Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

A Storm of Swords

(A Song of Ice and Fire #3)

George R.R. Martin

4.54 · Rating details · 717,706 ratings · 23,310 reviews

an alternate cover for this ISBN can be found here

Here is the third volume in George R.R. Martin's magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings. Together, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.

Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, ...more

Get A Copy

Mass Market Paperback, 1177 pages

Published March 4th 2003 by Bantam (first published August 8th 2000)

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about A Storm of Swords, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Best Fantasy Books of the 21st Century

2,924 books — 9,675 voters

Best Books Ever

90,132 books — 224,699 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 4.54 ·

Rating details

· 717,706 ratings · 23,310 reviews

More filters

Sort order

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

May 02, 2010 Nataliya rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Fans of GRRM and epic unpredictable fantasy

Recommended to Nataliya by: Vera

Shelves: locus-winner, hugo-nebula-nominees-and-winners

This book made me want to throw it against the wall in anger and disbelief. It made me root for the death of a child (and then despise myself), love a hated character, cry angry tears, and bite my nails because of all the suspense.

**Pictograhically, all of the above was happening to me.**

I did not throw the book across the room. Instead, I put it aside and stared at the wall for a few minutes in grief and disbelief. If you read this, you know which part I am talking about *SOBBING* Then I p
This book made me want to throw it against the wall in anger and disbelief. It made me root for the death of a child (and then despise myself), love a hated character, cry angry tears, and bite my nails because of all the suspense.

**Pictograhically, all of the above was happening to me.**

I did not throw the book across the room. Instead, I put it aside and stared at the wall for a few minutes in grief and disbelief. If you read this, you know which part I am talking about *SOBBING* Then I picked it up again, because at that point I was so hooked that nothing could have stopped me. (I also MAY HAVE cut my neurobiology class to finish it. I know, I'm bad, very very bad.)

Ah, you guys... Look at you, all innocent, before this book rips into you...

A Storm of Swords is, in my opinion, an undisputed high point of the series so far. It expanded the story in delightful, wonderful ways. It gave it a truly epic feel. It delivered the cruel punch in the gut with the (view spoiler) (excuse me as I go and cry myself to sleep) and reinforced the axiom that nobody is safe in the world GRRM created. (*)

* It was heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, and unexpected. But it was necessary, even if just to remind how cruel and brutal this world is, and how little choices can have huge consequences.

I loved this book because of the amount of promise it brought to the series. It brought our characters to the brink of greatness, put them in the positions that were surely going to change the course of this entire story.

Examples: Jon and Dany. It was amazing to see how these two very young characters grew and developed due to all the battles, losses, and betrayals that they suffered. Both of them at the end of this story carry such potential for the future of this series. (view spoiler)

Ah, our favorite despicable Lannisters... Look at you BEFORE all the hell broke loose for you. Does it make you feel any sympathy for the Starks now? No? I thought so.

The character complexity parallels the story complexity - both are done masterfully. The characters feel alive and real. They are interesting and fascinating, and fluctuate between likable and despicable in a not too predictable fashion (*). The previously unseen connections between characters and events are mind-blowing. And seeing the select few skillfully manipulating so many others is unsettling.
* Let me use Jaime and Tyrion as my examples here:

Jaime became one of my favorites: understanding where he's coming from and seeing him humbled by his experience changed him from a monster to a deeply flawed but ultimately sympathetic man. (What he did to Bran was terrible - but child's play in comparison of all the other mindf***ery GRRM gives us in this book. What he does with his sister - gross, but they are competent and consenting adults, and it's not my place to judge them).
Tyrion, on the other hand... What he did to Shae reminded me that darkness can live inside everyone, even our favorite Imp. (view spoiler)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't get me wrong. I gush about it, but this book is far from perfect. Just like its sequels (and predecessors) it suffers from overload of descriptions and repetitions, gratuitous bodily functions and banquets. Some storylines already begin to drag (Arya, for instance). But most of the faults were easily overshadowed by the great characterization, masterful story, and wonderfully built suspense. This is what I felt was unfortunately missing from the books that followed, and what I hope they return to eventually.

