A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire)

Book Description

Few books have captivated the imagination and won the devotion and praise of readers and critics everywhere as has George R. R. Martin’s monumental epic cycle of high fantasy. Now, in A Feast for Crows, Martin delivers the long-awaited fourth book of his landmark series, as a kingdom torn asunder finds itself at last on the brink of peace...only to be launched on an even more terrifying course of destruction.

A Feast for Crows

It seems too good to be true. After centuries of bitter strife and fatal treachery, the seven powers dividing the land have decimated one another into an uneasy truce. Or so it appears....With the death of the monstrous King Joffrey, Cersei is ruling as regent in King’s Landing. Robb Stark’s demise has broken the back of the Northern rebels, and his siblings are scattered throughout the kingdom like seeds on barren soil. Few legitimate claims to the once desperately sought Iron Throne still exist—or they are held in hands too weak or too distant to wield them effectively. The war, which raged out of control for so long, has burned itself out.

But as in the aftermath of any climactic struggle, it is not long before the survivors, outlaws, renegades, and carrion eaters start to gather, picking over the bones of the dead and fighting for the spoils of the soon-to-be dead. Now in the Seven Kingdoms, as the human crows assemble over a banquet of ashes, daring new plots and dangerous new alliances are formed, while surprising faces—some familiar, others only just appearing—are seen emerging from an ominous twilight of past struggles and chaos to take up the challenges ahead.

It is a time when the wise and the ambitious, the deceitful and the strong will acquire the skills, the power, and the magic to survive the stark and terrible times that lie before them. It is a time for nobles and commoners, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and sages to come together and stake their fortunes...and their lives. For at a feast for crows, many are the guests—but only a few are the survivors.

From the Hardcover edition.

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George R.R. Martin sold his first story in 1971 and has been writing professionally ever since. He has written fantasy, horror, and science fiction, and for his sins spent ten years in Hollywood as a writer/producer, working on Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and television pilots that were never made. In the mid 90s he returned to prose, his first love, and began work on his epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire. He has been in the Seven Kingdoms ever since. Whenever he's allowed to leave, he returns to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he lives with the lovely Parris, a big white dog called Mischa, and two cats named Augustus and Caligula who think they run the place.

From the Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2007-10-11

Minimum Maturity Level - Adult
Strong violence. Strong language. Sexual situations.

Previous Reading Required - Major
You must read the previous three books, starting with "A Game of Thrones".

Reading Level - Average
Very easy to follow.

Rate of Development - Extremely Fast
Picks up where "A Storm of Swords" left off.

The Story - Anything said will be a spoiler. Mainly for those who haven't read the previous books.

My Suggestion - Highly Recommended
This book pretty much winds down when it comes to the action. There is still action, but not at such a grand scale as the battle of King's Landing. There is some shocking moments again, just like how GRRM likes doing it. I have heard many people gripe about this book but it is still an essential read to keep up with what is going on with all the characters. Part of the reason of gripes, I would think, is because GRRM had to split this book in two, which is why "A Dance of Dragons" will feature the other characters that everyone likes so much. Still, it's a great book to read.

Arrgh.......2007-10-10

I think he could have made this a five book series rather than a seven. While I have enjoyed the format and the character development, and the plot twists, its started to get hackneyed. Every time you start to take an interest in a character they are cruelly maimed or killed. We get it, life is tough, and if you are in any way involved with anyone in power, you are going to die a horrible death. If you are a nobody, you still die horribly, but with less ink. If you are cute and spunky, you die slower. And if we start to run out of the hundreds of cannon fodder characters, we just introduce new ones.

I don't know if I'm going to buy the next book.

Great novel but..........2007-09-30

I write this review with mixed feelings. Let me begin by saying that I think this book is great. Mr. Martin shows the same quality here as in the first three books. It is true that there is less action here, but every story has different stages with different requirements. It is obvious that the aftermath of a great war cannot be as tumultous as the war itself. Many people complain about their favorite characters not being here and I understand them. One reads this saga because of the characters. So, no matter how well written is something, if you don't care about the characters, you will not enjoy the book. I was fortunate, because my favorite character is Arya. Eventhough there were only a few chapters about her, I turned every page with the hope that there would be another Arya story. In short, I think this book is worthy of the same praise the other three received, but...

Let me now explain why I have mixed feelings. It is true that the pace of this book is slow. Not much happens in more than six hundred pages. At first sight this is not a problem. When one is reading quality literature, the more the better. But when one considers some implications, this point of view changes. At this pace, I think it is impossible that the series will end in three more books. A Dance with Dragons will not go in time beyond A Feast for Crows. This means the whole Cersei thing won't be resolved until book six. But not only that, we have to consider all the loose ends remaining in Feast added with those of Dance. Even assuming that some plots resolve quickly in book six, this means that there remains only one book and a half of story, and still the Starks are children, Jon and Daenerys are still teenagers. Despite all the talk that the series doesn't depict clearly good or evil characters, the truth of the matter is that the Starks and Daenerys are "the good guys", at least the leading characters. Not for nothing the saga is named A Song of Ice and Fire. I have been waiting to see them grow and become the characters they potentially are. For me the greatest strength of this series is that we have witnessed all the struggles and trials these characters endured in order to become the people they are. But the thing is that moment doesn't arrive, they continue to be children. This could mean that Bran, Sansa and Arya will not play a major role in the climax of the story, and that Jon and Daenerys will defeat rivals which surpass them in experience. If this is going to happen I will be dissaponted. On the other hand, this could mean that we will read only a book and a half with the grown protagonists. But then this would be a let down. If reading about children and teenagers has been a profound experience, can you imagine reading about them as mature and experienced people. I can't wait to read that. I have been waiting more than five years and I am ready to wait whatever it takes. I would like to read at least as many books of them as adults as have been published.

This takes me to the final point. If George Martin enjoys writing about Brienne in such detail, I think he will enjoy more writing about an adult Arya or Bran. This makes me think that the series will have more books than seven, which is a good thing for me due to what I have said. At the same time is a terrible thing, because that means that the most probable thing to happen is that the series will never be completed. Let me say the truth. Mr. Martin is a first class writer. In my opinion he is at the same level of Borges or Joyce, but most of his life he was just a little known writer with no fans. Then he began writing what could be one of the best works of literature of all time, and with it came fame and success. And he is enjoying that, because he waited his whole life for this, and he deserved it. The problem, I think, is that he lost his way in the process. He spends so much time with the fans, traveling, editing other books and many other innumerable projects, that he hardly has any time or energy to write his magnus opus. He took five years to publish what he calls half a book, and he will take probably three years to write a book which he said he had more than half already written. This means he will take at least seven years to complete the sixth book (or four if the publishers force him to split it too). Mr. Martin isn't young and if he dies before finishing his saga, all will be lost. What could have been one of the greatest stories of all time will be nothing. Cervantes wouldn't be what he is if he hasn't finished "El Quijote". Eventhough the Tuft stories are good, eventhough Fevre Dream is the best vampire story I've ever read, Mr. martin will be rembered by A SoIF.

