A Storm of Swords: Part 2 Blood and Gold

by George R. R. Martin

Paperback, 2011

Status

Available

Call number

813

Series

A Song of Ice and Fire (3, part 2 of 2)

Genres

Publication

HarperCollins Publishers (2011), Paperback, 656 pages

Description

The third volume in George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy A Song of Ice and Fire continues this exotic and mesmerising saga. The Seven Kingdoms are divided by revolt and blood feud, and winter approaches like an angry beast. Beyond the northern borders, to gather in the ice and stone wasteland of the Frostfangs. From there, the renegade Brother Mance Rayder will lead them south towards the Wall. Robb Stark wears his new-forged crown in the Kingdom of the North, but his defences are ranged against attack from the south, the land of House Stark's enemies the Lannisters. His sisters are trapped there, dead or likely yet to die, at the whim of the Lannister boy-king Joffrey or his depraved mother Cersei, regent of the Iron Throne. And Daenerys Stormborn will return to the land of her birth to avenge the murder of her father, the last Dragon King on the Iron Throne.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member soliloquies

Highly enjoyable and easy to read. Just as interesting as it's twin with the added bonus of some interesting developments. No-one could say these books are equable to Tolkein, but Martin does have a finally tuned sense of what works and a cinematic writing style.

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LibraryThing member reading_fox

Best of the series so far. Which isn't saying all that much. But it is coherant and finally packed fll of action that has been sadly missing from the first 3000 pages. In this tome we also finally lose some of our heros - somethign the series has been famous for, but hasn't actually happened prior

to this. I'm not going to tell you which ones though, but you can probably guess.

I guess the best bit is that the magic ramps up a little. The Dragons finally are able to do something, although a long way from carrying their riders. In the North the Others are a more significant issue. Meanwhile religion is spreading, and the preists (and priestesses) are starting to be able to do true miracles. I'm hoping that George will explain how all this works, and the difference between years and the 'Winter that is coming' but my guess is that he won't and even at the end of the series (I bet summer comes again) we still won't know how the world actualy works. Which is disappointing.

All the rest of the faults and pleasures remain. Each chapter is worth reading, but there is little to hook you into the next.

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LibraryThing member gmehn

Good, but you'll need to have read the first two. I like this, I really do, but it seems like it's sometimes getting a bit tendril-y. As in, too many threads. It can be hard to follow. When it's good, it's brilliant.

I'm afraid it may be going down that road of too many plot threads so itś going

to have to be a dozen books long. One can hope, though. Still and all, worth a read.

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LibraryThing member devenish

In my view this is the best book of the series to date. Certainly more of the main characters are disposed of than of here than in any other book. ( I'm certainly not going to tell you who,though.)Also several of the blackest villains are shown to have hidden depths.
Constructed as before with each

chapter headed with the name of a main character,which works extremely well in these thick books.
As for the story-line,well I'm sure the others who have written reviews have all detailed that and it does not need me to add to those reviews. I can say that this series should give all who read them,great enjoyment.

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LibraryThing member Elliots89

This is probably my favourite book of the series so far as there is so much action and death in this instalment. Martin does like to kill off his main characters and this book is no exception, with some big plot twists this book was just a gripping read. Can't wait to get the next one now!!

LibraryThing member DebbieMcCauley

The Seven Kingdoms are at war as the battle of thrones continues, and another threat comes from the wildlings who are also on the march. One Stark sister has been married to the dwarf and finds her situation hopeless, the other one is on the run, living rough and hiding where she can. Lannister and

boy-king Joffrey and his mother Cersei, continue their plotting whilst Daenerys Stormborn sweeps across a distant desert with her young dragons as she plans to regain control of the seven kingdoms. When King Robb and his mother are guests at her brother's wedding blood and betrayal are the name of the game.

Although I think these books are great, there were just too many characters in this one to get my head around and a lot of extra details that could have been edited out. Also (SPOILER ALERT), I was a bit annoyed at the author as he keeps killing off the characters that I really like!! I threw the book aside in disgust at that point, but then had to pick it up again to find out what happens next. Still missing the character of Ned Stark from the first book!

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LibraryThing member polarbear123

Yes this is the best book of the series so far and yes it has all of the big surprises in it that you have heard other people talking about. I was a bit sceptical about this series when I first started it but have become a firm fan now- this is mainly due to this book.

LibraryThing member gbsallery

See review for A Game of Thrones

LibraryThing member mazeway

I liked the first two, but this is the one that really made me settle in with that cozy feeling you get from excellent fantasy novels. Well, as cozy as you can get knowing that any character could die at any moment. Except stupid Bran, who, apparently, will live forever.

