.

In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.

As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.

In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.

Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.

Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West. (less)

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Books by George R.R. Martin

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)

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

A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire #4)

A Dance With Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire, #5)

A Game of Thrones / A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1-2)

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“Rhaegar fought valiantly, Rhaegar fought nobly, Rhaegar fought bravely. And Rhaegar died. ” — 113 people liked it

“Every man must die, Jon Snow. But first he must live.” — 89 people liked it

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