A Storm of Swords: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3

I'm going to take a break from reading George R.R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice series for a while. But it's not because I'm growing weary of the series; it's because I find myself so engrossed in it that the characters and settings are finding their ways into my dreams. A Storm of Swords, the third book in the series, is also the third book I've read in a row. The series is that good and that engrossing. (And I promised myself I wouldn't gush about never having cared for fantasy novels before as I did in my previous two reviews.) A Storm of Swords carries on the intricately plotted story of Westeros (and beyond) with both familiar characters and new ones. If you thought Martin was unafraid to kill off main characters after the noble-to-a-fault Ned Stark met his fate on the executioner's block in the first book, just wait until you get to A Storm of Swords. No fewer than five major characters meet their ends in these pages, including a couple that will break your heart and at least one who's death you'll cheer. The lives of several other characters seem in jeopardy by the end of the book. (Nope, I'm not going to spoil it for you. Just read the book!) I don't know how Martin does it. He weaves together the lives of several dozen characters over the course of this series. Such a task would be daunting, by Martin makes it look easy as his narrative swoops around Westeros and across the Narrow Sea. He intertwines the fates of the various characters in unexpected ways that, even after reading a couple of thousand pages, can still surprise you. This is epic storytelling at its very finest. Please don't confuse me with a literary sycophant. Martin does have a few minor tics that get under my skin a bit in A Storm of Swords. For one, I appreciate his deft turns of phrase, but in some places they come across as a bit strained and too close to the modern idiom. In one place he has Robb Stark say, "I told you to hold Riverrun. What part of that command did you fail to comprehend?" It seems a bit "modern" in the world of Westeros. Then later on in the book another character uses the expression, "What part of 'yield' do you not comprehend?" Yeah, it's a minor thing, but it just felt out of place to me. My other quibble is the fate of Arya. The poor girl has been wandering around Westeros since the end of the first book, and despite a few near misses she still has yet to reconnect with anyone from her scattered family. I think even Martin realized this since at one point he writes, "Arya was tired of making for Riverrun. She had been making for Riverrun for years, it seemed, without ever getting there." I heartily concur with that sentiment but I'm also guessing Martin has some major plot points ahead for Arya, so I'll be patient with the game of Where in Westeros is Arya Stark Today for a little longer. For those two quibbles I'd deduct maybe a half of a star. That slight deduction is offset by some of the new revelations A Storm of Swords contains. We're introduced in a big way to the Wildings (along with giants, mammoths and even, apparently, a close-up view of one of the Others). I'm particularly fascinated by The Wall and the Night's Watch, so I gobbled these sections up like a shadowcat chewing up a wilding. Then there are new settings such as the Pyke, Dorne, a glimpse of Littlefinger's ancestral home with its plentiful rocks and sheep ... ummm, "poop," plus several exotic cities across the Narrow Sea. As fascinating as some of the new characters are (yep, I'm looking at you, Brienne), the changes taking place in some of the characters who have been around since the first book are just as fascinating. Jaime and Tyrion both seem to be going through some major self-reflection. Jon Snow is growing into a man at The Wall. Even Sansa, my least-favorite character, is blossoming amid the drama that surrounds her. Like I said at the start of this review, I'll be taking a brief sabbatical from Westeros. But after bringing all that I love about this series to mind as I write this review, I don't think my break will last very long.

