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A Storm of Swords is the third of seven planned novels in A Song of Ice and Fire, an epic fantasy series by American author George R. R. Martin. It was first published on 8 August 2000 in the United Kingdom, with a United States edition following in November 2000. Its publication was preceded by a novella called Path of the Dragon, which collects some of the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel into a single book. To date, A Storm of Swords is the longest novel in the series. It was so long that in the UK its paperback edition was split in half, Part 1 being published as Steel and Snow in June 2001 (with the one-volume cover) and Part 2 as Blood and Gold in August 2001 (with a specially-commissioned new cover). In France, the decision was made to cut the novel into four separate editions. A Storm of Swords won the 2001 Locus Award,[1] the 2002 Geffen Award for Best Novel and was nominated for the 2001 Nebula Award for Best Novel.[1] Significantly, it was the first novel in the series to be nominated for the Hugo Award,[1] one of the two most prestigious awards in science fiction and fantasy publishing, although it lost to JK Rowling's novel Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Meisha Merlin, who had previously issued limited, illustrated editions of both A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings, were planning to release a similar version for A Storm of Swords in two volumes. However, lengthy delays on the release of A Clash of Kings caused Meisha Merlin to lose the printing rights for the book, which were picked up by Subterranean Press instead. This edition, fully illustrated by Charles Vess, was released in the summer of 2006. A Storm of Swords is also the name of the second expansion to the board game "A Game of Thrones", released in July 2006.
[edit] Plot introductionA Storm of Swords is set in a fictitious world reminiscent of Medieval Europe (primarily on a continent called Westeros), except for the fact that in this world, men have perpetually remained in an enlightened pre-industrial age for many thousands of years, and the seasons of summer and winter can last for years, sometimes decades. [edit] Plot summaryA Storm of Swords picks up the story slightly before A Clash of Kings ended. The Seven Kingdoms are still in the grip of the War of the Five Kings, with Robb Stark, Balon Greyjoy, Joffrey Baratheon, Stannis Baratheon and Renly Baratheon fighting to secure their crowns. Stannis Baratheon's attempt to take King's Landing has been defeated by the new alliance between House Lannister (backing Joffrey) and House Tyrell. House Martell has also pledged its support to the Lannisters though the forces of Dorne have yet to take the field. Meanwhile, a large host of wildlings is marching on the Wall under Mance Rayder, with only the tiny force of the Night's Watch in its path; and in the distant east, Daenerys Targaryen is on her way back to Pentos in the hope of raising forces to retake the Iron Throne. The novel begins in the final months of 299 After the Landing and carries on into the year 300 AL. [edit] In the Seven Kingdoms[edit] The North / The RiverlandsBrienne of Tarth escorts Jaime Lannister from Riverrun by boat, Jaime having been released at Catelyn Stark's order. Brienne is to take Jaime back to King's Landing and ensure that Sansa and Arya Stark are returned in his place. They are pursued by Tully bannermen, as Edmure Tully has let it be known that Jaime is an escaped fugitive. Jaime spends most of his time insulting Brienne, despite her great size and strength with a sword. They are forced to abandon the river and take to the countryside, but are waylaid by mercenaries from the eastern continent known as The Brave Companions (now in the service of Roose Bolton, having swapped sides from the Lannisters) and taken to Harrenhal, which is now under their command. The leader of the Companions, Vargo Hoat, known for his sadism and cruelty, chops off Jaime's sword hand. But upon being presented to Roose Bolton, Hoat finds his current lord unimpressed by his behavior and Roose sends Jaime back to King's Landing with compliments to Lord Tywin. This strikes all members of the party as an odd thing to do. Brienne, seen as having little leverage as a hostage, is unfortunately left to Hoat's mercies. After Jaime is released, he has a change of heart and comes back to rescue her, helping save her from a bear pit. Roose sees no alternative but to let them both go, and as Jaime leaves, he tells Bolton to "Send Robb Stark my regards." Robb's army returns to Riverrun in triumph, having smashed several of Lannister forces in the