Minor Thoughts from me to you

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m used to reading a series and watching the quality drop off, bit by bit, with each book in the series. That’s not the case with A Song of Ice and Fire. So far, each book maintains overall quality of the series and manages to ratchet the frenetic pace of events just a little bit higher. I really enjoyed reading A Storm of Swords and I’m already looking forward to tackling A Feast for Crows.

The action picked up right where A Clash of Kings left off. Actually, it backtracked a bit first, to cover what was happening in the rest of Westeros, during the final events of A Clash of Kings. The book was a non-stop parade of events, swirling ever more madly as the body count rose ever higher. In Martin’s world, no one is safe from death, betrayal—or redemption. It all combines for a very entertaining read and one that’s devilishly hard to put down.

As I’ve done for the first two books, I’m posting my own spoiler notes of what happened and where things stood by the end of the book.

Robb Stark finally reappears after spending most of the last book off stage. He reveals that he’s married Jayne Westerling, one of Lord Tywin’s banner men. This breaks off his promised engagement to one of the Frey’s and turns Lord Walder into an enemy. King Robb, the Young Wolf, is later murdered by Lord Frey, at the Red Wedding.

Catelyn Stark spends most of the book wondering about the fate of her daughters. She surreptitiously released Jamie Lannister, on his promise that he would release her daughters from King’s Landing and return them to her. Lady Catelyn is later murdered by Lord Frey, at the Red Wedding. At the very end of the book, she is seen with the Brotherhood Without Banners, apparently alive(?) though with a grievous throat wound that leaves her unable to talk.

Arya Stark spends most of the book riding out the river lands, with the Brotherhood Without Banners. She meets the (dead?) Lord Beric Dondarrion and eventually falls in with the Hound. After a fight with Ser Gregor Clegane’s men, she leaves the dying Hound and books passage on a ship bound for the Free City of Braavos. Before leaving, she sees her mother’s dead body, apparently through Nymeria’s eyes.

After the battle for King’s Landing, Sansa Stark was released from her betrothal to Joffrey Baratheon. King Joffrey married Margaery Tyrell and Sansa was forcibly married to Tyrion Lannister. She was spirited out of King’s Landing by Littlefinger’s agents and carried first to the Fingers and then to the Eyrie. While at the Eyrie, she learns that her Aunt Lysa was the one responsible for poisoning Jon Arryn (at Littlefinger’s prompting) and watches as Littlefinger escorts Lady Lysa out the Moon Door.

After Tyrion Lannister recovers from his wounds, his father appoints him to be the new master of the purse. After King Joffrey is poisoned, Queen Cersei accuses Tyrion of the murder. He claims trial by combat but his champion, Lord Oberyn Martell of Dorne, is killed by Cersei’s champion, Ser Gregor Clegane. Lord Oberyn does mortally Clegane, however. Tyrion is rescued before his execution, by his brother Jamie. Before making good his escape, he kills both Shae (his former whore, who testified against him) and his father, Lord Tywin.

Jamie Lannister was released from his Riverrun cell by Catelyn Stark. While traveling with Brienne of Tarth, he was captured by Vargo Hoat’s men. They cut off his sword hand, leaving him a cripple. When he finally does make it back to King’s Landing, he takes over the position of Lord’s Commander of the Kingsguard, prompting his father to disown him. After angering Cersei, he ends by rescuing Tyrion from execution.

Cersei Lannister watched her brother abandon her, listened to her father plan to marry her off against her will, and saw her firstborn son die in her arms. She’s now the regent to King Tommen.

Joffrey Baratheon was at his own wedding feast, when he was poisoned by one of the Tyrells. Having acted like a royal jerk for 3 books, he’s unlikely to be mourned by anyone other than his own mother.

Daenerys Targaryen used her dragons to conquer three slaver cities and liberate the slaves. She purchased a large Unsullied slave army, then liberated them all. She added Ser Barristan Selmy to her Kingsguard and exiled Ser Jorah Mormont. She decided to remain in Meereen, to learn how to rule as a queen rather than just continue moving forward as a destructive, conquering force.

John Snow successfully defected to the wildlings and traveled with them. He even took a wildling woman as his bedmate. He helped the wildlings cross the wall, then escaped to Castle Black to warn of their approach. He defended the tunnel under the wall until King Stannis Baratheon arrived to crush the wildling army. He was later elected as the new Lord Commander of the Nightswatch.

Bran Stark arrived safely at the wall and met Samwell Tarly there. He passed through a Nightswatch tunnel to go beyond the wall with the cold rider, Jojen and Meera Reed, and Summer, looking for the three eyed crow.

Theon Greyjoy is rumored to still be alive, being held by the Boltons. He isn’t seen at all, however.

Winterfell remains in ruins as the Greyjoys still claim to be king over the Iron Isles and the North.

Stannis Baratheon is alive and well, at the well. After raising Ser Davos Seaworth to be his hand, he learns off the wildling attack on the Wall and rushes North to defend the realm. He does, however, spend a lot of time grinding his teeth and clenching his muscles in range, every time people contradict him or refuse to give him his due.

Tywin Lannister was killed by his son Tyrion, after successfully scheming to kill the Young Wolf and arrange a closer alliance with the Tyrells.