Reviews tagging 'Blood'

A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

46 reviews

kimbb339's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Violence, Sexual content, Sexism, Rape, Physical abuse, Murder, Child death, Blood, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Death, War, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Incest

samflowerv6's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I love GRRM more than words. The battle on the black water seemed to go on forever. I loved Tyrion in the show but in the book… I honestly hate his POV. But I love these books and will be thinking about them forever!!

“People often claim to hunger for truth, but seldom like the taste when it's served up.” 

“I will hurt you for this. I don't know how yet, but give me time. A day will come when you think yourself safe and happy, and suddenly your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth, and you'll know the debt is paid.” 

“When you tear out a man's tongue, you are not proving him a liar, you're only telling the world that you fear what he might say.” 

“He who hurries through life hurries to his grave.” 

I want to weep, she thought. I want to be comforted. I’m so tired of being strong. I want to be foolish and frightened for once. Just for a small while, that’s all …a day … an hour ...
...One day, she promised herself as she lay abed, one day she would allow herself to be less than strong.
But not today. It could not be today.” 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Deadnaming, Physical abuse, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Infidelity, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Incest, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Vomit, Death, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Torture, War, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault

sophia2203's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Animal death, Blood, Death, Animal cruelty, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, War, Death of parent, Grief, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Rape, and Sexual violence

issyfrp99's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, War, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Rape, Gore, and Violence

kkalicky94's review against another edition

adventurous tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Grief, Incest, Murder, Sexual content, War, Confinement, Rape, Violence, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Genocide

daneyyy's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, War, Gore, Death, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Incest

f_amiliar_happine_ss's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Much easier to digest than the first book, and a lot more progressive. The first book was mostly introductions and background info, this book is the beginning of a developing plot.

Bran continues to have to bizarre dreams as his brother leaves for war. While ruling Winterfell, Bran meets two other children and gains their help with understanding the symbolism in his dreams. Things don't stay simple for long once there's an invasion and Bran, along with his posse, "escape" the kingdom.
Sansa is still stuck at King's Landing but is freed from her engagement to Joffery after the battle against his Uncle. These circumstances are perfect for her Florian to sneak her out of the castle.
On the way to the Wall, Arya is captured by Lannisters and taken to Harrenhal. During her time there someone offers her help and completes a dangerous task for her. Once everything aligns she plans to flee.
Between being the Hand of The King and sneaking around to see his woman, Tyrion stays busy. Cersei, thinking she is trapping Tyrion into compliance, kidnaps a young woman she believes to be his whore (little does she know lolll). After the battle against Stannis, Tyrion barely survives his injuries and begins to recover.
This is just scratching the surface of the ~1000 page novel, obviously. It was entertaining nonetheless, especially the last ~300 or so pages. Four-ish stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, War, and Gore

Moderate: Incest

sharlie's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

George R. R. Martin's dialogue is amazing, makes the books really enjoyable to read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Classism, Deadnaming, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, War, Blood, Child death, and Death of parent

joey1914's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Gore, Rape, Grief, Sexual content, Murder, Sexual violence, Violence, War, Incest, Misogyny, Blood, and Death

cepbreed's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

“A woman's life is nine parts mess to one part magic, you'll learn that soon enough...and the parts that look like magic turn out to be the messiest of all.”

Oh my god. I loved this book in all of its 1000 page glory. Martin continue to surprise me, even after watching the show I am so engaged in a plot I already know about because of the way he writes. The end of each chapter is masterful. Every cliffhanger still hits home, disregarding all my previous knowledge. I loved the foreshadowing as well.

Hearing the story of Bael the bard, only for his tale to come back in the form of Bran and co's method of escape was a detail I thoroughly enjoyed. I was shocked to see that Arya isn't cupbearer for Tywin in the book, but Roose Bolton. Still this tidbit of information had a much larger purpose, foreshadowing the Boltan's betrayal. To think Roose was most definitely plotting the red wedding in Arya Stark's midst. Even Bran and Rickon's death was heart wrenching to me, no matter how secure I was in the fact that they lived. I know it's stupid because currently he is less than scum, but I have so much sympathy for Theon. I know fully well that my feelings are highly exaggerated at this point because of his actions in the show, yet his desperation for validation is really tugging at my heartstrings. "I am your only protection against the likes of him, he wanted to scream." In no way am I justifying his actions, he is wholly unlikeable here, but at this point in time Martin is so obviously laying out his confusion surrounding his identity for us to understand. Like him or hate him, objectively Theon is an amazing character. Another dynamic I didn't expect to be so changed was that between the Hound and Sansa. It feels almost much more intimate from her perspective, teh romantic ideals of a young impressionable girl. Her head is filled with the ideals of 'true knights' and without any in existence she must project onto the closest match. I find the Hounds protective nature quite sweet, but that doesn't change his violence towards her when he was leaving after the Battle of the Blackwater.

I didn't like this book as much as the first, most likely my fault due to the amount of time it was taking me to get through ( 36 days total...), but the second half  picked up dramatically and I become fully immersed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Kidnapping, Violence, War, Classism, Gore, Sexual content, Blood, Death, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexism, Sexual violence, Confinement, Incest, Slavery, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcohol and Cursing

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Pregnancy, Child death, Drug use, and Medical content