It's impossible to put these books down. As soon as I finished "A Clash of Kings," I had downloaded and began reading "A Storm of Swords." It follows the example set by the previous book in that it expands upon the plots and themes already established, adds a few more layers to keep things interesting, and somehow manages to be better than the book that came before it. Spoilers follow. It wouldn't be possible to adequately sum up everything that happens in this book in an appropriately succinct manner, so I'll just give a brief, bare-bones overview. Westeros is still caught up in the war raging for the Iron Throne. With five claimants competing to rule the Seven Kingdoms, it doesn't look like there's an end in sight for the violence and destruction. Things are also brewing in the North, where the Wildlings beyond are organizing an attack to break through the Wall, overwhelm the severely undermanned Night's Watch, and invade. Meanwhile, in the East, Daenerys continues to amass resources to aid in her plans to attack for the Throne. She moves through the cities of Slaver's Bay, gaining support and exercising her growing authority as both the Khaleesi and the Mother of Dragons. I'll start by addressing perhaps the most obvious characteristic of "A Storm of Swords:" it's huge. Granted, if you downloaded it for your Kindle like I did, the monstrous size of the novel might not be as immediately striking, but you'll undoubtedly notice pretty quickly that it's over a thousand pages long. Books this long tend to be one of two things: unnecessarily descriptive with plenty of filler to pad out the pages or complex with an intricately layered story that fills the pages with content. I'm pleased to say that this book is definitely the latter of the two possibilities. It would perhaps be feared that the middle book of a lengthy series, especially one with a humongous page count, would be repetitive and full of fluff and padding, serving only to lengthen the series and sell more books. Again, that simply isn't the case with "A Storm of Swords." The plot doesn't stall at all; in fact, every chapter moves the story forward and works to develop the overall plot. The story is exciting with so many power players devising and implementing their own schemes as well as the war raging over the Iron Throne. Martin has a lot to say about his world, which makes for a fascinating story and guarantees that none of the thousand-and-some-odd pages are boring. With the pace being consistent throughout the novel, you'll be flipping through pages with the desperate need to know what happens next to your favourite character or faction. For the first time I can recall, I finished a thousand plus page novel thinking that it wasn't long enough! Martin's story is so enthralling, unique, and captivating that you'll want more than even a book this long can offer. I'll also note that the story is far from predictable. I've mostly given up trying to guess what will happen because the actual events typically far exceed my predictions. I'll probably end up mentioning this in every "Song of Ice and Fire" review, but I ended up taking a bit of a break from fantasy due to being frustrated with the same plots and tired clichés that seemed to crop up in every book. Martin has actually managed to write not only a unique fantasy novel, but a series that stands above many others simply because he strays from the commonly tread path. Pretty much anything can happen to anyone; good characters aren't given immunity and bad characters aren't doomed to death (and really, calling characters good and bad isn't completely accurate since most are various shades of grey). The plot twists and turns like crazy, but it's handled deftly and the author clearly knows where he's going, putting the reader an exciting ride and a gamut of emotions. And just when you think you've got it figured out, something comes up that throws your predictions out the window. It's a nice change from being able to guess everything before it happens, as tends to be the case with other books in the genre. It's well established by this point that Martin doesn't shy away from the violence of war...and "A Storm of Swords" practically has blood dripping from its pages. With the war for the Iron Throne in full swing, the death count in this book is high. The horrors of battle are portrayed in all their gritty glory; these aren't nice people and they don't do nice things. As I've mentioned in other reviews, neither the violence nor the sex present comes off as gratuitous (for the most part), but instead works to flesh out Martin's world and reinforce the concept that no one is safe. Yes, this is the book with the Red Wedding. There are a couple weddings that take place, so it's not immediately obvious which one will be THE wedding if you haven't already been informed. And yes, some well-loved characters meet their end in this bloodbath, families betray one another, alliances change...all the jazz that one can expect from such an event. There are also other grisly surprises that determine the fate of some, well, not as well-loved characters. In the East, Daenerys is faced with the brutality of slavery and the effects of anarchy as she conquers the Slave Cities, and it's not