5 stars from my (many moons ago) yet-not-jaded self that happily gobbled up this delicious brain candy. ...more

flag 663 likes · Like · see review

Aug 01, 2013 Jayson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012, genre-high-fantasy, subject-war, 600-plus-pp, genre-adult-fantasy, author-american

(A) 88% | Extraordinary
Notes: This is where the story explodes; two outstanding scenes highlight a truly audacious, epic and consequential volume.

flag 682 likes · Like · see review

Sep 08, 2019 Jayson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: author-american, genre-adult-fantasy, genre-high-fantasy, audiobook-audible, read-in-2019

(A) 88% | Extraordinary
Notes: A tour de force of What the F’s, it’s full of blighted beddings, horrid japes, abrupt escapes, and bloody awful weddings.

flag 551 likes · Like · see review

Jan 29, 2019 Petrik rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Grimdark and epic fantasy fans

Shelves: favorites, masterpieces

I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/petrikleo

An absolutely merciless and brilliant masterwork.

This was unbelievably amazing. A Storm of Swords could actually be the height of George R. R. Martin’s writing career. I know I haven’t read A Feast for Crows, A Dance with Dragons, or the extra books of the series yet. But realistically speaking, it would be bloody difficult for Martin to top what he has achieved in this book.

Picture: A Storm of Swords by Marc Simonet ...more

flag 437 likes · Like · see review

Feb 26, 2011 mark monday rated it it was amazing

Shelves: rain-man-reviews, fantasy-modern, alpha-team

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

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... all those scar ...more

flag 406 likes · Like · see review

Feb 12, 2017 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own, fantasy-all

Freaking awesome re-read!

**OKAY, SPOILERS FOR THOSE THAT HAVEN'T READ IT YET**

Reading this was cray because I keep looking to see if I had read it before! I thought why is so much of this familiar. Then I thought, "Oh yeah, stupid, you own and have watched all of the current shows!" <--- I mean duh!

I was going to give this one 4 stars because it's the one where they kill more of the Stark's and wolf and I wanted to go in, turn into my own dragon and burn them all down!

but then . . .

THIS ↓

Oh h ...more

flag 290 likes · Like · see review

May 25, 2013 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, magic, 21th-century, fiction, epic, united-states

A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire #3), George R.R. Martin

A Storm of Swords is the third of seven planned novels in A Song of Ice and Fire, a fantasy series by American author George R. R. Martin. It was first published on August 8, 2000.

A Storm of Swords picks up the story slightly before the end of its predecessor, A Clash of Kings.

The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros are still in the grip of the War of the Five Kings, wherein Joffrey Baratheon and Stannis Baratheon compete for the Iron Thr A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire #3), George R.R. Martin

A Storm of Swords is the third of seven planned novels in A Song of Ice and Fire, a fantasy series by American author George R. R. Martin. It was first published on August 8, 2000.

A Storm of Swords picks up the story slightly before the end of its predecessor, A Clash of Kings.

The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros are still in the grip of the War of the Five Kings, wherein Joffrey Baratheon and Stannis Baratheon compete for the Iron Throne, while Robb Stark of the North and Balon Greyjoy of the Iron Islands declare their independence.

Meanwhile, a large host of wildlings, the tribes from beyond the Seven Kingdoms' northern border, approach the Wall that marks the border, under the leadership of Mance Rayder, the self-proclaimed "King Beyond the Wall", with only the undermanned Night's Watch in opposition.

Finally, Daenerys Targaryen, the daughter of a deposed former king of Westeros and "mother" of the world's only living dragons, travels west to plan to retake her father's throne. ...

