I really enjoyed the first book in A Song Of Ice and Fire series Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. He set up the world and characters very well, made you care in some way about pretty much everybody (even if it was just to hate them!) and then...He killed a bunch of them off, including Mr. Ned Stark who appeared to be the main character in this series!!!! (sorry if I'm spoiling this for everyone, but you were warned). So on to the second bookA Clash of Kings which starts us off with Stannis Baratheon, younger brother to the late King Robert, and older brother to the lovely and popular Renly. We are introduced to Ser Davos the Onion Knight and learn of a little of Stannis and his idea of justice. Ser Davos was a smuggler who saved Lord Stannis and his army during a siege by braving the cordon and bringing salt fish and onions to the troops, which kept them alive long enough to prevail. As a reward he knighted Ser Davos...after he chopped his fingers as punishment for smuggling. This story illustrates and important trait in Stannis and really shows his sense of what he feels is just. This is one of my favorite things that Mr. Martin does, he really seems to try to give all of his characters, even the ones we don't particularly like, a motive for their actions. This adds a lot of depth and characterization to a series that could very easily fall into repetitive cardboard characters divided into good and bad guys. Wow this is gonna be a really long post...if you all want to go get coffee I'll wait (humming Jepordy theme song)...you all back? OK back to pontificating. We are also introduced to Lady Melisandre and her god the Lord of Light who plays an integral part in the events that follow. We quickly learn the extreme extents the Lady in red will go through to further her own goals and before the prologue is over we have our first death!
We start the next chapter (still wonderfully named after the character they are about) with Arya and her adventures as the undercover boy Arry. She joins a rag-tag group who are being recruited as soldiers for the looming war. One of the boys she is with is an older boy called The Bull who we find out is the boy from the blacksmith the our dearly departed Ned Stark was talking to in the previous book. Sansa is still stuck with the Lannisters, being the only Stark left in Cersei and the cruel boy King Jofferys clutches. She is quickly learning to keep her place or suffer at Jofferys hand. I think Joffery is the only character with little to no redeeming quality to him, which is sad considering how young he is, but even Joffery is given reason and motivation for his actions one of them being how young and spoiled he is. Tyrion our favorite anti-hero (and quit possibly the only sane character in this series) is named Kings Hand, and using his new authority quickly starts to undermine Cersei and strengthen the city all while avoiding the spy's and assassins sent from every other character in this book...it also doesn't hurt that his brother Jaime is still in Robb Starks custody. I found Brans storyline to be extremely compelling, I have the feeling he is going to be pretty important to the overall story...or end up horribly dead in the next book, who knows?
Bran is left with his youngest brother Rickon to be take care of Winterfell, quit the task for a young crippled boy. Bran makes friends with with a brother and sister from the marshlands Meera and Jojen who quickly prove there loyalty to the young Stark boys. Theon Greyjoy is another character I find very very interesting. We get to see him go home after many years as the Starks fosteree/hostage. He does not quit receive the welcome he expects and is made the butt of a joke by his sister Asha (who I kinda love!) Turns out nobody wants to support his grand plans to become King. Eventually Theon commits some heinous acts that result in the apparent death of Bran and Rickon. I admit I almost teared up when I thought the boys were dead and he kept up the suspense up until the very end. Theon does however kill ALOT of characters I have come to love, but even then Mr. Martin gives him motive, and thought process and I still can't completely hate him. Daenerys is kind of a cool story line because it feels like she is so far removed from everything that is going on and yet she is obviously very much in the middle of it. 
Her dragons continue to open doors for her that were previously closed and we get to see some new places. They end up in the merchant city of Qarth and here she tries to raise an army with very little success. Daenerys visits the house of the undead in a last desperate attempt to get some help. After her trek through some seriously creepy halls and such she comes to find that they are essentially powerless. Renly raises his own army, but seems to be taking things for granted. He is mysteriously killed by what Catelyn Stark can only describe as his own shadow. Brienne the newest knight in Renlys Rainbow Guard (even if she is only a girl) is accused of his murder and must flee with Catelyn back to Riverrun and her son Robb. Robb in the mean time is having a bit of luck and is using his brains to win him some battles putting him in the lead for the crown. His half-brother Jon Snow is not having as good a time however deep in the north past the Wall. Winter has set in hard and cold and Jon is assigned to see what is going on in the forest beyond the wall. He and his team run into some bad luck which surprise surprise leads to more death! We learn a bit more about the crazy wildling Mance how he was a ranger before he left to lead his band. We also learn that he is gathering the various tribes and is preparing to march to breach the wall. Stannis marches on Storm's End and uses Melisandes powers to kill Ser Cortnay and take the keep. As a grand finally there is a huge fierce battle at Kings landing with MORE dead people, it was pretty epic.
Alrighty then so this is obviously an extremely quick, short itty bitty bit of what actually happened in the book so if you want all the gory details you will have to read it for yourself. I really liked this book, I think even more then the last one 'cause I am very invested in the characters. I like how nothing is simple (except the chapter labeling) that human nature is fully explored in all it's various incantations. I am about to start the next book and I really hope it is as quality as this on was. Phew now I am exhausted and I'm sure you are as well so I will let you go and watch your mailbox for the DVD of season one that I know you have all pre-orderd, I know I am looking forward to watching it myself!What do you think of these Epically epic books? Do you think it is possible to have any more blood, sex, death and characters in these books? Are you more excited for the next book or the next season?
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