I hope he realizes that he is an artist and that his legacy is at risk, I hope he finds again happiness in writing instead of being a torture that keeps him from going to conventions. I hope he finishes this series in a way that fulfills all expectations. I hope to see him occupy his rightful place in literature history. I hope and I wait.

Twice as long as necessary -- but I still loved reading it..........2007-09-20

Not since the Lord of the Rings has an author written a series that has such amazing SCOPE as GRRM has pulled together with these books. While arguments will be made for YEARS about the contributions of Terry Brooks, Terry Goodkind and others, it seems hard to place them in the same league simply because I consider those books good and entirely worth reading, but Martin has created one of the few Fantasy series that can also be considered true Literature. Again, some may disagree, but that is essentially how I consider it.

I finished this book quite a long time ago and while I normally post my reviews within a day or so of closing the last page, I kept putting this one off as I attempted to just figure out exactly what I thought of it. I believe the bulk of us Song of Ice & Fire readers have all heard that this book originally began as a single novel, and due to several unforseen circumstances, ended up being divided into two separate-but-equal parts of basically the same book. You can REALLY tell, too. The obvious omitting of several MAJOR POV's is the first and biggest obstacle against giving this a full 5 Stars. As MANY have also noted, even though there ARE some incredibly important issues brought up which help the plot move forward here, again it is nearly impossible NOT to notice how LITTLE forward the book takes us overall. Several reviewers have noted the possible absence of an editor with the stones to actually trim the fat, which this novel really needed. I would have rather waited an extra year and had what was cut out to make 'A Dance With Dragons' ADDED and then properly edited in order to seriously move the overall storyline AHEAD. There is little doubt that GRRM is likely the most talented Fantasy Author writing today (although the debate continues...), but if this series is expected to finish up before the end of the next century, I sincerely hope that GRRM steps up the pace--even if by just a little. Robert Jordan recently passed away, and so far (at least as I write this) the end of the Wheel of Time Series remains unfinished...now he may have finished writing the last novel before he passed away (gosh I hope so...) we can see what happens by doing this and dragging things out longer than necessary. While I honestly believe GRRM really DOES have a handle on where the story is going and he honestly does know the end from the beginning, I also hope that the end is in sight. Making us all wait what seems like decades in between these books is nothing short of torture and possibly against the Geneva Convention if I am not mistaken...

With that said, I STILL had a great time reading AFFC. Yes it dragged and lost momentum and I felt that my journey was basically 'Hurry Up And Wait', I have invested so much into these characters, (although through sad experience I have also discovered not to become TOO attached to any one character in particular) that even a SMALL glimpse into their world is better than none at all. I anxiously await the arrival of the 2nd half of this tale begun in 'A Feast For Crows', I also bite my nails wondering if part 2 isn't just more of the same here. I have learned to give the benefit of the doubt in a lot of instances, and because GRRM is so dang good at writing, I feel compelled to extend it here as well. But hopefully my patience won't have to be tested quite to this degree much longer...

Fading Fast.......2007-09-19

Where have all the editors gone?

With Feast, the 4th installment of the Song of Ice and Fire series, Martin has begun to get carried away with himself. Much like what readers experienced with Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, Feast represents a serious departure from the tight narrative drive that powered the first three books.

Very little time is spent on the characters we came to care about in past installments and, even worse, the "splitting" of this volume leaves several major characters out of the mix altogether. The vast bulk of this book is dedicated to two characters who are either dead or marginalized by the end of the book and I found myself wondering how much of their plot impact could have been accomplished with several hundred less pages?

After all, if you spend 200 pages having someone wander about the countryside only to die at the end, the hope is they accomplished something that will have future plot implications. If they didn't, you wasted our time. If they did, then the importance of their accomplishment(s) must be weighed against the time taken to tell the story. Without seeing the impact in book 6, it's impossible to say how much of book 4 was unnecessary drivel, but I suspect that much of it should have hit the editing room floor.

Eric-

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

Great Book
Where do you go after Martin?
Great Read that Leaves You Feeling Icky
Excellent work...
Author doesn't care if series is ever finished

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)
George R.R. Martin
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0553573403
Release Date: 1997-08-04

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Readers of epic fantasy series are: (1) patient--they are left in suspense between each volume, (2) persistent--they reread or at least review the previous book(s) when a new installment comes out, (3) strong--these 700-page doorstoppers are heavy, and (4) mentally agile--they follow a host of characters through a myriad of subplots. In A Game of Thrones, the first book of a projected six, George R.R. Martin rewards readers with a vividly real world, well-drawn characters, complex but coherent plotting, and beautifully constructed prose, which Locus called "well above the norms of the genre."

Martin's Seven Kingdoms resemble England during the Wars of the Roses, with the Stark and Lannister families standing in for the Yorks and Lancasters. The story of these two families and their struggle to control the Iron Throne dominates the foreground; in the background is a huge, ancient wall marking the northern border, beyond which barbarians, ice vampires, and direwolves menace the south as years-long winter advances. Abroad, a dragon princess lives among horse nomads and dreams of fiery reconquest.

There is much bloodshed, cruelty, and death, but A Game of Thrones is nevertheless compelling; it garnered a Nebula nomination and won the 1996 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel. So, on to A Clash of Kings! --Nona Vero

Book Description

Here is the first volume in George R. R. Martin’s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R. R. Martin’s stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.

A Game of Thrones

Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

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A Game of Thrones is a contemporary masterpiece of fantasy.

The cold is returning to Winterfell, where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime. A time of conflict has arisen in the Stark family, as they are pulled from the safety of their home into a whirlpool of tragedy, betrayal, assassination, plots and counterplots. Each decision and action carries with it the potential for conflict as several prominent families, comprised of lords, ladies, soldiers, sorcerers, assassins and bastards, are pulled together in the most deadly game of all -- the game of thrones.

"George Martin is assuredly a new master craftsman in the guild of heroic fantasy."
   KATHERINE KERR

"The keen and complex human characters and the convincing force of their surroundings operate as magic...setting George R. R. Martin's first fantasy epic well above the norms of the genre."
   LOCUS

"Offers the rich tapestry that the very best fantasy demands...few created worlds are as imaginative and diverse."
   JANNY WURTS

"A vast, rich saga, with splendid characters and an intricate plot flawlessly articulated against a backdrop of real depth and texture."
   KIRKUS REVIEWS

"A dazzling fantasy adventure... with a great cast of characters that weave a tapestry of court intrigue, skullduggery, vicious betrayal and greathearted sacrifice."
   JULIAN MAY

"A colorful, majestic tapestry of characters, action and plot that deserves a spot on any reader's wall."
   ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2007-10-11

Minimum Maturity Level - Adult
Strong Language. Extreme violence and gore. Sexual situations.
Not for kids.

