Review: A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2) by George R. R. Martin

5 stars for A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire book 2) by George R. R. Martin.

This time round, I make no mistake of taking on another standalone or series after I am done reading A Game of Thrones. I move on to book 2 to continue my adventure of the Seven Kingdom of Westeros almost immediately, in fact, before I even sit down to write and post my review of A Game of Thrones.

A Clash of Kings is as good as A Game of Thrones if not better. Summer is gone and there are now four kings in the realm. Well, this makes good sense to understanding given the title. On top of the voices of old in Book 1, two new voices are added here (even as only one is being removed). First, we have a smuggler-turned knight, Ser Davos Seaworth or otherwise known as the Onion Knight. He plays the part of seeing to the happenings in Dragonstone and matters related to Lord Stannis. The other new voice is that of Theon Greyjoy, a ward in name to the Starks of Winterfell, but a hostage in truth. From his eyes, we are told that nothing has changed, yet everything has. I certainly do not envy this character. How much joy can there be with a family name such as Greyjoy?

Signs and dreams and omens continue to be a harbinger of later events. It is interesting to see how different characters interpret the signs according to their roles which in turn affect what they choose to believe in. The fine red tail of the comet visible in the sky throughout the realm is a very good example. To name a few, in Riverrun, it is said the red comet is a herald of a new age; a messenger from the gods. The Septon of Winterfell is of the view that it is the sword that slays the season with summer coming to an end while Old Nan who has lived longer than any in Winterfell insists it is the dragons.

To think that when I read book 1, I feel that the story is swamped with characters, but book 2 makes the numbers in book 1 pale in comparison. Here, more characters come on board but more also dropped dead. Some characters are easy to dislike and it makes no matter when they are killed off. But there are those I am very surprised and sad to see them go.

Then, there is the fantasy aspect in A Song of Ice and Fire series which excites and entices me to keep reading. There is the ancient wisdom and the magic of old. There is the secret speech of dragonkind. There is the good magic and there is the bad magic. There is the intriguing children of the forest. There are the green dreams and the wolf dreams. There are the shapechangers; beastlings. There are the dead men walking. And there are the trees with eyes grown. There are the wargs and giants and mammoths, all coming back alive.

For a story that comes with a devil of details, it seems that everything is happening at the same time. There is the King in the North. There is the King in the South. There is the King on the Iron Throne. There is the King in the Narrow Sea. And then, there is the Queen across the water. There are battles and there are wars. There are winners and there are losers. But no matter, sitting a throne is a thousand times harder than winning one. And so, I will continue on with book 3 A Storm of Swords to see how long the winner can sit on this throne.

Review: A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) by George R. R. Martin |《Reread》

5 stars for A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire book 1) by George R. R. Martin |《Reread》.

I always relish in-between books; the infinite possibilities with all the wonders one may have at the fingertips. Well, that is until I settle down on the one book. But then, there is just so much to it. It gets on my nerve when one week or three pass and I have yet to find that one book. By then, the thoughts of reading A Song of Ice and Fire series are no longer fleeting but taking root. It is actually something I have been thinking of since last year. But to read the series, I will have to reread this long joyride of more than 800 pages of a book 1 A Game of Thrones since I have forgotten bulk of the story and badly in need of a refresher to the many characters. Perhaps that is what has been holding me back from reading this series. But no books fancy me at the moment, so I take it as a sign. A Game of Thrones, it shall be.

As I go on this perilous journey of revisiting the Iron Throne, the Seven Kingdoms, Dragonstone and King's Landing, I realize I have not totally forsaken the devils in the details. Ha. Hidden away in the dim recesses of my mind are bits and pieces of the story, the plot, the development and the characters. I feel as if I am visiting an old friend and the feeling's not only wonderful and welcoming but fill me with nostalgia. I certainly did not expect this but I actually enjoy this second visit more so than my first as I gain insight from the finer details best absorbed from a second reading.

Honor, glory, loyalty, faith, courage, truth and lies. All are seen and felt and told through the eyes of different characters, mostly the Starks of Winterfell. There is Eddard Stark (Ned), Lord of Winterfell and his wife Lady Catelyn and their children - Sansa, Arya, Bran and Jon. Interestingly, the author leaves out the Stark's first trueborn son Robb and instead assigns the same unfolding of events in third person perspective to two other characters. They are the dwarf from House Lannister, Tyrion, also called the Imp, and Daenerys, a thirteen-year-old girl descendant from the old dynasty House Targaryen.

For a story that rest heavily on signs and dreams and omens and godswood and prayers, this one has it all panned out and truly well. Indeed, the significance to each and every one of the signs is there if you know where to look.

For a book that has no lack of characters and yet more added with every few chapters or so, I am impressed with the details and efforts taken to name them aptly. Brilliant I will say. One can easily infer much from the name of a character or a House and their sigil and location in the Realm. To name but a few, House Lannister of Casterly Rock brings forth a House that is not only powerfully rock solid but comes across as sinister as well, and the commander of the City Watch, Janos Slynt, makes me think of a man who is nothing but sly from head to toes. And I will not want to get on the wrong side of a knight, one with a name such as Ser Alliser Thorne.

Signs and names aside, I will say I still dread coming to that part of the story which I remember as vividly as if I have read it yesterday instead of eight years ago. The shock of it reverberated through my entire being still. But there is also beauty in it for not many authors are willing to kill off their characters. Authors who dare to do away with characters, big or small, are oft not burdened by baggage and have the leeway to explore and move on to greater things.

A Game of Thrones. The start of an epic saga to which the player wins or dies; there is no middle ground. Read it yourself to find out who lives and who dies in this game of thrones.