– Customer review on 28/05/2011

With a complex weave of fantasy and reality, George Martin continues to write this stunning series with an amount of depth and attention to character that I can't remember seeing recently in any high fantasy series. He continues on with his brutal look at a realistic world where no man or woman is spared from the bad things in life.

– Customer review on 27/06/2007

The third in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, this book continues on from A Clash of Kings. The fault lines in Westeros’ volatile political landscape have been fully exposed, and the land is embroiled in all-out war, as many different factions seek to remove King Joffrey from the throne.

This series is remarkable in that all the books are of a consistently high quality, with human and unpredictable characters, complex and multi-layered storylines, and oodles of very well handled political intrigue. I really didn’t think that Martin could get better than the form he showed in the two previous books, but I was wrong. A Storm of Swords is the best book in the series, and quite frankly one of the best books I’ve ever read. Each character is put under an immense set of trials, and the reader is afforded an intimate look into just what makes them tick, and it’s compelling and often very surprising reading. The plotlines move ahead at breakneck speed despite the book’s massive length, and are full of shocking and heartbreaking moments, as well as the moments of human joy and touches of comedy that makes these books seem so real. The language Martin uses is elegant, and each character chapter has its own unique style in which the world is described. A dazzling achievement in the world of epic fantasy, and extremely highly recommended.

– Customer review on 12/03/2006

Another bruiser of a book. George Martin's relentless tale of deadly intrigue and treachery. Gut wrenching and often brutal, one can expect no fairy tale endings for any of his characters. A sweeping saga with an enormous cast. I found myself not just emotionally but physically drained as well after ploughing my way through this. It was still a much more satisfying read than the last installment.