In A STORM OF SWORDS George Martin shows how ruthless a truly great author has to be, for in this volume we come across the infamous Red Wedding. Those of you who have seen the HBO series or read the book, know what I mean. For the rest of you, I will say no more so as not to spoil the experience.
The saga continues, with King Robb battling to save the North, with Jon Snow returning from his stint of spying amongst the Wildings with his heart torn, with KIng Stannis in the grip of an evil sorceress, with Queen Daenerys learning her craft of Queenship as this 14-year-old begins to show the makings of a truly great monarch, and with cruel King Joffrey growing even crueler, so that even his Lannister relatives (apart from his doting mother) become uneasy.
There are many wonderful moments as new characters are introduced. How I loved Lord Tywin Lannister, the cold patriarch of the family. He is so typical of a high-born medieval lord. How I loved meeting Lady Margaery and her family, especially her lively grandmother. These ladies seem so sweet, but they are cunning and ruthless in their ways too. My favorite part of the novel is the way in which Lady Margaery’s grandmother, Lady Olenna, outwits Cersei and saves the day…for her grand-daughter at least.
But you will have to read this volume to see what I mean. Five stars.
