A Storm of Swords 1: Steel and Snow, George R.R. Martin

Publisher: Voyager 2000

Pages: 603 (paperback 2003)

Main Characters:

Jon, Tyrion, Arya, Catelyn, Samwell, Jaime,

 Sansa, Davos, Daenerys

 A Storm of Swords1: Steel and Snow is the third book of George R.R. Martin’s series A Song of Ice and Fire. The book is split into two novels, Steel and Snow and Blood and Gold. The main reason for this is that as one whole book it would be well over a thousand pages long, which might put some readers off. The book follows the story of the ‘War of Five Kings’, giving accounts of the candidates to the Iron throne.  It also tells the tale of the growing threat at the North of Westeros. Picking up the story of Jon Snow and the trails he faces at ‘the Wall’. A seven hundred foot wall of ice that protects the civilised realm from the barbarous Wildlings. Whilst finally, keeping us up to date with the Queen across the Water, Daenerys Targaryean and her Westward movements towards Westeros.

When I first came to review this book I recalled it as been very slow and abit boring. However I think this is because I have compared it to the sheer magnitude of the next book Blood and Gold. Now looking back over Steel and Snow I remember how good a book it was. There are some very important parts to the book which widens the plot from just the Stark family. Introducing us to new stories and characters we have not yet become familiar with such as Samwell and Jaime Lannister. The book also answers many of questions left at the end of A Clash of Kings.  Questions like what will happen to Sansa now that she will not be Queen, whilst filling us in with Bran’s story and his quest for the three eyed crow. This book prepares us for the path the rest of the series takes and is very good at joining the first two books with the last two and a half books (so far) in the series.

As I said before, Steel and Snow was not as pulse racing as Blood and Gold, but it was still a really good read. I remember from the time thinking it was a lot better than A Clash of Kings because it introduced us to new characters and there was a lot more action. As usual Martin makes the ending to the book great making you just want to read on and on. Like all the books in the series the detail in Steel and Snow is amazing, really bringing Martin’s world alive. For me it was a good read and extremely well written, better than its predecessor and a good foundation for Blood and Gold and the rest of the series.

Link to George R. R. Martin’s Official site:

http://georgerrmartin.com/