pretty. If you were bothered by the dark content of the two previous books, you probably shouldn't read this one because the author has really upped his game in that aspect. Personally, I'm of the opinion that the grittiness adds authenticity to the world, but I've always preferred a darker, more realistic setting. While I usually don't find the sex and violence in these books to be gratuitous, there is one instance of it that I'll have to complain about; and weirdly enough, it's probably one of the more "normal" sexual relationships we see in the book: Jon and Ygritte. I totally get the significance of Jon breaking his vows with Ygritte, both in terms of his background as a bastard and as a member of the Night's Watch, and I enjoyed seeing him struggle with his conflicting emotions on the matter. However, I got a little tired of reading about them getting it on in detail multiple times every night. Sure, a few times is fine to give us an idea of Jon's situation, but the frequency came off as really unnecessary. Of all the gruesome things one could complain about in this novels, that's what stuck out to me as being gratuitous and over the top...who'd have thought? The characters just get better and better with each book. That's not to say they necessarily become better people (in the brutal world of Westeros, that almost never seems to happen), but they definitely grow and become more intriguing with each installment. With so many storylines and characters, it would be easy to shove a couple off to the side, but, again, Martin seems to have this under control and every character is more than adequately fleshed out. The changing point of view in each chapter works well because it ensures that every story and every character continues to move forward. Each chapter, and therefore each point of view, is in some way significant; I never finished a chapter wondering what the point of it was or what it added to the story. The characters continue to be portrayed in shades of grey, each one unique and changing and none of them fall into the typical archetypes. You'll be frustrated with some and cheer on others and, as I mentioned earlier, some well-loved characters (and some that we love to hate) meet their ends in "A Storm of Swords." You never know what the characters are going to throw at you (or at each other, as the case often is) or who's going to make it out alive...and in a book as brutal as this one, that certainly adds a level of suspense and excitement. "A Storm of Swords" adds Jaime as a point of view character, and he quickly became one of my personal favourites, especially with Tyrion's viewpoint also being maintained throughout the book to provide a different Lannister perspective. Jaime is an incredibly nuanced character and begins to undergo a lot of change in this novel, and much like Tyrion, he walks the line between protagonist and antagonist, never really being one or the other. With his background and unique perspective, I hope we see Jaime as a point of view character (and, indeed, that he survives whatever the next books throw at him) in future books. This is also the book where certain characters began to stand out to me as being just plain annoying and, surprisingly, boring. As I've mentioned in my other reviews, "A Song of Ice and Fire" is so great partially because different characters will resonate differently with each reader, so your favourite character may be someone else's least favourite. As I was reading this book, I found that the character that tended to make me groan aloud when I started a chapter and saw his name was Bran. That's not to say he's a poorly written character; he just doesn't really appeal to me. Perhaps it's because there are so many other plot lines to focus on, but I found him and his story to be a tad boring. I don't doubt that he and his quest will be significant since he's one of the few characters that encounters magic (a rarity in this world), but his position as the wise, future-seeing, up-and-coming mage just doesn't interest me personally. Despite my couple complaints (which are really more personal in nature than anything necessarily "wrong" with the book), "A Storm of Swords" is a solid entry in the series. It takes the themes and plots from the first two books and builds upon them to create a novel that is better, darker, and more intriguing than the first two. The plot is still steadily moving forward, building momentum and adding layers of story with each book. With the cast being as massive as it is and the number of storylines being many, I find myself wondering how Martin will tie everything together. He's proven to be a capable writer so far, so I'm sure he'll figure it out. At any rate, this monstrous book is one Hell of a good read. Five stars!

