A Storm of Swords
George R.R. Martin
Read it in Hardback - 924pgs.
First and fore-most there are spoilers and speculations ahead, tread at your own peril.
I won't do the re-cap, in fact I am going to skip anything about the first or second book at all.
If book two was the builder than this is the death-stroke to put the reader six feet under. Since it had been ten years since I last read one through three, I had jumbled most of what happens in ‘A Clash’ and ‘A Storm.’ This is by far my favorite book of the series thus far (and I have completed four.)
A lot happens in this book, especially the last 1/3rd of the book.
“It’s Fall and Kings are falling like leaves.”
Westeros-
Well a ‘Clash of Kings’ saw the death of Renly but this was just the beginning. Robb had to have seen it coming, right? Marrying Jane might have cost him the war at best and obviously you know at worst. The Frey's were pretty pot committed until this little blunder. With the exception of those married off to the Lannisters, they had that great house on their side. To make matters worse, Caetlyn decided it was a good idea to free Jamie which lost him a pillar of support in the North and meant the eventual beheading of Richard Karstark. Well he couldn’t kill his own mother, Kinslaying is an agreed upon affront but he should have sent her off a long long time ago. The joy of being a boy king I suppose.
Well luckily for the Starks, he took precautions for the event none the less. This puts Jon in several interesting positions without even knowing it and foreshadows a lot in my opinion. With nearly every seal of the Northman on this document, save the Bolton’s and Karstarks, it will eventually surface that Jon is the heir to Winterfell. Oh, but Jon is on the wall, he can’t possibly leave the wall, especially not if he is Lord Commander… He can, Stannis has offered it to him, and I think Daeny will in time too. But the thing that will truly push it will be Robb’s efforts to seal the document and Brann’s death. Yep, I said it. It hasn’t happened yet but I think it might the more I think on it. Rickon being a child, and with a wilding will probably never resurface again despite the fact that the other wolves can sense Shaggy. I have a feeling Melisandre kills Brann, burns him up like the other warg. Again, just speculations.
Joffrey got his as he choked/poisoned on his wedding night with the pigeon pie and Tywin at the hands of Tyrion for that matter which ultimately seals the deal for Lannister. Why you say? Jaimie has undergone a transformation with the loss of his sword hand and is seeing things differently. He wants to make his wrongs right which means he won’t be helping his sister do a damn thing unless it aligns with that sense of right. Cersei is a cunt and ineffectual as a leader and the rest of the Lannisters are spreading in the wind. Thommen is too young to stand up to his mother so the only pinion of Lannister power lies with Cersei. Tyrion has obviously fled and will play a march bigger part in things later and I have a feeling will end up ruling Casterly Rock.
A major house (Stark) fell but it took a large part of the Lannister’s down with them. With the Lannister’s gone, Frey will fill the gap in time, at least until they get theirs and I think they will.
Balon’s dead. Another king down. HIs death isn’t detailed, apparently he got blown off a causeway. I know book four (A Feast for Crows) goes into much more detail about the Iron Men so I am looking forward to that. With Balon’s death this in theory leaves Theon in charge but Theon is with the Bastard of Bolton as a captive, nor is he respected enough to ever be permitted as Balon’s heir. Wonder if he’s going to get flayed by a Bolton. Asha will want the throne but Balon has two brothers who take precedent over her. Interesting to see how the Iron Men fill the gap.
So in theory, Stannis could act but he went gallivanting to save the Wall and pursue the greater threat or some shenanigans. I think Stannis is rather droll, even if he is the heir apparent to Robert. He will die with the false light sword in his hand, definitely certain.
Free Cities
Daeny is clever, Daeny is rich, Daeny has dragons. She is plundering and freeing cities in the far east. We discovered some more about the people around her and the things they do, but really at this point I feel like Daeny is filler and I hope that changes in 5.
Hate to say it but this character is ‘meh’ for me. I hope in 5 she really brings it to the plate. Westeros has always been more interesting to me.
Onto Four, A Feast for Crows.
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