Reviews tagging 'Blood'

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

28 reviews

angel_kiiss's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.0

Sansa remains the best. Dany grows on you when you remember this is a game of chose your favorite war criminal. RIP to the icon Shae. Girlbossed to close to the sun. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Ableism, Blood, Death, and Incest

cepbreed's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? No

5.0

Insane. I can’t believe I ever put off finishing this book. George R. R. Martin never disappoints. I began reading this book at an inopportune time. University is stressful and took up all my time which took my focus away from enjoying A Storm of Swords. Now that’s it’s summer and I had the time to dedicate to a thorough read I mended my ways and dived head first. 

Even after watching Game of Thrones the shock and entertainment value of the events of this book never changes. This has to be my favorite of the series so far. So many terrible things happened in such quick succession I was constantly thrown from storyline to storyline at breakneck pace. In some books that would’ve been a fault but Martin has mastered a cohesive narrative despite all the separate elements happening at once. 

I will never recover from the red wedding. Never in a million year. I loved Robb so much, ever since I was introduced to Game of Thrones and then the books. He deserved at least one point of view chapter. I mourn for him but also for the lost potential of his life. I wish we could’ve seen his thoughts and understood him truly. 

On the same note I mourn for Catelyn. Not only because who she originally was is lost, but also because the fanbase villainizes her to an obscene degree. She will always be justified in my eyes. Speaking of her, the epilogue had me going absolutely insane with excitement. FINALLY we are introduced to the infamous Lady Stoneheart! The TikTok fanbase promises so much about her so I am excited to see how she plays into the narrative in the future. Like all other A Song of Ice and Fire fans I desperately wish she was a part of the tv series. They hate to see a scorned woman winning. Catelyn deserves her revenge and I will be supporting her the whole way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, War, Death, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Blood, Sexual content, Incest, Murder, Misogyny, Sexism, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Classism, Alcohol, and Rape

Minor: Child death and Fire/Fire injury

samflowerv6's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective 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? No

5.0

the best book I’ve ever read. A masterpiece. I will never forget this story. Out of ASOIAF, this is the best one so far!

“Every man must die, Jon Snow. But first he must live.”

“Old stories are like old friends, she used to say. You have to visit them from time to time.”

“Woman?” She chuckled. “Is that meant to insult me? I would return the slap, if I took you for a man.” Dany met his stare. “I am Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, the Unburnt, Mother of Dragons, khaleesi to Drogo’s riders, and queen of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.”

I am the blood of the dragon. I must be strong. I must have fire in my eyes when I face them, not tears.
 

“It hurts so much, she thought. Our children, Ned, all our sweet babes. Rickon, Bran, Arya, Sansa, Robb… Robb… please, Ned, please, make it stop, make it stop hurting… The white tears and the red ones ran together until her face was torn and tattered, the face that Ned had loved. Catelyn Stark raised her hands and watched the blood run down her long fingers, over her wrists, beneath the sleeves of her gown. Slow red worms crawled along her arms and under her clothes. It tickles. That made her laugh until she screamed. “Mad,” someone said, “she’s lost her wits,” and someone else said, “Make an end,” and a hand grabbed her scalp just as she’d done with Jinglebell, and she thought, No, don’t, don’t cut my hair, Ned loves my hair. Then the steel was at her throat, and its bite was red and cold.— Catelyn Stark”

“Always keep your foes confused. If they are never certain who you are or what you want, they cannot know what you are like to do next. Sometimes the best way to baffle them is to make moves that have no purpose, or even seem to work against you. Remember that, Sansa, when you come to play the game.”
“What . . . what game?”
“The only game. The game of thrones.” 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Alcohol, Incest, Bullying, Infertility, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Murder, Child death, Violence, Alcoholism, Death, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Medical content, Physical abuse, Classism, Mental illness, Misogyny, Vomit, Grief, Blood, Body horror, Deadnaming, Excrement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Toxic friendship, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, and Sexual harassment

kkalicky94's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Slavery, Alcohol, Death of parent, Abortion, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Grief, Rape, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Violence, Sexual content, and War

ellieah456's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

This is quite possibly the best fantasy novel of all time. Not a lot compares. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Alcohol, Grief, and Incest

bookworm247's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Murder, Violence, Blood, Death, Infertility, and Torture

ten_telegrams's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Incest, War, Ableism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, and Slavery

vigil's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Fatphobia, Incest, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Cursing, Death, War, Xenophobia, Infidelity, Alcohol, Violence, Vomit, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Child abuse, Murder, and Slavery

linnylionheart's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Gore, Incest, Kidnapping, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Torture, Violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, and Vomit

Moderate: Excrement, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Grief, Suicide, Bullying, Child death, Dysphoria, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Abortion, Rape, Infertility, Cannibalism, and Miscarriage

Further content warning: bestiality (moderate)

ocean_the_reader's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

There was more going on with all the characters in this book compared to the last one. There was so much that I don't know where to start. 

I almost threw my book when the Frey's killed Robb and Catelyn. I was very upset because I was rooting for both of them. And I thought the Frey's reasoning for why is completely stupid and ridiculous. 

Jorah's detrayal coming to light wasn't surprising. When he kissed Daenerys and proclaimed his love, I initially thought he was going to eventually sell her to one of the enemy kings, instead of him having been selling her secrets and moves the whole time.

And Petyr kissing Sansa was weird amd gross of him. I'm pretty sure it was purely because Sansa is Cat's child. And then to have Lysa blame Sansa was totally unhinged. Cemented my hate for Lysa. Poor Sansa for going through that after everything she's been through with Joffery.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Incest, Death, Grief, Murder, Sexual assault, and War

Moderate: Rape, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment