I am fortunate enough to have discovered this series of books late, so I don't have to wait years for the next one to be released as some have, at least not the first five. A Storm of Swords is the third book in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series and in my opinion, the best yet. While I usually only read a book around bedtime, with this one I was stealing pages through the day, whenever I had the chance. The book followed me around for its last half and I just couldn't put it down.
Established characters are further fleshed out here and put in increasingly dangerous surroundings. There are some deaths, which are truly surprising and it is clear that no one is safe in the mind of George R. R. Martin.
The book is well written, in a language that is beautifully descriptive and to the point. I was never bored but often my patience was tried, when a character's fate was left dangling for a hundred pages. Each chapter in the series focuses on one character and often by turn, so this amounts to juggling many individual stories. Often they intertwine but just as often you have to wait to get the next part of that characters story. In a story as detailed and expansive as this I don't see how it could be done in any other way.
A series like this does not happen very often. Highly impressive writing and recommended to anyone who is looking to discover a seriously engrossing new world.
Written By Steen
Online: Wednesday, June 20, 2012