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

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

by George R.R. Martin

4.53 of 5 stars 4.53 · rating details · 329,155 ratings · 15,289 reviews

A STORM OF SWORDS

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...more

Kindle Edition, 1216 pages

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

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

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

The Complete Chronicles of Conan by Robert E. Howard

Sword and Sorcery

6th out of 469 books — 199 voters

WTF Endings

50th out of 307 books — 756 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Dec 04, 2013 Nataliya rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Fans of GRRM and epic unpredictable fantasy

Recommended to Nataliya by: Vera

Shelves: hugo-nebula, locus-winner

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 picke...more
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. (less)

flag 424 likes · like · see review

Sep 29, 2014 mark monday rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantastickal, rain-man-reviews, 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 scars (...more

flag 295 likes · like · see review

Nov 07, 2011 Jessi rated it 5 of 5 stars · 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, 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 second o...more

flag 123 likes · like · see review

Jun 15, 2014 karen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 113 likes · like · see review

Jul 13, 2011 Matt rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 111 likes · like · see review

Aug 18, 2011 Cassy rated it 5 of 5 stars · 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 sound when thous...more

flag 76 likes · like · see review

Feb 17, 2013 Dan Schwent rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 2013

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 66 likes · like · see review

Dec 11, 2011 Ken-ichi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, escape

Ok, so I'm 3 books into this series. 2972 pages. Let's take stock of the Starks:
(view spoiler)...more 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. (less)

flag 56 likes · like · see review

May 16, 2013 Jason Koivu rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 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...more

flag 54 likes · like · see review

May 22, 2013 K. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 21st-cent, american-lit, fantasy-sci-fi-dys, hit-me-in-the-heart, major-head-fck, my-everests, own, society-culture-and-politics, this-shelf-is-divine

Dear George R. R. Martin,

natalie portman gif photo: Natalie KO 2dgqlo6jpg.gif

No, wait! I didn't mean it!

description

YES I DIIIIID!!

Sincerely,

K.

flag 52 likes · like · see review

Aug 08, 2011 Nastassja rated it 5 of 5 stars · 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, really did not...more

flag 40 likes · like · see review

Jun 28, 2011 Ryan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 devastated the small...more

flag 39 likes · like · see review

Jun 14, 2012 Madeline rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 42 likes · like · see review

view all 13 comments

Lindsey, Corrie, Not to be rude or to rain on your parade or anything, but it is discussed between Robert and Ned that Ned had a relationship with a whore named Wylla...more
Oct 19, 2014 07:20AM

Madeline You weren't being rude! That's the great thing about unfounded fan theories - there are no wrong answers.

For my part, I go along with the commonly-acc...more
Oct 19, 2014 08:51AM

Jun 22, 2012 mrsj rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is brutal.
This book is cruel .
This book holds no punches .
If you are looking for a fairy tale story where the prince meets the princess and they live happily ever after? NOT HAPPENING IN THIS BOOK.

The twists, the betrayals, the change of events will shocked you (view spoiler), stunned you, rocked your world, crushed you down and leaving you asking for more!

An enchanting tale that Mr George R.R Martin had given us.

The talks on rape are tamer t...more

flag 38 likes · like · see review

Apr 27, 2013 Jacob McCabe rated it 5 of 5 stars · 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 36 likes · like · see review

Oct 09, 2011 Jim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

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 control of the...more 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 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 descriptions of 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 than that? 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)

flag 35 likes · like · see review

Feb 11, 2012 Graham Herrli rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012, 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...more 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.(less)

flag 34 likes · like · see review

May 23, 2011 Ben Babcock rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 and anger both...more

flag 34 likes · like · see review

Oct 06, 2014 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, epic-fantasy

Okay, first a word on my feelings about epic fantasy. In general, I like it. There are epic fantasies that I dearly love. There are multivolume books that I keep around just in case I want to re-read them or in some cases re-re-re-re-re-read them. There are others that started out well and then faded, or even crashed and burned. I loved the first six volumes of Jordan's Wheel of Time. I still think it could have been one of the great epics of all time, but (in my opinion) it failed badly and whi...more Okay, first a word on my feelings about epic fantasy. In general, I like it. There are epic fantasies that I dearly love. There are multivolume books that I keep around just in case I want to re-read them or in some cases re-re-re-re-re-read them. There are others that started out well and then faded, or even crashed and burned. I loved the first six volumes of Jordan's Wheel of Time. I still think it could have been one of the great epics of all time, but (in my opinion) it failed badly and while Brandon Sanderson is finishing it, for me it will never recover.

