A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

When I reviewed the first of this series, A Game of Thrones, I said that I might read the second, but if it was the same-old I would not read the rest. So this is the second. I will not read the rest. This was not even as good as the first one.

In the first of the series, the king is killed and the kingdom is thrown into chaos. In this one, six different claimants for the throne scheme and make war with each other, culminating in a grand battle which leaves only three claimants. In the meantime, dragons have hatched, which allows magic to creep back into the land.

This book has the problems of the first, multiplied. It is even longer-winded (969 pages). It is padded with detailed descriptions of appearance and wearing apparel, even in climactic scenes. (Every time Queen Cersei shows up, her "yellow" hair is described as "tumbling to her bare shoulders in thick curls." I'm picturing Farrah Fawcett here.) It includes the menu of almost every meal. (While the final battle is going on, the women dine on broth; a salad of apples, nuts, and raisins; crabclaw pies; mutton roasted with leeks and carrots, served in trenchers of hollowed bread; and goatcheese served with baked apples flavored with cinnamon. Yumm!) It throws in a graphic gratuitous sex scene from time to time, plus multiple mentions of rape. (We are, however, spared detailed descriptions of the rapes.) One improvement--most of the grammatical problems present in the first have been cleaned up.

Again, Martin uses the soap-opera style of narration: short scenes, one after another, from the viewpoints of eleven different characters. Thus the book starts with a 7-page scene in the life of 10-year-old Arya, followed by a 15-page scene about 13-year-old Sansa, a 17-page scene about the dwarf Tyrion, and an 11-page scene about 8-year-old Bran, before returning to continue Arya's story. OK, I get it that this lets the reader know that all the action is happening simultaneously, but it totally destroys any semblance of dramatic pacing.

And what's up with all these children who act like adults? Three of the claimants to the throne are under 16, and one of them is leading an army. The 10-year-old slits a guard's throat. Really?

Of course, Martin leaves all manner of enticing loose ends to encourage readers to buy the next book. I plan to save my money and read a plot synopsis on the internet.