From the Bookshelf of 2-3-4 Challenge…

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

George R.R. Martin

Start date: February 1, 2016

Finish date: February 29, 2016

Discussion: Buddy Reads

Discussion leader: Tracey

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Buddy Reads

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What Members Thought

Feb 23, 2013 Renee rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

It was far easier to get my reading momentum started with the second in the series after having gotten used to Martin's writing style and organizational structure. That, and knowing that I was able to borrow the e-book version for only 2 weeks, dramatically increased the rate at which I read this. (Down side of the e-book: I often found myself wanting to look at relevant maps but had no maps to look at. At the end of the book there was a very poorly-rendered map of King's Landing, but it was so It was far easier to get my reading momentum started with the second in the series after having gotten used to Martin's writing style and organizational structure. That, and knowing that I was able to borrow the e-book version for only 2 weeks, dramatically increased the rate at which I read this. (Down side of the e-book: I often found myself wanting to look at relevant maps but had no maps to look at. At the end of the book there was a very poorly-rendered map of King's Landing, but it was so poorly-rendered as to be completely useless to me.)

As with the first, this book was engrossing and well-written. I very much appreciated the additional character development -- both of narrators and others -- but I felt like Daenerys was short-changed. Some of that might be purely logistical, in that she spent a lot of time wandering the plains, looking for a city, but I wanted to see more of what she was thinking. One of the things I liked best about the first book, especially as compared to the HBO production, was getting to see who Daenerys was, how she was thinking, understanding who she was becoming. It seemed to me that Daenerys was changing dramatically through Clash but I wasn't reading about it. Yes, it's possible that Martin decided to change how he taught us about Daenerys, choosing to focus on showing how she interacted rather than explaining what she was thinking and feeling. While I can appreciate that from a writing standpoint ... it was disappointing. Profoundly disappointing. I'm hoping that changes with A Storm of Swords, which I'm reading now.

Finally, and hopefully without giving away any spoilers, I'm a bit confused/concerned about how much the HBO production is now diverging from the books. I'm getting, now that I'm a few chapters into Storm, that part of what's going on is that HBO is showing background for things that are fait accompli in Storm. I sort of get that, especially as those additions include far more nudity and sex than are in the books. But I'm not understanding the liberties taken with Jon Snow's story, nor those taken with Arya. I'm also disappointed that the show omitted one of Tyrion's brilliant war strategies -- why not give me full credit for something? Yeesh.

Anyway, I'm about 1/4 through Storm now and am wishing I could read faster. Or spend more time reading. Or something. Though I'm sure I'll appreciate the pace later, when I'm complaining that I have to wait too long for The Winds of Winter. ...more

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Aug 28, 2013 Connie rated it it was amazing

This series will not let you stop reading. To me that means the writing is so good, you just have to read the next chapter and then the next one. I was told in the beginning to not become attached to any of the characters as bad things happen. This is so true. It does not detract from the book though and in fact I think it make that much better. Because you are always wondering what will happen next.

The only thing is all the different characters in the book, sometimes becomes a bit much. They m ...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Giulia rated it liked it

I did enjoy this book. It developed the story a lot, but it raised a lot of questions about what is happening in this world. There wasn't a lot of Dany in this one, and what there was only raised more questions. The introduction of Stannis and his Lord of Light and the red lady was just creepy in that it seems something really sinister is looming in the near future for all the characters. Overall, this book was sad. So many bad things happened to characters that I really like and I wonder what w ...more

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