A Storm of Swords – George R. R. Martin

***No Spoiling Ahead***

The third book from the ‘A song of Ice and fire’ series By George R. R. Martin, A Storm of Swords carries on from where A Clash of Kings left us hanging.

With Series 3 of A Game of Thrones upon us, I couldn’t wait to finish the book. And it took some finishing. A book so vast that it can be bought in 2 halves and the series itself will also be split. It’s took me a few months to finish and my, my has it been emotional.

Book 1, A Game of Thrones, like the Series, sets the scene in Westeros, it introduces you to families and the houses. We learn of the Lannisters, The Baratheons who hold the Iron throne and rule the Seven Kingdoms, The Starks of Winterfell in the North, and the Targereons who ruled before being usurped. You are given first impressions of the characters, taking an instant dislike to the Lannisters and rooting for the Starks, but how this will all change in the books ahead.

Book 2, A Clash of Kings, introduces new characters and families, we learn more of the lesser houses and their alliances. We find the 7 Kingdoms separated by the death of King Robert Baratheon, with 4 possibly 5 people feeling they have rights to the throne, you expect this to be something that isn’t settled amicably, and of course the book ends with a battle of the Black Water, where 2 kings clash in a fight for Kings Landing.

With the first 2 books, merely a build up, people moving about and preparing for war, building their armies and defending. You expect book 3, A Storm of Swords to be a big one, with battles, beheading and more betrayal. But this book is more than you could ever even take a stab at. You develop a love for characters you were hoping would take a good bloody beating in the first 2, the chapters in the first 2 which were slightly a little boring (I’m talking about Catelyn and Sansa) are some of the best, with every chapter leaving you in suspense, by ending with a shocker.

In true George R R Martin Style there are deaths (a-plenty) that are sudden and you just won’t see you coming, so expect many twists and turns in the upcoming series.

If you are a fan of the TV series, the books are not going to disappoint. They are everything the series is and more. I feel they are a tad more fantasy than the series, and one thing I love is you hear more stories, told as tales about aurochs and giants and dragons. The book plays with your emotions and I have high hopes for book 4; A Feast for Crows.

The only negative thing about A Storm if Swords was the amount of people in the book, for this I am glad I watched series 1 and 2 before reading, as I already had an understanding of the characters and had an image of what they look like. There is also a section in the back of the book explaining who people are and I do have to refer to this often.

In summary, Im now a game of thrones geek, I even follow them on twitter and this book is by far the best thing I’ve read, I’d give it 10 out of 10 and I recommend you to read A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Where The Sidewalk Ends – Review

Author/Illustrator: Shel Silverstein
Publisher: Harper and Row, 1974
Genre: Children’s Poetry
My Rating: 5/5

Overview:
Where the sidewalk ends is one of many works by the American poet: Sheldon Allan Silverstein. A collection of poetry aimed at the younger audience, it’s the perfect book for a quick read to share will all the family, for a laugh or a story (or 10) before bed!

My Opinion
I am massively influenced by Shel poetry and will definitely look into his other books and cartoons. He writes about everything from a brontosaurus to a run-away beard. But the book would not be complete without the Black and White illustrations (drew by Shel also). They add humor and explanation and turn a simple poem into something enjoyable to read and look at. His poems are sometimes nonsense, sometimes they boggle your mind, they are incredibly witty and they will certainly make you chuckle! Whatever your age! I recommend this book to everyone who’s inner child lives on, people who are sometimes just a little silly and those with families with all ages! It’s perfect for bedtimes!

My Highlights;
A few of my favorites from the book.

Chester
Chester came to school and said,
“Durn, I growed another head.”
Teacher said “it’s time you knowed,
The word is ‘grew’ instead of ‘growed’.”

Colours
My skin is kind of sort of brownish,
Pinkish yellowish white.
My eyes are greyish blueish green,
But I’m told they look orange in the night.
My hair is reddish blondish brown,
But it’s silver when it’s wet,
And all the colours I am inside,
Have not been invented yet.

Bookish Reviews

Firsty, I am sorry for not blogging as often as I should, I have new job and I need to get used to that and I guess I need to manage my time a little better.

I’ve had an idea: to write a few cheeky book reviews, they will be in theme with my blog and will be ever so often, alongside my own writing. It gives you an update of where I get inspirations and my opinions as a poet, writer and nonsensemaker.

I hope you will find them useful/interesting and maybe share your thoughts!