Reviews with content warning for Rape - A Clash of Kings

I had to let this book sit for a couple weeks after I finished it. I won’t play the comparison game between it and the first book, but needless to say, this one kept me along for the ride. While one would expect the first book to be the true “set up” book, this one really felt like a lot more “setting up” to me. It felt more to me a book about

picking sides in the war before it started rather than the actual war. It was still a good book, I just feel like we haven’t moved forward much at all- only sideways. George R. R. Martin just keeps expanding on the scope of this series, and I am so excited for everything to finally click into place and cascade into an epic finale. I think I definitely favorited certain perspectives more than I did in the last book. I didn’t really enjoy Bran’s chapters much in book 1, but towards the end, his were probably my favorite. I have a similar sentiment for Jon. Inversely, I think I can say Daenerys had probably the worst piece of the pie this book. I’m ready for her to get across that damn sea already! I liked Tyrion in the first book, I really liked him in this book. I liked him so much, that if I could erase all of the disgusting war crimes they’ve committed/allowed to happen, I would honestly be rooting for the Lannister’s to sit the Iron Throne (not Joffrey though, kill him). I kinda liked Arya’s chapters. The Roose Bolton stuff really came out of nowhere and made me so mad. I’m just really hoping that one of these Stark kids can reunite with another. I was sorta confused with Arya didn’t just leave when she released the Winterfell men. I guess she thought she’d be safe, but ugh!I really enjoyed Theon’s chapters, and hope we see more of Asha. Davos as a character was boring to me, but his chapters were understandable to move the plot along. That ship battle is definitely a highlight of the book! I actually liked Sansa’s chapters in the first book, and I still think she provided some interesting perspective here. However, most of her chapters didn’t really go anywhere. Here’s to hoping for book 3. Catelyn’s chapters were fine. They felt kind of miscellaneous. She was a good one for giving us war updates. Big spoiler: Renly’s death definitely didn’t have as big of an effect on me as did Ned’s death. The whole magic thing was just kind of weird and confusing at that point- I was unsure if I had even read it right. Now Bran’s “death” was probably my favorite moment in the book. I figured he couldn’t have actually been dead, but I thought yk was very well done how he tricked us like that, even though it was kind of predictable. I don’t know. That’s my main thoughts. I’m just excited to get into this third book!

Content Warnings

13films's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

GOD. that was crazy.

first of all... SANSA! and the Tyrells! God, i have said all prayers just to keep her safe. My little bird suffered so much I feel so so bad. She had no family, alone with her abuser and dreaming of her dead direwolf with her! AND MY WIFE MARGAERYYYYYY!

Tyrion is fucked after the battle PLEASE. I loved loved LOOOVED his interactions with Cersei. the most entertaining arguments of all time mind you. They don't and will never get along unless they'll fulfill each other's quests and it's soooo funny and amusing to look at.

Arya escaping Harrenhall WE CHEERED! VALAR MORGHULIS, her murderer era has begun and i'm so thrilled for her story arc.

THEON GREYJOY YOU WILL ROT in a pig swamp with your head cvt-off. I hate you. I hate traitors. You're Stupid and RUTHLESS. you destroyed WINTERFELL. I was thankful Ramsay beated your ass but I'm gonna take it back because Ramsay's worse than a rat.

Catelyn and Brienne <3 small interaction but it was okay!

Bran. Yeah hes alright. Hodor.

DAVOOOOOOOOS SEAWORTH. I need more of him. Melisandre carried. I'm so stoked for her.

Daenerys.... only five chapters and Qarth has done her DIRTY she's been betrayed and has been fed lies please 😭.

PRAYING FOR WHAT'S TO COME. I'm SO EXCITED FOR THE TYRELLS THOUGH.

Content Warnings

suneaters's review against another edition

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adventurous tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Get shadow babied. A very entertaining, well-paced book that had me interested in each POV and not dreading or disinterested in any of them. I liked the new POVs, though you spend a lot of time feeling bad for them both honestly. Theon definitely gets more insufferable as the book goes on and whenever there's a woman involved. Very funny of Asha to do that to him, but she should have honestly made him leave with her.
Tyrion's chapters are kind of like watching a train crash. He reminds me of Stannis in the opposite. Neither can be courteous even though it would help them a lot, earn them less enemies, and probably save lives. Where is female socialization when you need it, I tell you! But wow, that shadow baby thing was so horrific and disgusting from the Davos POV, even though it's so brief. It was really disturbing.
Littlefinger must have been doing some wizardry to get that Tyrell marriage pact, but I suppose they probably felt like this was the winning side. Somehow I feel like they're doomed. Any side you think is winning is probably doomed. I expect that Stannis is the safest because he seems doomed anyhow. And he's got them shadow babies.
The Stark kid chapters are alright too. They're a relief because you know this kid hasn't committed any human rights violations yet. Bran's were probably the most interesting, but I liked hearing from Arya and Sansa as well. And it was funny watching Dany try her hardest to get that ship! And then Barristan with the funniest fake name ever shows. Arstan Whitebeard, that's good. She got robbed at the House of the Undying, where was all this about the secret dragon language? Also, I wonder if she went the right way because Pyat says the first door to your right, and in one she takes the rightmost door, which sounds like the farther right. Who knows, maybe the prophecy is all a crock anyhow.

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crystalstarrlight's review against another edition

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4.0

Bullet Review:

Was that really 30 discs worth of a book?! I've gone through 9 disc books in more time!

Really enjoyed this, maybe more than the first one. Some really big plot twists in this one - more than one made me gasp and run for confirmation to Wiki.

Full review:

You know, there are three kinds of reviews I really hate to write:

1) I wanted to love the book SO MUCH (maybe because so many of my friends loved it), and I hated it.

2) I felt meh about the book. There wasn't really anything WRONG with the book, but there was also nothing really extraordinary to talk about.

3) I loved the book, but really, a review saying, "I love this and this and this and oh yeah, this was awesome too!" is exceptionally boring.

This review is Option 3.

A Game of Thrones was a great start to the series, but I'll admit, as I listened, I got lost a couple of times and wasn't 100% sold on its awesomeness. I held back that fifth star so that the series would have some room to sell me.

Which is exactly what "A Clash of Kings" did.

ACoK is exactly what every moviemaker attempts to do when creating a sequel - bigger, better, louder, faster, more awesome, scarier, whatever. ACoK takes new chance, goes to new places, pushes characters in new directions and throws the most INCREDIBLE plot twists and character changes at you.

I'd go into more detail about what I liked and why, but...spoilers. Seriously, people, this is good enough you shouldn't let yourself be spoiled and actually experience it by reading or listening.

I was going to end by talking about my favorite characters, but I realize that may have some spoilers too. So instead, here's a list of my favorite characters, and if you wanna talk about why they are my favorites, let's move it to the comments:

Favorite Characters

Daenerys Targaryen
Catelyn Stark
Tyrion Lannister (DUH!!!)
Sansa Stark
Cersei Lannister
Ned Stark
Asha Greyjoy
Khaal Drogo

Least Favorite Characters

Viserys Targaryen
Theon Greyjoy
Bran

The Song of Ice and Fire series is really endearing itself to me. I love its balance of fantasy and realism; I love how the characters are flawed, how so many women play such diverse and important roles, how you can never quite predict what will happen. I can't wait to start up on the HBO Season 2 and then proceed to book 3!

CONTENT NOTE: I get that some people may not like to read books with incest, rape, and graphic violence (along with CHARACTERS being sexist, racist, etc.). This book has all of these items and a bit more. So while I do heartily recommend, I also want to warn people that these items are present.

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