ASOIAF is my personality now (A Clash of Kings review)

Who would've thought this time last year that I'd be reading A Clash of Kings by George RR Martin and be completely obsessed with A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones?? Today we are chatting about all the characters, my favorite moments, and of course defending a character that needs defending (TEAM CATELYN!) Tell me your thoughts below! And please, NO SPOILERS! #gameofthrones

Chapters
00:00 - Why reading ASOIAF in 2023 is hard
02:34 - Some favorite moments
07:51 - Ranking viewpoint characters
11:50 - Interlude for Catelyn rant
15:14 - More viewpoint characters
21:18 - Non-viewpoint characters
23:53 - The ending
26:31 - Criticisms
28:47 - "But the books won't be finished!"
31:28 - Final thoughts

Socials

[mattdeancole]

The third book, A Storm of Swords, is regarded by many as one of the best fantasy novels ever.

[iceclimbers]

I think the biggest problem GRRM has caused himself by never finishing the books to this point is to make readers inadvertently forget how insanely good this series was/is because we're so put off by his lack of output. In reality, ASOIAF stills stands head and shoulders above just about every modern fantasy series out there.

[QuinnTheGM]

Always wonderful to hear a new reader's perspective! You're in for quite a ride with the next few books.

[ElderVault]

I am praying you don’t get spoiled on anything too major. A genuine fresh reaction to asoiaf in 2023 is like finding a unicorn

[TheJordanK]

“…shocking but not shock factor.” 7:20

This is exactly what the show runners did not understand and what makes George so good. Great observation.

[curtis]

Bookborn reading ASOIAF is the booktube event of the year imo

[coqui]

New member of the Catelyn Defense Squad!! We’re happy to have you ⚔️

She’s one of the most realistic and complex characters I’ve ever read about. Not female characters, not fantasy characters, just one of the best characters period!

[WhiteWizard]

"I'm so concerned for Robb" - I love hearing this in 2023, and seeing the ASoS thumbnail right below it.

[autje]

If you like the prose now, wait until you get to A Feast for Crows. You will meet a septon who will have a monologue that is probably the most beautiful thing I've ever read (and I think a lot of people in the fandom agree this is the pinnacle of Martin's prose).

[keith-c]

Glad you loved Clash! A suggestion: I recommend reading "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" in between "A Storm of Swords" and "A Feast For Crows". It is a collection of three short stories in the ASOIAF universe that were released alongside the main series and were meant to be breezier reads that are lighter in tone. Reading it is not required to understand what happens in the main series, but Feast and Dance reference characters, concepts, and imagery from the stories in small and big ways. I found the connections rewarding to discover and they enriched GRRM's excellent worldbuilding even further. Plus, its a fun read!

[otavioguimaraes]

I think Catelyn perspective is important to the story not only due to the situations she gets herself in but also because of how unique is her role in the overall story. She was married to Ned and brought to an unfamiliar place she did not like not for love but because of the duty she had towards her familly, the Tullys, but with time she learned to love her husband and her childrens and was satisfied with her life in Winterfell. She is the one who is suffering the most from the ongoing war, like, her husband is dead, as well as two of her children (as far as she knows), her only two daughters are being captive in King's landing and the son she still has is often leading an army to battle and does not even seems to want her there at all. It is interesting to see how the love and grief for her shattered family leads her to do some very questionable decisions as well as the impact they will have on the later books.

[aaronl]

Catelyn does not hate jon as much as she fears him. She does not care that Ned had another child but is bothered that he is raising him as if he was a true born son. She does not fear that he will take Winterfell over Robb, but she does fear that the children he has will, because they will be true born and have a really good claim to Winterfell.

[Dantrag]

I really love the poetic ending of this book, mayby the most memorable one for me in general (any other meditative literature like this?):

"At the edge of the wolfswood, Bran turned in his basket for one last glimpse of the castle that had been his life. Wisps of smoke still rose into the grey sky, but no more than might have risen from Winterfell’s chimneys on a cold autumn afternoon. Soot stains marked some of the arrow loops, and here and there a crack or a missing merlon could be seen in the curtain wall, but it seemed little enough from this distance. Beyond, the tops of the keeps and towers still stood as they had for hundreds of years, and it was hard to tell that the castle had been sacked and burned at all. The stone is strong, Bran told himself, the roots of the trees go deep, and under the ground the Kings of Winter sit their thrones. So long as those remained, Winterfell remained. It was not dead, just broken. Like me, he thought. I’m not dead either."

[berlineczka]

It looks like you already recognised the holy trinity of Martin's writing: dialogue, deaths, and unexpected plot twists that still make perfect sense in retrospect.

[a.a]

Don't worry, the Sophie Turner divorce and the 'spoiler headlines' have nothing to do with the books, because the show went past the books and basically wrote fan fiction for multiple seasons. Also, I agree with EVERYTHING with what you said about Catelyn. She's my favourite POV, it's so interesting and essential and she does not deserve the hate she gets.

[Junior]

“Look, if there are one million Catelyn fans in the world, I am one of them. If there is one Catelyn fan in this world, it is me. If there are no Catelyn fan’s in this world, I am dead.” 😆 I LoL’d so hard at this. You nailed that joke! 💯

[modelnanpresident]

It is so great seeing new people discover these books!

[Johanna_reads]

Cheers to what you said about Catelyn! This series is important to me because it was the first adult fantasy I read that had complex, believable, and fascinating female characters. Not just one but several! If I did a favorite fantasy characters video, ASOIAF would probably dominate that list. Loved hearing your first-time thoughts on A Clash of Kings! ☄️

[readbykyle]

This was excellent and I can't wait for a 50 minute storm of swords one

[schizoidahole]

As long as you and I are alive, there will be at least 2 Catelyn fans. Everything you said is 100% on point, Catelyn is actually my favorite POV of the whole story, her chapters are so beautifully written, even more than the average ASOIAF chapter, and her conflicts and flaws always keep me enthralled. We are in complete agreement, and I go even further because to me she’s one of the greatest characters of all time.