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A Clash of Kings, George R. R. Martin: Book Two of A Song of Ice and Fire
Right, let's just jump right into it:
Holy fuck! Clash of kings, indeed!
Okay, so the factions of clashing (would-be) monarchs are as follows:
- The King on the Iron Throne, Joffrey Baratheon (King's Landing)
- The King in the Narrow Sea, Stannis Baratheon (Dragonstone)
- The King in High Garden, Renly Baratheon (Storm's End)
- The King in the North, Robb Stark (Winterfell)
- The Queen Across the Water, Daenerys Targaryen (Overseas)
- The King of Salt and Rock, Balon Greyjoy (Iron Islands)
- The King Beyond the Wall, Mance Rayder (Um, beyond The Wall)
And it gets brutal, to varying degrees.
First, we don't see much of Robb in the book, as he's operating in the background. The action focuses mainly on Balon's move to take the North and the Neck and the Brothers Baratheon's brutal race to take on the inbred Joffrey's illegitimate seat on the Iron Throne.
On the side, you have Danys' quest for power to return to claim what's hers. All she needs is an army and some ships. She already has fucking dragons. By the end of the book, it seems she's getting what she wants. All I can say, is that it looks like she's going to bring a world of pain down on Westeros!
The main climax of the book centres on Stannis' assault on King's Landing. Having overtaken his brother with fell deeds under his new god, he seems to have the upper hand in the sacking of the city.
However, Tyrion's machinations as the King's Hand prove fruitful, and with the help of his lord father Tywin Lannister, he saves the city at the last minute...but at a cost....
Okay that's the major plot in a nutshell. There is obviously a lot to fill out. In addition, there have been some considerable character developments. I think the most interesting ones to look at are: Arya, Jon, and Theon.
Of course, there's Tyrion as probably the most important in terms of action, but his development as a character was somewhat overshadowed by his actions. It's there, though. I'm still parsing it all in hindsight. There is his making important decisions regarding who to trust and his dealings with and feelings about Shae. Considering what happens at the end of this book, I imagine he's quite in for a huge challenge. I think his development as a character will continue at a faster rate in the next book. I could be wrong.
Phew...okay.
Go.