A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin

A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin

2000, Bantam
Series: Book 3 of A Song of Ice and Fire

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Synopsis: Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage, alliances are made and broken. Joffrey sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, victim of the sorceress who holds him in her evil thrall. Young Robb still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons left in the world. And as opposing forces maneuver for the final showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost limits of civilization, accompanied by a horde of mystical Others - a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords....

The Good: I continue to read this series in utter disbelief. Jaw hanging open, more often than not. I struggled reading A Storm of Swords - reading as fast as possible to find out what was going to happen next, while trying to slow myself down enough so I didn't miss anything. It's hard to explain my addiction to this series. The characters are so good. So well developed. So complex, that we keep uncovering things we never expected. I am constantly surprised at every plot twist, yet I know I should expect the unexpected at every turn. Nothing is ever as it seems, even when it couldn't possibly be other. If that makes sense. The writing in these books gets under your skin. Martin making you question your initial opinions. Making you love the characters you should be hating. Making you root for things that make you a very bad person. It sort of makes you crazy in the best possible way.

The Bad: Not a thing.