Which book in the epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire written by George R.R. Martin is the best? Many would argue that the third entry in the series, A Storm of Swords, is the most likely candidate. There is no question that it is the largest of the four books published to date; in fact, in England it was published in two volumes (Steel and Snow and Blood and Gold). At Amazon.com A Storm of Swords has 822 reviews, with an average of 4.50365 (90.07%) with 76.6% of reviews selecting the top 5 star review. The book preceding A Storm of Swords is A Clash of Kings and it has a slightly higher average review of 4.50857 (90.17%) but they are less numerous (700) and has a lower percentage of 5-star reviews (71.6%). The first book in the series, A Game of Thrones, is the most well-known, naturally, since it was published first. It has by far the most number of reviews, 1,840 with an average of 4.38587 with 71% being 5-star reviews. The fourth book, A Feast for Crows, is the least popular book of the series so far and most harshly reviewed (an average score of 3.206557 based on 915 reviews). The fifth, A Dance with Dragons, will be released on July 12, 2011. I would generally agree with the crowd at Amazon.com that A Storm of Swords is the best book of the first four in the A Song of Ice and Fire series that I have read so far. The book's impact is not just based on it's length, though, as in most things, size does matter. There are so many important, stunning and horrifying plot twists which affect the characters we have grown to love and hate that several times I had to re-read sections of the book because I was reading so quickly to find out what was going to happen I realized I had missed an important event that had happened. In this third book in the series the story that began in A Game of Thrones has progressed in surprising directions. It is almost impossible to review this volume without giving away important plot developments which a first-time reader should really experience unspoiled. I can say that the structure of the book follows the form of the previous entries in the series, with point-of-view chapters from various characters following one another seamlessly to reveal the overall storyline. There are POV chapters from Lannisters (Jaime, Tyrion and Cersei), Starks (Catelyn, Sansa, Arya and Bran) and their associates (Daavos Seaworth, Samwell Tarly, Jon Snow). Daenerys Targaeryen also returns and makes progress towards establishing herself as a true Queen of Westeros far away in the East. The main storylines (internecine political conflict in King's Landing, Jon's foray beyond The Wall to learn the truth about the wildlings, Daenerys' quest for an Army and a crown, the impact of the War of Five Kings on Westeros' citizens as experienced by several of our main characters) are told with expert deftness and intriguing suspense. You literally do not know who will survive or perish, even if they have a chapter named after them (hint!). Some say that Martin is trying to dethrone J.R.R. Tolkien as the universally acknowledged king of fantasy, and it may be true. Others say that Martin may actually have higher aims such as joining Shakespeare in the canon of literature. I'll leave it up to future readers to decide, but the decision of whether or not to invest the time and energy to read these books should be an easy one for anyone who delights in the pleasure of fiction itself. Title: A Storm of Swords. Author: George R.R. Martin Length: 1008 pages. Publisher: Bantam. Date: May 28, 2002. OVERALL GRADE: A+/A (4.167/4.0). PLOT: A+. IMAGERY: A. IMPACT: A+. WRITING: A.

Overall, a good quality print - nice paper, large font. There are a few typos here and there and a few pages with faded ink, though. The book is massive at almost a thousand pages, but the story is interesting enough to keep reading, though personally I prefer the more focused story of The Game of Thrones. Character creep is real here and it becomes difficult to keep track of all the characters. The book arrived brand new.

Review will contain MINOR spoilers The song of Ice and Fire is book series that encompasses a total of six books (technically seven although the fourth and fifth are pretty much one book split in half) and this is the third book in the series and it offers the closest thing to closure and answers to a lot of the stories that have been started, while also continuing some and beginning others that will presumably lead to the end of the series. There are 12 POV chapters in the book (10 main characters, one prologue and one epilogue). The most important plot lines that the book covers are: 1.) The Wall. If Storm of Swords belongs to any character, it probably belongs to Jon Snow. I'm afraid to say that in the last book I was starting to become bored with Jon's story and the story of the watch in general. It started to get a little repetitive to me with all of that wandering around beyond the wall chapter after chapter and the leader's of the watch like Mormont and the Halfhand and their constant warnings about the danger beyond the wall. Now we finally see it. Jon was captured by the wildlings at the end of Clash of Kings and it opens with him being introduced to Mance Rayder, the king beyond the wall. Jon's plan to spy on the wildlings is complicated by Ygritte, whose Jon's feelings for become harder to ignore and Rayder's constant questions of Jon's allegiance and the state of the watch. Needless to say, a confrontation between Mance and The Watch is brewing and Jon's got to figure out how to warn the Watch and whether or not he wants to. Through Sam, we also get to see the other danger beyond the wall; the Others. The Others continue to stalk the Watch as they make their way back from The Great Ranging and you finally get to see their power and some of their abilities. 