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George R.R. Martin on "A Game of Thrones"Merchant Video

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A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3) Mass Market Paperback – March 4, 2003

by George R. R. Martin (Author)

4.8 33,681 ratings

Book 3 of 5: A Song of Ice and Fire

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Locus AwardWinner, 2001

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THE BOOK BEHIND THE THIRD SEASON OF GAME OF THRONES, AN ORIGINAL SERIES NOW ON HBO.

Here is the third book in the landmark series that has redefined imaginative fiction and become a modern masterpiece.

A STORM OF SWORDS

Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage. Joffrey sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, victim of the sorceress who holds him in her thrall. Young Robb still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons left in the world. As opposing forces maneuver for the final showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost limits of civilization, accompanied by a supernatural army of the living dead. 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. . . .

A GAME OF THRONES • A CLASH OF KINGS • A STORM OF SWORDS • A FEAST FOR CROWS • A DANCE WITH DRAGONS

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A riveting continuation of a series whose brilliance continues to dazzle.”—Patriot News

“Martin creates a gorgeously and intricately textured world, peopled with absolutely believable and fascinating characters.”—The Cleveland Plain Dealer

“One of the major fantasy works of all time . . . some of the best the field has to offer.”—Science Fiction Chronicle

“High fantasy doesn’t get any better than this.”—The Portland Oregonian

“Like a cross between a complicated game of chess, a quirky Stephen King tale and ‘Braveheart,’ Martin’s epic advances his series with gritty characterizations, bold plot moves and plenty of action.”—The St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“Martin’s magnum opus is a powerful and stunning achievement. Don’t miss it.”—scifidotcom

From the Inside Flap

Here is the third volume in George R. R. Martin?s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R. R. Martin?s stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.

A Storm of Swords

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. . .

From the Back Cover

Here is the third volume in George R. R. Martin's magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R. R. Martin's stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.
A Storm of Swords
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 averitable storm of swords. . .

About the Author

George R. R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire—A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and A Dance with Dragons—as well as Tuf Voyaging, Fevre Dream, The Armageddon Rag, Dying of the Light, Windhaven (with Lisa Tuttle), and Dreamsongs Volumes I and II. He is also the creator of The Lands of Ice and Fire, a collection of maps from A Song of Ice and Fire featuring original artwork from illustrator and cartographer Jonathan Roberts, and The World of Ice & Fire (with Elio M. García, Jr., and Linda Antonsson). As a writer-producer, Martin has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Prologue

The day was grey and bitter cold, and the dogs would not take the scent.

The big black bitch had taken one sniff at the bear tracks, backed off, and skulked back to the pack with her tail between her legs. The dogs huddled together miserably on the riverbank as the wind snapped at them. Chett felt it too, biting through his layers of black wool and boiled leather. It was too bloody cold for man or beast, but here they were. His mouth twisted, and he could almost feel the boils that covered his cheeks and neck growing red and angry. I should be safe back at the Wall, tending the bloody ravens and making fires for old Maester Aemon. It was the bastard Jon Snow who had taken that from him, him and his fat friend Sam Tarly. It was their fault he was here, freezing his bloody balls off with a pack of hounds deep in the haunted forest.

"Seven hells.” He gave the leashes a hard yank to get the dogs' attention. "Track, you bastards. That's a bear print. You want some meat or no? Find!" But the hounds only huddled closer, whining. Chett snapped his short lash above their heads, and the black bitch snarled at him. "Dog meat would taste as good as bear," he warned her, his breath frosting with every word.

Lark the Sisterman stood with his arms crossed over his chest and his hands tucked up into his armpits. He wore black wool gloves, but he was always complaining how his fingers were frozen. "It's too bloody cold to hunt,'' he said. "Bugger this bear, he's not worth freezing over."

We can’t go back emptyhand, Lark," rumbled Small Paul through the brown whiskers that covered most of his face. "The Lord Commander wouldn’t like that.” There was ice under the big man’s squashed pug nose, where his snot had frozen. A huge hand in a thick fur glove clenched tight around the shaft of a spear.

