"A Clash of Kings" is the second volume of a planned six-part series, "The Song of Ice and Fire".



It is a book about treason, love, friendship, death, war, power, incest, knowledge, magic and spirituality. Set in a cunningly and all-too realistic world which reminds the reader of Medieval times, "A Clash of Kings" follows the story told in "A Game of Thrones", where we meet the heraldry of the Seven Kingdoms, some of which is now fighting for the iron throne. You will find characters you will love, you will find characters you will most assuredly hate, and you will certainly find characters you will not know what to think of.



George R. R. Martin weaves a tale of an incredible, bloody world, which bears more resemblance to authentic historical times than one might be ready to admit. The characters are not black-and-white. In the beginning you might think you know who the bad guys and who the good guys are, but as you continue reading, you won't be so sure. Moreover, you will not see happy endings for many of the characters. You will suffer, you will cry, you will hate and you will love. In this series, no one is safe from fate's cruel hand. You will not find yourself reading about the typical battle between good and evil. Instead, you will read the most refreshing series to come in modern times, with the most incredible and three-dimensional characters you might encounter in fantasy novels and the most imaginative storyline you might wish to find.



This is a book I recommend heartily. Start with "A Game of Thrones" and then read this one. When you're over, jump towards the next one, and then the next, and then... you get the point. You won't be disappointed.



WARNING: This book is not for children nor young teenagers. It features various sexual situations, blood and gore, as well as death (a lot of it). I warn you, this is *not* a book for the faint of heart nor for the young, and definitely not for those who are looking for typical fairy-tale fantasy. You've been warned.

The different point of views (POV's) used in the book, each a new chapter. It allows the reader to know a few different characters, seeing and feeling things through their eyes and hearts, while being in the dark about some things, which is exactly why the author uses these limited POV's. He does not wish us to know more than we should.



The plot is amazing. I thought the author could not top "A Game of Thrones", but this second volume is as good, if not better, than the previous. This series will go far, for it is masterfully written, poignantly told, and incredibly real. Not your run-of-the-mill fantasy setting either. That's why I loved it.

There are few things I did not like about this book. It is one of the best fantasy novels I have read in a long time, so there are few negative aspects to point, in my opinion. Though, if I were to criticize something, it would be the absolute hate the story creates in me regarding some of the characters. Believe me, some of them are *not* pretty people...

... cry, scream, curse, laugh, shoot the author, read the next one immediately... this book provoked so many reactions in me while I read it that I ended up an emotional wreck. This story will do this to you. This book will make you wish you had picked it up a long time ago, because you can't think why, in the name of all that's sacred, you hadn't read it before.

As stated before, a complete emotional wreck. I found myself feeling more emotions reading a single chapter of this book than many others I have read in the past. Hope, anxiety, fear, loathing, laughter, horror, revulsion, pain... these are some of the feelings that you will experience while reading this book.

George R. R. Martin was born September 20, 1948 in Bayonne, New Jersey. He has written various novels and short stories collections, has edited many anthologies, has produced episodes for TV shows, such as Twilight Zone and Beauty and the Beast, and he is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America.

After all I've said, there's little else to add. I recommend this book because it is one of the best fantasy-genre novels to come since Tolkien, from a series that is as incredible as "The Wheel of Time" (if not better, but that is an opinion that may or may not be shared by others).

The A Song of Ice and Fire series features the following books:



- Book 1: "A Game of Thrones" (published September 1997 - mass market paperback reissue)

- Book 2: "A Clash of Kings" (published September 2000 - mass market paperback)

- Book 3: "A Storm of Swords" (published May 2002 - paperback)

- Book 4: "A Feast for Crows" (to be published in 2003)

- Book 5: "A Dance with Dragons" (to be published)

- Book 6: "The Winds of Winter" (to be published)

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Created Feb 13, 2003 at 11:13am • Submit your own review...