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: از بیست ششم آوریل تا بیست و نهم ماه می سال2015میلادی

عنوان: طوفان شمشیرها کتاب یک از جلد سه (نغمه آتش و یخ، #3)؛ نویسنده: جورج آر.آر مارتین؛ مترجم: رویا خادم الرضا؛ مشخصات نشر تهران، ویدا، سال1393، در737ص و شش صفحه نقشه، شابک9786002910745؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده21م

عنوان: طوفان شمشیرها کتاب دوم از جلد سه (نغمه آتش و یخ، #3)؛ نویسنده: جورج آر.آر مارتین؛ مترجم: رویا خادم الرضا؛ مشخصات نشر تهران، ویدا، سال1393، در789ص، شابک9786002910752؛

سومین کتاب از مجموعه رمان فانتزی حماسی «ترانه یخ و آتش»، اثر نویسنده آمریکایی «جرج آر.آر مارتین» است؛ این کتاب طولانی‌ترین کتاب در این سری است؛ با توجه به طولانی بودن کتاب، در برخی کشورها از جمله در «استرالیا» و «ایران» این کتاب در دو بخش به چاپ رسیده است؛

چکیده: «داستان طوفان شمشیرها» کمی پیش از داستان کتاب پیشین سری «ترانه آتش و یخ» است؛ هفت پادشاهی هنوز درگیر جنگ پنج پادشاه هستند؛ شاه‌های باقی‌مانده «راب استارک»، «بالون گری‌ جوی»، «جوفری باراتئون» و «استانیس باراتئون»، برای نگاهبانی قدرتشان، در جنگ با هم برای نگاهبانی از رده ی خودشان هستند؛ جنگ داخلی، مردمان عادی را از بین می‌برد؛ داستان از دیدگاه ده شخصیت اصلی، گفته می‌شود، و یک پیش‌ مقدمه، و یک شخصیت پس مقدمه هم دارد، که در کل دوازده گوینده، در داستان حضور دارند «پیش مقدمه چت برادر و نگهدارنده سگها»؛ «سر جیمی لنیستر پسر بزرگ تایوین لنیستر برادر تیریون لنیستر»؛ «جان اسنو پسرخوانده ی ادارد استارک»؛ «بانو کتلین استارک»؛ «تیریون لنیستر»؛ «سانسا استارک»؛ «آریا استارک»؛ «برن استارک»؛ «سمول تارلی»؛ «سر داووس سی‌ورس»؛ «ملکه دنریس تارگرین»؛ «پس مقدمه: مرت فری»؛

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 02/01/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ 06/10/140هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی ...more

flag 175 likes · Like · see review

Apr 12, 2015 NickReads rated it it was amazing

I love this one. Definitely a favorite.

flag 159 likes · Like · see review

Jun 19, 2011 Matt rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, classic-novels

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 about the p ...more

flag 157 likes · Like · see review

Nov 08, 2012 karen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: live-through-this

HAPPY SEASON 4 FINALE EVE, NERDIES!!! (view spoiler)

success! i have managed to read this book without getting spoiled ahead of time!! so - ha! to you nerds talking loudly in my sci-fi section about the plot!! i ran to the history wall and hummed loudly until they left. ha! to that jerk at BEA telling his colleagues every. single. thing. that happened in the third book while he stood behind me in that justin cronin line!! i made greg ...more

flag 156 likes · Like · see review

Jun 22, 2011 Jessi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: yeah-i-d-hit-that-boycrushes, wolves-jessi-s-wolf-shelf, six-stars-your-a-superstar, a-song-of-ice-and-fire, my-favs, dont-make-any-friggen-plans

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" man I love Indiana Jones but... that secon ...more

flag 150 likes · Like · see review

May 11, 2016 Candace rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, shocking-twists, listened-to-audio-version, dangerous-hero-themed-books-read, revenge-stories, favorites, dark-themes, pregnant-heroines

Each one of these humongous books has managed to completely captivate me. I have loved listening to the characters evolve with this series as their fantastical world changes around them. Nothing is off-limits and nobody is sacred. As anxious as it makes me, the fact that I never know what to expect next is a big plus for me. When you read as much as I do, it is rare to be surprised, but Mr. Martin manages to keep me guessing.

