A Storm Of Swords: Blood And Gold by George R. R. Martin

Title: A Storm Of Swords: Blood And Gold

Author: George R. R. Martin

Released: August 2001

The Starks are scattered.

Robb Stark may be King in the North, but he must bend to the will of the old tyrant Walder Frey if he is to hold his crown. And while his youngest sister, Arya, has escaped the clutches of the depraved Cersei Lannister and her son, the capricious boy-king Joffrey, Sansa Stark remains their captive.

Meanwhile, across the ocean, Daenerys Stormborn, the last heir of the Dragon King, delivers death to the slave-trading cities of Astapor and Yunkai as she approaches Westeros with vengeance in her heart.

Rating: 5 Stars

Positives: Oh my lord, just when I thought George R. R. Martin couldn't get any better he goes and pulls this out of the bag. I'd worried that maybe he was losing his touch after the severe lack of deaths in Steel and Snow, especially as the War of Five Kings is still raging, but Blood and Gold certainly made up for that. I'd say the war is all but won by the Lannisters now, but I won't ruin it anymore by telling you exactly who has perished. 

With this many notable deaths however I think we can expect to see a noticeable shift in power now, with some rising higher than ever before and others falling so much further. There are some new powers emerging such as the Tyrell family who may pose a threat, and I'm intrigued to see what Littlefinger's end game is. 

What I really loved however was the focus on the Lannisters in this book. Not only does Tyrion gain the chance to defy Lord Tywin, but we also get a real insight to Jaime. We don't just see him as Cersei's twin or the Kingslayer anymore, we see the real man and who he is. I have to say I'm pretty impressed. I may have vowed not to get attached to anymore characters but I may make an exception for Jaime. Plus we see how the Lannisters deal with loss, and I'm surprised at how normally they seem to react. There's no real grief there but I guess we'll have to see how things progress.

Negatives: I'm going to go off on a little bit of a rant here. There was one death in Blood and Gold that I really didn't agree with and I'm more than unhappy about it. I understand why we have the fight for the Wall, but did Ygritte really have to be killed off? To me she brought out the best in Jon Snow because she gave him a better sense of self worth. With Ygritte he was no longer seen as Ned Stark's bastard, and I don't think Jon was ready to lose her. That said though his loss of Ygritte may help him to grow even more as a man, and with the war that is coming Jon definitely needs to grow. 

Would I recommend this book? Yes I would. But I'll guarantee by the end of it that you'll be cursing George R. R. Martin for at least one or two of the deaths in this installment. 

A Storm Of Swords: Steel And Snow by George R. R. Martin

Title: A Storm Of Swords: Steel And Snow

Author: George R. R. Martin

Released: June 2001

Winter approaches Westeros like an angry beast.

The Seven Kingdoms are divided by revolt and blood feud. In the northern wastes, a horde of hungry, savage people steeped in the dark magic of the wilderness is poised to invade the Kingdom of the North where Robb Stark wears his new-forged crown. And Robb’s defences are ranged against the South, the land of the cunning and cruel Lannisters, who have his younger sisters in their power.

Throughout Westeros, the war for the Iron Throne rages more fiercely than ever, but if the Wall is breached, no king will live to claim it.

Rating: 5 Stars

Positives: Firstly George R. R. Martin has brought us a new range of characters to join our much loved ones. We are now finally meeting the Tyrell's with sweet Margaery and her prickly grandmother Lady Olenna; we also get to properly meet Jon's wildling girl Ygritte, and she has a right sense of humour to her. This is something we definitely needed as far too many beloved characters were killed off in the previous book. It's nice to see as well despite the cliffhangers we were given for both Jaime and Davos that the two of them have survived. I don't think I was quite ready to say goodbye to either of them just yet.

And as far as plot twists go, I have to say that I bow down to George R. R. Martin here as well. Who would have suspected that Sansa would marry this particular person? Yes she may not have been consenting to it, but she's still married to him ... For now at least. 

Also we finally saw the return of The Others, and oh my are they scary. Hell I'm glad I don't live beyond the Wall because if one of those things ever came after me I'd be doomed to die a craven's death . That said with their return it was nice to see Sam gain some courage, especially as he's never really had anything going for him. A nice boy by all accounts but not really someone that you'd consider a man of the Night's Watch. Admittedly Sam may still be craven, but he's getting a lot better.

Negatives: And just when I thought maybe our beloved author planned to stop killing people off he goes and kills the Old Bear. Was that really necessary? I kind of liked him, as a grandfather kind of figure who is very set in his ways. But I suppose the Night's Watch has to have change in order to be able to move forwards, and what better change than by having your Lord Commander killed off?