"Bugger that Old Bear too," said the Sisterman, a thin man with sharp features and nervous eyes. "Mormont will be dead before daybreak, remember? Who cares what he likes?"

Small Paul blinked his black little eyes. Maybe he had forgotten, Chett thought; he was stupid enough to forget most anything. "Why do we have to kill the Old Bear? Why don't we just go off and let him be?"

"You think he'll let us be?" said Lark. "He'll hunt us down. You want to be hunted, you great muttonhead?"

"No," said Small Paul. "I don't want that. I don't."

"So you'll kill him?" said Lark.

"Yes." The huge man stamped the butt of his spear on the frozen riverbank. "I will. He shouldn't hunt us."

The Sisterman took his hands from his armpits and tumed to Chett. "We need to kill all the officers, I say."

Chett was sick of hearing it. "We been over this. The Old Bear dies, and Blane from the Shadow Tower. Grubbs and Aethan as well, their ill luck for drawing the watch, Dywen and Bannen for their tracking, and Ser Piggy for the ravens. That's all. We kill them quiet, while they sleep. One scream and we're wormfood, every one of us." His boils were red with rage. "Just do your bit and see that your cousins do theirs. And Paul, try and remember, it's third watch, not second."

"Third watch," the big man said, through hair and frozen snot. "Me and Softfoot. I remember, Chett."

The moon would be black tonight, and they had jiggered the watches so as to have eight of their own standing sentry, with two more guarding the horses. It wasn't going to get much riper than that. Besides, the wildlings could be upon them any day now. Chett meant to be well away from here before that happened. He meant to live.

Three hundred sworn brothers of the Night's Watch had ridden north, two hundred from Castle Black and another hundred from the Shadow Tower. It was the biggest ranging in living memory, near a third of the Watch's strength. They meant to find Ben Stark, Ser Waymar Royce, and the other ran~.ers who'd gone missing, and discover why the wildlings were leaving their villages. Well, they were no closer to Stark and Royce than when they'd left the Wall, but they'd leamed where all the wildlings had gone - up into the icy heights of the godsforsaken Frostfangs. They could squat up there till the end of time and it wouldn't prick Chett's boils none.

But no. They were coming down. Down the Milkwater.

Chett raised his eyes and there it was. The river's stony banks were bearded by ice, lt’s pale milky waters flowing endlessly down out of the Frostfangs And now Mance Rayder and his wildlings were flowing down the same way. Thoren Smallwood had retumed in a lather three days past. While he was telling the Old Bear what his scouts had seen, his man Kedge Whiteye told the rest of them. "They're still well up the [oothills, but they're coming," Kedge said, warming his hands over the fire. "Harma the Dogshead has the van, the poxy bitch. Goady crept up Dn her camp and saw her plain by the fire. That fool Tumberjon wanted to pick her off with an arrow, but Smallwood had better sense."

Chett spat. "How many were there, could you tell?"

"Many and more. Twenty, thirty thousand, we didn't stay to count. Hamma had five hundred in the van, every one ahorse.~'

The men around the fire exchanged uneasy looks. It was a rare thing to find even a dozen mounted wildlings, and five hundred . . .

"Smallwood sent Bannen and me wide around the van to catch a peek at the main body," Kedge went on. "There was no end of them. They're moving slow as a frozen river, four, five miles a day, but they don't look like they mean to go back to their villages neither. More'n half were women and children, and they were driving their animals before them, goats, sheep, even aurochs dragging sledges. They'd loaded up with bales of fur and sides of meat, cages of chickens, butter chums and spinning wheels, every damn thing they own. The mules and garrons was so heavy laden you'd think their backs would break. The women as well."

"And they follow the Milkwater?" Lark the Sisterman asked.

"I said so, didn't I?"

The Milkwater would take them past the Fist of the First Men, the ancient ringfort where the Night's Watch had made its camp. Any man with a thimble of sense could see that it was time to pull up stakes and fall back on the Wall. The Old Bear had strengthened the Fist with spikes and pits and caltrops, but against such a host all that was pointless. If they stayed here, they would be engulfed and overwhelmed.