While the second book had multiple kings rising to power and fighting f Each one of these humongous books has managed to completely captivate me. I have loved listening to the characters evolve with this series as their fantastical world changes around them. Nothing is off-limits and nobody is sacred. As anxious as it makes me, the fact that I never know what to expect next is a big plus for me. When you read as much as I do, it is rare to be surprised, but Mr. Martin manages to keep me guessing.

While the second book had multiple kings rising to power and fighting for their piece of the Iron Throne, this book took the story in an entirely different direction. What goes up must come down. In this epic saga full of scheming and betrayals, the power players are constantly changing. 'A Storm of Swords' completely changes the landscape of this story yet again.

Aside from the fall of kings, the way the characters are presented had me rethinking my previous judgments. As each character's thoughts and actions were explored, it became clear that there is no "good" or "bad" person. Even despicable characters had redeeming qualities and/or motivations that were understandable, if not admirable. Similarly, the less than pure intentions and actions of some of my favorite characters were brought to light. Everyone is flawed and vulnerable in some way.

The only exception to this was Joffrey. I couldn't find a single redeeming quality in that evil brat. Maybe it was there and my hatred for him just wouldn't allow me to see it. Nonetheless, he remained true to his role of "ultimate villain".

As with the first two books in the series, be prepared for plenty of blood and gore. Characters will die, sometimes gruesomely. Don't get too attached. This definitely isn't a series for the faint of heart.

Now that I've finished the third book, I can begin to spot some of the inconsistencies between the books and the HBO series. There are some omissions that have been made, but nothing that I thought was critical to this story so far. I've also noticed that a few things are presented out of sequence. Again, this didn't take away from the enjoyment for me, but it was noticeable if you're reading and watching subsequently.

Overall, I am still loving this story. It is still confusing at times, with an extremely complex storyline. However, I feel like I'm getting a better grasp on things. It's on to the next one for me.

...more

flag 146 likes · Like · see review

Feb 27, 2014 Sean Barrs rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

When I first read A Game of Thrones I hated Jaime Lannister. Now, I think he’s awesome. If someone would have told me then, that by book three I would consider him one of my favourite characters, I’d have likely pushed them out of the moon door. It’s quite surprising that George R.R Martin actually changed him around like this. Well, I say change around. What I actually mean is showed the reader what he actually is. Never before, with any novel, have I had my feelings of pure hatred completely ...more

flag 142 likes · Like · see review

Feb 03, 2017 megs_bookrack rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A Storm of Swords can only be described as EPIC.

The Epilogue added 5-years to my life.
What else can be, or need be, said?

((drops mic)) ...more

flag 120 likes · Like · see review

Oct 26, 2012 Jacob McCabe rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

THAT ENDING. OH MY FREAKING GOD.

AND SANSA. WITH THE LITTLEFINGER THING.

AND DANAERYS. WITH...EVERYTHING.

AND TYRION. WITH THE SHAE THING. AND HIS FATHER.

AND JON. WITH THE WALL. AND THE WILDLINGS. AND THE OTHERS. AND YGRITTE.

AND BRAN. WITH...just kidding, no one cares about Bran.

AND CATELYN. WITH HER PROBLEMS, AS THEY ARE A-PLENTY.

OH MY FREAKING GOD.

flag 114 likes · Like · see review

Jul 02, 2018 Lyn rated it really liked it

DAMN!

It’s like if you buy a muscle car on Friday afternoon and you drive it home some friends come over to look at it and you know and they all know how cool it is. Then on the second day you get to drive it around town and everyone that sees it knows you’ve got a beast, a low growl coming from under the hood. But it’s not until the third day that you arrange to go out onto a track and open it up that you realize what a monster machine you’ve got and even as the speedometer passes 100 you press DAMN!

It’s like if you buy a muscle car on Friday afternoon and you drive it home some friends come over to look at it and you know and they all know how cool it is. Then on the second day you get to drive it around town and everyone that sees it knows you’ve got a beast, a low growl coming from under the hood. But it’s not until the third day that you arrange to go out onto a track and open it up that you realize what a monster machine you’ve got and even as the speedometer passes 100 you press down further and it responds like a galloping horse and keeps accelerating and you breathe catches in your throat and you know you’re on the ride of your life. And you whisper: DAMN!