I also would have liked to see what became of Theon Greyjoy after he loses Winterfell. For all we know he's dead or dying, and we haven't seen him for a whole book. Then there's little Rickon Stark as well, I wonder how he and Osha are faring and where they've ended up. Yes I know that as a boy of only four years of age Rickon may not be that interesting a character, but still I'd like to know what has become of him.

Finally what was with those last two chapters? How can you bring Bran and Jon in such close proximity of one another and not have them meet? That's just utterly heartless.

Would I recommend this book? As always with this series, this book gets a huge thumbs up from me. You definitely need to read it.

A Clash Of Kings by George R. R. Martin

Title: A Clash Of Kings

Author: George R. R. Martin

Released: November 1998

The Iron Throne once united the Sunset Lands, but kind Robert is dead, his widow is a traitor to his memory, and his surviving brothers are set on a path of war amongst themselves. At King's Landing, the head of Lord Eddard Stark rots on a spike for all to see. His daughter Sansa is betrothed still to his killer's son Joffrey. Joffrey is now a boy-king, Queen Cersei is his regent, and war is inevitable.

In each of the seven kingdoms, from Dragonstone to Storm's End, former vassals of the Iron Throne declare themselves kings. And Eddard Stark's fifteen year old son Robb wears the crown of the north at Winterfell.

A comet in the night sky, red and malevolent, the colour of blood and flame, can only be an omen of murder and war. Princess Shireen, the pretender's child, dreams of dragons waking from stone. And a white raven has brought word from the Citadel itself, foretelling summer's end. It has been the longest summer in living memory, lasting ten years, and the smallfolk say it means an even longer winter to come…

The first rule of war is never give the enemy his wish. But winter will be the biggest enemy. From beyond the Wall the undead and Others clamour for freedom, and from beyond the sea the long-dead Dragon King's daughter hatches her revenge. Robb Stark will be exceedingly lucky to reach adulthood.

Rating: 5 Stars

Positives: This is a great sequel to A Game of Thrones. We return to many loved characters including the Starks and the Lannisters, but there are also some new characters present to charm us such as Davos Seaworth and Lady Melisandre. 

The prologue once again had me hooked, this time by making me want to know what Lady Melisandre's secret is, as surely R'hallor the Lord of Light cannot protect her from everything. She has a menace about her, but is also fairly charming in her own way. 

But out of all the new characters I have to say I am utterly entranced by Jaqen H'ghar. He is a Lorathi, but apart from that we know nothing of who he is. Yet despite being a seemingly dangerous man, there's something good in him, after all he has proved himself very useful. But who exactly is he? And will Arya discover his deepest secret? This is what I want to know besides much more, but I don't want to spoil things for those of you yet to read this novel.

In general this was a very good installment, and we see just how quickly Westeros is being torn apart with various claimants for the throne. This is a land at civil war, and at the moment I'm hard pressed to say who the victor will be. As Cersei said previously, "In the game of thrones you win or you die." 

Negatives: The only thing I hate, and I mean really hate, is that George R. R. Martin has this habit of making you either sympathise or fall in love with a character, before promptly killing them off. I'm now afraid to like any character in the series as it will most likely mean their untimely demise. And with the rate that key characters are being killed off, although admittedly it is to be expected in a war, we sorely need the introduction of some new characters who may shift the balance of power.

Would I recommend this book? Yes I would. Obviously you need to read A Game of Thrones first, but then you really need to read this one afterwards. As for me, I'm going to scuttle off and immerse myself in the next installment of this epic saga.

A Game Of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Title: A Game Of Thrones

Author: George R. R. Martin

Released: August 1996

Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun.

It will stretch from the south, where heat breeds plot, lusts and intrigues; to the vast and savage eastern lands; all the way to the frozen north, where an 800-foot wall of ice protects the kingdom from the dark forces that lie beyond. Kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars, lords and honest men… all will play the Game of Thrones.

Winter is coming…

Rating: 5 Stars

Positives: The first thing that I liked is how very diverse the land of Westeros, and the places beyond it such as Vaes Dothrak are. In order to effectively capture the different cultures that are present within the book, we read different chapters from the viewpoint of different characters. I especially like Daenerys' chapters because she herself has never lived in the land that is truly her home, and we see her adapting to life within the Dothraki, a culture completely different to her own. 