Westerlands. However, Robb is furious with his uncle Edmure: Robb's plan was for Tywin to come west and into a trap Robb was preparing, but Edmure's over-zealous defense of Riverrun spoiled the surprise. Catelyn is shocked when Robb reveals that he has married Jeyne Westerling of the Crag, violating his oath of betrothal to a daughter of House Frey and thus risking losing their support, as their cooperation was contingent upon the promised marriage. This is further aggravated by the fact that the garrison Robb had left behind in the Twins (Frey castle) to ensure their loyalty was withdrawn by Edmure to fight in the Riverlands. Robb claims he had no choice: Jeyne 'comforted' him after he learned of the burning of Winterfell and the deaths of Bran and Rickon. The King in the North is in dire straits: his forces are dwindling due to the imminent loss of the Freys as well as the Karstarks, whose lord Rickard murders two Lannister POWs and is executed as a traitor. Moreover, a botched attack on Duskendale ordered by Roose Bolton; the force of foot, led by Robett Glover, is caught between Lord Randyll Tarly and Ser Gregor Clegane, leading to the slaughter of a third of Robb's strength. He cannot retreat for more men, as the Greyjoys now hold his home territory. Nevertheless, Robb has a new plan to outflank and take Moat Cailin (via the marshlands surrounding it) from the Greyjoys and allow them to return to the North. Unfortunately, the Riverlords will have to fight on for themselves. Catelyn agrees to this plan, but it hinges on winning the support of the Freys once more, which they are now unlikely to give. Robb is angry that Catelyn let Jaime go, but cunningly uses her guilt at this in order to get her to approve of his marriage to Jeyne Westerling. Not long after this, Lord Hoster Tully finally dies and Edmure becomes Lord of Riverrun. Arya Stark and her friends encounter a group of men known as the Brotherhood Without Banners, led by Lord Beric Dondarrion and the red priest Thoros of Myr. Beric's group was originally sent out by Lord Eddard to put down the Lannister raids, but have evolved into a Robin Hood-esque organization, defending the smallfolk of the war-torn Riverlands. The group encounters Sandor Clegane, Joffrey's former bodyguard who fled the Battle of the Blackwater, and offer him trial by battle, which he wins (by dealing Lord Beric a killing stroke) and is set free. To Arya's amazement, Thoros is able to resurrect Beric using what he calls a gift from R'hllor. Arya eventually tires of following the Brotherhood and tries to break free, but is captured by a lurking Sandor Clegane instead. Clegane decides to take her back to her family in exchange for some kind of service, and they head north. Robb Stark's host, now reinforced by Lord Roose Bolton's army from Harrenhal, reaches The Twins, where Robb parleys with Lord Walder Frey. Frey agrees to forgive Robb on the condition that Lord Edmure Tully weds one of Frey's daughters in Robb's place. Edmure's new bride, Roslin, turns out to be an attractive and gentle woman, which surprises Catelyn: the "late Lord Walder" is known for his tetchiness, and could easily have forced Edmure to marry a lackwit or an ugly girl instead. Robb and Catelyn are wary at first, but relax once they are offered food and drink by the Freys which by tradition means they must now be treated and protected as guests. The wedding celebration is held and a great party takes place afterwards, though the food and musicians are described as being terrible. This is forced into perspective when Frey's musicians begin playing "The Rains of Castamere", a song celebrating Tywin Lannister's eradication of an unfaithful vassal, produce crossbows and fire into the Stark supporters. The Boltons and Freys, armed and armored, cut down many of the Stark bannermen present, killing Dacey Mormont and Smalljon Umber among them. Catelyn takes one of Walder Frey's grandsons, the halfwit Aegon, hostage with a knife, and threatens to kill him should Robb be harmed, but a man wearing the colours of House Bolton cuts down Robb down anyway, saying "Jaime Lannister sends his regards." Catelyn kills her hostage, but in turn is restrained and her throat cut. In mockery of the Tully burial rites, she is dumped into the river and Robb has his head chopped off and the head of his direwolf, Grey Wind, sewn into its place (as foretold by a vision Daenerys had in the house of the Undying). Many of the northern lords are either killed or taken prisoner, but there are two missing: Robb had sent Lady Maege Mormont and Lord Galbart Glover to win the allegiance of Lord Howland Reed of Greywater Watch for their planned attack on Moat Cailin since