A Storm of Swords Complete Edition and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Sorry, this item is not available in
Image not available for
Colour:
Image not available

 
Start reading A Storm of Swords Complete Edition on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire) [Hardcover]

George R. R. Martin
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (275 customer reviews)

Currently unavailable.
We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.


Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition £9.99  
Hardcover £25.60  
Hardcover, 15 Sep 2005 --  
Paperback £11.29  
Audio, CD, Audiobook £57.65  
Unknown Binding --  
Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Special Offer until June 30, 2013: Receive an additional £5 promotional Gift Certificate, when you trade-in at least £10 worth of books. Learn more.

Book Description

15 Sep 2005 A Song of Ice and Fire
THE BOOK BEHIND THE THIRD SEASON OF GAME OF THRONES, AN ORIGINAL SERIES NOW ON HBO.
 
A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE: BOOK THREE
 
Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage, as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, victim of the sorceress who holds him in her thrall. Young Robb still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons left in the world. And as opposing forces maneuver for the final showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost limits of civilization, accompanied by a horde of mythical Others—a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords.
 
“Of those who work in the grand epic-fantasy tradition, [George R. R.] Martin is by far the best. In fact . . . this is as good a time as any to proclaim him the American Tolkien.”—Time
 
“Long live George Martin . . . a literary dervish, enthralled by complicated characters and vivid language, and bursting with the wild vision of the very best tale tellers.”—The New York Times
 
“One of the best series in the history of fantasy.”—Los Angeles Times
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.


Product details

  • Hardcover
  • Publisher: Meisha Merlin Pub (P); Limited edition (15 Sep 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1892065851
  • ISBN-13: 978-1892065858
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (275 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, and more.

Product Description

Amazon Review

The third volume of his six-volume fantasy epic "A Song of Ice and Fire", "A Storm of Swords" continues Martin's vigorous account of the civil wars which follow the death of King Robert--the usurper who deposed a dynasty gone mad and dangerous--and the judicial murder by his widow and heir of Ned Stark, the man who made him king. The surviving Stark children are scattered--Robb leading a revolt in the North; Arya learning hard lessons as she treks through the war zone; Sansa an observer of court intrigue; crippled Bran heading towards a sorcerous destiny; and Jon engaged in desperate defence of the ice-wall against barbarians and worse things. Daenerys, pretender and ruler of dragons, is building an empire elsewhere. Meanwhile, characters we have thought of as villains, notably Jaime Kingslayer, are developing belated consciences. Martin keeps on upping the ante of violence and betrayal in this compelling saga of a fantasy middle ages soiled with blood and mud; his economic use of magic and his fascination with complex characters make this the sword-and-sorcery series for people with adult taste. As the series proceeds, his writing gets ever leaner and sharper, the evocation of the magical ever more sinister. --Ros Kaveney --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

‘Colossal, staggering… Martin captures all the intoxicating complexity of the Wars of the Roses or Imperial Rome in his imaginary world… one of the greats of fantasy literature.’
SFX

‘Fantasy literature has never shied away from grandeur, but the sheer-mind-boggling scope of this epic has sent other fantasy writers away shaking their heads… Its ambition: to construct the Twelve Caesars of fantasy fiction, with characters so venomous they could eat the Borgias.’
Guardian

‘Truly epic… An extraordinarily rich novel… with its magnificent action-filled climax, it provides a banquet for fantasy lovers with large appetites… The book stands out from similar work by virtue of its superbly developed characters, accomplished prose and sheer bloody-mindedness.’
Publishers Weekly

‘A vast, rich saga, with splendid characters and an intricate plot flawlessly articulated against a backdrop of real depth and texture.’
Kirkus

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
Search inside this book:


Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
32 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
The confrontation among the different candidates to the throne in this third book in the series is heating up, and the supernatural elements begin to have more and more relevance. Joffrey Baratheon is currently sitting as acting king, but there are several challengers to his power, including his “uncle” Stannis, Robb Stark, the king in the north, and the last of the Targaryen, Daenerys, who is coming with her three dragons! (Reader’s should thank Phyllis too for making Martin put in the dragons)

This setup, together with an abundance of interesting sub plots make this the most entertaining fantasy series I have ever encountered. For example, Jon Snow is beyond the wall in the north and has proven his loyalty to the wildlings by killing a brother. He is acting as a spy but without the rest of his brothers from the Night Watch knowing it, and while the Night Watch prepares to defend the wall against the wildlings and the Others (terrifying undead creatures), Jon needs to find a way to help them. But at the same time he needs to keep the wildlings’ trust and deal with the added inconvenience of love.