And Thoren Smallwood wanted to attack. Sweet Donnel Hill was squire to Ser Mallador Locke, and the night before last Smallwood had come to Locke's tent. Ser Mallador had been of the same mind as old Ser Ottyn Wythers, urging a retreat on the Wall, but Smallwood wanted to convince him otherwise. "This King-beyond-the-Wall will never look for us so far north," Sweet Donnel reported him saying. "And this great host of his is a shambling horde, full of useless mouths who won't know what end of a sword to hold. One blow will take all the fight out of them and send them howling back to their hovels for another fifty years."

Three hundred against thirty thousand. Chett called that rank madness, and what was madder still was that Ser Mallador had been persuaded' and the two of them together were on the point of persuading the Old Bear. "If we wait too long, this chance may be lost, never to come again," Smallwood was saying to anyone who would listen. Against that, Ser Ottyn Wythers said, "We are the shield that guards the realms of men. You do not throw away your shield for no good purpose," but to that Thoren Smallwood said, "In a swordfight, a man's surest defense is the swift stroke that slays his foe, not cringing behind a shield."

Neither Smallwood nor Wythers had the command, though. Lord Mormont did, and Mommont was waiting for his other scouts, for Jarman Buckwell and the men who'd climbed the Giant's Stair, and for Qhorin Halfhand and Jon Snow, who'd gone to probe the Skirling Pass. Buckwell and the Halfhand were late in retuming, though. Dead, most like. Chett pictured Jon Snow lying blue and frozen on some bleak mountaintop with a wildling spear up his bastard's arse. The thought made him smile. I hope they killed his bloody wolf as well.

"There's no bear here," he decided abruptly. "Just an old print, that's all. Back to the Fist." The dogs almost yanked him off his feet, as eager to get back as he was. Maybe they thought they were going to get fed. Chett had to laugh. He hadn't fed them for three days now, to turn them mean and hungry. Tonight, before slipping off into the dark, he'd tum them loose among the horse lines, after Sweet Donnel Hill and Clubfoot Karl cut the tethers. They'll have snarling hounds and panicked horses all over the Fist, running through fires, jumping the ringwall, and trampling down tents. With all the confusion, it might be hours before anyone noticed that fourteen brothers were missing.

Lark had wanted to bring in twice that number, but what could you expect from some stupid fishbreath Sisterman? Whisper a word in the wrong ear and before you knew it you'd be short a head. No, fourteen was a good number, enough to do what needed doing but not so many that they couldn't keep the secret. Chett had recruited most of them himself. Small Paul was one of his; the strongest man on the Wall, even if he was slower than a dead snail. He'd once broken a wildling's back with a hug. They had Dirk as well, named for his favorite weapon, and the little grey man the brothers called Softfoot, who'd taped a hundred women in his youth, and liked to boast how none had never seen nor heard him until he shoved it up inside them.

The plan was Chett's. He was the clever one; he'd been steward to old Maester Aemon for four good years before that bastard Jon Snow had done him out so his job could be handed to his fat pig of a friend. When he killed Sam Tarly tonight, he planned to whisper, "Give my love to Lord Snow," right in his ear before he sliced Ser Piggy's throat open to let the blood come bubbling out through all those layers of suet. Chett knew the ravens, so he wouldn't have no trouble there, no more than he would with Tarly.

One touch of the knife and that craven would piss his pants and start blubbering for his life. Let him beg, it won't do him no good. After he opened his throat, he'd open the cages and shoo the birds away, so no messages reached the Wall. Softfoot and Small Pau1 would kill the Old Bear, Dirk would do Blane, and Lark and his cousins would silence Bannen and old Dywen, to keep them from sniffing after their trail. They'd been caching food for a fortnight, and Sweet Donne1 and Clubfoot Karl would have the horses ready. With Mormont dead, command would pass to Ser Ottyn Wythers, an old done man, and failing. He'll be running for the Wall before sundown, and he won't waste no men sending them after us neither.

The dogs pulled at him as they made their way through the trees. Chett could see the Fist punching its way up through the green. The day was so dark that the Old Bear had the torches lit, a great circle of them buming all along the ringwall that crowned the top of the steep stony hill. The three of them waded across a brook. The water was icy cold, and patches of ice were spreading across its surface. "I'm going to make for the coast," Lark the Sisterman confided. "Me and my cousins. We'll build us a boat, sail back home to the Sisters."