Previous Reading Required - None
This is the start of an epic series of 7 books.

Reading Level - Average
Very easy to keep up with. Not surprising since GRRM used to screenwrite. The book basically reads like a movie.

Rate of Development - Average
It takes a while to get a good character backgrounds. And there are A LOT of characters. But once you get halfway through, you come to know the characters very intimately. The story develops into intrigue and mystery fairly quick. By halfway through the book, it becomes a "page-turner".

The Story - The King's Hand (the king's right hand man) has died. Some think he was murdered. King Robert Baratheon then appoints Eddard Stark, a lifelong friend to succeed the position. Reluctantly, Eddard accepts. Anything after all this, is a spoiler so you MUST read the book.

My Suggestion - Highly Recommended
Like I said in the story section, anything I try to tell you after Eddard agrees to be the Hand IS a spoiler. GRRM has a way of getting you to like, love, and hate all his characters in the book. All the characters have their own personality and seem like real genuine people. Every chapter is a person's perspective and not a number. So when you read the chapter entitled "BRAN", you are reading what is going on through HIS eyes and his eyes only. It's a very immersive way of writing and I come to like it a lot. I said before that development is a bit slow for characters but the mystery and intrigue happens rather quickly. Some mysteries actually carry on into the next few books. Some of you with quick minds may uncover some mysteries before the characters actually do and that is part of the fun. If you want a good epic fantasy that is down to earth with war, intrigue, and suspense, then this is your book. Just be ready to buy all the other books that follow, because the get even better.

Where do you go after Martin?.......2007-09-28

George RR Martin is, in my opinion, one of the best Fantasy authors currently writing. He's great at exploring and deepening characters without them coming out and saying "I'm brave but flawed by my childhood experience", but instead he shows them by their reactions and choices. Yes, this shouldn't be a big deal, but hey, it's fantasy.

I also love that his characters are fully grey. The ones that are truly honorable heroes are also unyieldingly cold and the cruelest villians are at least human and understandable. But man! Martin doesn't mind killing anybody.

Which brings me to my title. One of the hardest things is picking up the next book that isn't from this series. You can always go back to some of the classics, but it's really hit and miss on picking up a new book, and Martin really raised the bar for me.

Great Read that Leaves You Feeling Icky.......2007-09-26

I feel dishonest only giving this book 3 Stars because the truth is I could not put it down and there is no doubt in my mind that I will end up reading this entire series. I enjoyed the complexity of the plots, the character development, the multiple perspectives, the detailed worlds, the unconventional blur between good/evil and the unpredictable plot twists. There is much in this book to enjoy and praise.

That said I only gave this book 3 stars because it left me feeling, well, kind of disturbed. Multiple times, during the course of reading this book, I told whoever was around that I felt like I was being emotionally abused by the author. I usually like disturbing/dark stories but something about this one troubled me. For starters the sex and sexual violence in this book was a bit much for me. Almost all the sex scenes are about a thirteen year old child. The sexual acts that happen to Dany in this novel constitute at least a dozen felonies in any civilized society. Not only could I not discern a reason the author had to make Dany SO young (especially if he wanted her character to be highly sexualized) but the aspects of sex he chose to discribe and the manner in which he discribed them were random, weird and came across as nothing more than a perverted indulgence. I would read something and simultaneously roll my eyes while feeling an icky shudder up and down my spine. I have no problems with sex in books I read, but the manner in which the sex scenes were written in this book are not reflective of real life and left me feeling grossed out. They felt exploitive I guess because they were so gratutious and strange.

Also, as a women, the constant rape and violence towards women was hard to read. I realize rape and misogyny are part of the world, particularly in times of war, but the amount and detail was hard to stomach. While the male characters (good and bad) generally die or get injured bravely in battle the women must be systemically humiliated before dying unceremoniously. Not only is raping them bad enough, they must be gang raped. And just in case gang rape wasn't degrading enough they have to be gang raped from behind. This combined with the constant womanizing of the main characters, the constant put downs related to the worth of women relative to men and after a while it makes you start to wonder; has Martin created a world filled with systemic female degradation because he is laying the foundation for an ultimate commentary on oppression, violence and human dignity? Or has he created a world filled with female degradation because that is what he likes writing about? I have 6 more books to read before I can answer that question but I have a suspicion it is the latter which is where the icky feeling I have towards this book comes from. Hopefully, it turns out I am wrong.

Even though this book left a bad taste in my mouth in some respects, I will continue to read the series because it is wildly entertaining. I've already started the second book.

Excellent work..........2007-09-04

so far! I am excited to read the next three books. Instead of expounding on the virtues of the novel, I would like to address two common complaints that one finds in these reviews. Firstly, the reports about sex/incest/bestiality are vastly exaggerated. There is ONE incestuous relationship between atomic family members, and the sexual description is limited to less than a paragraph. Certainly, the novel mentions other kinds of incest, such as the marriage of first and second cousins, but that is to be expected where royal families are concerned; and sexual acts regarding these are never described. Also, in line with medieval societal norms, there are a few ultra brief descriptions of sex involving teenagers; girls in royal families were frequently married off early and were expected to produce as many male heirs as possible. Yes, there are several moderately explicit scenes of rape (especially near the end of the book), violence and sex, but they pale in comparison to many other historical fiction novels. Sexual descriptions are about on par with an Anne Rice novel, and way softer than any of that romance/Fabio-on-the-cover drivel. If you cringe at the slightest graphic description of violence, then I would stay away from anything that involves the history of humankind. Certainly avoid the Conan and Warhammer 40K fiction series, and you should retain your sanity (and wimpiness).

Regarding complexity: this first book is EASY to follow. Each chapter is titled with the name of the character from whose point of view the story will be narrated. There are only eight such characters. If you have trouble keeping everything in your head, just go back to to the previous chapter with the same character name and re-read the last few paragraphs...it's that simple folks. I like this style because at several points, as you might find on TV or in the movies, the author leaves you hanging with some suspense at the end of the chapter until he "cuts" back to that (possibly concurrent) point in the story.