One of the characteristics that make this series so remarkable is that the author establishes extremely interesting situations in which the characters need to be extremely cunning to succeed in their quest. In this regard, one of my favorite characters is Tyrion Lannister, the Imp, who is a dwarf that was almost killed in the previous book and in the process was disfigured and left even uglier than he already was. He has only one weapon, his intelligence, and seeing him use it is a true pleasure. The fact that as happens with many other characters in the series, it is hard to determine if Tyrion is “good” or “bad”, makes him even more interesting....

The second aspect of the series that is a true delight is Martin’s willingness to let go of characters, and by this I simply mean: he kills them without remorse! Some people may find this to be a negative point, since you may become attached to a character and the author kills it when you thought he was going to be the hero of the story. But I find this extremely refreshing and makes the books even more interesting for me, because the author keeps us on our toes and constantly wondering what the next surprise will be.

Finally, I enjoy the non-linear aspects plot, with the author jumping around from one character’s viewpoint to the next. In this installment, besides alternating among characters and locations, he goes a back and forth in time due to the long time span of some events, but the action it is still easy to track and enjoy. Besides those characters I already mentioned, this novel deals mainly with Arya Stark, the youngest sister of the king in the north (Robb), who is on the run from Joffrey’s claws; Sansa Stark, the oldest sister, who is still trapped in the castle from which her sister escaped, Catelyn Stark, the mother who is desperate to get her daughter’s back, Jaime Lannister, Tyrion’s brother who is the real father of king Joffrey and not his uncle, and many others colorful characters.

Martin has created and developed an amazing setting for his story, and the situations that he continues to present keep us constantly engaged and eager to know what will happen next. With the recent release of “A Feast for Crows”, some of the storylines that are left in suspense in this novel will be resolved, but since this new book deals only with events in the south, we will have to wait until the next installment to know what is going on in the north. One thing is clear to me, as long as George R. R. Martin keeps them coming I will keep reading them. Read more ›

Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing achievement 27 Sep 2000
Format:Hardcover
The best heroic fantasy series in the world keeps getting better. Though nearly 1,000 pages long, I had the feeling that it could easily have been 500 pages longer. Complaints about the Bran and Arya chapters never popped into my head. Yes, they move less decisively than some other plotlines but they all do progress significantly near the end and there's some very good character interaction to keep us engrossed. But of course the main focus of the book is on the political fallout of the war between the Starks and the Lannisters, and what a fallout it is. I defy anyone to predict more than 25 % of Martin's plot twists, and when he DOES go for the more predictable resolution it is because it is the RIGHT one. Robb Stark is finally on stage again (his lack of presence was the main drawback of Clash Of Kings as far as I was concerned). Jaime Lannister develops incredibly well as a character, and Tyrion remains as magnetic as ever (slight caveat : a few too many mentions of how people stare at him even more since he was scarred). The magical subplot increases in strength, Stannis is an absolutely fascinating creation - a decent, stern hero who is unlikable. The religion of R'Hllor doesn't seem to be what we thought it was - or is it? The way the battle between Light And Dark will be fought (probably) in the next three books shapes up to be very interesting and frightening. In fact, this is one of the aspects I like very much in the series : behind the scenes, a true Evil is at work, yet the ones who might be able to halt its advance are busily exterminating each other over what amount to petty squabbles, greed and jealousy. A wonderful mix of real-life medieval politics and heroic-fantasy themes.... Read more ›
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
77 of 86 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars One glowing tribute is not enough 3 Oct 2002
Format:Paperback
I was momentarily disappointed and puzzled to see that there's still only one customer review for ASoS, two years after its publication, but of course there's a good reason for this. The ASOIAF readers who are full of missionary zeal for the series (approximately 95% of the total readership, at a conservative estimate) are focusing their efforts on getting all their acquaintance to read the FIRST book of the series, not the third. They reckon, understandably, that their job is then done, and that any normal person will only need to know that the second and third books exist to be rushing out and acquiring them, and then be frustrated to fever pitch that they have to wait another half year till A Feast for Crows. It's a little difficult to say anything much about the later books without betraying spoiler information about the earlier ones - and these are books where surprise is crucial to the first reading experience. Which won't stop you REreading the books repeatedly and finding fresh delight in them each time.

