No one is safe. In George R. R. Martin’s A Clash of Kings, the Seven Kingdoms are at war. The enemy is everywhere and people who are supposed to be friends will turn their backs in an instant. The kings fight for the throne and fight for their own lands. Innocent people are attacked and their villages burned. Knights are craving the killings and soon enough, the scent of blood is everywhere. The Night’s Watch find themselves on the brink of battle to keep the warring Seven Kingdoms safe. However, they soon discover that their enemy has a secret weapon; creatures that were thought to be dead for thousands of years. The Starks begin to find out that they have talents that connect them to their direwolves. Across the Narrow Sea, the mother of dragons is searching for a way to take back what is rightfully hers, but is finding she can trust no one. Summer is officially over and winter is on it’s way. It is so very hard to figure out who will win the game of thrones. There is nothing that is disappointing about A Clash of Kings.
I find nothing to complain about in book two. Between the plot, the characters, the setting, and the emotions that this book will bring out, everything is, in my opinion, perfect. I thought that this second book was going to be more action packed and full of surprises, and it didn’t fail. The first book set everything perfectly and made it easy to jump right into the action for the second. So let’s jump right into all of the things that made A Clash of Kings such an amazing read. I can’t keep all of you waiting!
Once again, Martin does not fail to shock me. In Martin’s books, the good guy doesn’t always win. Knowing this, I found myself pissed off once again. Reading along in the story I started thinking ahead. I started plotting what I thought was going to happen in my head and then BAM! Martin completely messes up what I thought, just like he did in the first. A Clash of Kings is definitely loaded with surprises; there is a twist at every corner. This book is a lot harder to put down than the first, because you have to know what he is going to throw at you next. This book is a considered a fantasy, but it feels more like a reality sometimes.
When I think of a fantasy book, I think of the unknown creatures, the magic, the humans with special abilities, and all of those other intriguing things. These all come out in A Clash of Kings, but at the same time, there is a reality that comes out in this book. Sometimes while reading along, it is hard to remember that it is a fantasy because it seems so real and I think that all of us can relate to what is going on. The series isn’t just about the war. It’s about family, love, loyalty, trickery, and many other things that we all battle in our daily lives. So many things seem real in this book.
Martin does an amazing job of transporting the reader into the Seven Kingdoms. You can see yourself tagging along with the characters. His descriptive abilities are amazing and he doesn’t miss a beat. I think that the small things are what help paint this amazing story out in front of the reader. When I was reading about a character I felt like I was really with them, witnessing every little thing they did. You can picture the valleys, meadows, burnt remains of villages, and the sea with boats on their way to war. Everything was well drawn out, especially the characters. You find yourself either loving them or hating them. You not only get an idea of what they look like, but you also get an up close look of their personalities. You can feel their anger, heartache, love, and fear as you read their stories. Some characters, you feel like you should hate them, but you find yourself rooting them on. There is a character that everyone can relate to. The best thing about this book, and it was evident in the first as well, was that the reader gets to choose who they are rooting for.
Most books it is easy to see who the protagonists and antagonists are. In Martin’s books however, I feel like the reader gets to choose for themselves. If you read the book and I asked you who you wanted to win the war, there is a good possibility that you will have a completely different response than me. I think this is a powerful thing. Everyone gets to decide for themselves and throughout the book, your own emotions come out while reading. A part that makes me mad may make you happy and so on. Everyone can have their own opinions and not many books can do that. A Song of Ice and Fire Series is one of a kind.
The second book was an amazing book and I recommend that everyone read this wonderful series. Even if you aren’t a big reader on fantasy or war, I still recommend it. This book is much more than those things. Martin has included many wise words and I think that everyone can learn something from this series of books. In a way aren’t we all playing in the game of thrones? We may not be playing to rule the kingdom, but we are playing to stay alive and make our way to the top of the chain, wherever that may be. Aren’t we all in it to win?
I think that the third book is going to be even more action packed than the second, and I think the fourth will begin summing things up a bit. I will be reviewing the third book as soon as I am done. It is a bit longer than the other two so it may be a bit. I hope that everyone will read this series and I hope that we can discuss our thoughts and opinions some time! I do want to leave a quick note about the second season on the TV show. The first season seemed dead on with the book but for a few minor changes and additions. The second season doesn’t follow as closely and there are a lot of major changes. Just a fair warning that they get things a little out of whack. I thought the first season was great, but I have been a little disappointed with the second. Hope you all enjoy and talk to you all soon!
Quotes from Clash of Kings:
“Power resides only where men believe it resides.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Clash of Kings
― George R.R. Martin, A Clash of Kings
― George R.R. Martin, A Clash of Kings
Much love,
Sarah
Books Cover to Cover 