A STORM OF SWORDS
George R.R. Martin
In the aftermath of The War of the Five Kings, unexpected and uneasy
partnerships form among the characters, making the reader re-examine
his/her opinions of them. And by the end of this installment, Martin has
managed to remove several of his pieces from the board, to make way for
new players.
For the first time in the span of three books, I
finally like Daenerys Targaryen. And if I didn't already love Jon Snow, I
would love him for his defense of Castle Black, which reminded me of
the Battle of Helm's Deep in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Two Towers".
But
I can't believe I spent nearly a month in Westeros and its environs,
reading books 2 and 3 of "A Song of Ice and Fire". I think it's time for
me to move on. Who knows when I might return?
Rating:
A CLASH OF KINGS
George R.R. Martin
The title of the second book in the
"A Song of Ice and Fire" series is truly apt. In "A Clash of Kings", we
are treated to a battle between brothers and wars among factions, with
only the Night's Watch recognizing and standing against the common
enemy, the creatures beyond the Wall.
It is difficult to write a
review without giving away spoilers, so let me just say that after
reading "A Game of Thrones" and having experienced how Martin writes,
nothing should surprise you. Betrayals abound in this book.
I
like this part more than I did the first, I think because I have become
emotionally invested in the characters. I have come to really care about
what happens to them, especially House Stark. And because of that my
next read will be "A Storm of Swords".
Rating:
A GAME OF THRONES
George R.R. Martin
I like fantasy novels, but I'm the
type of reader who won't touch a "popular" book until the hype has died
down. However, since my book club Flips Flipping Pages will be
discussing "A Game of Thrones" this month, I thought it was time I read
it.
From the beginning of the novel the reader is presented with
the challenge of keeping track of the numerous characters and their
relationships with each other. Thank God for the appendix at the end.
And it seems from the way AGoT is written, from the points-of-view of
different characters, that Martin wants his readers to empathize with
House Stark. Or it could just be me.
Once King Robert Baratheon
arrives at Winterfell, one has a foreboding of terrible times to come,
especially after a certain likeable character has an unpleasant
"accident". My experience throughout the novel was that of a helpless
spectator to a tragedy; you can't keep your eyes off the carnage.
A
lot of things happen in the book, but once you reach the end it feels
like everything was simply a setup for the rest of the series (of which
there are currently 4 books, not including this one, out of a projected
7). Yet you can't help but read the next book in line. And watch the TV
series.
Aside: For those who have read Garth Nix's Abhorsen
trilogy, the Wall of Westeros reminds me of the Wall between the Old
Kingdom and Ancelstierre. Even the supernatural beings (the Others vs.
the Dead Hands and Free Magic elementals) feel similar. Coincidence?
Rating:
In the aftermath of The War of the Five Kings, unexpected and uneasy
partnerships form among the characters, making the reader re-examine
his/her opinions of them. And by the end of this installment, Martin has
managed to remove several of his pieces from the board, to make way for
new players.