So no spoilers here either. If by some chance you've read A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings but not this, then lose no further time. It is in my opinion the best yet - if only because it's the longest and so provides the reader with even more hours of pleasure than the earlier two! Another reason for my opinion is the sheer brilliance of what Martin does with one of the two new character viewpoints he introduces here. To say more would give away too much....

If you've read all three books and just want to see someone else's thoughts on them, because you're still on a high, and everything but the book seems dull and unimportant, what you need is the A Song of Ice and Fire message board on ezboards, where you will be able to discuss the books at whatever intellectual level you are capable of,in minute detail, with hundreds of otherwise sane fellow addicts.

And if you haven't read any of them,and have found your way here by some accident or whim, waste no further time. Order A Game of Thrones from amazon right now, pausing, if you like, to read some of the customer reviews for it. It should take you only a week or so before you are ordering the rest of the series.

WARNING A few pitiable souls are unable to appreciate it, and although I know of many younger readers who adore the series I wouldn't recommend it unreservedly to those under fifteen, due to Martin's readiness to inflict harrowing experiences, injury or death on sympathetic characters, the explicitness of the descriptions of sex and violence, and the language of some of the characters. Some would find it disturbing. But this explicitness is not in the least gratuitous. It is part and parcel of the story. Others find it disconcerting to switch between multiple viewpoints, and don't have the patience to persevere until they adjust to each different "voice". But whether your taste is for comedy or tragedy or romance, action or dialogue or description, noble idealistic heroes or cynical flawed anti-heroes, realism or escapism, you will find plenty to satisfy you. Your sympathies will be broadened, and you will be stimulated into thinking for yourself, and adjusting your opinions in the light of later information, not just passively absorbing what you read.

If you like good fantasy, you will like this. If you like good historical novels you will like this. If you like good writing of any kind you will probably like this. Read more ›

Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?   Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
Still a gripping story even after several hundred pages and 3 books. The sort of story you can't stop reading
Published 17 hours ago by MR. G. S. KIMBER
5.0 out of 5 stars D.M.M
I have said it all Bryant books didn't think I would be able to keep up with it all,very clever writing.
Published 2 days ago by D. M. Mahon
4.0 out of 5 stars A riveting read
Downloaded onto the kindle meant that it's impossible (well very difficult) to flick to back pages to see who everyone is. Much easier to do this in a book version.
Published 3 days ago by Silverfox
5.0 out of 5 stars Best so far!
Given the size of this book I was expecting it to drag in places. However I found it packed with intrigue and action and a real page turner. Read more
Published 12 days ago by Jim Gardner
4.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy and scrambled history
I enjoyed it but it would not suit everyone. Fantasy and medieval kind of scrambled history.
Thanks for soliciting my opinion.
Published 12 days ago by busy bees
5.0 out of 5 stars MrsM
Fantastic and so unpredictable. Can't put it down once you start reading. Recommend it. Different from any other book I've read.
Published 13 days ago by Dorcas Mutazu
5.0 out of 5 stars Best book in the series so far
This is where the series really starts to take off. All the tension building up in the 1st two novels reaches a climax in this third book. I would recommend this to everybody.
Published 14 days ago by Henry
5.0 out of 5 stars Winter is here
The story continues, develops, takes on some unexpected twists and turns. I found myself sympathising with characters I had previously loathed, whilst still despising them; while I... Read more
Published 14 days ago by Suzi3
4.0 out of 5 stars Continues to surprise
Keeps up the pace and throws in surprise after surprise. Martin has no qualms about killing off main characters and brings in new ones.
Published 15 days ago by A. Gibb
5.0 out of 5 stars A Storm of Swords
Martin creates a world so vivid you almost believe you are actually there. His characters are well rounded with many depths.
Published 17 days ago by Mrs Lynnette F A Hillman
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
Part 1 & 2 3 8 May 2011
What happened to the pages 1 9 Feb 2010
See all 2 discussions...  
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Feedback