Anyway, my opinion is no more valid than that of anyone else on Amazon. If you like historical fiction, then I think there's a good chance you will like low fantasy. This series is as good a place to start as anywhere. Use some common sense: first, take it out of the library if possible. Second, read as many chapters as it takes for you to get a sense of the style and characterizations. Third, if you don't like it, STOP READING...it will NOT get better. I hereby deliver a VIRTUAL SLAP to reviewers who claim that they read the glowing reviews, read all 806 pages of the novel, and then felt debased or felt like they wasted their time or money...this is the United States, a playground of choices. If you don't like something, change the channel or turn off the device!

Author doesn't care if series is ever finished.......2007-09-04

On his website he has answered all those asking why the next installment is a year overdue. After whining about missing several conventions in order to work on the book he refers to his readers as trolls. I guess only those who worship him are worthy. It seems the man is too in love with himself to bother with the trolls who have made him rich.
Think twice before investing your time and money with this egotistical jerk. He obviously has no idea what to do with his story. I have serious doubts as to his ability to finish this series as he seems to be more interested in other projects than finishing what he started.

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Average customer rating:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

The Art of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire

Average customer rating:

Good, especially for ASOIAF fans
Great for the avid fan.
For lovers of Sonf of Ice and Fire
A Masterpiece
Only OK.

The Art of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire
Fantasy Flight Games , and Brian Wood
Manufacturer: Fantasy Flight Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1589942183

Product Description

Some of the greatest talents in fantastic art invite you to explore the lands of Westerors and beyond as never before. From the frozen wilderness beyond the Wall to sun-kissed Dorne, and from the rugged and brutal Iron Islands to the exotic East, the breathtaking sights and memorable characters of George R. R. Martins best-selling fantasy series are brought to life in this unique compilation. March to the Wall with Jon Snow and the Sworn Brothers of the Nights Watch, and confront the terrible might of the wildling hordes and the bone-chilling horror of the Others. Follow Robb Starks desperate campaign in the North, from the snow-shrouded Whispering Wood to the green banks of the Trident. Stand with Eddard Stark in the Small Council, and be drawn into the webs of intrigue and deceit spun by Varys the Spider and Cersei Lannister in Kings Landing. Ride with Daenarys Targaryen in her great khalasar, as she begins her crusade against the Free Cities across the Narrow Sea. The Art of George R. R. Martins A Song of Ice and Fire features lavish and lovingly crafted illustrations by renowned fantasy artists such as Jim Burns, John Howe, Ted Nasmith, Steve Stone, Charles Vess, Stephen Youll, and many more. The unforgettable images in this volume are drawn from book covers and special editions, comic books, board and card games, concept art, and fan art personally selected by George Martin from the thousands of illustrations that have been inspired by his work. The Art of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire is hardcover, with 192 gorgeous, glossy pages and full-color artwork.

Customer Reviews:

Good, especially for ASOIAF fans.......2007-09-06

I'd rather give it 4.5 stars, but that's not an option. As a fan of the series, it's definitely worth it just to get a visual of what you're reading. The info and quotes are great for reliving the stories, but there are reasons it didn't get a full 5/5 score.

-I've seen a lot of art online that is far better and relevant than some of the pieces I've seen in this art book.

Examples of this would be how few pictures there are of important characters as opposed to pictures of characters who are close to irrelevent to any of the plot points. A specific example of this is the giant picture, though magnificent, of Rosaline Frey. If you've read the books you probably know why I scratch my head at that pic.

-Some of the art is suspect. I know GRRM had to approve much of the art if not all of it, but some of the pieces I feel he must not have really looked at. A pic of Brienne looks like a ten year old drew it (no offense to the artist).

-A couple of the pics purportedly depict sections of the story that I don't recognize. One is a pic of Dorne while another is a pic of just some random girl laying in a bed with a generic title. In other words, I'm not sure if these pieces of art were intended for GRRM's story or not, or maybe the artists just hadn't read the books.

That said, 90% of the material is great. I've owned it less than a year and I've gone through it a number of times. My cousin, who is also a fan, has to look through it everytime he comes down. It's one of the first things he asks to see when he comes through the door, actually.

I can't wait for a second book of art, to be honest.

Great for the avid fan........2007-06-05

If you are a loyal fan to the Ice and Fire series, than you will enjoy this collection.
A high pecentage of the art was from the Game of Thrones CCG game, so if you have the playing cards, you wont find a whole lot new here. I have seen most of the art online at different fan and artists websites, but to have them all in one format that you can look at anytime is worth the price to me.
It is interesting to see the different ways people picture the characters. Some were spot on to what I imagined and some where not even close to what I picture. Either way, it is great reference material and the artwork is fabulous weather your a fan or not.

For lovers of Sonf of Ice and Fire.......2007-05-14

Very beautiful and well-done pictures based in SoI&F's characters. Also include descriptions and comments.
An item so necessary for G.R.R.Martin fans

A Masterpiece.......2007-04-13

I bought this book after reading the Westeros books of GRRM and I was greatly surprised and enthusiastic about the art depicting characters from the series. Some of the art was breathtaking and just pure brilliance.

If you were needing a visual reference to some of the names, faces, and places of Westeros, this is defnitely a book to pick up.

Only OK........2007-04-04

I fast became a big fan of George RR Martin's epic book series, and once i had gotten through the first few books i sought out this compendium of artwork. There are some decent renderings, such as a painting of Robert Baratheon battling Rheagar Targaryen on the Trident, but overall i found much of the art a little amatuerish - not on the level that you might find in one of the many "art of" book for films. Still if you are a Martin fan, you might want to check it out.

A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3)

Average customer rating:

Great Book
A Storm of Swords
I love the books so far! I would give it 5 stars but I havnt finished reading it
Unbelievable
A great read, despite sluggish pacing

A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3)
George R.R. Martin
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 055357342X
Release Date: 2003-03-04

Amazon.com

Is George R.R. Martin for real? Can a fantasy epic actually get better with each new installment? Fans of the genre have glumly come to expect go-nowhere sequels from other authors, so we're entitled to pinch ourselves over Martin's tightly crafted Song of Ice and Fire series. The reports are all true: this series is the real deal, and Martin deserves his crown as the rightful king of the epic. A Game of Thrones got things off to a rock-solid start, A Clash of Kings only exceeded expectations, but it's the Storm of Swords hat trick that cements Martin's rep as the most praiseworthy fantasy author to come along since that other R.R.

Like the first two books, A Storm of Swords could coast on the fundamentals: deftly detailed characters, convincing voices and dialogue, a robust back-story, and a satisfyingly unpredictable plot. But it's Martin's consistently bold choices that set the series apart. Every character is fair game for the headman's axe (sometimes literally), and not only do the good guys regularly lose out to the bad guys, you're never exactly sure who you should be cheering for in the first place.

