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Summary: Another absorbing installment will have you longing for more
Review: Not many folks seem to realize that you can order the TRADE PAPERBACK from amazon.co.uk and have this book in a week for less than the US hardcover price. I did. It took me an absorbed week of reading to finish this heavyweight (even in softcover it's heavy!), and now I'm longing for more. I really enjoyed this book, mostly because of the tight plotting and deft characterisations. Even the unlikable characters become somehow understandable. Like in real life, sometimes the bad guys do good things, and sometimes the good guys mess up. Martin knows how to make his world believable and richly colored, with just enough description, and carefully chosen vignettes that move the plot along. As for interesting plot highlights -- the terrifing prospect of the walking dead is explored as they move south towards the wall. Even the wall itself becomes a character of sorts, figuring heavily in the plot as the wildings try to move south to escape the wights. (Somehow I failed to notice earlier that the whole wall is made of ice, not just ice bound. This book made it clear.) Daenarys continues to work with her dragons, and grows as they do. Jon Snow wrestles with his honor and his place with the Black Watch. But don't worry. Bad things happen, but it all seems so right in the end. Well, if you're reading these reviews, it's probably because you are already a fan and hoping for and against spoilers at the same time. Just order the darn thing already and write off a week of free time!
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Summary: George Martin's Rousing Song Cycle
Review: "Storm of Swords" is the third installment in George R.R. Martin's rousing "Song of Fire and Ice" story cycle. Quite simply, this is the finest fantasy series since Tolkein, bar none. And though it may be hard to believe, each installment gets better and more riveting than the last. The writing is outstanding, the characters are alive, the political machinations as facinating as Washington DC...or Belgrade. My only regret is that after waiting more than a year for the book, I read it straight through, day and night. Hurry George, publish the next volume! MC
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Summary: The best fantasy series in progress
Review: Martin's third instalment in the "A Song of Fire and Ice" series runs to about 924 pages, which makes it some 200 pages longer than its predecessor, "A Clash of Kings". But never once does the pace let up: "Swords" is every bit as ferocious and grim as the earlier volumes. In fact, at one especially nasty and unexpected turn, I had to stop reading for a minute just to catch my breath (something that hadn't happened whilst reading either of the two earlier books). I'll not say all too much about the story (or rather stories, as again each chapter focuses on a different main character). But I could mention that, at the end of "Swords", almost half of the main contenders for the Iron Throne are dead. That ought to give you some idea. Also, Jaime Lannister has become a major character, and the way in which he is portrayed may surprise you. And more scenes take place at and North of The Wall, which means more of Jon Snow and - hurrah! - the charmingly cowardly Samwell Tarly (better known as Ser Piggy). All in all, "Swords" is at least as good as the earlier two volumes, and as a result, "A Song of Fire and Ice" has become the very best fantasy series now in progress. I would recommend it very highly to just about everyone (that is, everyone who doesn't mind explicit violence and brief but sometimes coarse renditions of sex). Having said this, there is still one element ostensibly missing, both in this book and in the series as a whole: a central narrative drive, or plot, if you will. As yet, Martin has given us what is basically one long progression of wars, shifting alliances, betrayals, and the like. Those that have pointed out that the series will therefore ultimately become, if not boring, at least unsatisfactory, may still prove to be right. I doubt it, though: the mysterious Others are conspicuous in this book and, by now, not just The Night Watch is taking notice. And besides, the series is probably not called "A Song of Ice and Fire" for nothing (instead of, for example, "A Myriad of Murders").
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Summary: I'm so speechless...
Review: Oh dear... It's not oct. 31st and ASoS is finally on my hands,thanx to my little sister's kindess to give it to me as a birthdaygift. And what else could I say but THANK YOU! I dunno about US,but here in Aussie, the book already out on the shelves in lateSpetember. I haven't finish reading, but I'm on a good 3/4 of the bookand I say that as much as I expect that it'll go to "thatdirection"... I never expected that it will twist and turn THATway! ... The story gets darker from the previous two books, and I'msure Martin will make it darker still in the second trilogy. This is agood book, a damn great series. Buy it. You won't be sorry.... buttake note that by all means, the content are heavy stuff and can get_depressing...however, this is one hell of a story; perhaps one of thegreatest fantasy stories ever written. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
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Summary: This series is brilliant!
Review: I loved this book, and both its predecessors. Yes, it's grim and dark - it's also gripping, suspenseful and very, very adult. The characters are absolutely three-dimensional. I can hardly wait for the next book, and it's been years since I've felt this way about any book in this genre.
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Summary: The best fantasy series out there
Review: A Song of Ice and Fire reaches new heights with A Storm of Swords. George R.R. Martin has created an incredibly detailed world with rich characters, deep history, and unbelievable political intrigue. The latest book has more twists and turns than the Colorado River. And I sincerely wanted to find Mr. Martin and strangle him and the end of the book. I want MORE!
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Summary: Jaw-dropping
Review: Wow, does Martin play for keeps! By the third book in a six book series, you would think that you had the basic plotlines of the story mapped out, and that you could predict most of the major events. Not with A Storm of Swords. Amazing plot twists, fantastic character development, superb dialogue, and a story that moves. This is no unending saga where the story barely progresses from volume to volume. Major characters die, and others act in ways that are completely unexpected but always make sense. So much action is crammed into 900+ pages that I was emotionally drained upon finally finishing -- and reaching the shattering epilogue. This series is not for the feint of heart. The good guys don't always win, and the bad guys don't always lose. One particular scene involves a series of horrific murders that are so well-written that the action seems to move in slow motion. I had to put down the book for a few minutes just to absorb what I had just read, and I know that I am not the only one to have had that reaction. Those are the moments you hope for when reading -- when the story grabs hold and sucks you in. Fortunately, its not all grim. Seeds of hope and hints of better things to come are there, and there are rousing moments when I couldn't stop the smile from spreading over my face. I've been reading fantasy for 22 years and this is unsurpassed. Get it, read it.