And at home they'll know you for deserters and lop off your fool heads, thought Chett. There was no leaving the Night's Watch, once you said your words. Anywhere in the Seven Kingdoms, they'd take you and kill you.

Ollo Lophand now, he was talking about sailing back to Tyrosh, where he claimed men didn't lose their hands for a bit of honest thievery, nor get sent off to freeze their life away for being found in bed with some knight~s wife. Chett had weighed going with him, but he didn't speak their wet girly tongue. And what could he do in Tyrosh? He had no trade to speak of, growing up in Hag's Mire. His father had spent his life grubbing in other men's fields and collecting leeches. He'd strip down bare but for a thick leather clout, and go wading in the murky waters. When he climbed out he'd be covered from nipple to ankle. Sometimes he made Chett help pull the leeches off. One had attached itself to his palm once, and he'd smashed it against a wall in revulsion. His father beat him bloody for that. The maesters bought the leeches at twelve-for-apenny.

Lark could go home if he liked, and the damn Tyroshi too, but not Chett. If he never saw Hag's Mire again, it would be too bloody soon. He had liked the look of Craster's Keep, himself. Craster lived high as a lord there, so why shouldn't he do the same? That would be a laugh. Chett the 1eechman’s son, a lord with a keep. His banner could be a dozen leeches on a field of pink. But why stop at lord? Maybe he should be a king.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House Worlds (March 4, 2003)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 1216 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 055357342X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0553573428
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.15 x 1.81 x 6.85 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #226,766 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #6,565 in Science Fiction Adventures
- #7,302 in Fantasy Action & Adventure
- #9,098 in Epic Fantasy (Books)

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George R. R. Martin

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George R.R. Martin is the globally bestselling author of many fine novels, including A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and A Dance with Dragons, which together make up the series A Song of Ice and Fire, on which HBO based the world’s most-watched television series, Game of Thrones. Other works set in or about Westeros include The World of Ice and Fire, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. His science fiction novella Nightflyers has also been adapted as a television series; and he is the creator of the shared-world Wild Cards universe, working with the finest writers in the genre. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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Customers find the story gripping and amazing with epic storytelling at its finest. They appreciate the plot twists that drive the story in Westeros. Readers describe the book as fantastic and their favorite out of the Game of Thrones series. The characters are engaging, deep, and have a wide range of personalities. The writing quality is described as extraordinary, captivating, and sophisticated. Overall, customers find the book enjoyable and engrossing.

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1,866 customers mention "Story quality"1,832 positive34 negative

Customers enjoy the book's storytelling. They find it gripping, shocking, and amazing. The book provides a good balance of pseudo-historical adventure with subtle fantasy elements. Readers praise the characters and storyline as good.

"...Martin has a lot to say about his world, which makes for a fascinating story and guarantees that none of the thousand-and-some-odd pages are boring...." Read more

"...The books also provide a good balance of pure pseudo-historical adventure story with subtle fantasy elements without being too in-your-face fantasy...." Read more

"...It's highly re-readable, and every character and story is given good time (unlike, in my opinion, the next few in the series so far)...." Read more

"...Up to the third book, the story is magnificent, if not begrudgingly so, and it is well worth the read." Read more

1,257 customers mention "Twists"1,112 positive145 negative

Customers enjoy the book's twists. They find the plot intricate, with adventure, betrayal, and greed. The twists drive the story in Westeros, keeping it moving forward. Readers praise the rich and surprising world, never feeling the plot drags.

"...simply isn't the case with "A Storm of Swords." The plot doesn't stall at all; in fact, every chapter moves the story forward and works to..." Read more

"...It's highly re-readable, and every character and story is given good time (unlike, in my opinion, the next few in the series so far)...." Read more

"...He is excellent at providing characterization, plot intricasy, politics and politcal manuevering, believable motives and twists...." Read more

"...marionette has directed their interplay so intricately it is a believable plotline that echoes real life as action and schemes between characters..." Read more

769 customers mention "Series quality"769 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the series. They find it great and detailed, with a solid entry in the series. The book is described as enjoyable and engrossing, with realistic writing and dragons and magic. Overall, readers describe the series as rare and sophisticatedly written.