Storm is full of admirable intricacies. Events that you thought Martin was setting up solidly for the first two books are exposed as complex feints; the field quickly narrows after the Battle of the Blackwater and once again, anything goes. Robb tries desperately to hold the North together, Jon returns from the wildling lands with a torn heart, Bran continues his quest for the three-eyed crow beyond the Wall, Catelyn struggles to save her fragile family, Arya becomes ever more wolflike in her wanderings, Daenerys comes into her own, and Joffrey's cruel rule from King's Landing continues, making even his fellow Lannisters uneasy. Martin tests all the major characters in A Storm of Swords: some fail the trial, while others--like Martin himself--seem to only get stronger. --Paul Hughes

Book Description

Here is the third volume in George R. R. Martin’s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R. R. Martin’s stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.

A Storm of Swords

Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as violently as ever, as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey, of House Lannister, sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the land of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, the victim of the jealous sorceress who holds him in her evil thrall. But young Robb, of House Stark, still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Robb plots against his despised Lannister enemies, even as they hold his sister hostage at King’s Landing, the seat of the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world....

But as opposing forces maneuver for the final titanic showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost line of civilization. In their vanguard is a horde of mythical Others--a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. 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. . .

Download Description

Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as violently as ever, as alliances are made and broken.

Joffrey, of House Lannister, sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the land of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, the victim of the jealous sorceress who holds him in her evil thrall. But young Robb, of House Stark, still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Robb plots against his despised Lannister enemies, even as they hold his sister hostage at King's Landing, the seat of the Iron Throne.

Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world....

But as opposing forces maneuver for the final titanic showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost line of civilization. In their vanguard is a horde of mythical Others -- a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable.

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 riveting continuation of a series whose brilliance continues to dazzle."
   THE PATRIOT NEWS

"I always expect the best from George R. R. Martin, and he always delivers."
    ROBERT JORDAN

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2007-10-11

Minimum Maturity Level - Adult
Strong violence. Strong language. Sexual situations.

Previous Reading Required - Major
Must read "A Game of Thrones" first, then "A Clash of Kings" next. Otherwise, you'll be lost on the plot.

Reading Level - Average
Easy to read, never a confusing paragraph.

Rate of Development - Extremely Fast
Picks up where "A Clash of Kings" left off.

The Story - More major battles, more death and mayhem, more intrigue and conspiracies. Some mysteries revealed.

My Suggestion - Highly Recommended
This is by far my favorite book of the series. This one will definately shock you and fill you with joy all at once. The ending is very climatic. I can only describe the series so far as a neverending joy to read. 1000 pages? I wished it was 2000 pages. It's just that good.

A Storm of Swords.......2007-09-24

This is the third book in the Song of Fire and Ice series. Many main characters are killed and new points of view are introduced.

What was best: The plot had interesting twists and there was interesting character developments. Jaime Lannister seemed to be a generic cad in the first book, somewhat more interesting in the 2nd book and full fledged in the 3rd. Melisandre, the Red Sorceress, you wonder if she might be a flawed ally against the Undead of the beyond the Wall. Jon Snow may have joined the Wildlings at the end of the second book and could be facing consequences from the likes of Alisdair Thorn and Janos Slint(sorry for the spelling I listened to the Audio book). It is realistic in that the good and well intentioned make huge life costing blunders and the conniving coast by on looks and presentation. There is no escapism in this. The new King's Hand, Tywin Lannister, always does what is easy instead of right, and is none the worse. Danyreus is gaining more followers and makes her initial conquests but is unable to consolidate her holdings. Again this is a twist from fantasies.

What wasn't good: Tyrion Lannister is one of my favorite characters. He shines when he is using his considerable intelligence and rolling the dice, in a figurative sense. However, in this book and in the others, he is given abilities with the crossbow, battle axe, and sword. Despite, having his aching legs and recent battle injuries, he wields these weapons with proficiency.

New points of view I'd like to see in future books: Sandor Clegain, Ser Jorra Mormont, Mira or Jojen Reed.

The book is a good long read and leaves enough unanswered questions to intrigue but not frustrate the reader.

I love the books so far! I would give it 5 stars but I havnt finished reading it.......2007-09-20

This series is AWESOME! I love the first two books. I havnt finished this book; however, I have already ordered the fourth book. This book and the others is not for the weak of heart! Lets just say- George R. R. Martin is not afraid to kill of characters. I start to fall in love with a character and before I know it, he or she is dead. It has many plot twists and paraphrasing an underlying theme , "Life is not a song." I'm hoping the series has a happy ending where the main characters are avenged. Anyone who read this book will agree with me- I hope the Freys burn in hell.

Unbelievable.......2007-09-03

It is incredibly difficult to put into words how you feel after reading George RR Martin's work. There are many before me who have written extensive reviews of the books in A Song of Ice and Fire and I feel there is little I could really add or detract from any of them. To put it simply, if you are a fan of fantasy, and I mean from a casual reader who picks up a novel every couple of years or a die-hard fanatic, Martin's books are worth their weight in gold. The story is incredibly rich with detail, history, action and most importantly, intrigue. It is not written in the epic nature of the Lord of the Rings but challenges Tolkien's great work by instead offering a reader a world of fantasy that is startling similar to our own. Martin's realism, proven by his extensive historical research and adept knowledge of human nature, is what raises these books toward becoming classics. Like any other fan of the books, I can't say enough how much you should read them. Do not feel intimidated by their size as you will quickly move through the books once you are entrapped in the stirring stories. Go buy this and the other books.

Hopefully Martin will finish the series within the next ten years...

A great read, despite sluggish pacing.......2007-08-19

All of the comments I made about book 2 apply here as well ... although in this case, even though the book seems more complex and fragmentary than ever, the pacing seems slightly faster, and the amount of gratuitous sex and gory violence is a bit less. Unlike book 2, books 1 & 3 doesn't go quite so far enough overboard on those elements to merit a "Mature Reader" warning.

I think the pacing seems faster because GRRM got busy resolving a lot of dangling plot lines in rather ... ahem ... forceful fashion. Yes, that's a backhanded reference to my comments in book 2 regarding his tendency towards excessively high mortality among his main characters. This book reads like a Greek Tragedy at times.

Anyway, despite the incredibly fragmented storytelling, I still found it to be a gripping and highly entertaining read ... due in large part to the growing sense of depth in some of the main villains**. It's not often I finish 3,000+ pages of books in such a short period of time.

[SPOILER ALERT]
---------------
I like how the author gave added depth to the characters of Jaime & Tyrion Lannister, by introducing nostalgia, regret, remorse, and a latent need for redemption and having a legacy. Tyrion got repeatedly screwed by his own family, no matter how hard he tried, and would up exacting some long overdue revenge. Ditto to a lesser degree for Jaime, who took a refreshingly introspective turn after his maiming.
---------------
[/SPOILER END]

Highly recommended ... albeit for patient readers with a longer than average attention span.

