A Storm of Swords (HBO Tie-in Edition): A Song of Ice and Fire: Book Three
Is George R.R. Martin for real? Can a fantasy epic actually getbetterwith 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 Thronesgot things off to a rock-solid start,A Clash of Kingsonly exceeded  expectations, but it's theStorm of Swordshat 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 Swordscould 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.Stormis 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 inA Storm of  Swords: some fail the trial, while others--like Martin himself--seem to only  get stronger.--Paul Hughes--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.