Scan barcode
docmon2025's review against another edition
4.0
[b:A Clash of Kings|10572|A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2)|George R.R. Martin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358254974s/10572.jpg|3272005] picks up right where [b:A Game of Thrones|13496|A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)|George R.R. Martin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1436732693s/13496.jpg|1466917] left off. Now Westeros in the midst of war. And everyone is trying to survive.
I'm enjoying this sweeping epic of survival and battle, of secrets, lies, and betrayal. Trying to guess who'll die next. The characters are growing on me. They're complex, complicated, filled with greys and contradictions. And there's the mystery of the direwolves unfolding.
I was hoping Catelyn's character would have more of a role in this installment. In the first, she was a bit on the sidelines, the mother, the wife. She did affect the storyline with her kidnapping of Tyrion, and she has had a more important role since. She works hard to balance her relationship with her son now that he's king, but she is still the mother, the daughter, the sister. When she went south, she did have a hand in things, and she made all the difference for Brienne, but still, she feels like a secondary character where she could be so much more. But she keeps losing and losing -- what will she become if she has nothing left to lose?
I wonder about the girls, Arya and Sansa. After all they've gone through, who will they be when it's all over? How will their relationship with each other have changed? They are not the same people who left Winterfell. Not even the same as who they were when they last saw each other. Sansa is learning to lie better, to trust no one. Arya is learning to hold her tongue, to hide herself. If they survive, they might not recognize each other.
Tyrion is a puzzle. I can't determine if he's in fact good at heart or as bad as the rest. Likely something in between. He tries to play both sides, so he'll hopefully end up on the winning side. His overall plan is not to do what's right, but to protect his family, though he's concerned first for himself. He wishes his sister dead - because he thinks she's evil or otherwise? - but she's his sister, so he won't kill her -- not out of any sense of guilt or wrongness, but because he'd be cursed. Yet he has honor the others don't have and tries to bring some of that to the court.
The end actually brought me some relief. A well-deserved end for Theon - grr! - and to see Bran with his third eye open, and he and his companions safe, well, can't say the author only lives off our misery. Now if only his mother would know he and his brother are alive!
I can't wait to see what the next book brings for these characters. This one ended with much more of a cliffhanger, with Jon taken, Bran and company splitting off, Sansa waiting for escape, and Arya having just ran off. Oh, and Tyrion badly injured. I guess the only resolution we get is the war ending. But the Lannisters are still in power. And that will not do.
Just wait till they all find out the comet really does mean Dragons. Everything is going to change when Dany makes it to Westeros.
I'm enjoying this sweeping epic of survival and battle, of secrets, lies, and betrayal. Trying to guess who'll die next. The characters are growing on me. They're complex, complicated, filled with greys and contradictions. And there's the mystery of the direwolves unfolding.
Spoiler
At the opening of the book, I wanted Bran to be king. Love Bran. He'd make a great king. Then I wanted Jon to be king. I think I still do. I think this means these two are my favorite characters. Though I do love Arya's character as well.I was hoping Catelyn's character would have more of a role in this installment. In the first, she was a bit on the sidelines, the mother, the wife. She did affect the storyline with her kidnapping of Tyrion, and she has had a more important role since. She works hard to balance her relationship with her son now that he's king, but she is still the mother, the daughter, the sister. When she went south, she did have a hand in things, and she made all the difference for Brienne, but still, she feels like a secondary character where she could be so much more. But she keeps losing and losing -- what will she become if she has nothing left to lose?
I wonder about the girls, Arya and Sansa. After all they've gone through, who will they be when it's all over? How will their relationship with each other have changed? They are not the same people who left Winterfell. Not even the same as who they were when they last saw each other. Sansa is learning to lie better, to trust no one. Arya is learning to hold her tongue, to hide herself. If they survive, they might not recognize each other.
Tyrion is a puzzle. I can't determine if he's in fact good at heart or as bad as the rest. Likely something in between. He tries to play both sides, so he'll hopefully end up on the winning side. His overall plan is not to do what's right, but to protect his family, though he's concerned first for himself. He wishes his sister dead - because he thinks she's evil or otherwise? - but she's his sister, so he won't kill her -- not out of any sense of guilt or wrongness, but because he'd be cursed. Yet he has honor the others don't have and tries to bring some of that to the court.
The end actually brought me some relief. A well-deserved end for Theon - grr! - and to see Bran with his third eye open, and he and his companions safe, well, can't say the author only lives off our misery. Now if only his mother would know he and his brother are alive!
I can't wait to see what the next book brings for these characters. This one ended with much more of a cliffhanger, with Jon taken, Bran and company splitting off, Sansa waiting for escape, and Arya having just ran off. Oh, and Tyrion badly injured. I guess the only resolution we get is the war ending. But the Lannisters are still in power. And that will not do.
Just wait till they all find out the comet really does mean Dragons. Everything is going to change when Dany makes it to Westeros.
caitlin21521's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyed this much more than the first one. Brienne!!
He says "mislike" way too much.
He says "mislike" way too much.
lexiomancer's review against another edition
5.0
I found that A Clash of Kings was every bit as good as its predecessor and better. Once again I found myself at the mercy of Martin's manipulation: characters I loved in A Game of Thrones became loathsome and characters that I hated became beloved as this 900+ page epic unfolded. Despite the absurd number of characters that he works with, I find that Martin does an excellent job of reminding his readers just who is who. Even if you can't remember a character's name, you remember the character. I can also see where the intricacies of the plot could put some people off, but I for one love the intrigue and continual games of cross and double cross. Here's hoping Martin keeps me guessing until the very end.
tylerv's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jmvinnie's review against another edition
4.0
Dios, sí que me tomó tiempo leer esto (y los que vienen son aún más largos), aunque igual tampoco fue culpa del libro. Aun cuando no lo considero tan increíble como el primero, todavía me pareció fantástico; las partes donde cojeaba un poco en el anterior se mejoraron (como los capítulos de Bran, Sansa, incluso Catelyn), pero también hubo partes que costaron (Danny, principalmente).
Digamos que es más un 4.5/5 que un cuatro.
Digamos que es más un 4.5/5 que un cuatro.
jmcunningham71's review against another edition
5.0
Awesome. Glad I didn't wait for the series to be completed, even if it does mean a cliffhanger ending when I catch up,
abbienk's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
mghelman's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
bfls's review against another edition
4.0
Sansa wasn't nearly as annoying as I remembered but that's damning her with faint praise.
My enjoyment of this book was dimmed by the fact that I know there are many hundreds of pages more to go and even then I won't have answers to any of my questions.
My enjoyment of this book was dimmed by the fact that I know there are many hundreds of pages more to go and even then I won't have answers to any of my questions.