Two great leaders—Lord Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon, King of the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms are dead. There is now turmoil and several men declaring themselves to be king. Robert's son Joffery, young, cruel and arrogant is the obvious king but is controlled by the Lannisters. His mother Cersai and his uncle Tyrion each try to put forth their own agendas. Robb Stark has declared himself the King of the North. Robert's brothers, Renly and Stannis have also declared themselves kings. At the same time, the Wildings , north of the wall are amassing and might move south just as summer turns into winter. Political intrigue, brotherly rivalry and people masquerading as servants while the country dissolves into war are all part of the story. I found the story was sluggish in parts. About halfway through, the story did pick up and proceeded at a quicker pace. My two favourite characters are Arya and Bran. Both of them are so courageous.

A book of war. I really enjoyed all the different perspectives. However, at times the story did lag a bit and some of the fighting ran a bit long. Overall, not my cup of tea. Check out my blog for my full review: http://tubchairtimes.blogspot.ca/2012/08/a-clash-of-kings-george-rr-martin.html

It took a few months of reading to get through this long story but that was mostly due to my habit of reading this at night, before I sleep, so I wasn't exactly burning through the pages. That said, it was nonetheless a long climb through the first half (roughly 600 pages) where there isn't a whole lot going on with the plot. A lot of that time is spent with characters figuring out what to do about the events that occurred in the first volume of this series. I am patient though and I stuck with it. Happily I was rewarded in the second half because it is here that the book finally takes off. We see the main characters attempt their individual plans and plots to further their own ends. The only real issue I have with the novel, aside from the slow start, is the way the author continues to move from one plot to the other with each chapter - just as you are getting into one storyline, the author stops and moves you somewhere else. Some might view this as a clever cliffhanger device but I just find it annoying. I would rather spend a few chapters with one group, end on a cliffhanger and then move on. Every chapter seems excessive. In addition, for the slower parts of the book (of which there is an appreciable quantity), it would help move things along quite dramatically if Martin didn't switch so often - the story would not be so choppy and disconnected. Despite the criticisms, the story remains very entertaining and I ended up reading the last quarter of the book in less than a week. Just remember that this ride will require you to climb a hill first. I find this series very reminsicent of T. H. White's Once and Future King - I really can't put my finger on it but if you have read both, I think you will agree. This book is well recommended for fantasy readers who are not in a hurry to finish a book.

Firstly, if you have not read the first novel in the series of A Song if Ice and Fire I suggest reading A Game of Thrones, the first novel in this epic fantasy. This review will contain SPOILERS from the first novel. --- SPOILERS (from the first book) BELOW --- In A Clash of Kings, George R.R. Martin shows the aftermath of the death of King Robert and Eddard. Most importantly, he shows the consequences of the secrets that Eddard reveals before his death. This leads to several different individuals claiming ownership of the Kingdom and the start of a very long war. A Clash of Kings follows the same system previously shown in A Game of Thrones by focusing each chapter on a different main character. This also means it suffers from similar problems, there are certain chapters and characters I would rather read about then others, which is especially painful when they first introduce a new perspective. Although the character is interesting, there is less of an emotional attachment then to a character I have already read about in the first novel. Aside from a few boring spots spread throughout various parts in the novel, I found that A Clash of Kings was definitely knit together more tightly. The character perspectives connected well throughout the novel and the plot was relevant in almost all of the different perspectives. A Clash of Kings is slightly longer then A Game of Thrones, but if you have already read the first book and loved it I don't see why you wouldn't pick this up.

I wanted to read this just before the second season of the HBO series started and thought it best to wait until late March. However, I was hearing bits of what was going to happen, and didn't want to ruin anything about the book, so I read it as soon as possible. Basically, Joffrey's actions at the end of the first book throws Westeros into chaos as four kings emerge to claim the Iron Throne: Joffrey, Robb Stark, Stannis Baratheon & his brother Renly Baratheon. Now while it seems Joffrey has made enmeies of the three other claimants, none of them are willing to bend knee to any of the others, and what ensues is a tale of backstabbing and changing loyalty. The major battle at the end is very well written and seems to settle the claims of who is king (for the time being). In the meantime, young Arya Stark is trying desperately to get home, her youngest brothers, Bran & Rickon, must try to defend Winterfell in the absece of their family, and Jon Snow, Eddard Stark's illegitimate son, travels into the wild North to face a growing threat to all that has been fought for in the South as the Wildlings gather their forces into one huge army. I already want to continue with book three, but will wait, at least, until the HBO series comes to its season finale in June.

A wonderful follow up to Game of Thrones. Loved it! The development of the multitude of characters is fascinating ~ the ones I once cheered for, I now cheer against and vice versa. I was shocked by some events, and all the while left wanting more. Am on to book 3 now and still can't get enough. I don't know how people have waited years between volumes. A highly recommended series!

Martin delivers in his fashion a fantastic tale fit for many readers. I was drawn to this series from the HBO show and was so impressed with the first book and how the TV show actually did do it justice. Unable to wait for the second season I picked up this book and I'm so glad I did. The book changes to different perspectives for every chapter just like the first book and this is one of the strong tools Martin uses to keep you engaged. Falling upon the various murderous plots before the characters know what's in store for them is akin to watching a scary movie and yelling at the character not to go down that dark alleyway! You know what's waiting for them but you are powerless to stop it. The character development is so amazing and new characters are introduced. You'll come to love characters you hate and question the characters you loved. We learn more about the Night Watch and the histories of many of the families. These books are so readable even if you're not someone typically drawn to the genre. And as usual he ends with so many twists you simply don't see coming that make you rabid for the next book. Suitable for teens as well!

Martin does it again! Here, he continues his 'Ice and Fire' series with book 2. It has a bit of a different 'feel' than Game of Thrones did. We are introduced to a few new regions, and characters. Also, some of the characters that were minor in book 1, are now main characters in book 2, so they got shuffled around a bit. i look forward to what book 3 (Storm of Swords) brings...

A Clash of Kings was a very enjoyable read. When I finished reading The Game of Thrones I immediately felt the need to continue on with the series. While reading The Game of Thrones I could not put it down. I was hoping for the same feeling from this book. It was very very good, but it took me a bit longer to get into the story. I hope the next one is just a little bit better.

Words cannot express how much I love these books. I never thought I'd feel this way about a fantasy series like this. It is even better than Tolkien's books. it has a lot of detail but it doesn't kill you in the detail like Tolkien does. The characters are so lovable and infuriating. I was hooked from the first chapter in the first book.