George R.R. Martin knew he had something cool when he first published A Game of Thrones in 1996. Martin had been toiling away as a writer for more than twenty years and had seen struggles and poverty, as had many speculative fiction writers before him. While he had seen some success in his fantasy and horror stories and books, and had some work screenwriting, it was not until he set out to create this epic fantasy that his stock began to rise – his muscle car hit the nitro and fishtailed into wild success with the HBO adaptation and millions of golden dragons to line the coffers of his keep.

A Storm of Swords, first published in 2000, his third in the series, is the muscle car, the biggest and fastest horse, the book where Martin, established as a success and had his readers’ attention, put the hammer down to see what this thing can do.

It’s a wild ride. Fans of the first two books knew about Westeros and Essos and about the Starks and the Lannisters and the faded glory of the Targaryens; and they know about the raw carnality of the books, the guttural sex and violence that adds harsh realism to the story. ASOS takes it up a notch and demonstrates that as good as the series is, Martin can continue to make it a bionic man of fiction: faster, stronger and better.

The violence. One of the criticisms of the 2004 Antoine Fuqua film King Arthur starring Clive Owen was the minimization of violence. Whereas earlier adaptions of the Arthur legend were intentionally theatrical and atmospheric rather than realistic, Fuqua seemed to be on to a cool angle by introducing a historically accurate revisionist story of Arthur as a Roman leader fighting Picts and Scots. There’s swords and daggers and arrows and lots of fighting, but not so much blood and guts. The incongruity of the muddy realism with the stylized violence was distracting.

Martin, on the other hand, takes the Tolkienesque legend, adapts it to fit on to his alternate War of the Roses inspired fantasy and does not leave out the brutal reality of war and survivalist feudalism. Razor sharp blades cut, people bleed and die, women get raped and slavery exists. In his zeal for a fantasy that also seems real, Martin shines a light on the good, the bad and the ugly and his narrative is far better for it.

Martin’s POV chapters highlights and exhibits his great talent for fully developed characterization. The players are complicated and there is a dynamic depth of relationships that is mesmerizing. His world building, adding detail and history to an already spectacular creation, continues to impress.

There are several scenes that stand out: the Red Wedding, Daenerys at Astapor, Tyrions trial of combat between Gregor Clegane and Oberyn Martell, and many others that fill this thick tome and make it a page turner.

This is the best one so far and I’m already on to the next one.

description

...more

flag 101 likes · Like · see review

Jun 16, 2011 Cassy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

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 sound when thou ...more

flag 100 likes · Like · see review

May 28, 2012 Madeline rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

PREVIOUSLY, ON A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE: A ton of dudes came up out of the woodwork to fight over a stupid crown, lots of people died, lots of people killed lots of people, there was consensual sex and a lot more rape, some hookers and mercenaries, and life continued to be utterly terrible for anyone with the last name Stark. Also there are fucking dragons and ice-zombie-monsters, don't forget about those! It only gets more fun from here, boys and girls.

So with that in mind, lets check in with ou ...more

flag 94 likes · Like · see review

Jul 27, 2019 Sara rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is an extraordinary bloodbath of a book, George R R Martin showed no mercy when it came to these characters or our feelings. In one afternoon of reading I witnessed 4 main characters (view spoiler) and countless side and minor characters die - ruthless!
Other than the severe heartache and trauma brought on by the Red Wedding and the Battle at Castle Black this book was a delight to re - read. I loved being back with some of my favourite charact ...more

flag 90 likes · Like · see review

Jan 29, 2013 Dan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, 2013, kitten-squisher

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Three kings contend for the throne and King Joffrey's wedding day grows near. Can he hold the throne with Robb Stark and Stannis Baratheon nipping at his heels?

Yeah, that's a woefully inadequate summary but it's not laden with spoilers, either.

