Book Review: A Clash of Kings

It's my 75th book, and it's a doozy!  This is the second book in the series, "A Song of Fire and Ice", upon which the HBO series Game of Thrones is based.
In this second book, with the death of King Robert, the 7 Kingdoms are no longer allied.  Alliances have been broken and new partnerships are being formed.  Devious plots within plots within plots are hatched, and deception and intrigue run rampant throughout the land.

In the north, King Rob Stark seeks vengeance for his father's death.  His sister Sansa is held hostage by the Queen, betrothed to King Joffrey.  The sister Arya has disappeared into anonymity and is desperately seeking to get home.

King Joffrey, a true figurehead, loosely reigns over his kingdom while his mother, the Queen Cersei, and his Uncle Tyrion, the Hand, truly rule the kingdom.  Both the Hand and the Queen have very different ideas of what is in the best interest of House Lannister.

Meanwhile, a deposed Danerys seeks to return her family to the rightful throne of the kingdom.  With the help of the darkest of magics, she has hatched 3 dragons.  Real, living dragons that have not been seen in the kingdom in more years than anyone can count.  The addition of dragons to the power struggle in the 7 Kingdoms is a powerful game changer.

This is a thrilling high fantasy ride for the dedicated Fantasy fan.  I know many have seen the HBO series, but the book is always better.  Deeper plot, deeper story line, and more details and side plots than you find on the television series.  While not the page turner that Game of Thrones was, Clash of Kings still has a driving plot that relentlessly moves forward.  No character is safe from the whims of fate, and the realities of life will take down any character at a moment's notice.