So now, we come to A Song of Ice and Fire. The "series" opened up credibly and drew me (as well as many, many others) into it's story. I followed it through the second volume and for me the blush was already coming off the rose. Now we hit volume three A Storm of Swords. I held out hope for this book that things would begin to come together...and a couple of things did (thus 2 stars instead of1). On the whole however I'm greatly underwhelmed and with the number of books I have waiting to be read...no not great.

I suppose that the story isn't helped (for me) in that I really don't like more than a couple of the main characters (Jon and maybe Arya). I get to watch them go through various forms of H**l as the entire cast of characters plots, plans and schemes to kill one another and end up on top of the entire stinking heap. As the threat(s) sweep down from the north mostly I couldn't care less if it ate the whole disreputable, worthless, lying, murderous, incestuous lot of them. This fantasy world is run by the same sort of people who keep getting in charge and on top here.

Maybe the dragons will come back and help eat them?????

I kept walking away from this and putting off coming back to it. When I put off picking a novel,back up...it's generally time to move on. I skimmed and skipped my way through it to get done and probably won't go on with the series. I know many love this series...if you do, enjoy, I'm happy for you. As for me, the books go into my "sell or trade at the used book store" bag.

Barely escapes 1 star. (less)

flag 30 likes · like · see review

May 27, 2011 Becky rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, highly-recommended, ebook_nook, reviewed, leg-hump_worthy, owned

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 fantastic, so real they practically st...more

flag 27 likes · like · see review

Oct 28, 2011 Joyzi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

terrible shock Pictures, Images and Photos

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 complicated. Sometimes they are neither a...more

flag 25 likes · like · see review

Feb 29, 2008 Collin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 revelations all over the place. In the la...more

flag 23 likes · like · see review

Jul 02, 2011 Brittany rated it 4 of 5 stars · 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 and don't think abou

...more 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 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)

flag 22 likes · like · see review

Feb 04, 2014 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-favorite-books, great-books

In my opinion, this is the best book of the series, so far. It was also one of the best books I've ever read. I don't know what else to say except if you love incredible books, you NEED to read this series!

flag 21 likes · like · see review

Jan 14, 2014 Raeleen Lemay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, fantasy, massive-books, 2014, favorites, adult-fiction, people-with-powers

George R. R. Martin is insane.

flag 21 likes · like · see review

Apr 06, 2013 9 3/4 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, 2013-favourites

This is not just a fantasy series anymore. It is more than that. Martin has created an epic masterpiece that left me breathless.

I love this series. I discovered this world at first time through the tv series based on the books and I knew since the first episode I watched that I had to read the books. The first two books were more than amazing. The world that Martin has created is so rich and it has so many perspectives. I loved the characters, I fell in love with the story... I became a fan of t...more This is not just a fantasy series anymore. It is more than that. Martin has created an epic masterpiece that left me breathless.

I love this series. I discovered this world at first time through the tv series based on the books and I knew since the first episode I watched that I had to read the books. The first two books were more than amazing. The world that Martin has created is so rich and it has so many perspectives. I loved the characters, I fell in love with the story... I became a fan of this series. But this third book was beyond than that. It was literaly a masterpiece.

What Martin has done in this book leaves you with your breath cut off. He has created multidimensional characters so well developed with so much depth that they jump off the pages. This series has a lot of characters. Like a lot. But I never had a problem remembering them. They feel so true, so alive, like real persons. And he has taken this amazing characters and he has put them in a complex, full of twists, unexpectable and geniusly plotted out plot.

