5 reviews for A Clash Of Kings
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A Clash Of Kings
by George R. R. Martin
Description:
Book 2 of A song of Ice and Fire. Time is out of joint. The summer of peace and plenty, ten years long, is drawing to a close, and the harsh, chill winter approaches like an angry beast. Two great leadersLord Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheonwho held sway over an age of enforced peace are dead…victims of royal treachery. Now, from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns, as pretenders to the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms prepare to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war.
As a prophecy of doom cuts across the skya comet the color of blood and flamesix factions struggle for control of a divided land. Eddard’s son Robb has declared himself King in the North. In the south, Joffrey, the heir apparent, rules in name only, victim of the scheming courtiers who teem over King’s Landing. Robert’s two brothers each seek their own dominion, while a disfavored house turns once more to conquest. And a continent away, an exiled queen, the Mother of Dragons, risks everything to lead her precious brood across a hard hot desert to win back the crown that is rightfully hers.
A Clash of Kings transports us into a magnificent, forgotten land of revelry and revenge, wizardry and wartime. It is a tale in which maidens cavort with madmen, brother plots against brother, and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside.
Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, the price of glory may be measured in blood. And the spoils of victory may just go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel…and the coldest hearts. For when rulers clash, all of the land feels the tremors.
Audacious, inventive, brilliantly imagined, A Clash of Kings is a novel of dazzling beauty and boundless enchantment;a tale of pure excitement you will never forget.
About The Author
George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948), often referred to as GRRM, is an American novelist and short-story writer in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres, a screenwriter, and television producer. He is best known for his international bestselling series of epic fantasy novels, A Song of Ice and Fire, which was later adapted into the HBO dramatic series Game of Thrones.
Martin serves as the series' co-executive producer, and also scripted four episodes of the series. In 2005, Lev Grossman of Time called Martin “the American Tolkien”, and the magazine later named him one of the “2011 Time 100”, a list of the “most influential people in the world.
Skryf Review
“Excellent Reading”
arif
It was right about at the beginning of George R. R. Martin’s A Clash of Kings, the second book in his A Song of Ice and Fire series, that I admitted to myself that I wanted to quit my job and everything else in my life so I could stay home and read all day. I resisted the urge. I’m still not quite sure if I made the right decision.
I think enjoyed the first book more because the slow corruption of an innocent and stable world interested me. But everything else that utterly enthralled me from the first book—the complex and endearing characters, the mystery and intrigue, the moments when honor, family, love, and pride all seem at odds with one another—was there in the second, and was amplified because, with each chapter, I grew more and more invested. Don’t start this series unless you’re ready to devote yourself to reading every published book of it. I don’t know what I’m going to do when I’ve finished the fourth book and have to sit around waiting for Martin to write and publish the rest. That will be a sad, sad day.
Kalgi
While reading A Clash of Kings for the second time, it struck me that George R.R. Martin makes writing fantasy seem insultingly effortless. At first glance, Martin hardly bothers to do more than sketch his characters, yet they become legends so quickly.
Thank goodness. The first time I read A Clash of Kings, I was struck by the hypocrisy of Westeros’ ideals. Perhaps history teaches us that power and wealth shape our lives more than ideals and principles. So A Clash of Kings is sometimes quite depressing. However, this time, it struck me that talent counts for little without hard work, and I find that encouraging.
pankti
Everyone seems to agree that George R.R. Martin and A Song of Ice and Fire are titans in the genre of Epic Fantasy. Everyone also seems to agree that the best characters are Tyrion, Arya, and Jon Snow. They are indeed wondrous characters. They are heroes. They fail many times, but in a way they are infallible: they are so incredibly sympathetic, they are always trying to do the right thing, they have kindness & empathy & bravery & loyalty. In fact nearly every voice in the first two novels is of this type: the HERO. Sansa is one exception – however she is a victim, and I found her perspective to be very uncomfortable. But I found the tale of the novel’s other non-hero, barely even an anti-hero, to be particularly compelling: Theon Greyjoy. You’re the bomb, Theon.True, true. I really appreciate that Martin included Theon’s voice because honestly, reading wall-to-wall heroic perspectives is enough to make me want to cut some throats. Theon is an asshole, but he’s the kind of guy I’d love to get a beer with, shoot the shit, and enjoy his various mean-spirited bitching and self-absorbed plans of conquest. He is seriously imperfect, quite unlike most of the other voices in the tale.
Helly
The second book in the series, ‘A Clash of Kings’ picks up the story and submerges readers in action and adventure. With all of the new kings coming forward to lay claim to different lands and all of the battles, I found myself again, lost at times. There are so many moving parts and so many characters that it was hard to keep track of everything at times.Although the storyline continues to be very complex and multifaceted, I have immensely enjoyed the evolution of the storyline and characters. Tyrion especially has grown on me, in spite of his horrible family. He seems to be the only one in his family that isn’t entirely despicable. Thank goodness that he is doing damage control or his wicked sister and her depraved spawn would bathe the streets in blood.Overall, I continue to be engrossed in this epic tale. It is brutal and grim, but I’m loving every minute. The narration is done superbly, but it is still a tough audiobook for me to follow. There are just so many moving parts with this story that I’ve had to rewind a few times to keep up with what is going on. I highly recommend this series to anyone that loves action/adventure.