Secondly there is a good balance of comic moments; especially the wit of one Tyrion Lannister, and a mixture of sad moments. Even though I had an inkling it would happen for some reason Robert Baratheon's fate moved me to tears. Its something I would have expected more for Eddard Stark than Robert in all honesty, but that might just be the pregnancy hormones. 

And Arya and Sansa; two wonderful sisters who couldn't be more different if they tried. Sansa who wants everything to be some kind of fairy tale, whilst her sister is much more adept at being a complete tomboy and is more interested in learning how to fight. Perhaps Arya would fit in well with the Mormont women? 

Each of the great families that we meet has their draws to them, and whilst the Starks are the main family followed in A Game of Thrones, I found myself particularly drawn to the Lannisters. Now that's a family I wouldn't want to cross at any point.

This book has so much detail and is so gripping that it definitely makes an excellent read. 

Negatives: Okay my main gripe is this: we meet something called The Others or the white walkers in the prologue of the book, and part of what kept me reading is wanting to know what they are. However we don't see that much of them in the book. In fact they only return for one more scene, and are mentioned in passing by one character at another point of the story. They were the main hook at the beginning of the book, but then they vanish completely. I'm just hoping that they resurface in the later books.

Would I recommend this book? Yes definitely. There may be a bit of a slow start after the events of the prologue, but it's well worth continuing to read. Be warned though the game of thrones is a bloody game, and you may not want to form attachments to many characters.

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Prince

Author: Cassandra Clare

Released: December 2011

Love and lies can corrupt even the purest heart... In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, while her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will - the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers to who she is and what she was born to do? As their search for the truth leads the three friends into peril, Tessa's heart is increasingly torn, especially when one of their own betrays them.

Rating: 5 Stars

Positives: This was an excellent continuation from the first book, Clockwork Angel. As always the characters were utterly superb, and there were even more brilliant twists and turns in this installment. 

Firstly we have the deepening love triangle between Tessa, Will and Jem. We finally discover why it is that Will has been so cold towards Tessa, messing with her emotions, and it only makes us love Will even more. However we also see Jem's love for Tessa, and how pure it is, and is it really so wrong that she begins to reciprocate his feelings? I think some people may say that Tessa can't truly love both of the boys, but I think she does. Will is all the passion and fire of a quick romance, whilst Jem is everything that Tessa needs. He never judges her and is always there to help. 

Whilst on the subject of love, Jessamine's betrayal, was something that although I didn't want it to happen, I wasn't surprised at. She had never wanted to be a Shadowhunter, and Nate presents that escape for her. However I do feel that she has suffered enough for her crimes, life is never easy when you're young and in love.

Then with the subject of betrayal, oh the plot twist with the Lightwoods is simply divine. I had my suspicions about Benedict Lightwood at the end of Clockwork Angel, and to have them proven right was absolutely brilliant. And his son Gideon, well I think he may become a great asset to the Institute. 

Negatives: You mean I have to find a negative within Clockwork Prince? Very well then, I despised Camille's return. Poor, poor Magnus. I had found Camille enchanting in Clockwork Angel, and had been rather hoping that she would return at some point, but now I'm not a fan of hers. All her return did was show how little she cares for Magnus, and I believe despite his being a warlock, that he really is a nice guy. Camille's shallow side has been shown, and we now know she only does anything for her own means. 

Would I recommend this book? Yes, a thousand times yes. If Clockwork Angel was good then Clockwork Prince is even better. You have to read it. 

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Angel

Author: Cassandra Clare

Released: August 2010

Magic is dangerous – but love is more dangerous still... When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray arrives in England during the reign of Queen Victoria, something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural fold stalk the gaslit streets. Friendless and hunted, Tessa seeks refuge with the Shadowhunters, a band of warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons. Drawn ever deeper into their world, she finds herself fascinated by – and torn between – two best friends and quickly realizes that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

Rating: 5 Stars

Positives: Okay I went into this book wondering whether or not I would really enjoy it, and I'll admit that I still had my doubts after the prologue. But as soon as I'd read chapter one I was completely hooked. Not only can Tessa change shape into someone else, she also has another power which she doesn't yet know of. I instantly found myself wanting to know if Tessa would manage to escape the Dark Sisters, and whether or not she would find her brother Nathaniel. 

The characters were all so well constructed, I especially love Will Herondale's sass. There's one particular part where Gabriel says he thought they could have been friends at one point, and Will replies with I thought I was a ferret once, turns out that's the opium. 