only the crannogmen know how to navigate through the swamp. Arya and Sandor arrive in the outskirts of the castle as the "Red Wedding" is taking place. Soon realizing something is dreadfully wrong, Arya attempts to enter the castle and rescue her mother, Sandor knocks her unconscious with an axe and takes her downriver. Arya then has a dream in which she is actually her long-missing direwolf, Nymeria, who now leads a huge pack of wolves in the Riverlands. In the dream, Nymeria finds the corpse of a woman floating in the Green Fork south of the Twins and pulls it ashore, only to flee as a group of men approach. After this, Arya gives up on her mother, tells The Hound that, in her dream, Catelyn was dead. This is not the first time Arya has had this dream though the other instances were less important. Arya and Sandor run afoul of some of his brother Gregor Clegane's men in an inn, the Tickler and Polliver along with a squire. There is a fight and the freeriders (two of whom are on Arya's list of people she has vowed to see dead) are killed, but Sandor is wounded. His wound soon becomes infected and Arya refuses to give him the gift of mercy and leaves him dying under a tree and goes to the nearby port town of Saltpans, on the Trident. She finds a ship from the Free City of Braavos there, but they refuse to take her north. She pulls out the coin Jaqen H'ghar gave her and the ship crew suddenly become more cooperative. They won't take her north, but agree to take her back to Braavos with them. [edit] The South / King's LandingDavos Seaworth is washed ashore on a rocky island in the Narrow Sea, having been nearly killed in the epic Battle of the Blackwater. He is found by bannermen loyal to his Lord Stannis and taken back to Dragonstone. Along the way Davos comes to blame the red priestess Melisandre for Stannis' defeat and resolves to murder her. Upon his arrival he is immediately locked up for treason: Melisandre saw his intent in her flames. Melisandre talks to Davos and claims that Stannis was defeated because she herself was not at the battle (at his bannermen's request), and asks for Davos simply to be true to his king. She also tells him that there are not seven gods but two: R'hllor, Lord of Light and Fire, and his enemy, the Great Other, Lord of Darkness and Cold, whose war has raged since the dawn of time. Stannis releases Davos and asks him to serve as his Hand. Davos agrees and begins to learn to read and write to better fulfill his office. King's Landing is rejoicing for their deliverance from the threat of Stannis Baratheon and the Tyrells are welcomed as liberators. King Joffrey agrees to set aside his betrothal to Sansa Stark, daughter of a House attainted of treason, and promises to marry Lady Margaery Tyrell instead. Sansa's freedom is short-lived, however, as she is soon compelled to marry Tyrion Lannister. Tyrion was badly injured in the battle, losing his nose and suffering other wounds to his face, but he treats Sansa gently and refuses to consummate the marriage against her will, despite his father's insistence. Tyrion himself is unimpressed with the turn of events, particularly as his father has taken up his role as Hand, reducing Tyrion to an advisory role, although he is later made master of coin to replace Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish (who has been named Lord of Harrenhal for his role in securing the Lannister-Tyrell alliance). Balon Greyjoy, styling himself King of the Iron Islands and the North, sends an offer of an alliance to Tywin, but Tywin spurns it, as he has another plan that does not involve selling off half the realm. He also comments that he should not pay for what the Greyjoys are already doing for free, that is fighting the Starks. On Dragonstone, Davos meets Edric Storm, one of King Robert's many bastards whom Stannis is keeping safe from the Lannisters. Davos is horrified to learn that Melisandre wants to sacrifice Edric and his royal blood to her fires to awaken the 'stone dragons,' which she thinks are the great statues that guard the castle. Stannis rejects this decision and instead gives some of his blood to the fires instead, naming the names of three men that he wants dead: Balon Greyjoy, Joffrey Baratheon and Robb Stark. (Chronologically, this happens shortly before the Red Wedding.) Littlefinger, fresh from his diplomatic victory in gaining the alliance of the Tyrells and the now the titular Lord of Harrenhal, departs King's Landing for the Eyrie with a new scheme: to woo Lady Lysa Arryn into marriage and support of King Joffrey. Tyrion is suspicious of Littlefinger's growing power but is no longer in a position to stop him. Word reaches King's Landing of the death of King Robb Stark at the Red Wedding, closely followed by news that King Balon Greyjoy has died as well, swept over a bridge in Pyke by a strong wave. Joffrey is exultant, particularly keen on the gory detail that Robb's direwolf's head was sewn on his body, and Catelyn's body was hurled naked into the Green Fork. Margaery and Joffrey's wedding is held, but Joffrey spends more time tormenting his uncle Tyrion than paying attention to his wife. As he is is relentlessly verbally tormenting Tyrion, Joffrey suddenly starts choking and dies in a fit on the floor. Tyrion suspects poison and inspects Joffrey's goblet before realizing he could be blamed for the crime. He throws the goblet away, but is seen by several witnesses. His sister Cersei has him arrested and put on trial. Sansa Stark is smuggled out of the castle by Ser Dontos, whom she still believes will put her on a ship home. Instead, she discovers that he has sold her to Littlefinger, who plans to take her to Eyrie with him. Littlefinger also admits to being the mastermind behind Joffrey's death. Davos Seaworth is learning to read and write. One of the letters he receives is from the Night's Watch, who sent missives to all the kings begging for aid against Mance Rayder and the wights. The success of Melisandre's spell has convinced Stannis to sacrifice Edric Storm to the flames to wake the dragons, but Davos smuggles Edric to safety. Stannis prepares to execute Davos for treason, but as a last wish of sorts Davos is allowed to read the letter that lately arrived from the Wall. Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth reach King's Landing to find the situation volatile. Joffrey's brother Tommen has inherited the throne but is not yet crowned, Tyrion is on trial, and the Tyrell bannermen blame Brienne for King Renly's death, particularly Renly's close friend Ser Loras Tyrell. She is thrown in a dungeon. Jaime takes up the rank of Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and finds that his journey and the loss of his hand has made him more willing to fulfil his duties. He refuses his father's offer to remove him from his lifetime service to the Kingsguard and again make him heir to Casterly Rock. He also refuses to believe Cersei's claims that Tyrion killed Joffrey. He rejects her advances, deciding to remain true to his vows. Tyrion is seemingly doomed, as his sister Cersei, convinced of his guilt, has recruited many to give evidence against him, including Varys (master of whisperers, equivalent of the head of intelligence) and Shae (Tyrion's whore). Lord Oberyn Martell of Dorne, who is in the city representing his brother Prince Doran, harbors a desire for vengeance against Gregor Clegane, who it is believed raped his sister Elia (the late wife of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen) and visciously killed her and her children during the Sack of King's Landing. However, Tyrion is approached by Lord Oberyn Martell, who offers to fight for him in a trial of combat against Cersei's champion, who they both know will be Ser Gregor Clegane, "the Mountain that Rides". The battle is fought and surprisingly, Oberyn apparently emerges victorious after knocking the giant Gregor down with a poisoned spear. Unfortunately, he spends too much time gloating and Gregor kills him. Tyrion is condemned to death, but is later helped to escape from his dungeon by his brother Jaime and Varys. On his way out of the castle, Jaime in a bout of guilt, reveals that Tyrion's first wife, whom he loved dearly, had not been a prostitute hired unbeknownst to Tyrion to service him, as their father had told him, but had actually been a crofter's daughter as she appeared. Tyrion sees this as unforgivable betrayal from both his father and his brother; he swears vengeance against both, and carries out the former by stopping at his father's chamber and shooting him with a crossbow. Since his father has taken Shae as a lover, he kills her too, strangling her with the chain of the king's Hand. Jaime frees Brienne from imprisonment after persuading Loras to reconsider, giving her the sword Lord Tywin had reforged out of Eddard Stark's Valyrian steel blade (after being maimed by Vargo Hoat, Jaime is much less of a swordsman so he believes the blade is wasted on him). He tells her to fulfil the oath she gave to Lady Catelyn, to find Arya and Sansa and return them home. He also tells her that the real reason he betrayed his oath and murdered King Aerys many years back was because Aerys had hidden wildfire barrels all over King's Landing and planned to destroy the city during the Sack. He carried out his most infamous act to save the innocent, not that anyone would believe