Here we are, the third installment of Weddings, Beddings, and Beheadings, and my favorite one so far. In fact, I was thinking about downgrading them to 4's just so I could show how great I thought this one was. Martin outdid himself this time.

First of all, ...more

flag 82 likes · Like · see review

Jun 24, 2014 Melanie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audible, fantasy, read-in-2016, dragons, magic, buddy-reads, dark

1.) A Game of Thrones ★★★★★
2.) A Clash of Kings ★★★★★

#readASOIAF Read-Along - Hosted by Riley from Riley Marie, Elizabeth from Liz Loves Literature, and Kayla from BOOKadoodles. ♥

This book is heart-wrenching, and not just because this book contains the Red Wedding, but because this book leaves you with a sense of hopelessness. Many of these characters with good hearts and souls have such terrible things happen to them, while liars and killers prosper. Sometimes having a heavy pocketbook is more ...more

flag 82 likes · Like · see review

Nov 25, 2011 Ken-ichi rated it liked it

Shelves: escape, fantasy

Ok, so I'm 3 books into this series. 2972 pages. Let's take stock of the Starks:
(view spoiler) Ok, 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 and 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 to 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 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. I guess "ham-fisted" could qualify as arousing if you have some kind of ham fetish. Let's just stop talking about this.
(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.

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. ...more

flag 76 likes · Like · see review

Dec 14, 2021 Alex Nieves rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

One of the best fantasy books ever written.

flag 71 likes · Like · see review

Apr 23, 2013 Jason Koivu rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

Gut reaction review:

WTF!!!

Post blown-gasket review:

A Storm of Swords should be called A Storm of Suitors for all the matchmaking going on through out. I'm not complaining, mind you. It's all handled with a touch (or sometimes a bludgeoning) of intrigue to keep it interesting.

Ah yes, the soap opera continues, and much of it this tome around is about who weds who in hopes of attaining which castle or what lands. The court intrigue of lords and ladies is good and all, but I doubt it would've kept
Gut reaction review:

WTF!!!

Post blown-gasket review:

A Storm of Swords should be called A Storm of Suitors for all the matchmaking going on through out. I'm not complaining, mind you. It's all handled with a touch (or sometimes a bludgeoning) of intrigue to keep it interesting.

Ah yes, the soap opera continues, and much of it this tome around is about who weds who in hopes of attaining which castle or what lands. The court intrigue of lords and ladies is good and all, but I doubt it would've kept me reading on if Martin hadn't added a little murder here and a bloody siege there. The magic-and-monsters aspect of this fantasy comes in a little heavier than it has in past books, too. I prefer my fantasy more grounded in reality, so this had me edging towards a hint of queasiness at times, but all told, it was nothing I couldn't stomach.

Actually, one area where fantasy is strongest was one of my favorite parts. I absolutely rejoiced at finally seeing some real, meaty north of the Wall action! And Jon Snow (who knows nothing, btw) remains one of my favorite characters from the very start.

One quibbling complaint: Martin dropped the ball once or twice in this book like I've never seen him do before. Characters need to be believable within the scope of the world they inhabit. If they are not, say if they act contrary to their own nature as previously displayed, we the reader stop following them, at least not with the same gusto. Such is the case involving (view spoiler) It's forced and just plain sloppy.

However, all that pales in comparison to one absolutely shocking moment (see original review...never mind, I'll just reprint it here: WTF!!!) that took me completely by surprise. I'm not saying it was a Martin-mistep, but I'm just coming around from my stunned stupor. In and of itself it would mean nothing to someone who hadn't read the first two books, but being fully ensconced in the soap opera as I am, it had great meaning....I'm really trying my hardest not to revert to spoiler masks here...so let me just say - it was like having the rug pulled out from under me, but then feeling some satisfaction upon learning that the same thing happened to my asshole neighbor - and I'll leave it at that. ...more

flag 65 likes · Like · see review

Aug 31, 2016 Michael Finocchiaro rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, novels, american-21st-c, fiction

I enjoyed this 3rd book in the Ice and Fire cycle where we see Martin's writing mature and his character development deepen. There are lots of memorable moments here and it is mostly the subject of S03 and part of S04 of the associated HBO TV show. I preferred it to its two predecessors but enjoyed the last two books even more. ...more

flag 62 likes · Like · see review

Jun 11, 2019 Tatiana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, tres-annoying, 2019, nebula, locus, hugo

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It's amazing how ONE wrong decision by an author can taint a whole series of books and drown all the good stuff in a sea of YUCK and WRONG.