"..."A Storm of Swords" is a solid entry in the series...." Read more

"A Storm of Swords is my favorite book out of the Game of Thrones series, followed by the first...." Read more

"...This is easily the best of the first three books and I highly recommend that you read this immediately after finishing the first two books." Read more

"...GRRM delivers a RARE series - a sophisticatedly written series - it is both mature and complex at every level, and manages to do so without tedium,..." Read more

518 customers mention "Character development"447 positive71 negative

Customers enjoy the engaging and deep characters in the book. They appreciate the author's willingness to kill off main characters and the wide range of personalities, motivations, biases, and scheming. The actors playing the parts are also praised for their performance.

"...Jaime is an incredibly nuanced character and begins to undergo a lot of change in this novel, and much like Tyrion, he walks the line between..." Read more

"...It's highly re-readable, and every character and story is given good time (unlike, in my opinion, the next few in the series so far)...." Read more

"...And character development is sophisticated. You have a vast range of personalities, motivations, biases, vices, scheming, hurts, etc...." Read more

"...His personality suits her very well, I'm slightly surprised he didn't help her with her sword play, he did, however, help her become less stupid and..." Read more

436 customers mention "Writing quality"350 positive86 negative

Customers find the writing quality engaging and sophisticated. They praise the author's skill in characterization, plot details, and political maneuvering. The book is well-written, edited, and presented with good typeface and paper.

"...Beautiful, glossy cover; nice large size, good typeface and paper — all my GoTs will be in this same format [I hope]...." Read more

"...He is excellent at providing characterization, plot intricasy, politics and politcal manuevering, believable motives and twists...." Read more

"...GRRM delivers a RARE series - a sophisticatedly written series - it is both mature and complex at every level, and manages to do so without tedium,..." Read more

"...Spectacular dialogue. This is the best dialogue I've ever read. Razorsharp wit, acid tongues, stoic nobility, prideful revenge, hungry vengeance,..." Read more

388 customers mention "Enjoyment"388 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it engaging, exciting, and imaginative. Readers appreciate the well-rewarding journey with interesting characters. The book offers something for everyone and tugs at their heartstrings.

"...Martin's story is so enthralling, unique, and captivating that you'll want more than even a book this long can offer...." Read more

"...I love reading, and laughing, and having my emotions jerked around — Storm of Swords definitely moved from about instant favorite #40-somthing to..." Read more

"...many ways, GRRM strikes a compelling blend of tragedy that keeps readers on their toes and mimicks reality...." Read more

"...It is extremely refreshing and entirely spellbinding...." Read more

246 customers mention "Pacing"137 positive109 negative

Customers have mixed views on the pacing of the book. Some find it well-paced and engaging, with the third book picking up the pace. Others feel the pacing is too fast at certain points and the forward momentum slows down. They also mention that some parts drag and take longer to read than the first and second chapters.

"...With the pace being consistent throughout the novel, you'll be flipping through pages with the desperate need to know what happens next to your..." Read more

"...A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings, I found there to be several slow parts...." Read more

"...the book seems more complex and fragmentary than ever, the pacing seems slightly faster, and the amount of gratuitous sex and gory violence is a bit..." Read more

"...Book 2 was very boring and slow. Each Game of Thrones book flows smoothly from one to the next, all from one mind and one author...." Read more

132 customers mention "Length"67 positive65 negative

Customers have different views on the book's length. Some find it very long, with over a thousand pages and a vast cast of characters. Others find it choppy and hard to read at times, with mini-climaxes every 10 pages.

"...but you'll undoubtedly notice pretty quickly that it's over a thousand pages long...." Read more

"...Despite the choppy and long read, I still very much enjoyed this book. Dany and Tyrion are my favorite characters so far...." Read more

"...Beautiful, glossy cover; nice large size, good typeface and paper — all my GoTs will be in this same format [I hope]...." Read more

"...The books are very long reads with a ton of words, side stories and descriptions that could have been left out without affecting the story at all...." Read more

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Katrin von Martin
A Solid (and Huge) Installment that Leaves You Wanting More
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2015
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It's impossible to put these books down. As soon as I finished "A Clash of Kings," I had downloaded and began reading "A Storm of Swords." It follows the example set by the previous book in that it expands upon the plots and themes already established, adds a few more layers to keep things interesting, and somehow manages to be better than the book that came before it. Spoilers follow.