[EDIT] Ok, here's something else that bother's me about GRRM's writing style that I forgot to mention in my review of Book 2 - he seems to take undue pleasure in describing people going to the bathroom. Yes, it's a perfectly normal reality of daily life, and we all go to the bathroom .. but he describes it with such regularity that it's almost like he's doing it to make a statement - like he's flaunting his commitment to hyper realism.

I actually remember the very first time that the sound of a toilet flushing was allowed on American TV ... it was the infamous flush by Archie Bunker on "All In The Family". People at the time yelled and screamed and talked like the world was ending. Well, it didn't ... but it definitely paved the way for an ever deepening spiral into unnecessarily graphic (and base) entertainment - which brings us back to GRRM, who, in one scene, has someone get shot in the groin with a crossbow, while they're on the privy ... and he goes out of his way to describe how the person's bowels loosen and empty down the chute into the moat below.

I realize we'll never go back to 1950'ish sensibilities of Tolkien (in which the author created a vast body of perfect 10 fantasy work that didn't incluide even a single needlessly graphic reference to voiding one's bowels or raping corpses), nor should we ... but there comes a point when enough is enough. I think GRRM repeatedly crosses that line at times. Eddie Murphy demonstrated some time ago that although the word "f*@k" is funny, there comes a point when it's possible to overdo it, and it's just not funny anymore. GRRM does the same thing at times in his writing, with excessive references to bodily functions.

I'm still forced to give the book 5 stars however, despite my plethora of pet peeves.

A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 2)

Average customer rating:

Great Book
A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin
Kings
A Clash of Kings: good follow up
Overly complex, bloated and sluggish pacing, but still a good read

A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 2)
George R.R. Martin
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0553579908
Release Date: 2000-09-05

Amazon.com

How does he do it? George R.R. Martin's high fantasy weaves a spell sufficient to seduce even those who vowed never to start a doorstopper fantasy series again (the first book--A Game of Thrones--runs over 700 pages). A Clash of Kings is longer and even more grim, but Martin continues to provide compelling characters in a vividly real world.

The Seven Kingdoms have come apart. Joffrey, Queen Cersei's sadistic son, ascends the Iron Throne following the death of Robert Baratheon, the Usurper, who won it in battle. Queen Cersei's family, the Lannisters, fight to hold it for him. Both the dour Stannis and the charismatic Renly Baratheon, Robert's brothers, also seek the throne. Robb Stark, declared King in the North, battles to avenge his father's execution and retrieve his sister from Joffrey's court. Daenerys, the exiled last heir of the former ruling family, nurtures three dragons and seeks a way home. Meanwhile the Night's Watch, sworn to protect the realm from dangers north of the Wall, dwindle in numbers, even as barbarian forces gather and beings out of legend stalk the Haunted Forest.

Sound complicated? It is, but fine writing makes this a thoroughly satisfying stew of dark magic, complex political intrigue, and horrific bloodshed. --Nona Vero

Book Description

In this eagerly awaited sequel to A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin has created a work of unsurpassed vision, power, and imagination. A Clash of Kings transports us to a world of revelry and revenge, wizardry and warfare unlike any you have
ever experienced.

A Clash Of Kings

A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. And from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.

Download Description

Here is the second volume in GEORGE R. R. MARTIN¿S magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, GEORGE R. R. MARTIN¿S stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction. A CLASH OF KINGS A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. Two great leaders¿Lord Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon¿who hold sway over an age of enforced peace are dead, victims of royal treachery. Now, from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2007-10-11

Minimum Maturity Level - Adult
Strong violence. Strong language. Sexual situations.
Not for kids.

Previous Reading Required - Major
Must read "A Game of Thrones" before you read this one. Otherwise, you will be lost in what is going on.

Reading Level - Average
Easy to read. Never a confusing paragraph.

Rate of Development - Extremely Fast
Everything picks up from where "A Game of Thrones" left off.

The Story - Five kings clash for the throne of Westeros. Major battles are fought. Intrigue and conspiracies are afoot.

My Suggestion - Highly Recommended
Not much of the story can be revealed as it would be a spoiler. This book is by far more exciting and a joy to read than is predecessor. There are times you will cheer and there will be times you'll scream "Why did you just write that George R.R. Martin, GRRRRAAAAHHHHH!". This is one of those books that will shock you and also make you feel glad to be alive (to read). And if you think this book is good, wait till you read the next one.

A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin.......2007-09-19

A Clash of Kings is the second in the ongoing "Song of Ice and Fire" series, sequel to A Game of Thrones, and the series continues to be entertaining and interesting, one of my favorite ongoing fantasy series. What makes it different from other fantasy series is that Martin, instead of using chapter numbers and having everything be specifically chronological, has about five to ten characters whose heads you are in. So you can be immediately whisked away to another battle, another land, another family feud by the turn of the page. Plus Martin isn't afraid of killing of characters, which can be horrible if one gets really attached to certain characters, but I find it admirable that he has the bravely to do this. I think it isn't done enough in fiction, specifically fantasy. Sure the good guys need to win, but not all the time!

Near the end of A Clash of Kings there was a huge battle between two big armies: one attacking the other on a river, so starting as a naval battle, and then once the men landed on the ground moving on to trying to break into the fortress. Your regular historical or fantasy novel would have you in the head of your main character who would likely be one of the leaders of the armies. The P.O.V. might switch during the battle to the other leader's viewpoint on the other side and then come back to your main character. With Martin's literary device, the reader sees the battle unfolding from three interesting viewpoints: from the leader of the army in the fortress (who is an ugly dwarf); from one of the captains of the ships on the other side attacking the fortress, as he leads in the ship and engages the enemy (he ends up getting killed); and from a young girl who is a hostage in the fortress, under the watchful eye of the queen, in a room full of the important women who are just waiting around to find out if they are on the winning side, or if they are on the losing side and the enemy is about to break down the door and the knight will be ordered to kill them all so they won't end up as hostages. So instead of seeing the entire battle from one of possibly two P.O.V.s, the reader gets three totally different viewpoints, and it just helps to heighten the tension and suspense.

Next in the series is A Storm of Swords, with A Feast For Crows due out November 8th. As Martin was writing A Feast For Crows, passing the thousand-page mark a couple of months before the book was done, he was told by his publisher that they can't have one book be this long. He'd previously promised that his next book would not be as long as A Storm of Swords, which was 1216 pages in the mass market edition. Since he's going to long pass this, he negotiated with Random House to split the book in two. What he's decided to do, and as I get further into the series I can't understand how he's going to do this, is have half of the characters in one book, and the other half in the next book. Some of the characters can be on their own tangents, meeting different people, and not actually have anything to do with the other main character's whose heads the reader is in, but there are other main characters who interact with each other quite often, and I just don't know how Martin is going to reconcile this.

