Book Review: "A Clash of Kings" by George R. R. Martin

(A Song of Ice and Fire #2)
My Rating: 

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Plot Tease

A comet the color of blood cuts across the sky. The two great leaders who enforced the peace are dead, victims of treachery. Now, across the realms, chaos reigns. Six factions war for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne.

Brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. A princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest hearts.

FAIR WARNING: This book is not for children. 17+ recommended. The series is on HBO for a reason. 

Book Review

If you want more Game of Thrones, this book will not disappoint. It really feels like Martin just continues to take everything to the next level in this book, adding classical fantasy elements like magic, dragons and the undead to his already expansive world. It would be crazy to try and talk about all the amazing characters in the book - because you'd better believe he keeps the old ones and adds even more. So, instead I'm going to focus on a few that I feel are really great in Clash of Kings, and how they are developing.

Daenerys Targaryen is unique because she is somewhat separated from all the intrigue surrounding the Iron Throne, even though she is a major part of it. The more you read, the more you love her. Martin is definitely not afraid to showcase strong women. While she was still growing up in the first book, Clash of Kings has her walking out of fire as the Mother of Dragons. 

As a character, she is perhaps the best combination of determination and kindness in the series. So many of the other characters sacrifice one for the other, or seem too weak. Daenerys strikes a balance of power that makes you want to cheer her on as she tries to find her way home. After the death of her husband, this small, pale woman is the sole leader and protector of her pretty much homeless people. At every turn, the men of the east try to take advantage of her and use her dragons. She never wavers, however, and this lets things come together in her favor again and again. I could really go on about her. I'm very excited to see where she ends up in this series. Good things.

Tyrion Lannister on the other hand is...powerful for different reasons. Lannister is pretty much synonymous with 'evil' at this point. But Tyrion is one of the only characters in this series that seems to stand on his own, part of and yet separate from any faction. It's for that reason that he's one of my favorites.

First of all, he's a dwarf and in a world where physical capability often decides if you live or die, things get kind of hard for him. He's under-appreciated by his family, and disliked by almost everyone else. Tyrion is a survivor and he's bloody smart, one of the smartest people in the book. In Clash of Kings he heads to King's Landing and becomes the Hand of the King, where he is in position to singlehandedly direct the kingdom at a time where all opposing forces are poised to fall on the castle.

His bravery is incredible. Tyrion would beat everyone in a game of chicken. Every time he calls people's bluffs you just want to laugh. As though they even thought they could best him. As he protects the city from the incompetent hands of his idiot nephew (Joffrey. Don't get me started. I hate him.), you really come to see that behind all the bravado and intrigue he actually does sort of care for his family. Which is weird. I don't think I could ever look favorably upon the Lannisters unless it was through Tyrion's eyes. I don't think that will last long though.

I know this is getting long, but I can't leave you without saying a little more about Arya. She is a favorite character from the first book, and she just continues on her reign of awesome in Clash of Kings. Instead of floundering when her father was killed, Arya hides herself away as an orphaned boy in the city. If I could pick any character from this book as a friend, I would choose Arya. I guarantee you won't be disappointed with her story.

My favorite part of her arc was when she met the assassin. I won't ruin it for you, but she gains the capability to kill 3 people of her choosing. At first, the assassin isn't super impressive. It sounds like he's promising the impossible. But oh.

In her darkest moments, this guy comes through. And you'll be left reading feverishly with your mouth hanging open a bit because it's so awesome. I wish they would be a team forever and own the world. Probably won't happen, still...

I can't recommend this series enough. It's a little gross and weird at times, but it's totally worth it. Martin has sprawling fantasy genius that really brings the characters in this book to life.

What Do You Think?

Have you ever read a book where your favorite character died? What was it? How did you feel?
Name a scene in a fantasy book where you had to just sit back and think "Damn. That just happened."
Do you like the Lannisters? Do you like a Lannister other than Tyrion?
Will Daenerys win the Iron Throne in the end? Why or why not?

"So many vows....They make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws. It's too much. No matter what you do, you're forsaking one vow or another." - Jaime Lannister, A Clash of Kings

Cost: New $9.05/Used $4.16 (Available on Kindle and Nook.)

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