Reviews tagging 'Blood'

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

33 reviews

pottedplantlover's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.75

AHHHHHH der Plot hat sich so getwistet immer wieder und dann noch im allerletzten Satz es war so gut.
Also je mehr man liest desto besser wird es. Würde FAST 5 Sterne geben, aber Priory war dann doch nochmal bisschen besser.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, and Alcohol

clairebartholomew549's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This is for sure the darkest book of the series so far - the bad events are pretty much unrelenting; cough cough the Red Wedding - but it also expands the universe in a really satisfying way and delves deeper into the characters' motivations and allegiances. There's also some satisfying comeuppance (Joffrey's wedding is truly a moment to relish) and interesting alliances that bring out new facets of characters (Jaime and Brienne's fraught partnership is fascinating, and Jaime remains one of the more complicated characters in the book), and the world-building is top-tier. Just like in the TV series, Dany's journey feels a bit meandering, but at least in this book it feels like she's really wrestling with what kind of ruler she wants to be and with the betrayals of the various people in her lives.

This is the first book where it feels like there is real diversion from the TV series, and I'm excited to see where the fourth and fifth books go (and the sixth and seventh if George R. Martin ever gets off his ass, which is certainly not for certain lmao).

I'm intrigued by Ramsay Bolton being married to Jeyne Poole instead of Sansa - I read an interview with the TV writers saying it felt like it made sense for all of Ramsay's terror to be inflicted on a character we actually care about, which to me is gross and speaks to the willingness of the TV writers to put female characters through trauma that even George R. Martin didn't think was necessary. It's also interesting how little sex there is in the books than there is in the series, which again speaks to the TV writers' interest in depicting female bodies and sexual violence. Finally, I'm so intrigued by the epilogue and the question of whether Cat actually survived, and I can't wait to see if the woman is a pretender or somehow the real Cat.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

r33se's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Alcohol, and War

buffalo666's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Classism

Moderate: Miscarriage and Abortion

Minor: Excrement and Pregnancy

13films's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

undeniably the best book so far. like i cant even stomach how great it is. clash of kings made an astounding entrance of the tyrells.

then we got the red wedding. TERRIBLE. it broke my heart the second time, much more wrenching witnessing from Catelyn's point of view for the first time . And how she never got to have another chapter again after chap. 51. like i cant believe it. she's gone.

then the purple wedding that i cheered so fucking bad like joffrey was fucking kaf kaf kafing that shit out YES! 

Tyrion in trial... terrible for him.

Sansa.... just want to hug her like terribly. My favorite stark I say.

WE GOT DUOS THAT AGED LIKE FINE WINE JAIMEBRIENNE AND ARYAHOUND <33333333333333333

WE GOT THE MARTELLS OH GOD PRINCE OBERYN. RED VIPER VS THE MOUNTAIN. JUSTICE FOR ELIA MARTELL.!!!!!

Dany accumulating the unsullied and the astapor madness... Dracarys... Daario, Jorah mormont weird and exiled.. Missandei!!! GAYNESS!!!!!

I LOVE THIS BOOK PERFECTION SCRUMPTIOUS DELICIOUS

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War

dreadspawn's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War

Moderate: Incest

Minor: Sexual assault

geminisoul's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Abortion

aseas's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, and War

jane_moriarty's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Incest, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

annaparente's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

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

4.5

This book was long, and it took me a long time to read, so something about it needs to be short (that something being this review). 

1. I could have done without the following lines (this book could have used a little more editing): 

“It felt as good as sex.” 

(I can’t remember what this referred to, but it might have been about Tyrion relieving his bladder. Not necessary, George. Not at all.) 

“Wedded and bedded.” 

(seriously??) 

“The beds were stuffed with straw and not too many lice.” 

(have you ever had lice, George? I have. Twice. If there is one, there will soon be many. There are either lice, or there are no lice. Nuisance, or lack thereof. There is no in-between.)

2. With that out of the way, here are some random thoughts with no context:  

• Holy crap, what a book! 
• The Red Wedding! 
• All the weddings, really. There were three, and they were all just… wow. 
• Tyrion is really the only redeeming character. 
• Petyr Baelish, who tf do you think you are? 
• I actually kind of like Jaime?? Not sure why I was expecting to hate him tbh. 
• Ok, but why is Bran’s storyline slowly becoming more and more useless? 
• Joffrey mwahahahahahaha!!!
• (Sansa shouldn't have left her first husband) 
• Can Daenerys please get to Westeros soon? 

3. Wonderful book, overall. 
4. I’m getting a little impatient but that didn’t impede my enjoyment of the book. 
5. A feast for crows indeed…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Blood, Death of parent, and War