It's going to be interesting, that's for sure. And the good thing Martin said is that the new book comes out soon, and the next one is already half done.

For more book reviews, and other writings, go to www.alexctelander.com

Kings.......2007-09-11

This book was in excellent shape and a joy to read...i appreciate the quickness with which it was shipped

A Clash of Kings: good follow up.......2007-09-01

This is a good follow up to A Game of Thrones. Like many other readers, the period setting and charcterization are the strengths of this book. The point of view narration is a stand out.

I don't mind getting lost in a good book. If you're looking for loose threads to be tied up and tight plot adherence, you will be disappointed. This is not a G, PG, or PG13 fantasy epic it is R or even X rated in places. Sometimes, I found the sex and violence gratuitous. Just a caveat emptor.

I liked the characterizations. They were believable. For instance the good guys (all right, the characters I liked best) were not saint like and brilliant 100% of the time. Small side characters that seemed all right in Game show themselves be less than savory in Clash. There are some new POVs in this novel as well. The most interesting being Davos, a knight serving Stannis Baratheon. The bad guys,show that they are not static caricatures.

Plot developments were believable in that again it didn't turn on magic but mundane events.

Overly complex, bloated and sluggish pacing, but still a good read.......2007-08-19

Ok, I just finished Book 2, and I have to say I'm not quite as happy as I was with Book 1. Don't get me wrong - it's still a very entertaining read, but I'm encountering enough things that irritate me to actually speak up a bit.

(1) LEADEN PACE: Yes, I can now see what others have complained about. Book 1 moved along slowly, but Book 2 positively crawls at times.

(2) EXCESSIVE LENGTH/COMPLEXITY: The author should have put this book on a treadmill, and made it loose 250 or so pages. It's too flabby, even for someone of my laid back literary nature. The chief problem is that the author tells the tale from too many different angles at the same time, and the result is a story that's fragmentary ... and difficult to get back into if you put it down for more than a few days. Working from 8 different moving points on the same map, in simultaneous fashion, is a too fragmentary, and makes it difficult for the reader to relax into the tale. Instead, the reader is left to paddle furiously, like a poodle dropped in a swimming pool, with people shouting "over here !" from multiple different angles. It's sink or swim.

(3) EXCESSIVELY GRAPHIC VIOLENCE: I have the same complaint with movies these days ... the author seems to revel in describing sucking chest wounds, ropy intestines spilling out, and festering wounds. I'm well acquainted with the harsh realities of limited medieval medicine, but the author goes overboard at times, and there are moments when it feels like I'm watching a "splat" movie. Also, his "maester" healers seem rather under skilled, medically ... for all their supposedly great training, all the author seems capable of having them do is do simple bandages, pour boiling wine into gashes, apply leeches, and give people "milk of poppy" or "dream wine". There's a lot more to first aid, even at the medieval level, than just that.

(4) EXCESSIVE SEX: I've noticed a definite trend in both TV, SciFi and Fantasy over the past 20 years towards more and more sex. There were a few scenes in Book 1 of this series that raised my eyebrow, but not enough to carp about. This book, however, raises the bar considerably ... we see fellatio & cunnilingus, as well as repeated references to anal sex, buggery, incest, rape-murders, and even a reference to necrophilia {re: the character "Reek"}. In fact, I'd be hard pressed to name a chapter than didn't seem to have an obligatory sex scene, or sexual reference in it - and more often than not in an unsavory context. Don't get me wrong - I'm not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, and these things are realities of everyday life ... but there was no warning on the cover that the book is liberally interspersed with such content. Things have come a long way from the days of Robert E. Howard's Conan, and Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars pulps, in which we occasionally see women clad in gossamer veils, the occasional flash of nipple, and a quick fade-out on people who begin to get it on. GRRM doesn't leave the room at all ... he just lowers the action from XXX to NC-17 (single x) in order to avoid excessive complaints. In other words, he's pushing the envelope of the genre. I don't mind mature content at all ... but I *do* mind the lack of notice on the cover. The book should be marked as such, for the convenience of prospective readers who don't want to get blindsided by such things.

(5) EXCESSIVE MORTALITY: Ya know, I've played in some role playing campaigns in which the mortality level was gratuitously high - to the point where it seemed like the GM was perhaps overcompensating for their own real life shortcomings (e.g., no career, no sex life, no control over their fate) by making everyone else's life a living hell. In the case of this book, the author seems (to me) to go overboard in setting up characters and sub-plots, and then killing everything (and everyone) off, just to keep people guessing. Some people call that being bold and taking risks with the plot, whereas I think of it as being excessively sadistic - what's the point of sitting though all GRRM's long and plodding buildup, only to have the author crumple it up and toss it in the trash and go off in a completely different direction ? Where's the intellectual and emotional payoff ? Although gripping and entertaining, I'd be hard pressed to find much in this book that's uplifting, comforting, secure, nostalgic or inspiring, because the author is constantly ripping down plots and characters and papering up new ones every other chapter ... like a frothing tyrant, setting up elaborate patterns of dominos, just so he can gleefully kick them over. There's a fine line between having enough mortality to make death and failure a constant presence in the overall story (as it is in real life), and having half the characters die horribly, from book to book. It's too much, IMHO.

(6) ERATTA: There are some things that the author just plain gets wrong. For instance, the author's distance terminology usage appears wrong. I haven't analyzed it too closely, but it seems (to me) like he uses the term "leagues" as if they were the same as kilometers. They are NOT the same. One league = 3 miles = 4.83 kilometers. If his usage of the term were correct, then it should take a *lot* longer for people to get from place to place than it seems to in his plot. The author, however, doesn't seem to have the patience to support that sort of slow travel pace however, so he just seems to ignore the consequences of his improper use of terminology.

