Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. Now, from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Two great leaders-Lord Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon-who hold sway over an age of enforced peace are dead, victims of royal treachery. A CLASH OF KINGS A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. Martin stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Martin magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Storm of Swords. I can find nothing bad to say about this book - I was surprised by how disappointed I was when it was over, and am looking forward to picking up book three.THE BOOK BEHIND THE SECOND SEASON OF GAME OF THRONES, AN ORIGINAL SERIES NOW ON HBO.

Recapping of what occurred in the first book was covered in a very natural manner and I barely noticed - whether this means a reader who had skipped the first book would follow I cannot say. This is a perfect way of presenting such a wide-ranging story without it ever feeling that the reader has left any characters behind. The narrative moves forward at a quick enough pace, presented as long chapters, each told from a different point of view to its neighbours.

Despite their status as enemies, the main characters whose points of view the reader is aligned with are incredibly likeable and I found it made for an excellent reading experience. Martin's characters continue to be the highlight of his writing. It's a very political story which might disappoint those looking for endless battle scenes in their fantasy, though I found this to be a highlight as I love stories with complex plotting.

The second book in Martin's epic focusses heavily on the disparate members of the Stark family and their Lannister enemies.

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