I finished George R.R. Martin’s A Clash of Kings about two weeks ago.

I really enjoyed it.

My favorite part of it was the ongoing plotting of Cersei and Tyrion against each other, but I was super happy that this book explained why Melisandre supported Stannis, which either wasn’t made clear in the HBO adaptation or I didn’t pick up on it.

The Battle of Blackwater Bay was also really great. The books have really made me like Davos better. He doesn’t get enough screen time in the TV adaptation to really get to know him, and I thought having the battle from his perspective, rather than Stannis (which is where I thought he was going to go with it) or just Tyrion and Sansa.

I also liked Sansa a bit more in this book, actually showing some strength rather than being a little mouse. The Hound’s fascination with her has always interested me, but I still don’t get the point of their bizarre interactions, which mostly include him yelling at her for being nice.

On TV, I feel like Jon Snow’s plotline was easily one of the least interesting, and that continues as I read the book. The whole thing with Ygritte bores me to death, and honestly, enough of the Wildlings. I liked Qhorin Halfhand, and was sort of pissed Jon had to kill him. I like Jon, but his storyline is killing me. Best character north of the Wall: Ghost.

Daenarys trip to Qarth ended less spectacularly in this book than on TV. On TV, she locks Xaro Xhoan Daxos in his own empty vault as punishment for being a lying douche, but here one of her dragons just burns down The House of the Undying. Unless this is part of the third book that I haven’t gotten to yet, I was a bit disappointed with how this went down.

Catelyn Stark continues to be both tremendously wise and seriously dumb. I don’t understand how she figures out all the right pieces and all the right things, and somehow manages to do the dumbest possible thing EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.

Bran’s story isn’t very interesting in this book except for how he’s a Warg and doesn’t know it. At least he wasn’t murdered as Theon claimed. I hate Theon a lot. He’s both more sympathetic in the book and more completely a bitch. I almost feel sorry for him, because I know what’s about to happen to him, but…eh, you did this to yourself, dude.

Arya is probably my favorite character in this series, and I love her relationship with Jaqen H’ghar so I can’t wait for the point in the series where that comes full circle. I know from Wikipedia she eventually joins The Faceless Men, but I hope she meets Jaqen again (and that her skills as an assassin help her get revenge in Westeros).

Finally: I always thought Renly Baratheon was an idiot and man, he really is. He has no legitimate claim to the throne except people like him. He’s so hilariously dumb about the whole things that I’m sort of glad he gets murdered.

I’ve started A Storm of Swords and the TV show has covered up to the first half of that book, so I’m excited I’m finally going to read something I haven’t already seen on TV. Looking forward to it.

Tagged: authors: george r.r. martin, books: a clash of kings, books: song of ice and fire series, genre: fantasy