(7) CULINARY SHORTCOMINGS: I enjoy writers who take their food seriously (big props to GRRM for that), but it bothers me when people make mistakes. For instance - people going on multi-week trips over rough terrain, on foot or horse, don't typically lug lots of raw eggs with them for breakfast ... they're fragile, they're heavy (mostly water), and they easily spoil. Rib bones don't have soft edible marrow ... only the bones of extremities have soft marrow that's suck able. I'd also complain about blueberries (early summer), mint (late summer & early fall), and grapes (fall) not being in season at the same time, but since the seasons in the author's world span multiples of years, I think we can let that one slide. However, if the main continent of the seven kingdoms is truly a thousand leagues long, then Dorne and The Wall should be in different hemispheres, and the growing seasons should be reversed ... however, the plot seems to imply that the entire continent is in the same hemisphere, with much the same growing season. Perhaps there's something that the author is not telling us, and that perhaps their world is 10x the diameter of Earth (and spins faster on it's axis to make up for it). Still, I find it hard to believe that they can enjoy fresh oranges way up north, at The Wall. Based on the distances involved, the author should have (instead) featured pickled lemons, instead of fresh citrus. Also, there's not enough regional variations in the cuisine depicted. We don't see much dothraki cuisine except for mares milk and horse meat, and over in the seven kingdoms, and cuisine in the north seems to differ from the south only in that the south is more wealthy, and that fruit is a bit more prevalent. The only time the author mentions spices is in spiced wine, and the only seasoning in his food is salt and pepper. For the amount of word count that the author devotes to food, he could do better, with regards to regional diversity of cuisine.

Bottom line: I'm still very much enjoying this series, but there's room for improvement.

Average customer rating:

Why do I like this book!?
Fire Song
If you want a "hero" who is a complete b-stard -- then this is your book....
Gaelem should be castrated
Difficult but Compelling

Fire Song
Catherine Coulter
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451209281

Book Description

Originally published in 1985, this is the first novel in Catherine Coulter's stunning Song series: Fire Song, Earth Song, and Secret Song-and the prequel Warrior's Song. In Medieval Cornwall, Kassia de Lorris of Brittany cheats death only to find herself wedded to a stranger-the ruthless warrior Lord Graelam de Moreton.

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Lord Graelam de Moreton is a warrior, a man both hard and ruthless, a man who takes what he wants and never looks back

Customer Reviews:

Why do I like this book!?.......2007-03-29

This is the second book in the song quartet. Grealam de Morton, who we previously met in "warrior song", is the hero in this book. I use the term hero loosely. In "warrior song" he was a bully and a rapist. In "Fire song" he is a adulterous brute. So why then do I like this book so much? Kassia is why. YOu cannot help but admire her struggle and feel for her. Kassia's love is what finally turns Graelam into a decent human being. I will always feel like she is WAY too good for him though.

Fire Song.......2007-02-23

Made me want to sew the hero in a bedsheet and beat him soundly.

If you want a "hero" who is a complete b-stard -- then this is your book...........2007-01-15

If you take into account that "Chandra/Warrior's Song" is actually the prequel to "Fire Song" you will recall that your first introduction to the "hero", Graelam de Moreton, includes him raping Chandra's friend, in front of Chandra, just to show her who is boss. He is actually the VILLIAN of that book -- and for some reason Coulter digs him up to be the star of the Song trilogy.

His brutality continues into his own novel with him raping his own wife, Kassia, and openly sleeping around with other castle women -- so much so that she even catches him in the act. Oh, and there's the horribly romantic part with his ex-lover being responsible for his wife miscarrying their baby.

There is no joy in this romance it is the portrait of two very unhappy people who evidently decide to fall in love with each other and "live happily ever after". Go figure.

Women who love alpha males and can overlook raping heroes will love Graelam de Moreton, however.

Catherine Coulter has an obsession with domineering male protagonists who very often cross the line over in being downright cruel. I don't even want to explore what it means that she frequently makes her male villains openly Gay.

The shame is that when she can leave twisted coerced sex out of the picture, she can write a pretty good historical romance. Chandra/Warrior Song is the only one of her historical romance books I can think of where the heroine has any empowerment. Of course, even there Coulter has the hero slip the heroine a medieval roofie for one night of passion. (So the heroine can see what's she's missing...)

If you are at all a feminist or think rape is NOT a romantic device, skip this book.

Gaelem should be castrated.......2006-11-08

I agree that this book is rather controversial since it applies to the subject of rape. The line is quite clear these days on what is considered rape. It may not be very clear in the 13th century. However, there are people in those days who are aware of what is morally right or wrong. Now back to the book.I disliked the fact that Kassia accepted her situation and allowed Gaelam to rape her repeatedly. I would have poisoned him slowly and ensured that he died a rather painful death.As for the two "b****es" Nan and Blanche, well they should be poisoned as well. Ever wondered why Gaelam believes these two shrews when he distrusts his own wife? He should distrust all women if he thinks that all they are capable of is scheming. Also why does he worship Chandra even though she is a warrior. Isn't he supposed to believe that all women should be meek and submissive.
This book glorifies rape and that is distasteful.He cannot possible turn over a new leaf just because he apparantely "loves" his wife. How ridiculous is that? No man can reform that quickly,unless he is castrated.Also Nan and Blanche did not receive their comeuppances. If Gaelam and Kassia were real people, I doubt they will even survive past their first wedding anniversary. I can imagine Gaelam running off to brutalise another woman whenever he happens to fight with Kassia. Definately not a bed of roses for them. They have my condolences. NOTE to Ms Coulter, RAPE is not romantic fiction. Buy the book if you like wasting money. It is better to donate your money to the homeless than buying this book.It is scary to note taht rape is a recurring theme in her books just like incest is in Virginia Andrews books. What up with that?

Difficult but Compelling.......2006-06-08

This was an interesting book for me. Graelem, the book's Hero?, is probably the most unlikable character in any Catherine Coulter book ever. However, unlikable though he is, I was still fascinated with this story. How true it is that women were so often thought so little of during the middle ages that the church even debated whether they had a soul. I've read some of the other reviews and they talk about Kassia having no backbone. I totally disagree, to be realistic, for that time period she had lots more backbone than the average woman. If you are looking for the winsome, sweet love story, where the knight in shining armor sweeps the heroine off her feet, you definitely will not look this book. Graelem believes that women are little more than breeders he even states this several times in the book "marriage is for the breeding of sons", who cares what the women is like. Kassia has one of those rare fathers for that time, he really values his daughter. To keep his daughter safe, he marries her off to Graelem even though she is seriously ill , thinking he is honorable and will take care of his daughter. When Kassia expects the same respect from Graelem, she is disappointed. His motto is what's mine is mine and only mine. He is a adulterer and abuser. Even though he has a change of heart toward the end of the book and finally values Kassia, I think the moral of this story is women like bad boys and fall in love with them all the time, knowing they will break their hearts. This book kept me glued, and for that I am giving it four stars. I do realize that you don't have to like the characters to enjoy the book.

Average customer rating:

Awesome childrens book and music for toddlers!
Perfect for Preschool class to Enjoy
The Cutest Song for Kid's Too Perform
A must for kids who love fire trucks!
great book/song!

Fire Truck!
Ivan Ulz
Manufacturer: Scholastic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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