It wouldn't be possible to adequately sum up everything that happens in this book in an appropriately succinct manner, so I'll just give a brief, bare-bones overview. Westeros is still caught up in the war raging for the Iron Throne. With five claimants competing to rule the Seven Kingdoms, it doesn't look like there's an end in sight for the violence and destruction. Things are also brewing in the North, where the Wildlings beyond are organizing an attack to break through the Wall, overwhelm the severely undermanned Night's Watch, and invade. Meanwhile, in the East, Daenerys continues to amass resources to aid in her plans to attack for the Throne. She moves through the cities of Slaver's Bay, gaining support and exercising her growing authority as both the Khaleesi and the Mother of Dragons.

I'll start by addressing perhaps the most obvious characteristic of "A Storm of Swords:" it's huge. Granted, if you downloaded it for your Kindle like I did, the monstrous size of the novel might not be as immediately striking, but you'll undoubtedly notice pretty quickly that it's over a thousand pages long. Books this long tend to be one of two things: unnecessarily descriptive with plenty of filler to pad out the pages or complex with an intricately layered story that fills the pages with content. I'm pleased to say that this book is definitely the latter of the two possibilities. It would perhaps be feared that the middle book of a lengthy series, especially one with a humongous page count, would be repetitive and full of fluff and padding, serving only to lengthen the series and sell more books. Again, that simply isn't the case with "A Storm of Swords." The plot doesn't stall at all; in fact, every chapter moves the story forward and works to develop the overall plot. The story is exciting with so many power players devising and implementing their own schemes as well as the war raging over the Iron Throne. Martin has a lot to say about his world, which makes for a fascinating story and guarantees that none of the thousand-and-some-odd pages are boring. With the pace being consistent throughout the novel, you'll be flipping through pages with the desperate need to know what happens next to your favourite character or faction. For the first time I can recall, I finished a thousand plus page novel thinking that it wasn't long enough! Martin's story is so enthralling, unique, and captivating that you'll want more than even a book this long can offer.

I'll also note that the story is far from predictable. I've mostly given up trying to guess what will happen because the actual events typically far exceed my predictions. I'll probably end up mentioning this in every "Song of Ice and Fire" review, but I ended up taking a bit of a break from fantasy due to being frustrated with the same plots and tired clichés that seemed to crop up in every book. Martin has actually managed to write not only a unique fantasy novel, but a series that stands above many others simply because he strays from the commonly tread path. Pretty much anything can happen to anyone; good characters aren't given immunity and bad characters aren't doomed to death (and really, calling characters good and bad isn't completely accurate since most are various shades of grey). The plot twists and turns like crazy, but it's handled deftly and the author clearly knows where he's going, putting the reader an exciting ride and a gamut of emotions. And just when you think you've got it figured out, something comes up that throws your predictions out the window. It's a nice change from being able to guess everything before it happens, as tends to be the case with other books in the genre.

It's well established by this point that Martin doesn't shy away from the violence of war...and "A Storm of Swords" practically has blood dripping from its pages. With the war for the Iron Throne in full swing, the death count in this book is high. The horrors of battle are portrayed in all their gritty glory; these aren't nice people and they don't do nice things. As I've mentioned in other reviews, neither the violence nor the sex present comes off as gratuitous (for the most part), but instead works to flesh out Martin's world and reinforce the concept that no one is safe. Yes, this is the book with the Red Wedding. There are a couple weddings that take place, so it's not immediately obvious which one will be THE wedding if you haven't already been informed. And yes, some well-loved characters meet their end in this bloodbath, families betray one another, alliances change...all the jazz that one can expect from such an event. There are also other grisly surprises that determine the fate of some, well, not as well-loved characters. In the East, Daenerys is faced with the brutality of slavery and the effects of anarchy as she conquers the Slave Cities, and it's not pretty. If you were bothered by the dark content of the two previous books, you probably shouldn't read this one because the author has really upped his game in that aspect. Personally, I'm of the opinion that the grittiness adds authenticity to the world, but I've always preferred a darker, more realistic setting.