LibraryThing member clq

Ahhh, back to brilliance. I enjoyed Blood and Gold (second half of A Storm of Swords) as much as I did A Game of Thrones. Once again I was regularly fooled into thinking I had some idea where the story was going, and once again it went somewhere completely different most of the time. I can't really

say much about why I enjoyed the book without spoiling it, so I'll just settle with saying that I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you found the second book slightly stale compared to the first book, read on. The third book brings the A Song of Ice and Fire right back up to the level of A Game of Thrones.

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LibraryThing member jouni

I didn't expect much from a book "Book 3, part 2". It sounded like leftovers from the "part 1", especially since all the other books had a number of their own.

I've never been more wrong!

Book 3 part 2 was a major change of storyline in an already great story. The "before" was one of the more

interesting stories I've read, but now everything was changed. Old threads were closed and new ones opened. There were major (MAJOR) changes in character set in several interesting ways... but I cannot elaborate moer without giving spoilers.

If you liked the "before" story, you will be very pleased with this book! Btw book 4 seems to continue in same spirit, I was pleased to find out. More like Steve Erikson than Robert Jordan, if you know what I mean!

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LibraryThing member atreic

Again, I read these through back to back in a couldn't-put-them down way, but they have all merged!

LibraryThing member bethie-paige

THE BEST YET!!!
SO FLIPPING GOOD!!! AAHHHH!!!

LibraryThing member jerhogan

It was enjoyable despite knowing most of the plot from the TV series. It was good to see some people get their come-uppance and I can't wait to read the next book. I think the series is improving as it goes on - it's definitely intelligent and captures what it must have been like to live in a

medieval society very well.

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LibraryThing member JohnEKerry

My favourite of the series so far.

LibraryThing member john257hopper

This is the second volume in the third book, in George R R Martin's idiosyncratic numbering system. While Part 1 Steel and Snow was rather slow moving and seemed to tread water, Part 2 Blood and Gold, after a slightly slow start, contained a lot of dramatic and horrifying events, especially

surrounding the Red Wedding and King Joffrey Baratheon's wedding. A couple of my favourite characters' fates hung in the balance, but they have made it to the end of the novel. The ending sets the scene for some interesting new directions in the next book, which I may well read sooner than the six month gap I left between the two parts of Book 3.

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LibraryThing member Bruce_McNair

This book continues where Part 1 left off. The struggles of all the characters continue, some increasing in power while the fortunes of others diminish. Treachery deals a savage blow to the Starks. The Lannisters seem to have finally seized control of the realm. The wildlings have scaled The Wall

and threaten the realm. This book lives up to the standard set by its predecessors. I gave it 4.5 stars out of 5.

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LibraryThing member Andrew-theQM

This was much better than part 1 of Book 3 and took the story forward in a big way. Quite a few major changes in the series took place in the book and it was well set up for the next book with a big twist right at the end. Eager to get onto book 4 now.

LibraryThing member PDCRead

Rob Stark is now married and has taken the title of King of the north. He is still facing his enemies though in the courts and on the battle fields. As he moves across country he is looking to build alliances and friendships and strengthen his power and influence in the Game of Thrones.

His sisters

are still alive too; Sansa is married to the Imp, but is trapped in Kings Landing by the Lannisters, and is subject to their whims and the internal family struggles. Arya is still partially captive, and is being led across the land by a battle hardened man called the Hound. She realised that this man hold the key to her future.

Jamie Lannister has returned to Kings Landing too, less one hand. Initially welcomed by his sister, but not by his father who has plans for him. He declines those, deciding that he would continue with the role of Kingsguard. The King, Joffery, is to be wed to Margary; this draws the great and the good to the Iron Throne to celebrate this event, but with this comes a threat too.

In other lands Danerys, the Dragon Queen, is consolidating power and delivering death and destruction of cities that still support slaves. Her heart and mind is set on the Iron Throne too, and every move she makes is one step closer to her goal.

As the players of the game of thrones move their pieces, conceal their secrets, settle their differences with iron, fate throws the dice. Once again the plot is full of complexity, depth, intrigue and vengeance. The characters seek to maximise their advantages and destroy they enemies, but as the story twists and unravels, allegiances change, and men that were once friends are now enemies.

Martin has done it again with this book. He weaves a storyline of such scope and and breadth, with unexpected revelations and surprises. It is brutal, uncompromising, epic, elaborate and intricate. As he brings the character to fruition, he is not scared to drop them, frequently permanently... He wraps a number of threads up in this book too, but opens as many new ones for the subsequent books in the series.

Great stuff.

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