2.) The War between The Starks and The Lannisters. When main character Ned Stark was executed by King Joffrey in A Game Of Thrones, it kicked off a war between the two powerful houses that divided up the realm. After his father's death, his son Robb was anointed The King In The North by his father's bannermen in an effort to avenge his father, depose the Lannister's and make the North independent lands once again. Despite never having lost a single battle, Robb has begun to lose the war and has found himself with his back against the wall mostly due to the forming of an alliance between the Lannisters and House Tyrell, whose army boosts over 100k, and his mother secretly releasing Jaime Lannister and the Ironmen's seige and holding of the North. While Tywin Lannister considers the war basically over, the King in the North comes up with one final plan which may win the war for the North but he must put his trust in some unlikely allies to pull off the victory. But can they do it? 3.) Dany's quest in the Free Cities. The last book ended with The Mother of Dragons leaving Qarth and getting enough money for a ship or three. She now continues her through other free cities in an attempt to gather support and build an army for her own journey to Westeros. Assisted as by right hand man Jorah Mormont and joined by two new advisers in Strong Belwas and his squire Artisan Whitebeard. Dany gets her first experiences at building alliances and creating the army she plans to use to retake her families throne. But the more Dany travels the free cities the more she realizes that she will have to do things she never thought acceptable like buying an army of slave soldiers. The more horrific things Dany sees, though, the more she has trouble dealing with and begins to take the first steps into become a leader and decides to what she can to help these oppressed people. Can Dany become a good leader or will she start to lose her way just as her father the Mad King once did? 4.) The marriage of Joffrey Baratheon and Margaery Tyrell. The alliance that was pivotal in the Lannister's defeating Stannis Baratheon last book is too be cemented. Much of the book goes into the planning of the royal wedding as well as all the political double dealing going on behind the scenes. At the center of this is Tyrion Lannister, the former Hand of the King who was also essential in defeating Stannis, gravely wounded after the battle and replaced as Hand by his father Lord Tywin. The dwarf still continues to try and maintain the alliance that was made in victory, in spite of the actions of his own house trying to minimize his roll in running the realm, as well as trying to control the amount of blood shed between the various armies in the city, especially after the arrival of House Martell, an old house with an old grudge against the Tyrell's and Tyrion's father Tywin.... Other smaller plot lines include: -Defeated Self-Crowned King and prophesied lord of the light Stannis Baratheon refuses to surrender after his utter defeat in the Battle of the Blackwater. Back at Dragonstone with the remnants of his army, Stannis begins to plan his next moves to take the crown. But with the outlook so bleak and the red priestess Melissandre in his ear, can Stannis maintain his sanity and his integrity? Can Davos (who did survive the Blackwater) keep Stannis from completely succumbing to the red woman's influence? -Bran Stark still continues his trip North, hiding with the Reed's and his mentally handicapped servant Hodor as they attempt to escape to beyond the wall to find the Three Eyed Crow. This was the storyline I probably liked the least in the book. Everything always stays so vague to me on what exactly the Three Eyed Crow could for Bran other than help him control his Warg abilies, Bran's ability to enter control animals while he sleeps. Bran's storyline here doesn't really answer much and feels like a bridge to a bigger story in a future book. -Sansa Stark is still a hostage in King's Landing and with her brother's Bran and Rickon believed dead by everyone, the Lannister's begin executing their plans for the lady who would become Heir to Winterfell should anything happen to her brother Robb. -After escaping Harrenhal, Arya continues her trip to meet up with her family along with her friends Gendry and Hot Pie though they quickly are found by some of her father's own bannermen things are not as they seem. I don't want to say anymore because Arya's story is so good and she has the most POV chapters of any other character to tell it. The book almost belongs to her just as much as it does Jon. -Jaime Lannister, freed by Lady Stark at the end of the last book, is escorted back to the North with the promise that he will bring Sansa and Arya Stark back in return for her releasing him. At first underestimating his guard and escort, Brienne of Tarth, Jaime is soon humbled in more ways than one and begins to think about what his life has meant to this point, being a man without honor. This is easily the best of the first three books and I highly recommend that you read this immediately after finishing the first two books.

