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Summary: Winter is coming...
Review: This continuation of the Fire and Ice series brings us even deeper into the coming cold. The frozen wastes beyond the wall are less of a rumor, and more of a harsh reality for John Snow, as he and his companions venture beyond the fading safety of their stronghold. As in the first novel, political intrigue shakes the kingdom and allies are fast forming sides in the battle for the relm. Long dead tales are taking living form in the North, and the race is on to bolster the fading defenses that hold the dark cold away. One of the best things about this series is that the characters are real to the reader. It is easy to connect with their personalities, and envision what they would be like in other situations. However, the characters aren't the story. The story itself drives what happens to the characters, and it may be that your favorite character is fated to, well, just remember John Stark. Who would have guessed. This is one book that will keep the reader guessing and is sure to make waiting for the next book in the series a real trial.
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Summary: Not your typical series
Review: This book continues this excellent series. I picked up the two books in this series, hoping to pass the time while the next installment of the Wheel of Time series comes out. Now I can't for the next book in this series to come out! The author does an excellent job keeping the plot interesting and with the way the chapters are setup, the reader gets to know the characters intimatley.
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Summary: excellent book
Review: Martin has written an excellent sequel to his first book, although it does have its faults. All of the characters that we love, and that we love to hate are back in this sequel. Although this is an excellent book, it does take a while to get going, but once it does, look out. Martin's style of writing is vaguely remniscient of Jordan, in that, each chapter is taken from the viewpoint of a different character. Even though it does interrupt the flow of the story sometimes, it makes you want to keep reading so that you can get find out what happened to that character.An excellent read.
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Summary: the best ever
Review: In clash of kings Manrtin continue to explore the spellbinding kingdom.As the long winter getting closer and the sky beinglit by a strange comet the lord continue to explore the spellbinding kingdom.As the long winter getting closer and the sky beinglit by a strange comet the lords still trying to control the dividied kingdom. This world is one of the best fantasy worlds ever created ,and can be only copmperd to Robert Jordan "Wheel of Time" .The characters are realistic so you feel close to them like you been in all the event as one of the story.you'll never know what is going to happend next as the plot continue to evolved in the game of throne . By the time you'll finish this book you won't be able to wait to the next book in the series
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Summary: Fascinating Tale, but Dark and sometimes too Graphic
Review: What follows is a reworking from my letter to the author: ---- What I have appreciated most is the narrative style -- he has a great sense of flow within a chapter and knows how to finish the chapter well. What immediately springs to mind is the Bran chapter (I think from the first book) which ends with Bran's thought that he would never fly or run or be a knight. Also enjoyable was how Martin reveals the story through alternating Points of View. For example, in aCoK Sandor Clegane explains to Sansa how the Clegane banner came to be. In the very next chapter we watch Arya and the others come up on Gregor Clegane's camp, and they see the banner, but do not know whose it is (maybe if Arya had paid more attention to Septa Mordane she would have known). But we (the readers) know, and we want to scream, Run Away! I love it -- classic suspense technique. Another extremely enjoyable aspect of these first two books of "A Song of Ice and Fire" has been the very dramatic trajectory of the characters. They don't go through the cliched trials and journeys of the fantasy hero, but rather cope with disadvantages, struggle against manipulation, and undergo tramautic events. They are not fully in control of their own destiny; rather, they in turns, act and are acted upon, make decisions and have decisions made for them, sometimes choosing their path but at other times getting swept up in the ramifications of other's choices. Through it all, their essential character shines brightly. Henry James once said something to the effect of plot was the intersection of character. "A Song of Ice and Fire" remains true to this. Visions, irony, and tragedy punctuate their stories. This second book in the series has a great character trajectory -- Theon. He's reprehensible, but his story, well, Theon's storyline in the second book conjurs up two phrases for me: lex talionis and 'poetic justice'. Theon commits dastardly deeds in aCoK. But how to repay him? Martin takes a route that is unexpected, yet completely consistent and believable: someone else becomes the instrument of justice -- what Theon has done to others is now done to him. And by not giving him a POV in the next book, the reader feels a sense of closure in what has happened to Theon, at least for a while. I do have two real beefs: the graphic sex and the vulgar language. I realize that sometimes it is important to describe the