him. Brienne departs on her quest. At the Eyrie, Sansa lives in fear of her increasingly psychotic aunt, who eventually goes mad and tries to kill her after she sees Littlefinger kiss her (for which she blames Sansa, not being able to see Littlefinger as culpable). Littlefinger intervenes to save Sansa, and then after deftly mollifying Lysa, he unceremoniously pushes her out of the 'moon door' of the Eyrie to her death hundreds of feet below and blames Lysa's minstrel for the crime. However, before her death, Sansa hears Lysa reveal that Littlefinger told her to poison Jon Arryn and blame the Lannisters in a letter sent to her sister Catelyn many months before. In the epilogue, Merrett Frey goes to a parley with a group from the Brotherhood Without Banners, who have taken one of his brothers "Petyr Pimple" captive and are demanding a ransom. During the parley the Brothers reveal that they have executed the other Frey he came to free. They point out to the panicking Merrett that he was at the Red Wedding and helped in the murder of the guests. He demands that they prove it by providing a witness. In response a battered figure appears and points at him. Merrett Frey is hanged next to the corpses of his family, whilst the broken and mute form of Catelyn Stark watches, and hates. [edit] On the WallThe bulk of the strength of the Night's Watch sits on the Fist of the First Men, awaiting word from Qhorin Halfhand and Jon Snow. Suddenly three blasts are sounded on a watchman's horn, which means something not heard in nearly eight thousand years: Others. The Watch comes under attack by wights and the fabled ice demons of ancient history, but manages to withdraw in something approaching good order. Samwell Tarly kills one of the Others with a strange blade Jon Snow fashioned for him from obsidian, or "dragonglass," he found near the Fist. The Watch regroups at Craster's Keep, but some of the less respectable members of the Watch mutiny and kill Lord Commander Jeor Mormont. Sam escapes in the chaos with the help of one of Craster's daughter-wives, Gilly, and they make their way south towards the Wall. They meet and are helped by a strange figure riding an elk, who Sam calls 'Coldhands'. Jon Snow is taken to Mance Rayder and is able to convince him that he has truly turned his cloak. He learns that the fabled Others have returned and are driving the wildlings south towards the Wall. Mance has been seeking the legendary Horn of Winter which will shatter the Wall when sounded, but has been unable to find it. Jon is unsure of this story. Eventually, Jon is sent south on a mission to scale the Wall, circle around, and attack Castle Black from the south to allow the wildlings through the gates. Jon instead flees from the wildlings and reaches Castle Black to warn them of the threat. He learns that Bowen Marsh has taken the most of the remaining garrison with him as he attempts to repel wildling attacks all along the Wall (that are really feints). With many of the other Watch members dead or missing, Jon is forced to command a skeleton defense along with villagers fleeing from Mole Town against the wildlings, but nevertheless successfully repels them for the time being. Among the dead is the wilding Ygritte, who had been Jon's lover for a time, despite his oath of celibacy. Bran Stark and Jojen and Meera Reed, fleeing the ruins of Winterfell, are guided north by Bran's strange dreams of a three-eyed crow. They reach the Wall at the abandoned castle of the Nightfort, but cannot pass it. Miraculously the gate opens and they meet Samwell Tarly and Gilly. Sam guides them to Coldhands, who will take them north, whilst Sam returns to Castle Black, agreeing to keep the truth of their survival a secret. The wildling army, over forty thousand strong, reaches Castle Black and assaults the Wall at that location. Jon leads a tenacious defence which sees hundreds of wildlings killed, but it seems that the Watch must be overrun. Things get worse when Janos Slynt, the former commander of King's Landing's City Guard who was exiled by a suspicious Tyrion Lannister, arrives. As one of the betrayers of Eddard Stark, Slynt takes an instant dislike to Jon Snow and accuses him of being a traitor. He has Jon sent out to parley with Mance Rayder. Jon expects to be killed, but Rayder is more understanding of his betrayal. Jon is shocked to learn that Rayder found the Horn of Winter, but would rather climb the Wall with it than melt it: with the Wall gone, what will stop the Others? Suddenly horns are heard in the east and a great strength of cavalry from seemingly out of nowhere attacks the wildling army, plunging it into chaos and putting it to rout. To Jon's disbelief, the