If you despise fantasy fiction, READ THIS ANYWAY. GRRM delivers a RARE series - a sophisticatedly written series - it is both mature and complex at every level, and manages to do so without tedium, but quite the opposite. I've found myself hardly able to bear moving to each successive chapter to follow a separate storyline or character due to the gripping story in the one I was reading. But as I switched gears to the next "nugget" in this grandly woven tale, I found myself equally enthralled by THAT storyline. As far as the cast of characters - it is vast. And character development is sophisticated. You have a vast range of personalities, motivations, biases, vices, scheming, hurts, etc. You watch upon a stage where the marionette has directed their interplay so intricately it is a believable plotline that echoes real life as action and schemes between characters collide. And as time moves forward in the story you experience those characters exult in victory, seethe with hatred, quail in defeat, rage in frustrated schemes, and hope against hope. Not only that - but they grow with their experiences. Their motivations can at times be complex scheming or simple earthy passion (whether that be angry violence or lust or daydreaming). The stage is set with a great cast as well - both men and women each with their subtleties and unique persona. Not every woman is a damsel, just as not every man is a hero - which is fantastic. As far as the politicking - it is multilayered. You have Lords and Kings vying for position, status, power, peace, justice, or vengeance. This through marriages, treaty, war, subterfuge, assassination, etc. You have the character level politicking where personal vices come into play whether that be noble or ignoble - rooted in either their sense of duty, selfishness, naiveté, or other. Its just so varied and rarely formulaic or repeatable. I can't necessarily say there are plot twists in the traditional sense of the word (where one can almost feel the author shout 'got ya! - didn't see THAT coming eh?' to the dumbfounded reader). The machinations of each character in this vast stage - competing and colliding with one another's - and that ends up speaking for itself. The reader may cheer or curse depending on a particular turn of events, but that has more to do with the efforts of one party or another succeeding against all others. It's a dose of near-reality. Plans win and fail - and there isn't an overarching "blessed" subset of characters. It is extremely refreshing and entirely spellbinding. As far as action, magic, and monsters. There is very little compared to what one would expect in the scifi fantasy paperback novels. There are clashes and contests. There are strange creatures and powers, yes. But this isn't your summer 80s Schwarzenegger/Stallone action flick. This is a sophisticated story that has such content in its proper place and not gratuitously. There is fighting but it's not center piece as a simpleton's hack and slash hero-save-princess-defeat-demonprince novel. Nor is this series meager on action. There is plenty - yes there's fighting, but there's also violence, there's action-y physical feats, there's sex. Sometimes it can be raw brutality, exposing the crueler and despicable side found in humanity (torture, rape, etc). GRRM doesn't have wizards bouncing around making things blow up like "Tim the Enchanter" nor do we have some wondrous creature at every turn. The reader will find that yes - magic and monsters do come on stage, but it's not the centerpiece, obviously. The good vs evil hero's saga akin to Tolkien is great. One will find store shelves littered with lesser versions of that, and in much simpler format. GRRM is on an entirely different track - where multilayered politicking vies against the striving of characters good and bad. Wars, fights, loves, plots, etc - all go into a great tumbler. The protagonists (assumedly so because of their nobler aspirations) don't necessarily win. Plenty of characters whom the reader may come to empathize with may be frustrated (even killed). It's part of the reason why the series is so exciting to read - you are never assured of how things will turn out. As for myself - I am an eclectic reader. I've enjoyed writings from Hawthorne, Nordic sagas, Homer's Iliad, Shakespeare, Cervantez (Don Quixote), Jane Austin, Dickens, Tolkien, Chaucer, Vonnegut, Alexander Dumas, Michael Moorcock, Victor Hugo, to LRHubbard, etc. If you've enjoyed any of the authors as such listed above, TRY this series. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised. It is very well written.

1) This is, BY FAR, the best fantasy I have ever read. Ever. Better than Donaldson, Jordan, Goodkind, Brooks, better than everyone. 2)This is, BY FAR, the best characterization I've ever come across in the fantasy genre. Never in my life have I at so many different times over the course of the three books written been so amazed (Daenerys from the fire, obtaining the Unsullied, choosing between the {better?} of two betrayels) stunned (Catelyn, Ser Barristan Selmy) grief-stricken (from deaths of beloved characters, of course only to realize by the end of the next chapter there are so many fantastic characters left). And of course these are just a few examples, there are so many more but don't want to mention at the risk of spoiling new readers. Yes -- amazed, stunned, saddened. I spontaneously and literally yelled, gasped, cried, and cheered while reading these books. Never have I been so emotionally invested in such a large cast of characters. Memories of these books bring forth emotion in me even now, a month after I read this, his latest book. 3)Fabulously intricate plotting. I find it interesting that a common thread in the slightly more negative reviews of this book find Martin a bit ponderous -- that there's so much writing with not alot of action. This couldn't be further from the truth! Yes, this is high, epic, cruel fantasy of the tallest order. Yes, this is a tall read for younger readers, or those weaned on Jordan, Goodkind, Brooks, etc. But there literally isn't a SINGLE CHAPTER in any of his books where some part of the plot isn't advanced in some way -- spanning over 2000 pages of hardcover text. That's how good the writing is. 4)Deftly understated magic. I remember reading the first book thinking to myself, 'where's the magic? isn't this supposed to be fantasy?' And I kept reading, still finding almost no magic. The only real magic from the first book I can remember bookends the first book. I will never forget the birth of the Unburnt at the very end of the first novel. I'm gasping right now as I recall it. Such a POWERFUL moment. And there was some magic there. And the fact that my senses hadn't been already been dulled by the overdone, contrived use of magic found in so many other fantasy novels allowed me to feel the real impact of what Dany accomplished at the end of that first novel. Magic means so much more in these novels because at least over these the first three books, there is so little to be found. 