While I usually don't find the sex and violence in these books to be gratuitous, there is one instance of it that I'll have to complain about; and weirdly enough, it's probably one of the more "normal" sexual relationships we see in the book: Jon and Ygritte. I totally get the significance of Jon breaking his vows with Ygritte, both in terms of his background as a bastard and as a member of the Night's Watch, and I enjoyed seeing him struggle with his conflicting emotions on the matter. However, I got a little tired of reading about them getting it on in detail multiple times every night. Sure, a few times is fine to give us an idea of Jon's situation, but the frequency came off as really unnecessary. Of all the gruesome things one could complain about in this novels, that's what stuck out to me as being gratuitous and over the top...who'd have thought?

The characters just get better and better with each book. That's not to say they necessarily become better people (in the brutal world of Westeros, that almost never seems to happen), but they definitely grow and become more intriguing with each installment. With so many storylines and characters, it would be easy to shove a couple off to the side, but, again, Martin seems to have this under control and every character is more than adequately fleshed out. The changing point of view in each chapter works well because it ensures that every story and every character continues to move forward. Each chapter, and therefore each point of view, is in some way significant; I never finished a chapter wondering what the point of it was or what it added to the story. The characters continue to be portrayed in shades of grey, each one unique and changing and none of them fall into the typical archetypes. You'll be frustrated with some and cheer on others and, as I mentioned earlier, some well-loved characters (and some that we love to hate) meet their ends in "A Storm of Swords." You never know what the characters are going to throw at you (or at each other, as the case often is) or who's going to make it out alive...and in a book as brutal as this one, that certainly adds a level of suspense and excitement.

"A Storm of Swords" adds Jaime as a point of view character, and he quickly became one of my personal favourites, especially with Tyrion's viewpoint also being maintained throughout the book to provide a different Lannister perspective. Jaime is an incredibly nuanced character and begins to undergo a lot of change in this novel, and much like Tyrion, he walks the line between protagonist and antagonist, never really being one or the other. With his background and unique perspective, I hope we see Jaime as a point of view character (and, indeed, that he survives whatever the next books throw at him) in future books.

This is also the book where certain characters began to stand out to me as being just plain annoying and, surprisingly, boring. As I've mentioned in my other reviews, "A Song of Ice and Fire" is so great partially because different characters will resonate differently with each reader, so your favourite character may be someone else's least favourite. As I was reading this book, I found that the character that tended to make me groan aloud when I started a chapter and saw his name was Bran. That's not to say he's a poorly written character; he just doesn't really appeal to me. Perhaps it's because there are so many other plot lines to focus on, but I found him and his story to be a tad boring. I don't doubt that he and his quest will be significant since he's one of the few characters that encounters magic (a rarity in this world), but his position as the wise, future-seeing, up-and-coming mage just doesn't interest me personally.

Despite my couple complaints (which are really more personal in nature than anything necessarily "wrong" with the book), "A Storm of Swords" is a solid entry in the series. It takes the themes and plots from the first two books and builds upon them to create a novel that is better, darker, and more intriguing than the first two. The plot is still steadily moving forward, building momentum and adding layers of story with each book. With the cast being as massive as it is and the number of storylines being many, I find myself wondering how Martin will tie everything together. He's proven to be a capable writer so far, so I'm sure he'll figure it out. At any rate, this monstrous book is one Hell of a good read. Five stars!

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kimberleelee
review written halfway thru book 3; now i'm done - best in series so far
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2013
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As my review for Book 2 says, I love the way the books changes perspective from chapter to chapter so that the reader really gets inside the heads of the characters, providing insight into the complexities of human relationships in a way you otherwise wouldn't. More than it is a "fantasy" novel, it is a pseudo-history, and as we all know, history told from only one perspective is skewed and incomplete. Martin's choice of multiple perspectives gives a very thorough view of what's happening and allows the reader to reach their own conclusions about what is good/bad, right/wrong, desirable/undesirable. Although I'm a fan of the tv show, believe me when I say: THE BOOKS TELL THE STORY ON A LEVEL THE TV SHOW COULD NEVER EVEN DREAM OF ACHIEVING.