surviving army of King Stannis Baratheon has arrived. Rayder is captured and imprisoned. Stannis reveals that he received word of the Wall's dire straits (the letter Ser Davos Seaworth read) and that Melisandre believes the wildling invasion to be the forerunner of the return of The Other, the sworn foe of the red god R'hllor. Stannis resolves to forge a new kingdom out of the shattered, leaderless North, and as part of this plan offers to make Jon Snow rightful heir to the North, removing his bastardy and anointing him the Lord of Winterfell. Jon is torn over this offer, which would grant him what has always been his deepest desire - to be a Stark. In place, he would have to cast out the old gods he has worshiped all his life. However, his internal debate is rendered moot when he is unexpectedly chosen by the Night's Watch as its new Lord Commander, through the clever machinations of Samwell Tarly, who along with many comrades was very worried about what would happen to the Watch if the increasingly popular Slynt were to be chosen. [edit] In the EastReturning to Pentos by sea, Daenerys Targaryen learns from Ser Jorah Mormont that large slave armies that could be used in her quest to retake her family's throne in Westeros can be bought in the cities of Slaver's Bay in the region of Ghis: Meereen, Astapor and Yunkai. To Arstan Whitebeard's disgust—slavery has been illegal in the Seven Kingdoms for millennia—Daenerys agrees to give up one of her beloved infant dragons to entice the Slavers to sell her the entire host of the Unsullied, the feared warrior-eunuchs of Astapor. After the command is given to the slaves declaring Daenerys their new master, the very dragon that was to be given to the Slavers burns them alive, and Daenerys' small host and the newly acquired Unsullied, sack the city. Daenerys has all the slaves of Astapor set free. She leads a strong force north to Yunkai which forces the lords of the city to release their slaves into Daenerys' service. However, the lords of Meereen choose to antagonise Daenerys by killing 163 (by her count) of their child slaves and leaving one corpse staked at every mile along the road to the city while using the scorched earth technique to deny her resources. Daenerys besieges the city to no avail. Daenerys discovers two traitors in her camp: Ser Jorah Mormont and Arstan Whitebeard. However, the nature of their treachery is very different. Mormont was selling information about her to Robert Baratheon up until they reached Qarth. Arstan Whitebeard is actually an alias of Ser Barristan Selmy, former Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Barristan wanted to right the decades past wrong of accepting Robert as his king by finding the true Targaryen heir to Westeros, but wanted to make sure the taint of madness had not affected her as it had her father and siblings. Daenerys offers both men the chance to make amends: by sneaking into Meereen through its sewers and opening the gates. In the meantime, she uses her three ships as battering rams to distract the defenders while Barristan and Jorah free the slaves in the fighting pits, setting off an uprising in which Meereen soon falls. She forgives Barristan Selmy and makes him Lord Commander of her Queensguard. However, she finds she still cannot trust Mormont and has him banished from her presence. Learning that Astapor has fallen under the control of a brutal dictator who moved to fill the power vacuum she left behind, Daenerys decides she cannot allow that to happen to Meereen and resolves to stay, and rule, and learn to be the queen that Westeros needs her to be. [edit] CharactersThe tale is told through the eyes of 10 main characters, a one-off prologue POV and a one-off epilogue POV character (the only time this has been done in the series so far):
[edit] NotesGeorge R. R. Martin did not write the Red Wedding chapters until he had completed every other chapter of the book, as he felt it was a painful experience to write. George R. R. Martin lost the 2001 Hugo Award for Best Novel to JK Rowling. Afterwards he made this comment about his fans: "Eat your heart out, Rowling. Maybe you have billions of dollars and my Hugo, but you don't have readers like these."[1] The Brotherhood Without Banners, introduced in A Storm of Swords (although referenced earlier), also lends its name to the official George R. R. Martin fan group. The name was adopted in the first half of 2001 and the group held its first major gathering at the 2001 World Science Fiction Convention in Philadelphia. [edit] Translations
[edit] Awards and nominations
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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