5)Spectacular dialogue. This is the best dialogue I've ever read. Razorsharp wit, acid tongues, stoic nobility, prideful revenge, hungry vengeance, soul-baring sadness, and so many other wonderful emotions conveyed by superior dialogue. If this review weren't so long, I'd quote a few passages. I just remember reading some of those Lannister exchanges saying to myself 'you go! oh yeah! perfect!" I remember laughing out loud at some of the things said, not so much because they were humorous (although some of them were) but because so often the pointed words exchanged felt more like the point of a rapier twisting through the ribcage into the recipient's heart. It's just that good. So consistently good. 6)Anyone remember Thomas Covenant? One of the great anti-heroes in fantasy. You rooted for him and hated him. You knew he was the good guy, but you were never quite comfortable enough with who he was to cheer him on without reservation. Well, many characters like him, not just one, populate Martin's books. As soon as you think you've found the bad guy, you begin to root for him as well. And you wonder, as you go from chapter to chapter, how you can find yourself rooting for almost every character in the book? Well, that's just one of the many great things about Martin's books. Practically every character is an anti-heroe and how a book can be so riveting with (at this point) no clear villain is a testimonial for the great characterization in these books. People, I'm not kidding. This is the best out there. If Martin pulls off this series it will far and away be the best epic fantasy ever written. It already is, I'm just praying it's sustained. Yes, it's better than Tolkien, but only in the way that The Godfather was better than the old great silent pictures of the early 20th century. I regard Tolkien's work with great reverance, and it's wonderful to see the foundations of the fantasy genre brought to the big screen, but Martin is taking the genre to new heights. He truly is. For me, I knew at least the first book was special early on. If you can... sense something... if yours eyes open just a bit, if your curiosity is peaked... if you're thinking 'hmmm'.... as the first chapter closes with the discovery of the Direwolves, then you'll be tasting just a hint of the wonderment Martin's books can give you. Just try not to be too sad when you've finished and realize there may not be anything this good for a long, long time to come.

"Paperback", not "mass market" (which I've since given away) or hard cover (these are too big for a comfortable hardcover). Beautiful, glossy cover; nice large size, good typeface and paper — all my GoTs will be in this same format [I hope]. These books are meant to be devoured, folded over and indulged in, and this size/print beats all other editions! As for the book: I don't give spoilers, but I will say it's the most heart-stopping and page-turning of the ASOIAF books ...so far. It's the book in the series that, even if GRRM screws the pooch and ruins the series (like TV's "Lost", or Jordan/Sanderson's "Wheel of Time"), this third book of Ice and Fire will stand the test of time. That's not to take away from the series as a whole, or especially not from the first two book (Game of Thrones and Clash of Kings), but just to say that ...s*** gets real in this book. It's highly re-readable, and every character and story is given good time (unlike, in my opinion, the next few in the series so far). As time has passed since my first read, my meticulously-recorded list of ordered "favorites" at GoodReads.com has been invaded by very few modern books. (I like the classics a lot.) This book is one of those few which broke not only my Top 50 ( with #1 and #2 being Don Juan and Purgatorio — not everyone's favorites, I know, but books I've transcribed by hand out of appreciation), but knocked Gatsby off the Top 10. If I recall, Cryptonomicon (Stephenson) is the only other "modern" (last 20 years) books in my Top 20. (Not that I don't have a few questionables in my Top 50, but I pride myself in keeping my favorites free of pretentious-sounding literature that I didn't really like but maybe 'appreciate'; and quite honestly having plenty of what others consider "true crap" books that I've happened to find enjoyable, like Heinleins, crowding out normal "classics"). I love reading, and laughing, and having my emotions jerked around — Storm of Swords definitely moved from about instant favorite #40-somthing to Top 20, to knocking of Cat Who Walks through Walls (the "trashy Heinlein", as it's been reviewed here and at GoodReads), to slaying Things Fall Apart, and this year, to finally making it to #10 (Gatsby's former spot). Not sure it can knock of Brothers Karamazov; THAT might depend on GRRM's finale (if I live for another 40 years)! But ultimately, who cares: I'm setting this book between the Brothers K and Gatsby, and I really do love those reads; that's how much I like this book. And I sincerely hope that GRRM gives us a #6 that is more similar to the first three books of this series, but I honestly don't think it's plausible. ASOS took the enjoyable-if-pedestrian material of AGOT and ACOK and shot the epic to the moon. I'm not sure GRRM could *do* this again. Excellent book. Belongs on everybody's bookshelf. [Maybe everybody over 14?]