Of course, I am, once again, talking about the ages of the main characters. I expect I will continue talking about this over and over and over again. Especially as I see almost none of people in my feed seem to be bothered by it.

George, either you have a real "thing" for sexualizing kids, or you have no idea what you are talking about. STOP objectifying 12- It's amazing how ONE wrong decision by an author can taint a whole series of books and drown all the good stuff in a sea of YUCK and WRONG.

Of course, I am, once again, talking about the ages of the main characters. I expect I will continue talking about this over and over and over again. Especially as I see almost none of people in my feed seem to be bothered by it.

George, either you have a real "thing" for sexualizing kids, or you have no idea what you are talking about. STOP objectifying 12-year olds, STOP putting them into some kind epic romances, STOP making them equals in sexual relationships with grownups. Just stop. Ok, you've made a mistake in the first book, you could have been creative and stopped being so gross.

So, the pacing of this novel has gone a little off the rails, and I can't really tell what is the time frame of this book. Sometimes it felt like a year has passed, but then, can you roam beyond the wall for a year with a newborn and not die? Or hide in some woods for a year and eat frogs?

Anyway, Sansa is approaching 13, Dany 14, Jeoffrey 13. And I can't get over this. These kids are not just left to age and grow, they are constantly put, by George Martin, into sexual situations with much older people, making Martin's world some kind of pedophile's paradise.

I used to like Jorah, Tyrion and Daario on the show. What's left of their dignity and poise in the books? Jorah forces kisses on Dani and paws at her. She is 14. Tyrion slithers around Sansa with a "nice guy" attitude and a hard-on, thinking he is owed Sansa' body. She is 12, but "flowered"! Little Finger is... Little Finger I guess. I couldn't even enjoy Jon-Ygritte thing, for goodness sake. How old is he now? 15? Daario is surely to go down in my estimation next.

I felt that I much preferred the show version of this story. People are older and at least some relationships are shippable. A lot of the characters are more complex and likable (Shae, Talisa is a vast improvement over Jeyne, a classic damsel-in-distress, Oberyn and Margaery get more to do. Daario doesn’t just twirl his purple beard. Visually, the show has done wonderful things with Martin's material. Red Wedding, Oberyn/Mountain fight are the powerful highlights, naturally, and played out even more gloriously on the screen. The show runners were also successful at merging a lot of Martin’s story lines and characters together, because let’s be honest, this book is way too long and weighted down by some details that are not important. Arya’s trip felt tremendously overlong, with never ending flow of road criminals. But I was right about Theon though. I absolutely didn’t miss witnessing his torture.

One more observation. An old one. So, is this incest obsession ever going to stop? Why bring poor Gendry into this? What does putting siblings into a sexual situation does for you and your story exactly, George? ...more

flag 66 likes · Like · see review

Jul 30, 2015 Angela rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-star-favorites, read-it-and-weep, badass-females

THAT ENDING.... The middle. .. The beginning.... THAT ENDING. WHAT WHAT JUST HAPPENED.

flag 59 likes · Like · see review

Feb 10, 2012 Graham Herrli rated it liked it

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy, tragic

Several aspects of this book make me want to give it only one star, several push me to rate it closer to the opposite end of the spectrum. I give it just over three stars.

On the one-star end:

The writing style grates. Opening to a random page, I find "green as the summer grass" and "caught between the hammer and the anvil." Opening to any other page would provide similar cliches. The book could be shortened without removing substance: long lists of knights names and heraldry may mean something to Several aspects of this book make me want to give it only one star, several push me to rate it closer to the opposite end of the spectrum. I give it just over three stars.

