A review by davechua
A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

5.0

As with the previous book, the third volume in Martin's trope-trouncing tale starts off slowly before picking up steam. There are a lot of turnarounds and switches, accompanied by plenty of deaths from major and minor players in the Game of Thrones. It all seems to be an extended Act I, and ties up loose ends from the first book, particularly the incidents that set off the struggles in Westeros. More so than in the previous books, Martin is guilty of leaving dangling cliffhangers, which are terribly annoying and cheap. Still, the series still has some of the best character building in a fantasy series, and one hopes Martin doesn't fall prey to Jordan-itis and just get on with the series and finish it.