Books : A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3)
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In association with Amazon.com
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by: George R.R. Martin
Amazon.com's Price: $7.99 Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780553573428
ISBN: 055357342X
Label: Spectra
Manufacturer: Spectra
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 1216
Publication Date: March 04, 2003
Publisher: Spectra
Release Date: March 04, 2003
Sales Rank: 1721
Studio: Spectra
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
Here is the third volume in George R. R. Martin’s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R. R. Martin’s stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.
A Storm of Swords
Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as violently as ever, as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey, of House Lannister, sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the land of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, the victim of the jealous sorceress who holds him in her evil thrall. But young Robb, of House Stark, still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Robb plots against his despised Lannister enemies, even as they hold his sister hostage at King’s Landing, the seat of the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world....
But as opposing forces maneuver for the final titanic showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost line of civilization. In their vanguard is a horde of mythical Others--a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords. . .
Amazon.com Review:
Is George R.R. Martin for real? Can a fantasy epic actually get better with each new installment? Fans of the genre have glumly come to expect go-nowhere sequels from other authors, so we're entitled to pinch ourselves over Martin's tightly crafted Song of Ice and Fire series. The reports are all true: this series is the real deal, and Martin deserves his crown as the rightful king of the epic. A Game of Thrones got things off to a rock-solid start, A Clash of Kings only exceeded expectations, but it's the Storm of Swords hat trick that cements Martin's rep as the most praiseworthy fantasy author to come along since that other R.R.
Like the first two books, A Storm of Swords could coast on the fundamentals: deftly detailed characters, convincing voices and dialogue, a robust back-story, and a satisfyingly unpredictable plot. But it's Martin's consistently bold choices that set the series apart. Every character is fair game for the headman's axe (sometimes literally), and not only do the good guys regularly lose out to the bad guys, you're never exactly sure who you should be cheering for in the first place.
Storm is full of admirable intricacies. Events that you thought Martin was setting up solidly for the first two books are exposed as complex feints; the field quickly narrows after the Battle of the Blackwater and once again, anything goes. Robb tries desperately to hold the North together, Jon returns from the wildling lands with a torn heart, Bran continues his quest for the three-eyed crow beyond the Wall, Catelyn struggles to save her fragile family, Arya becomes ever more wolflike in her wanderings, Daenerys comes into her own, and Joffrey's cruel rule from King's Landing continues, making even his fellow Lannisters uneasy. Martin tests all the major characters in A Storm of Swords: some fail the trial, while others--like Martin himself--seem to only get stronger. --Paul Hughes
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - BREAKS ALL THE RULES
I've got two books of my own published and have worked like a dog to achieve that. And here comes George R. R. Martin with this gigantic book and larger series and breaks every rule--and charms me! Totally. I have to say--I'm mad at the literary establishment. The teachers and professors at writing conferences tell us don't do this: And then Martin does, and it works.
But who needs a 1200+ page novel? This cult favorite breaks every rule of the literary fiction/creative writing major/MFA ... Read More
Rating: - I FINISHED IT, THANK GOD--I MEAN THAT IN A GOOD WAY
Phew. I finished it. Who needs a 1200+ page novel? This cult favorite breaks every rule of the literary fiction/creative writing major/MFA crowd. It's got more characters than an ant hill has ants. A hundred story lines moving forward in a dizzying, incomprehensible maze. Names. Dates. Serial numbers. It's huge. Martin makes no attempt at creating a beginning, middle and end to this multi-volume epic--not to the whole thing or any volume. He just ends the thing--probably when he couldn't lift the manuscript ... Read More
Rating:  - Quite possibly my favorite book ever
If you've liked the previous two installments of the ASOIAF series, then A Storm of Swords is the very definition of a must-buy; it takes the already great plot, characterization and overall workmanship of the previous two books and turns it up a notch or ten.
Be warned, though, several plot developments might result in your book being slammed to the floor or thrown across the room in rage/frustration or (if you're so inclined) wild celebration.
Rating: - Best Yet! 5 Stars With a Clear Conscience
A Storm of Swords is incredibly entertaining and the best book of the series to date. The "issues" I had with the earlier two books (mainly the excessive, constant and gratutious sexual humiliation of women and other needless and bizarre hyper-sexual content directed at a 13 year old) which prevented me from giving them 5 stars are either gone or under control in this book. There is sex in this book but it isn't gratuitous - and therein lies the difference.
This book is nonstop action. The character ... Read More
Rating: - The Best yet
This is the best of series so far. I'm excited to get started on a feast for crows.
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