The turns that the plot threads take in this one are crazy. After a particular event in the middle of the book (that it is for me one of the most graphic scenes in the series) things get insane. Plot twist over plot twist. Every page had me on the edge of my seat. Characters are dropping like flies. Which made me realise that this is not a character driven series after all. This story is not about characters that we will follow until the end. It is about the evolution of a whole world where the result is not fissury but collective.

These books are huge. But every amazingly written word worths it. With such an expanding, intricateness universe there is no question why the books are so lengthy.

If you haven't read this series until now, what are you waiting for? One of the best fantasy (and not only) series I have read. The series may be a fantasy but the books are more realistic than even nonfiction books are. This is not a fairytale. This is a real, beautiful, dazzling, mesmerizing and yet brutal story of love, ambition, death, chivalry, loyalty, power, strength, sacrifice, faith and a game. The Game of Thrones. Sung like the Song of Ice & Fire. (less)

flag 20 likes · like · see review

Jul 17, 2012 John Wiswell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To those who made it through Clash of Kings, welcome to the Promised Land. On at least five nights this December I regretted having to go to bed rather than read on. The great elements that emerged near the end of the second novel are blossoming, like Catelyn’s sympathy and tale of assistance, Sansa’s coming to terms with reality of royalty, and Daenerys finally looking like she’ll use her dragons and political power. And the worst is passed: no more cutting away from one character’s life-or-dea...more

flag 19 likes · like · see review

Jun 23, 2014 Kelly (and the Book Boar) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2014

Okay, not really. There's still a shit-ton more pages after this.

flag 18 likes · like · see review

Feb 06, 2012 Lorre rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 well written that I really feel like...more

flag 15 likes · like · see review

Jun 27, 2014 Jane rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, fiction, 2014-tbr-challenge

Where I got the book: audiobook from Audible.

A Storm of Swords, first of its name, being the third book in the series yclept A Song of Ice and Fire but henceforth known as Game of Thrones for that is a way cooler title, forsooth.
.
.
.
There will now be a fifty-year pause while the reviewer tries to think of a way of telling you about this book without including any spoilers.
.
.
.
Because, while the first two books had a lot that happened in them, they were more about world- and character-building and...more

flag 14 likes · like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Anyone else get a sick gratification when...	40	598	Oct 16, 2014 04:36PM
Which fantasy series, do you think, has the most detailed world? Game Of Thrones, Harry Potter, or Middle-Earth	11	76	Oct 16, 2014 01:04PM
Bookworm Bitches : A Storm of Swords	39	26	Oct 11, 2014 07:10PM
Books2Movies Club: SoIaF 03.3 - Comparisons	1	2	Oct 08, 2014 03:44PM
Books2Movies Club: SoIaF 03.2 - HBO GoT Season 3	1	2	Oct 08, 2014 03:30PM
Books2Movies Club: SoIaF 03.1 - A Storm of Swords	1	1	Oct 08, 2014 03:09PM

Readers Also Enjoyed

Genres

Fantasy

15,716 users

Fiction

2,912 users

Fantasy > Epic Fantasy

743 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

680 users

Fantasy > High Fantasy

374 users

Epic

366 users

Adult

349 users

Adventure

327 users

Fantasy > Dragons

313 users

Fantasy > Magic

205 users

See top shelves...

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 for pennies,...more 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 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...(less)

More about George R.R. Martin...

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 Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3-2)

More…

Share This Book

+ Share on your website

Trivia About A Storm of Swords

29 trivia questions
3 quizzes

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from A Storm of Swords

“Every man must die, Jon Snow. But first he must live.” — 885 likes

“Rhaegar fought valiantly, Rhaegar fought nobly, Rhaegar fought honorably. And Rhaegar died.” — 774 likes

More quotes…

title link	preview: A Storm of Swords
avg rating	preview: A Storm of Swords Goodreads rating: 4.53 (329155 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6307964-a-storm-of-swords?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1398894810l/6307964.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6307964-a-storm-of-swords?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin[/url]

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

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Popular Answered Questions

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share on your website