The books also provide a good balance of pure pseudo-historical adventure story with subtle fantasy elements without being too in-your-face fantasy. At the outset, the kingdom of Westeros believes magic and magical creatures no longer exist except in very subtle holdover ways, like the occasional witch-type character, but those are a rarity and viewed skeptically. As you move thorugh the books, some of this supposedly dead magic turns out to be not so dead, but it's not like a Dungeons and Dragons world where trolls and wizards run amock. So it doesn't have a "kitsch" problem the way some bad fantasy novels do. Now for book 3 specifics:

We're still focused on the Stark family in many ways; as I hypothesized in my Book 2 review, the Starks seem to be the true focus of the overall story. But other major players on the chessboard also become near and dear to the reader. In book 3, as the title suggests, we cover the "war" of the various figures vying for the throne and a fair amount of plotlines are ... resolved. S*** goes CRAZY up at the wall, and Jon is becoming more and more of a central character, which I like since he's an underappreciated bastard and I tend to root for underdogs. I absolutely love where Arya's story is going as well, and at the close of her last chapter in Book 3, I believe I shouted "Yeah!!!" at the top of my lungs, much to my dog's consternation. Book 3 ends with a lot of balls up in the air and I'm dying to see how this all comes out.

As far as actual literary value, I have no complaints. The prose can sometimes be plodding with detailed descriptions of people's clothing (do I really care where the silk came from?) or the various courses of a feast (yum! but let's get on with it), but for the most part it is artful and eloquent. Like Stephen King, he spells out the dialectic quirks in dialogue which makes voices come alive and makes the world they're in feel more real (poor uneducated people and fancy rich people speak differently? hey, that's like real life!). He uses historical vocabulary a lot, which has made me grateful for the Kindle's built-in dictionary at times, but I think speaks to the level of research and preparation that went into it. I'm sure that if I really put my mind to it, there would be phrases or pages that I could slash with a red pen, but only very few, honestly. Even the tangential moments - during which I am anxious to get back to the action and find out what happens next in the grander scheme of things - have a purpose and feel necessary even in the moment. The story is thorough to a ridiculous degree, but this makes it feel more real; it is so holistic in its attention to detail (in both physical descriptions and emotional/psychological insight) that you can't help but believe this all happened or is happening somewhere, somewhen. Ah, verisimilitude.

It's not a love story, although there is some love. It's not a true war story, despite the battle scenes, there is no identifiable hero or villain (there are definitely a few heroes and villains though) and there is no particular "quest" except maybe "achieving leadership who will protect the realm" (but that's a pretty lame quest if you ask me). With humans fighting humans while a supernatural threat looms in the background, it could become more of an "us against them" in some later book, but that's not really the groundwork I think the author is laying. It feels more like just a context for a foray into the virtues and pitfalls of humanity. It could just as accurately be called "A Game of Good-Choice, Bad-Choice."

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lawrence west
good read
Reviewed in Canada on October 24, 2024
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now finish the rest of them GRRM.

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ricaele ferreira
Livro em muito bom estado
Reviewed in Brazil on September 10, 2024
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Chegou rápido e estava tudo de acordo, muito obrigada!

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Carlos E Moreno
Excelente
Reviewed in Mexico on January 19, 2024
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Llego en tiempo y forma y muy bonita historia lo recomiendo

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Awesome🤯
Reviewed in India on February 27, 2023
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This book takes you into another world. This series is the first fantasy book series I'm reading, and it's awesome. It's just incredible. Page quality in this book (from this publisher) is poor, but manageable.

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linda
Good
Reviewed in Australia on October 12, 2023
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Another good book very enjoyable

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A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3) Mass Market Paperback – March 4, 2003

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A Solid (and Huge) Installment that Leaves You Wanting More

review written halfway thru book 3; now i'm done - best in series so far

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