Book Review: A Storm of Swords

By Chelsea Korn
Editor-in-Chief

Imagine a world where dragons hatch across the sea and the dead reawaken in the North. Picture a place where power is bought by secrets and gold, the cunning and rich prosper, and placing your trust in someone is more dangerous than going into battle. In this land, when you play the game of thrones, you win…or you die—and nobody is safe. Welcome to Westeros, the world in which George R. R. Martin’s A Storm of Swords takes place. A Storm of Swords is the third installment in Martin’s epic fantasy series, “A Song of Ice and Fire”, commonly referred to as “Game of Thrones”. In this third tome, Joffrey Baratheon still sits on the Iron Throne, while his uncle, Stannis Baratheon, schemes with a mysterious sorceress on how to win the Iron Throne. Robb Stark, King of the North, continues to fight against Joffrey and exiled Queen Daenerys builds her army in the East, waiting to strike and take back the land that was once ruled by her ancestors.

 

A Storm of Swords is the third book in a series, so naturally it’s recommended that one reads the preceding books (A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings) before tackling it. That being said, the novel is no disappointment for those who have read the first two books in the ASOIAF series. Martin is an eloquent storyteller, weaving intricate plotlines that will leave readers on the edge of their seats with every chapter. Martin tells the story in third person omniscient through the alternating perspectives of different characters. These alternating chapters allow readers to directly connect with many different characters until you are left with the question “Who is the hero, and who is the villain?” Martin’s characters are colorful and extremely life-like, and this book allows readers to gain further insight into the characters’ life stories. The characters in A Storm of Swords are one of the best parts of the series in general, because they feel real. Nearly everyone has such an intricate back story that makes you feel like these people aren’t just characters, they’re as real as you or me.

 

Besides great characters, Martin does a fantastic job of transporting you into this strange new world. Westeros is a medieval-esque world, and Martin definitely makes you feel like this place could exist. You can definitely tell he has done research and is an expert in all things medieval when reading the book. Martin’s writing style is very detail-oriented, which is quite helpful when a reader is looking for an escape from reality. Because he is so detail-oriented though, almost every book in A Song of Ice and Fire is quite long—A Storm of Swords is 924 pages long! Nevertheless, the length is definitely worth it. However, what truly makes these books so amazing, A Storm of Swords especially, are all of the twists and turns in the plot. You never know what’s going to happen next when reading. As readers or just general connoisseurs of story, we often experience a lot of false tension. When you watch a Disney movie, or an action film, you know the protagonist is going to make it out alive. You know that by the end of a romantic comedy movie, the couple will end up living happily ever after, and when you read many other books you can expect that there won’t be an excessive number of character deaths. None of these expectations apply to George R. R. Martin. He breaks any and all expectations a reader might have when they begin the series. So be forewarned, prospective readers: characters die in this series. Major characters die. You may get to a point in the series where you think a character is safe, and then the next thing you know, they’re killed. Plans change and armies attack and nothing is predictable…just like in real life.

 

Even though there are dragons flying around and magic and the undead, the Westeros universe feels so real. It’s very similar to our modern day world. You have people trying to make the right choices for their country, innocent lives getting caught up in the follies of leaders, political corruption, children trying to find their place in the world, and people fighting for their beliefs in their own personal ways. While the dragons and magic put A Storm of Swords on the “fantasy” shelves of Barnes and Noble, the story itself is anything but fantastical. A Storm of Swords isn’t just about magic and knights; it’s about real life, and real people.  If you like stories that make you think, and you’re looking for a book that will make you laugh and cry and want to write your own epic story, pick up a copy of A Storm of Swords at your local bookstore or library today. And be sure to catch the television series based off the books, Game of Thrones on HBO!