A Storm Of Swords

This is my favorite book of the series thus far. While it’s longer than the last two and sets up even more narrative complexities, its apparent themes make the plot quite straightforward. The biggest theme is given voice by Oberyn of Dorne: “Men are seldom as they appear.” Dany learns that lesson first-hand as do Tyrion and most notably the Starks. (That the greatest revelation in the book is made to Sansa in a quiet fashion is some next-level dark humour on GRRM’s part.) Tyrion does not learn this lesson well at all – especially as it happens to him as a series of cruel jokes on his life. His relationship with his family is quite bad already, but by book’s end it’s utterly decimated. His story in this regard is the book’s best sustained narrative achievement as he watches it all spin out before his eyes. After Tyrion’s strategic planning saves the city in the previous book, he is sidelined by a disfiguring wound and his triumph is quietly forgotten by all around him. Those existing family issues and his state in life only disgust him further and his alienation from it all takes a very dark turn. His bitterness and self-hatred become more intense until they come to the surface at the trial for a murder he didn’t commit. As if that isn’t dramatic enough, he also kills his lover Shae and his father Tywin in cold blood. While this sounds like narrative overkill, GRRM’s skill in making all this quite reasonable to Tyrion and understandable to the reader is a considerable achievement. That he parts by disowning his own beloved brother – who’s been disowned earlier by a disapproving father – only underlines the extent of how bitter Tyrion’s become. Jaime isn’t as he seems, either. While Tyrion is subject to quite a bit of psychological dissolution so is Jaime. He manages to adapt and evolve from it, however. Maimed, rejected, and as equally ironical about his disfigured state as Tyrion is toward his own, he couldn’t be more different. He represents the other path of breaking from his family that Tyrion more violently marched down. That Jaime ends up looking better here than in the previous two books is another achievement on GRRM’s part and indeed another example of the writer’s ability to play with genre conventions. The contrast between Tyrion and Jaime is another one of the many reasons that I find the book so interesting. The greatest example of the book’s theme is the Red Wedding, of course. A setpiece that’s easily the best stretch of writing in the entire series. Creating all that tension just from emphasizing a drum in the background at a feast while a character registers the troubling atmosphere and then pulls it all back for the reader to watch unfold is no mean feat. It’s even more uncomfortable because it’s seen from the eyes of an innocent mother watching her son be killed. This brings to bear the second theme of the book: how much ruthlessness is needed to maintain power? Dany has to consider it closely as she metes out punishment in a city she’s conquered. Robb has to weigh his father’s lessons of justice against the needs of executing a successful military campaign. Tywin easily makes the decision to set in motion the Red Wedding. Varys testifies against Tyrion at the trial. Littlefinger plays that game at numerous points which are revealed in this book. There’s no stopping anyone in this book and GRRM makes it abundantly clear that there are no sacred vows that bind the powerful. Those that do try to act with honor – Tyrion and Jaime – are quickly disillusioned. That Arya and Sansa live on the front lines of a violent and treacherous world to which they’re trying to adapt is an example of this morally mutable situation. Even poor Samwell Tarly has to get his hands dirty with some creative diplomacy to get Jon elected as leader of the Wall. Jon and Sansa face a lot of intrigue which indicate these subtler ways of surviving that GRRM is also adept at portraying. All in all, this book offers a lot on the narrative and thematic front which makes the book such a rewarding reading experience.

A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin

The central story of this book held my attention: the attack on King’s Landing by Stannis and the city’s defense by Tyrion. The actual events of this attack are less interesting – anyone who’s seen the episode ‘Blackwater’ from season two of Game of Thrones gets more for seeing it than I did from reading it – than the strife in the camps of Stannis and Tyrion. After all, Tyrion takes off from Cersei who utterly resents his involvement in any of this planning. In any case, Tyrion’s plans of defense and conduct during battle were the most interesting parts of this book. Stannis faces some challenges as well. First, he has to win the assault on King’s Landing and, second, he has to bring others to heel as they resist the plans of his advisor, Melisandre of Asshai. Demonstrating this resistance are two men loyal to Stannis: Maester Cressen and Ser Davos. Both of whom in loyalty to Stannis try to kill Melisandre. They fail, of course. (I won’t reveal who fails most spectacularly, though.) Davos tries to be the conscience that Stannis seems to have forgotten. He speaks many times throughout the book so he stands close in loyalty to Stannis and makes his thoughts known to his king. Making a prominent appearance early in the book, Maester Cressen is especially interesting to me. He gets short shrift in season two, but here in the book he appears for some time as he voices major resistance to Melisandre. Cressen has served Stannis for a very long time and here he reflects on his loyalty towards and love for Stannis. It’s quite moving as well as saddening once it becomes clear that the old ways as represented by Cressen have been replaced by Melisandre. An old advisor has been taken out to pasture and his love for his king now forgotten. It’s to the author’s credit and talent that a small character like Cressen is given such history and texture. All of it shows the stakes of the struggle in Stannis’ court. Also of interest to me as it was omitted from season two is how Stannis feels about his brother Robert. Now that Robert is dead, Stannis sees that the throne is his. He reflects on his anger and bitterness over the ingratitude and betrayal by Robert. While I’d love to learn more of what’s going through Melisandre’s mind, what we have here in Cressen, Davos, and Stannis is very, very good. The book is focused on the politics of alliance, loyalty, and betrayal in equal measure while not sacrificing it to double crosses and anger just for the sake of a plot. This is a world rich in resentment and intrigue. Add to it all the growing character arcs of Jon Snow at the Wall and Daenerys Targaryen in Qarth – both of whom are getting used to power and intrigue – and you have a growing story quickly maturing. As ever, Arya and Dany are very interesting women fighting to gain the control that their lives deny them and that deep resentment keeps alive in them. Sansa and Cersei are contrasting figures in the arena of court politics, but no less compelling. For all of her plots toward Tyrion and indulgence of Joffrey, she’s a woman central to the story and always moves the plot forward. A step forward from A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings adds to the continuing plot and gives us many deeper characters who raise the stakes of the story in their own unique ways.