Tessa finds herself inexplicably drawn to Will, he's like her Mr Darcy, but at the same time there's a flicker of something more for his friend Jem as well. In my opinion although I get the feeling that Will and Tessa will eventually get together, I think maybe Jem might be better for her. He doesn't judge her in any manner and is so calm and steady which I think Tessa needs. 

There's plenty of plot twists here too and I certainly wasn't disappointed. Although I had figured out some of what was going to happen I hadn't managed to work out the true identity of the Magister.

Negatives: I don't have much bad to say about this book. The prologue didn't really grip me as much I'd hoped, but the later chapters made up for this so I can't really lay any fault there. All I can say is I made a judgement after reading the prologue, and I'm very glad that I was proved wrong. 

Secondly I despised Jessamine's character. Yes she did pull through when it really mattered, but the rest of the time she seemed to be nothing more than a vain silly girl. I know all she wants is a normal life, but unfortunately her path is chosen for her for the time being, so she might as well help in whatever way she can.

Finally some of the plot twists, especially those concerning Nate were a little obvious. I won't say what they are here, but I wasn't shocked by what happened. 

Would I recommend this book? As the first in a trilogy, this was a great opener. I would definitely recommend this, and I'll be buying the next book very soon.

The Faithless by Martina Cole

Title: The Faithless

Author: Martina Cole

Released: October 2011

Gabby looked at the woman she had hated nearly all her life. Then she sat down on the ladder-backed chair, put her face into her bloodied hands and cried.

To the outside world, Cynthia Tailor is a woman to envy; she has a devoted husband, a lovely home and two gorgeous children. But Cynthia is deeply unhappy with her lot; she has always craved the best things in life, and is determined to see that she gets them. Cynthia will let nothing stand in her way, even if it means devastation and tragedy for those nearest to her. And the casualties are many: her husband Jimmy, weak and unable to fight the wife he can never please; her sister Celeste, from whom Cynthia steals her most precious possession; and her parents, Mary and Jack, who pick up the pieces. But the victims who suffer the most are Cynthia's children. For James Junior and Gabby, the pain she causes will stay with them for ever...

Rating: 4 Stars

Positives: The Faithless is a glittering novel which shows how one person's determination can make or break a family. In the case of Cynthia Tailor, she has definitely broken her family. We watch as her story progresses from around the time her second child James Junior is concieved up until her daughter is a woman grown twenty years later. 

At first Cynthia was a character who although I was unable to sympathise with her on any level, she had a glittering and dangerous draw to her. I could see why the character of Jonny Parker was so attracted to her, especially after that fateful night. 

However as the story progresses we see Cynthia become a more toxic person, ruining the lives of those around her and eventually ruining her own life too. Nothing is ever good enough for this greedy woman who needs to be admired and have it all, she even feels the need to try and keep her grandchildren to herself and she doesn't know when to stop. Ultimately her selfishness causes the biggest tragedy of them all, and at this point I was in tears. 

This was a very gritty read with characters who are easy to relate to, especially young Gabby. I loved the thrill of the gang culture that is shown within London; how hard Jonny finds it to stay at the top, how quickly Vincent wants to get back in the game after being in jail. 

But more than that was Cole's ability to tie up loose ends. For anyone who thinks Bertie is just going to disappear, you're most definitely wrong. And boy is his return a spectacular one. 

Negatives: Firstly I have to say that James Junior's first psychotic episode greatly disturbed me. At first I thought when Mary was concerned for the boy, that there might be a parallel to Lenny from Of Mice and Men. Both seem to be a little bit slow, and neither can fully comprehend the consequences of their actions. However this was thrown out the window when we find out what James is really capable of. Seriously how many nine year olds cut open the throat of the neighbours cat, making a young boy watch, all because they aren't allowed a cat of their own? And with a bread knife of all things? If I'm completely honest reading that made me want to throw up, and it unsettled my stomach for hours. Fair enough James' condition is later given to us as schizophrenia, but there really was no need to show just how disturbed he was as a child. 

Secondly my pet hate with a book is when chapters start off at a decent length and become progressively shorter as the story develops. I'm not one hundred per cent sure why this is, but it really bothers me. I'll be the first to admit short chapters can work and be extremely powerful, a good example is the chapter where Cherie wakes Gabby letting her know the house is on fire. The chapter itself is only a page long and it works really well, but in general I'm not a fan of shorter chapters. They just don't help the story to flow. 

Would I recommend this book? Yes I would, but if I were you I might gloss over James Junior's first psychiatric break, or at least not read that chapter around the kids. It's a little bit gory in ny opinion. Otherwise though this is an excellent read.