A Clash of Kings

I think its amazing how much I care about almost all of the characters in this series. Even if I didn't at one point there will be a scene that makes my heart reach out to them. That being said trough the whole book I didn't know who I wanted on the iron throne but by the end I was yelling the king in the north!

Just as page-turningly good the second time around. Bring on the TV series, I'm ready.

Well, first of all, let me say that when I finished A Game of Thrones, I jumped headfirst into A Clash of Kings, as I was very excited by the ending of the first book, and could not wait to find out what happened next. The first book felt very much like a beginning, and I was convinced that the next book would keep the momentum that the first book had ended with. Sadly, I was rather mistaken. It has taken me nearly seven months to get through this second book in the series, with my attentions and interest being diverted by nearly a dozen other books in the meantime. I have been following the Read of Ice and Fire on the Tor website, and have endeavored to stay ahead of their pacing so that I don't have any major events spoiled for myself, but some weeks that goal was all that compelled me to read this book.

Now, while I crawled through the pages, I still have to insist that this is a good book. The writing is fabulous, the characters are complex, and the plot is brilliantly constructed. And yet, I found it hard to want to read this book. I think part of it is that the world Martin has created is so dark. I mean, even when the characters are making quips, there is a brooding undertone to it all. So I really had to be in the right frame of mind to sit down and focus on these pages... which apparently I haven't been in much over the past few months. Though when I am in a mood to read it, I actually did find a lot of this book to be quite enjoyable.

So, despite the long time it took me to read this book, I actually have to say I like it better than the first one. The plot has thickened, the characters have developed, and the action has increased. And, well, Martin does know how to build to an ending. I found that I have grown fonder of certain characters, and I now have at least a few people I am rooting for, even if they all seem to be on opposing sides. I also found that I had a much greater appreciation for the richness and complexity of the world he has created as well. And I can't emphasize enough how good the ending is - although it took me months to read the first two-thirds of the book, I flew through the last few hundred pages in a matter of hours. Like the end of the first book, I am now very excited to move on to the next in the series. At this point I feel like we are deep enough into the story that the pacing can be a bit quicker, and that more information about the characters, plot, and world can be revealed without overwhelming the reader. Of course, after two books I am starting to think that GRRM likes to take things slow and build up to his exciting endings, but I am still hoping that my renewed interest and enjoyment will propel me through the next book a bit faster than this one. Of course, only time will tell, but with any luck I should be doing the next book review sometime before December!

Theon, Theon, you fool!

Yeah, my friend recommended these, and now I'm mental. There will probably be nothing to say until I've caught up with everyone else.

Just as brilliant as the first in the series. Awesome read. I don't normally read this type of book, but these books are fantastic.

Since this series of books is so plot-driven, it's hard to discuss without giving anything away. I'll just say that I enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to see what happens next. I'm also very curious about how HBO is going to film this; it's bigger in scope than the first book and has more big action scenes that will be difficult to bring to the screen. Buy the DVDs, people... they're going to need the money.

Martin really likes to toy with my emotions. A few too many good guys and too few bad guys bite it in this one, and all our heroes are still down on their luck. . . .

Originally read in January 2005. Re-reading the series as part of the lead-up to the Dance of Dragons release.

Finished reading this a while ago, but have gotten behind on my review-writing.

The second entry in the Song of Ice and Fire Saga, A Clash of Kings, written by George R.R. Martin begins a bit slowly, but introduces us to new viewpoint characters, such as Stannis Baratheon, the true heir to the Iron Throne. It's quite clear by the end of Kings however, that those with the most gold and swords aligned with them can claim the throne for themselves.

The book titles have very closely followed the events of the books. In the first entry, A Game of Thrones, there is much political positioning, backstabbing, and plans being laid. It truly was a game of thrones. In A Clash of Kings, though there is still many politics going on, it truly is a clash of kings. At the beginning of the novel, there are four kings in Westeros, and fighting is occurring in all parts of the land.

The most intriguing character in the series so far, Tyrion Lannister, is serving as Hand of the King, in the stead of Joffrey's Grandfather, Tywin Lannister, who is busy fighting a war against Robb Stark. Tyrion quickly impresses with his shrewdness and aptitude for subterfuge. He has never quite shined as he does in Kings.

Though the novel is fantastic, it doesn't flow as quickly as did Thrones, and seems to wander a bit. Still, the events in the book can't be discounted. Without giving it away, suffice it to say that things are coming unraveled in Westeros, and the Reader may be surprised by how vulnerable every character is–whether we get to see through their eyes or not. Indeed, it's one of the draws to the series: no character is ever safe. New characters are frequently introduced, secondary characters slowly become more important, and major characters can be killed off and replaced. It's a refreshing change of pace from so many other novels (especially series-based books) that fail to truly put their antagonists in jeopardy, or seriously threaten their main characters. The author makes no such assumptions; everyone is cannon fodder.

A Clash of Kings takes place primarily in two locations: Winterfell, and King's Landing. Though we are taken all over the realm, to places like Riverrun, and Pyke, we don't spend nearly as much time there. We also get to go beyond the Wall for a huge portion of the book, and see how that story is beginning to unfold. Jon Snow has become yet another major player in the series, and continues to be enthralling to read about.

In the end, A Clash of Kings is a great read, and continues to develop one of the greatest Fantasy sagas of all time.

Review to come later.

Martin had me from page one with his second installment of ASOIAF. “A Clash of Kings” was packed with heart wrenching action from beginning to end. Martin managed to yet again leave me surprised with unforeseen plot turns and unpredictable characters. All of the plot twists were a well orchestrated crescendo that held me to until the pieces fell together. On to “A Storm of Swords”.

The end of A Clash of Kings snuck up on me. That's something I hadn't really thought about before, especially with an 874 page monster like this, but it can happen with an ebook. I'm reading along, eager to know what happens next. The chapter ends, I go to the next page, and - Appendix? What do you mean, Appendix! That's nonsense, there's got to be more story here than that! I want to know what comes next, dammit! GIVE ME THE STORY!As it happens, I can start reading [b:A Storm of Swords 62291 A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3) George R.R. Martin http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1298429990s/62291.jpg 1164465] whenever I like, unlike all those poor folk who read this book when it was first released. I think I might need to stop and read a few other books first, though. I did read today's big announcement regarding [b:A Dance with Dragons 2782553 A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire, #5) George R.R. Martin http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1301849720s/2782553.jpg 2936175], but there's no way I can stretch the next two volumes out to last through more than two months until book five actually comes out. I'm sure the delay will be worth it, though!One thing [a:Sam Chupp 11847 Sam Chupp http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1219698183p2/11847.jpg] and I have discussed is Martin's marvelous subtlety with magic. It's only barely there at all throughout A Game of Thrones, and can easily be dismissed by anyone who doesn't have direct experience of it. It grows stronger in A Clash of Kings, but it is still something that just about anyone in the Seven Kingdoms would say belongs in tales for children. Not relying on magic for plot takes more discipline as an author, and holding back as he is says a great deal about Martin's careful pace.

Finally finished it!
Wow! What a great follow up to A Game of Thrones. I am eager to get onto the rest of the series. However, I have several books to read between now and the time I get to A Storm of Swords.