REVIEW (#1): A STORM OF SWORDS: BLOOD AND GOLD by GEORGE R.R. MARTIN

"In King’s Landing, there are two sorts of people. The players and the pieces."

"If we leave our smells behind us when we leave a room, surely something of our souls must remain when we leave this life?"

★★★★★

Something weird happens to me with these books. I love them, but when I'm reading them it's like: "Dear God... It's sooo fucking long... Love it. Why I don't feel like reading it right now, or tomorrow? Love it. Who is this character again? Love it. Dear God... It's sooo fucking long..."

Then I finish them and always give them 5 star ratings because they're just that amazing.

When I start reading another book not in these series, I find myself thinking about them all the time and really missing the stories and the characters.

And then, when I start the next one, It's the same all over again. The oh so fucking long, but love it, the who the hell is this character, but love it, the why I'm not reading something easy and not super-depressing, but love it. 5 stars. Miss it again.

Pretty weird. Anyway, let's start with the review, shall we?

"A valiant deed unsung is no less valiant."

Happens soooo much stuff in this book, too much for my poor little desperate soul. I watched the tv show before reading the book so I knew what was coming (winter? lol? not lol?), but that didn't lessen the wreckage that were my emotions at the end.

So what is this book about, you ask?

(SPOILERS if you haven't read the previous ones)

Synopsis:

The War of the Five Kings continues. In King's Landing, with King Joffrey Baratheon in the Iron Throne and Tywin Lannister commanding the troops, are celebrating their victory against Stannis Baratheon. But not all Lannisters feel that happy and safe.

Stannis Baratheon, King in the Narrow Sea, licks his wounds after losing the battle and keeps playing with fire.

Robb Stark, King of the North, is worried because although he is winning all the battles, he may still lose the war.

Meanwhile, Jon Snow and the Night's Watch defend the Wall and fight against hordes of Wildlings and sacrifice themselves for the safaty of all.

And Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons, wants to build a great army to return to her land and claim her right to the Iron Throne.

(END of SPOILERS)

"Jamie Lannister sends his regards."

The plot keeps you guessing, unless you have watched the show, then there aren't a lot of surprises, but it's still good.

In a book that has so much battle planning and political stuff I don't usually care about, it's never boring.

Yes, the plot and all the twists and turns of this book (and all the books of the series) are great, but for me the best part are the characters.

This book makes you love some characters even more, makes you start to love people you didn't think you would and makes you hate some of them like a LOT. But you're interested in all of them.

I mean, there are a shitload of characters and I care about every single one of their stories. So much pain. Too much pain.

I love you, George R.R. Martin, but I hate you with the burning passion of a thousand suns. But I love you, you cruel motherfuc...

"The only game. The game of thrones."