(Warning. This review has some mild spoilers that are hard to work around.)
The King is dead. The Hero has fallen. The Kingdom is about to descend into the first stages of anarchy. And the worst is yet to come.
In the wake of these recent tragedies, five men play the game of thrones against one another for the title of king:
Joffrey Baratheon, King Robert's young and horrendously cruel son (though actually Queen Cersei's bastard) who sits The Iron Throne with the power of the Lannisters at his beck and call.
Robb Stark, the brave new Lord of Winterfell, and now proclaimed King in the North by his bannermen, who seeks retribution for the Lannisters' atrocities against House Stark.
Stannis Baratheon, a hard-edged military commander, and King Robert's younger brother and lawful heir, whose alliance with a fanatical priestess could pose as much a threat to the realm as the pretenders he intends to destroy in the name of justice.
Renly Baratheon, Stannis' charismatic and ambitious younger brother who plans on gaining the throne through his powerful southron allies, despite not being the heir.
Balon Greyjoy, leader of the renegade pirate culture that lives on in the Iron Islands who wants to bend the realm to his tyrannical rule, even though he clearly has no chance of winning.
Who is good? Who is bad? Who is right? Who is wrong? Does it matter?
GRRM brings back the players from the last book and puts them in the thick of a swiftly escalating war. A war that is interesting from all angles. You can be maneuvering the dangerous game of politics with the newly appointed hand of the king, Tyrion Lannister. Or you can fight for survival in the battle-torn wilderness with Arya Stark. We have some new points of view, such as heroic smuggler, Davos Seaworth, and the utterly arrogant Stark ward, Theon Greyjoy.
So interesting is the war arc in this round that Jon and Daenerys, our closest things to legit heroes, aren't as striking as their arcs are not greatly involved with the war. They just didn't interest me as greatly this time.
Still, A Clash of Kings is an effective continuation of this enthralling and intense conflict that is shown in exquisite, unflinching detail. Read it. Love it.
The War Has Begun
(Warning. This review has some mild spoilers that are hard to work around.)
The King is dead. The Hero has fallen. The Kingdom is about to descend into the first stages of anarchy. And the worst is yet to come.
In the wake of these recent tragedies, five men play the game of thrones against one another for the title of king:
Who is good? Who is bad? Who is right? Who is wrong? Does it matter?
GRRM brings back the players from the last book and puts them in the thick of a swiftly escalating war. A war that is interesting from all angles. You can be maneuvering the dangerous game of politics with the newly appointed hand of the king, Tyrion Lannister. Or you can fight for survival in the battle-torn wilderness with Arya Stark. We have some new points of view, such as heroic smuggler, Davos Seaworth, and the utterly arrogant Stark ward, Theon Greyjoy.
So interesting is the war arc in this round that Jon and Daenerys, our closest things to legit heroes, aren't as striking as their arcs are not greatly involved with the war. They just didn't interest me as greatly this time.
Still, A Clash of Kings is an effective continuation of this enthralling and intense conflict that is shown in exquisite, unflinching detail. Read it. Love it.