The third novel in the epic A Song of Fire and Ice series has been split into two books; the first part Steel and Snow continues to reinforce the reputation of this masterful conjurer of the written word. Martin has the wonderful ability to make a living breathing world without a whiff of the fanciful; yet dragons fly and the Others are a terrifying menace that the majority of the realm can not even begin to imagine.
You should be used to the unpredictable twists and turns that Martin is so skilful at composing, however he still has the ability to stun with his sudden change of pace. You may well find yourself begging the author not to slaughter your favourites (who are not necessarily the most admirable) as surprises continue apace and characters you previously loathed with good reason, start to reveal hidden depths.
Steel and Snow feels as though a towering and precarious set of building blocks is being deftly constructed, just in time to crash to the ground during the second part of a Storm of Swords; Blood and Gold.
THE BOOK BEHIND THE THIRD SEASON OF GAME OF THRONES, AN ORIGINAL SERIES NOW ON HBO. Here is the third book in the landmark series that has redefined imaginative fiction and become a modern masterpiece.
A STORM OF SWORDS
Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage. Joffrey sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, victim of the sorceress who holds him in her thrall. Young Robb still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons left in the world. As opposing forces maneuver for the final showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost limits of civilization, accompanied by a supernatural army of the living dead. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords. . . .
A GAME OF THRONES A CLASH OF KINGS A STORM OF SWORDS A FEAST FOR CROWS A DANCE WITH DRAGONS