On the one-star end:

The writing style grates. Opening to a random page, I find "green as the summer grass" and "caught between the hammer and the anvil." Opening to any other page would provide similar cliches. The book could be shortened without removing substance: long lists of knights names and heraldry may mean something to the author, but to the casual reader with no interest in memorizing the hierarchy of a fictional chivalric system, such lists only delay reading as I skim past them. I suppose I should at least be pleased that Martin appears finally to have learned the word "crenel" so that I no longer need to suffer through his repeated mentions of "the gap between the merlons"....

Yet the writing style is nothing compared to the utter lack of subtlety and tact. What bothers me most about this book is Martin's repeated description of random murders and rapes, included for what I can only assume must be their presumed shock-and-awe value. Although I can appreciate Martin's ability to evoke such emotional responses as righteous anger, pity, and revulsion, I cannot help but think that the overall view of humanity he projects is far too negative. Epic works need sorrow, but they need joy as well, and A Song of Ice and Fire is far too long not to have some lasting joys. Any book of any worth carries with it a message; Martin's seems just to be "valar morghulis," Ancient Valyrian for "all men must die" and hardly a message worth sending.

On the four- or possibly five-star end:

Martin does a wonderful job of characterization by switching to a third-person limited focus upon a new character with each chapter. Just when a character seems most demonized, Martin zooms in upon that character to explain his history and motivation. The inherent flaw to this technique is that to humanize one character's actions yet another character must be demonized. In the end, some characters such as Gregor Clegane and the Mad King Aerys must be left demonized without the reader ever getting a glance at a human side to them.

Martin also creates several intriguing religions and passingly hints and a few philosophical quandaries. For example, he passingly touches upon the idea that fire is warmth and light, yet it destroys to create these, thus provoking questions about the goodness or evilness of its nature.

Despite its flaws, the book makes me want to keep reading the series. I hope to see the characters, religions, and budding quandaries developed in greater depth in the next book. I hope, perhaps, that one of the characters may even come to the realization that although "all men must die," it is equally true that all men must live. The fire may burn out, but first it burns. ...more

flag 55 likes · Like · see review

Jan 24, 2014 Tim rated it it was amazing

Storm of Swords is master author Martin at his best. Incredible character development and plots of twists and turns leaves this reader in awe. 10 of 10 stars!

flag 52 likes · Like · see review

Dec 22, 2014 Roya rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: buddy-read, quite-good

Second read on 19/03/2016 - 26/04/2016

I haven't been reading as much as I would like to these days. Aside from this series, which is more of a commitment than anything else, I rarely reach for other books. Perhaps it's because I'm reading nonfiction, but I rarely feel enthusiastic about reading. So far the reading year hasn't been amazing. And I don't think it has to do with the books, but my inability to enjoy them as I used to. Nevertheless, I've noticed that all the books I've re-read rec ...more

flag 52 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Great American Re...: May/June 2021 - A STORM OF SWORDS by George R.R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire #3)	1	5	May 02, 2021 05:05AM
Play Book Tag: [Poll Ballot] A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin - 5 Stars	4	11	Oct 19, 2020 06:41PM
2022 Reading Chal...: A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire #3)	41	50	Oct 16, 2020 11:33AM
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER IN THE WHOLE SERIES ? AND WHY?	101	913	Jun 28, 2020 07:32AM
Fantasy Buddy Reads: A Storm of Swords [February 18, 2020]	110	42	Mar 31, 2020 12:48AM
Goodreads Librari...: Please add page count ASIN B00026WUZU	3	13	Jan 19, 2020 06:46AM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Fantasy

28,577 users

Fiction

6,009 users

Fantasy > Epic Fantasy

1,257 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

975 users

Fantasy > High Fantasy

868 users

Adult

736 users

Adventure

629 users

Fantasy > Dragons

598 users

Audiobook

592 users

Epic

519 users

See top shelves…

About George R.R. Martin

George R.R. Martin

101,494 followers

George Raymond Richard "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 chil George Raymond Richard "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.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/george... ...more