by George R. R. Martin
Fantasy
Random House Publishing Group, 2011
Why this book
I don't know if I can pretend that I read this book just because it was part of the first four book set that I bought? Well, no, I'm not like to flog me reading a book - let alone a series of books - that I do not like! The truth is that I really love A Song of Ice and Fire serie. So I read this book, because I was eager to see the further adventures of the seven kingdoms and its protagonists - and it was already in my library, as a not buried treasure just waiting to be read.
Summary
Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as violently as ever, as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey, of House Lannister, sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the land of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, the victim of the jealous sorceress who holds him in her evil thrall. But young Robb, of House Stark, still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Robb plots against his despised Lannister enemies, even as they hold his sister hostage at King's Landing, the seat of the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world....
But as opposing forces maneuver for the final titanic showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost line of civilization. In their vanguard is a horde of mythical Others--a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords. . .
What I think
This is the best of the first three volumes. I've never regretted leaving a book and its world so much - except maybe Harry Potter ... - I've been through some terrible and incredible twists and exaltations (frankly, *** spoiler **** when Daenerys kills the slaver, it's so great! Especially after the fear of seeing her sale her dragon ***).
George R. R. Martin is an author who is not afraid to write what pleases him. He thinks that an author can't please everyone anyway and he kills the characters that we expected to see longer. And it works! This is what is great about the realism of Martin in his novels : as in real life, people die, people betray people band together. This is a fantasy world sprinkled with realism, with characters we love and others we love to hate. Personally, I have a soft spot for Jon, Daenerys and Arya and I would gladly slap Cersei! And you?
Let's be brief
A must have, must read! We always talk about classics that should be read and here is a classic fantasy to offer and to provide, to read and reread because you never get tired of a world so rich! 1177 pages of pure pleasure ...
Good to know
A Storm of Swords was the first of the series to be nominated for the Hugo Award in 2001 (one of the two most prestigious awards in science fiction and fantasy, but Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire won.
George R. R. Martin also finds that it is the most intense of his books in this excellent interview. He is very cool as author right?
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