A Clash of Kings by George R.R. MartinMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I've got to hand it to George R.R. Martin, he writes these books in a very even handed fashion. Most authors portray one side as good vs an evil foe. Martin shows us that there are as many sides as there are people and they are all dedicated to their own perceptions of each situation. We get to watch and possibly empathise with multiple players in the drama, not being told who we should favour.
Like almost all fantasy literature, there are a numbing amount of battles, complete with blood, guts, and gore. These details are appropriate to the situation, but it did grind me down a bit. I've read so much fantasy, sometimes all the violence just seems to hit me all in a landslide. Thank goodness Martin gives us some other things to break up the brutality a bit.
As willing as this author is to kill his pretties, he pulls a few tricks on us too. Characters that I thought were dead and gone suddenly reappear, hey presto! Tyrion better recover! I must have my favourite back in book 3. Daenerys could be sacrificed, although I guess that her dragonlings must feature dramatically at some future point. I must know how Arys and Sensa fare also. It feels good to cheer for people who seem to be on opposite sides, knowing that circumstances could change radically, throwing them together to sort things out. You know, like real life where things can change on a dime.
Book number 376 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project.
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