Zunächst möchte ich anmerken, dass ich zuerst die TV- Serie "Game Of Thrones" gesehen habe, bevor ich in die eigentliche Literatur "A Song Of Ice And Fire" eingestiegen bin. "A Storm Of Swords" umfasst die dritte Staffel und wohl auch die kommende vierte. Jedenfalls handelt Staffel 3 der Serie lediglich von der Hälfte des dritten Buches. Hiermit empfehle ich auch allen, die des Englischen mächtig sind, sowohl die Serie als auch die Bücher in Originalsprache zu genießen. Mit der deutschen Übersetzung geht doch einiges an Flair und Originalität verloren, sowohl im TV als auch in der Literatur. Als ich das erste Buch auf deutsch geschenkt bekommen habe, musste ich doch bei Namensübersetzungen á la "Jon Schnee" statt Snow und "Theon Graufred" statt Greyjoy arg die Nase rümpfen. Ich bin absolut kein Freund dieses Übersetzungswahns. Diese Versionen der englischen Bücher sind übrigens auf sehr dünnem Papier gedruckt und machen optisch nicht allzuviel her, damit habe ich allerdings kein Problem. Zum Inhalt des Buches: Die Story führt die Handlungsstränge aus "A Clash Of Kings" konsequent fort. Wer sich allerdings schon etwas mit GoT auskennt weiß, dass George R.R. Martin kein Fan davon ist, seine Charaktere ewig am Leben zu erhalten. So kann man sich darauf einstellen, nicht nur vom Ereignis der "Red Wedding" überrascht zu werden, prinzipiell bietet fast jeder Handlungsstrang, egal ob bei Sansa in King's Landing, Jon hinter der Wall, Robb in Riverrun oder Arya auf ihrer Reise nach Norden seine Twists und Turns. Fans der Serie sei gesagt, dass in der zweiten Hälfte des Buches noch so einiges passiert und auch in der nächsten Staffel der TV- Serie nicht mit Toden von mehr oder minder "wichtigen" Charakteren gegeizt wird. Das Buch befasst sich außerdem recht intensiv mit der Lannister- Familie und man erfährt noch einiges mehr über Tywin, Tyrion, Jamie und Cersei (natürlich auch Joffrey) als in der Serie. Zumal dort auch noch nicht das Haus Martell behandelt wurde. Dieses Haus aus dem Süden (Dorne) spielt für die Story auch noch eine wichtige Rolle. Klare Leseempfehlung!

Chegou rápido e estava tudo de acordo, muito obrigada!

good condition and a great book

I had to order the whole set once the series came out on TV. The books don't necessarily follow the TV series but are pretty close. Hollywood of course takes complete artistic licence and strays from the books (someone passes away in the books but not in the series - or at least he survives when he doesn't in the books). I enjoyed reading each one though and was hooked after the first book. I highly recommend this series if you enjoy fantasy style books! It arrived super fast and in excellent condition.

Arrivato puntuale, ottimo prodotto. Nulla da dire, sono soddisfatto dell'acquisto e non ho nulla da ridire. Sono un amante della saga e leggere il libro anche in inglese mi regala un'esperienza unica.