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Summary: The epic battle between Darkness and Light
Review: Except that Light may not be quite what you expect. And the champions for the forces of good may not be who you thought it should be. Evil isn't any simpler. For the first time ever in the fantasy literature I have read, the reader is poleaxed - book after book. I was tripped up repeatedly by the devious maneuvring of Mr. Martin. Most of the cliches and conventions of the fantasy genre appear in this series. But only to morph into something far more sinister and complex anyone could expect. The traps and pitfalls most readers will fall into are perfectly visible in hindsight - each time the groundwork has been laid so carefully that nobody can claim that the twists in the storyline are too abrupt or unlikely. The ton of mediocre fantasy tripe published during the last two decades is what kept me guessing what Martin can or can't do. Apparently he can do anything. He breaks all the rules of the genre and makes this seem like the only possible way to write. He makes the reader like the characters they thought they hated and see the flaws in the characters they thought they should be cheering. Bit players become pivotal - larger-than-life central characaters turn out to be only a set-up for something even grander. And every twist and turn seems predestined and unavoidable after the shock of the unexpected wears off. Jordan and company - read these books and despair. After decades have passed, the only current fantasy work guaranteed to survive for generations to come is this series. Not only is the plotting best I have ever encountered - the world-building with a dozen cultures and half a dozen religions is both byzantine and crystal clear. Not only is the prose evocative, both brutal and poetic; but the dialogue is razor-sharp. Each character speaks with a voice uniquely his or her own. Dany, Cersei, Catelyn, Ygritte, Arya, Sansa, Melisandre - never has this genre been able to juggle half a dozen female characters that don't blend into each other or flatten into charicatures. You may recognize the archetypes - but these chicks pop out of the page with personalities of their own. Read the series and sink into the dark maelstrom of addiction - from now on, some malevolent force will compell you buy the pricy hardcover edition the day it is published for every future issue. It's worth the pain.
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Summary: The Days Of Our Lives
Review: This series has evolved into a soap opera---a damn good one, but a melodrama nonetheless. Almost every chapter is a cliffhanger, and the ending is geared to keep you hanging in suspense while you wait for the next installment. Shifting and twisting from one character and plot thread to the next, many pass each other like ships in the night, and just when you think they might meet and provide some resolution, they sheer away again, following their own separate adventure, only the general upheaval of the book's background holding the multiple storylines together. This is not a series that appears anywhere near a conclusion, and with the author's ability to continuously create and weave together more and more credible subplots, don't expect an ending to this series any time soon: after all, as the text admits, Daenerys' dragons are years away from being able to be ridden. The title for this installment is not as apt as the previous: no battle occurs equal to the Blackwater, nor do the many opponents---ironmen, wildlings, Targaryen, Baratheon, Stark, or Lannister, let alone the Others---ever come together to meet in a single climatic battle, as the title might imply. Instead, the political conspiracy, betrayal and murder of the previous two books continues to dominate the tale, liberally leavened with slaughter and skirmishes. Players come and go, the plots multiply and thicken, and even what is expected often takes an unanticipated turn. And it is the profusion and complexity of Martin's intrigues that arguably sets this series apart from the other prominent fat fantasists, Terry Goodkind and Robert Jordan. They as well depend upon a profundancy of subplots and scheming to extend and carry their stories, but Martin arguably does it more tightly and with greater relish. One might detect a note of criticism in my preceding comments. There is a suspicion that this nine hundred odd page volume could easily have been reduced by a couple hundred pages. Many of the subplots and episodes in this book appear to exist for their own sake, contributing little to advance the overall storyline---There is a noticeable shift of tempo between the first and second half of the book. And at times the author's obvious manipulation of the reader's interest becomes wearisome and frustrating. However, there is little question as to the author's ability to spin a story, juggling so many without once losing control, and for most, I suspect, the plethora of plots and intrigues---even the repetitive cliffhangers---will prove appealing. Martin writes with a vividness of detail and characterization that never pauses, and has created a diverse cast of characters in which one feels invested. And the author could never be faulted for his imagery or a lack of imagination. Certainly one of the best books of the year.
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Summary: Do yourself a favour and get reading!
Review: This is Pure Class. A Song of Ice and Fire is everythingJordan's Wheel of Time promised but has failed to deliver. It'scomplex, sophisticated, real, bloody, sexy, crude and totallyabsorbing. This volume is number 3 and it continues to build on itspredecessors superbly. The characterisation is outstanding; thecharacters change, mature and evolve (unlike those in WoT who arecardboard cut-outs by comparison). The sheer scope of the series isbreath-taking but you're never bogged down in history or geography inorder for it to make sense (although there's an appendix which doescome in handy). Martin handles all the details deftly and never losesthe pace. What also impresses me about the series are the names,both of people and places. "Stark", "Lannister","Riverrun", "Ser Gerold Hightower", "CasterlyRock", "The Blackfish", "Crannogmen" just toname a few. They indicate to me the effort Martin has gone to inorder to produce the easily the best fantasy written in the last 25years. The language is rather strong in places, this latest volumein particular. For me it makes the story and characters all the morereal (and earthy), but others may be a little put off. To sum up:George R. R. Martin has raised the bar in the genre to heights I fearwill be difficult to match. I think that in 20 years time people willbe saying that this series was as influential both within and outsidethe genre as The Lord of the Rings. So what are you doing here? Gobuy them and read them NOW!
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