general tone or relevant facts about a particular sexual encounter, or both. However, it is not necessary to be quite as graphic as the narration sometimes is. There are ways to be direct without being vague. For example, the narrative of the Hebrew Bible is quite unashamedly direct and gives us the relevant facts or general tone about the encounters between Onan and Tamar, the Benjamites and the concubine, Hannah and Elkanah, David and Bathsheba, and Amnon and Tamar without being more graphically descriptive than is necessary. Part of that is the terse style, I'll admit, but nevertheless, the description remains discreet. I realize that most of the details he includes are not gratuitous, and I appreciate that. Yet ofttimes it is "too much information". Regarding the language, there is not much I can say, except that so much of it seems unnecessary and base. I really shuddered at 'hearing' one criminal character's abominable threats, when the author could have told me of it from the narrator's viewpoint, understanding that my imagination would comprehend: "Rorge made a crude and violent threat to her." Plus, why does there seem to be more of both in the second book than the first? Ah well, I have found a permanent marker that is dark and does not soak through to the other side of the page, but it saddens me to use it. I would not have finished the second book, but a friend who had already read it 'censored' the rest for me. After finishing the first book, I had recommended the book to him -- but I have not recommended the series since. Martin spins a spellbinding narrative -- he shows much economy and yet still develops the plot and characters fully. His world is fantastic; yet his human characters are true to form (hence matters of love and war tend to be realistic). The combination is compelling for the fan of the genre. On my scale, he's in fifth place, behind Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Robert Jordan, and Tad Williams.
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Summary: Better Than Jordan
Review: George Martin once again pulls you into the complex, detailed world of Winterfell and beyond - filled with political intrigue, incest, war, and murder...not to mention magic and "walking dead" beyond the ice wall. His finely threaded story contains plots within plots. These same story threads are masterfully written to make them difficult to intuitively grasp - making this a book you can't put down "until you find out what happens in the end".
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Summary: This is what fantasy should be.
Review: Set in a believable, well-drawn and original world, A Clash of Kings is the continuation of Martin's fantasy saga. It is a harsh, unrelenting story filled with politics, violence and subtle, well-described magic. Martin captures the natural world especially well and seems to have a good working knowledge of mountains! The frostbitten, zombie-like creatures which attack from the north are especially frightening. Martin deserves praise for creating a genuinely complex plot while maintaining continuity, and for devising a fantasy world for adults. The writing is good, while avoiding the sort of flowery flights that only Tolkien could get away with. In short, this and its prequel are among the best fantasy novels of the past 20 years. Don't miss it!
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Summary: The book that owns your soul.....
Review: I have read just about every fantasy I could find since the tender age of 11 years old (now 32). Tolkien, Goodkind, Jordan, Henlein, A.E. Van Vogt, and too many others to list. Now that I have given some credibility for myself I have to say that ACoK is simply one of the best books I have ever read.... Along with the first book in this series - A Game of Thrones. The author makes you feel like he was actually there witnessing these events and this is simply his biography. The characters are interesting, and are portrayed in more than just black and white - good or evil... Instead they are in shades of grey. This is a grand tale that I simply don't want to end and waiting for the next book will be torture but I will read them all and savor them....
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Summary: Excellent.....very exciting and interesting
Review: This novel was a wonderful story filled with excitement and intrigue. When I thought something was going to happen (like when Stannis was about to invade King's Landing, but he was defeated) and something totally different happened, it got very interesting and I especially liked the ending. A good read considering I'm 13.
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Summary: Proof that fantastic literature can be respectable...
Review: Martin reaffirms that fully developed characters and a well written plot will make any work of literature exceptional, no matter what garb the author cloaks his story in. Martin bestows a great gift upon the long time fantasy reader, that there is still hope for this genre. The plot lines and characters continue to develop from A Game of Thrones; the constant cycle of deception, alliance, conflict and betrayal can make one's head spin. The family index is vital to keep track of who's who and where their allegiances lie. Martin shares a quality of Tolkien's in that "magic" is not so commonplace that it becomes tiresome or predictable. Martin uses magic as a mysterious, misunderstood, and uncommon element and thereby increases the perceived reality of the story. I hope he writes another dozen.
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