Book Review: A Clash Of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2) by George R. R. Martin

“I will hurt you for this. I don't know how yet, but give me time. A day will come when you think yourself safe and happy, and suddenly your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth, and you'll know the debt is paid.”

― George R.R. Martin, A Clash of Kings

The second book in American author George R. R. Martin's epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, A Clash of Kings, is one of seven planned books. The United Kingdom released it initially on November 16, 1998, while the United States published the first edition on February 2, 1999. HBO used the book as the basis for the second season of the Game of Thrones television series.

Synopsis from Sparknotes... 

As A Clash of Kings begins, the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros are locked in a bloody civil war. Joff Lannister, who is still a young boy, has recently become king, but Stannis Baratheon and Renly Baratheon both want the crown for themselves. Robb Stark, meanwhile, has recently taken the title of King of the North. Far to the north of this action, the men of the Night’s Watch leave the safety of the Wall to investigate the disappearance of the wilding people, enemies who live in primitive bands and villages in the vast wilderness north of the Wall. Meanwhile, across the narrow sea, Daenerys Targaryen leads her beleaguered band of Dothrakis in search of enough wealth and soldiers to return to Westeros and capture the Iron Throne.

My reaction to this novel...

I read this book in order to reflect on the circumstances in the past and make comparisons with the series. I am most definitely excited to watch the Game of Thrones spinoff. That is the reason I keep coming back to watch and read this. Despite the book's length, I enjoyed reading it since the pages were simple to understand.

Regarding the season 2 television series, this book is very different from the previous one. Like when Bran and Jojen first met. He initially encountered Jojen at Winterfell in the novel; in the television series, he did so in the woods after Theon had taken him prisoner. Another instance was when Tyrion insisted that Joffrey marry Margaery rather than Sansa, despite Tywin's earlier in the series having that idea. I discovered a lot more modifications, but I can't discuss them right out of concern of giving away the plot to many readers who are still reading the book.

The only part of this book that I did not enjoy was the Davos part. I don't know why, but I found it tedious and wished I could have skipped his chapters. However, other from all of that, Clash of Kings was a book I adored. I especially urge those who haven't finished the book series to read it.

My Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)

“Crowns do queer things to the heads beneath them.”

I believe that this is simply true for everyone, especially for those in positions of authority. It is about the authority they wield, not the crown itself. They all have the mentality that they are in charge of the world because of their power. Some people underwent change as a result of having the authority they had strived for. Therefore, I believe that holding a crown or authority is extremely perilous if it falls into the hands of a dangerous individual, even those close to that person since they may use it to develop or destroy human lives as they see fit.

“Schemes are like fruit, they require a certain ripening.”

A strong approach necessitates planning, and planning necessitates time. If you make hasty plans, you run the risk of ending yourself in a dead end, receiving an unexpected outcome, or falling short of the objective you set for yourself. A successful strategy requires persistence and a full comprehension of the processes that must be used in order to attain the desired outcome.