A Storm of Swords: Book 3 of A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin
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Summary
A Storm of Swords: A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin is the third book in the A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series. The story picks up slightly before where the last book ended. Joffrey Baratheon has been crowned the king of the Seven Kingdoms, however, the throne is not secure. His parental uncle is perturbed by the incestuous parentage of Joffrey and he continues to press his claim on the Baratheon throne. Robb Stark and his mother Catelyn lead the House Stark and fight to reestablish the title of the King in the North. The Seven Kingdoms is in turmoil. The last surviving member of the Targaryen line is raising a vast and hostile army and three dragons to reclaim the throne which was once snatched away from them through deceit and coup. The denizens of the Seven Kingdoms are not aware of these developments across the sea.
Sansa Stark is still held hostage by the Lannisters. She is married to the dwarf Tyrion and finds her love dashed. Meanwhile Arya Stark forms an alliance with the ruthless knight Sandor Clegane after her brother Robb Stark and mother Catelyn are murdered by the House Frey. Bran Stark pushes across the protective wall in search of the man who will teach him to harness the strengths of his dreams. Jon Snow the illegitimate sibling of the Starks is the last hope of the Night’s Watch on the wall when it is attacked.
Review
A Storm of Swords: A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin received highly positive reviews. It topped the New York Times Bestseller list. The author masterly deals with a vast array of characters and multiple storylines simultaneously. The narrative is compact and fast-paced and keeps the readers engaged till the end. Martin develops the characters and adds flesh to them and the readers will be able to relate with each of the characters. He weaves an imagery where the readers can visualize the characters and the story. A Storm of Swords is a timeless classic in a fantastic and intense fantasy series. It is a highly recommended read and should not be missed. The readers will be left craving for the next book after they read this one.
Martin is without a doubt the most skilled author in the genre since The Professor made it all respectable. Seriously, it's that straightforward.
If you happen to be a fan of fantasy and haven't yet indulged in these books, you owe it to yourself to give them a go. They possess a cast of well-developed characters, a complex plot, and while the imagery may not reach Tolkien levels, it's still quite good. These books truly have it all.
One minor annoyance is that you become so deeply engrossed in each character's journey that when Martin switches to a different perspective, it can be quite frustrating. Yet, lo and behold, as soon as you get invested in the new character, the perspective switches back and the cycle repeats. And let's not forget Martin's knack for killing off major characters. So, don't get too attached to anyone!
"A Storm of Swords" is the third installment in George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. I strongly recommend reading or listening to "Game of Thrones" and "Clash of Kings" before diving into this book. Martin weaves intricate stories with complex characters, and having the background from the previous books is essential to understanding the motivations in this one. That being said, if you're a fan of the series or enjoy epic fantasy, this is a must-read. It immerses you completely, and the characters are refreshingly flawed and relatable. There's a mix of good guys and bad guys, but the lines between them are blurred. Don't expect a predictable story where the good guys always triumph.
However, the biggest drawback of the audiobook is the performance. Roy Dotrice's narration falls short in some aspects. Since this book heavily relies on characters, it's disappointing that all of his character voices sound similar during dialogue. I found myself having to backtrack and re-listen because I couldn't differentiate between two characters. Dotrice does a commendable job with the British accents, and you might catch yourself adopting one as you listen, enhancing the immersive experience. Nevertheless, it's unfortunate that even the female characters he portrays have low, gravelly voices like his own.
Despite this, I highly recommend this book to any fantasy lover.
If you're a fan of having your book's narrative presented in a non-linear fashion, resulting in a captivating but potentially perplexing experience, then this is the perfect read for you.
The story is solid, but it's disappointing that it's presented completely out of sequence. It jumps around erratically, with characters seemingly dead one moment and alive the next. The beginning is particularly confusing, making you feel like you've skipped a book. It's incredibly frustrating.
There are just way too many side stories and an overwhelming number of characters in this book. It feels like the author is more focused on making the book long rather than creating a cohesive and well-written novel. On top of that, the switch in narrators in the fourth book is a huge turn off for me, and it's the reason why I won't be continuing with the series.
If you've already read the first two books in the series, then you probably know that they are absolutely fantastic. So, if you're wondering whether this book lives up to the same level of quality, the answer is a resounding YES! In fact, it's my personal favorite thus far. The characters continue to evolve and advance, the story is captivating, and everything is delightfully unpredictable.
The only downside is the agony I'll have to endure as I wait for the next book. But don't worry, somehow I'll manage to survive.
I gotta say, this was my first time diving into the audiobook version of the series, after powering through the first two books in e-Book format. Gotta be honest, I can't really say I had a blast "reading" this installment as a whole. Why? Well, it's mainly because the book itself was hella long, and each chapter felt like an eternity. I mean, it's been almost two years since I started this bad boy, and to be honest, I don't remember everything I've listened to. It's just too much to keep track of, you know?
But that's not all. The narrator, man, let me tell you. I had a tough time with him. He had these three voices for pretty much every character, and it was a struggle to get through. First, you got the Toothless & Senile voice, which was just plain odd. Then, there was the Deepthroated and Mumbling voice, which made it hard to understand anything. And finally, we had the Generally British voice, which was just, well, very British. Gotta say, it was a real challenge to listen to, mate.
I'm a huge fan of this series and couldn't wait to dive into 'A Storm of Swords: Book 3 of A Song of Ice and Fire'. However, I was disappointed to find that the chapters were all jumbled up, and I had to manually arrange them in the correct order. This was not what I expected from an official audiobook app. The narrator does a decent job with male characters, but his attempts at impersonating females or young men sound terrible.
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