Reviews with content warning for Sexism - A Clash of Kings

THIS IS A SPOILER-FILLED REVIEW! I DID NOT HIDE SPOILERS!

i enjoyed reading ACOK much more than AGOT. this book in the series ramps up the tension and the stakes greatly from the first installment and despite all the pieces moving on the board, George R. R. Martin proves his skill by keeping it engaging, exciting, and at an even medium pace.

favorite POVs:

Arya - she's my favorite character so no surprise there. Arya's chapters are just so clever. she really is a sharp little girl. her narration is full of both childish naivete and playfulness and absolute despair/horror. it's been said many times before that one of Arya's narrative purposes is to show the devastating effects of war and lordly politics on the common people, and GRRM does it masterfully here. can't wait for her ASOS chapters.
Theon - it surprised me that by the end, Theon became one of my favorite POVs to read. he was admittedly very obnoxious in his first couple chapters (and violently misogynistic honestly), but by the end i really saw GRRM's reason for including his story. Theon's inner conflict grows with each of his chapters and there's just an underlying feeling of despair and dread. throughout the novel he's absolutely torn between two aspects of his identity/past, and you feel that no matter the choice he makes, he's doomed. i grew to sympathize with him and it made me so sad knowing that the next time we see him in the books, he's a tortured, broken individual.
Tyrion - Tyrion really shines as a political player in King's Landing and his wits get the spotlight. i especially loved his dynamic with Cersei and how contentious it is. there are moments of small joy where it seems like they can be tentative allies, but then they stab one another in the back again and we're back to square one. really makes me anticipate reading her POV chapters in AFFC.
Davos - though his portion in the book was smallish, it's great to see the Stannis camp and Melisandre through Davos's lowborn eyes. Davos possesses a simple nobility and uprightness without being pretentious or holier-than-thou. he's just a good solid guy and it's extremely refreshing to read him.

least favorite POVs:

Jon - his chapters weren't as entertaining as his chapters from AGOT. i felt that his chapters meandered a lot once the Night's Watch leaves Craster's Keep and i didn't find myself as invested in each chapter.
Daenerys - this mostly had to do with the setting of her chapters. Qarth is interesting to be sure, but not nearly as dimensional as the culture and characters of the Dothraki, which we spend all of AGOT with. also, knowing that Dany never returns to Qarth makes her chapters feel like a setup with no real payoff. i know she hears prophecies from Quaithe and sees important visions in her Undying chapter, but these could have occurred in any other Essosi location and left the series mostly unchanged.

final notes:
i didn't expect to cry in the last chapter, not having cried the whole rest of the novel, but i did. GRRM builds a quiet atmosphere that could not even be called bittersweet, though nor is it wholly bitter. it's just quiet and somewhat reserved. one of the best endings to a novel i've read in a while, i think. anyway, onwards!

Content Warnings

cvkirkpatrick's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

Content Warnings

jayden_314's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I cannot express how happy I am to have started reading ASOIAF. George R R Martin is a fantastic author and I feel so deeply encapsulated in the world whenever I open the book. I truly believe that there is not another author who has made me feel the way I have felt like Martin. The characters can be so easily hateable but the plot and story is so good that I can't even hate the characters. I feel like the world that has been built in this novel is so vast and detailed and I am never really left questioning something. I cannot wait to keep going because while I loved this book, the finale definetly did not have the same impact as Game of Thrones. A Clash of Kings is truly another masterpiece in this series and I recommend that anyone reads it. The world was expanded upon really well however I did feel like the majority of the characters do not have a fully completed arc (I know that it is a series but the first did not leave me with this feeling. Luckily I can just start the next book now but I cannot imagine waiting years for the next book to come out and being left with a feeling of incompleteness). I am excited for a few new perspectives that are introduced in A Storm of Swords (just wanted to mention that I love how the title is hinted at towards the end of the novel - 'a storm is coming')

Content Warnings

sav_22's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book is not for the faint of heart, but it is a very good read. Massive trigger warnings!! George RR Martin is fantastic at writing deeply flawed, disturbed, and fascinating characters. He does not shy away from ANY taboo subjects or content. If you loved the show, the books are insanely good at world-building and the balance of political drama vs fantasy themes. Very long, sometimes boring but overall deeply interesting and worth it for the character deep dives.

Content Warnings

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