A Clash of Kings ( a Song of Ice and Fire , book 2) by George R. R. Martin

A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. And from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles. GOODREADS

In the beginning  there's a comet with a red tail in the sky. It can be seen from everywhere. Kingslanding, the  North even in the south where Dainery's is. Everybody interprets this differently.  Stannis sees it as a sign of his victory but so do the Lannisters . This is interesting because it reminds me of omens and their parts in history, how people tried to explain natural events .

It's called a Clash of Kings because after Robert's death , Joffrey became King, A very awful and disgusting King. Either way many aren't happy with Joffrey  being King and are rebelling against Kingslanding. Rob is now known as the king in the north. Stannis Baratheon names himself the rightful king of Westeros, but currently rules over the Narrow Sea and plans to take kingslanding. Renly Baratheon also names himself king, well because he'd make a better King than his brother and he's loved by all. Then there's the vile old man, Balon Greyjoy, King of the Iron Islands. There's your five Kings all fighting for one throne.The only people who will truly suffer in this game they play are the people between he Kings and their armies.  

We get to learn more abut Stannis through a new character Davos,the onion knight. Stannis also has a new adviser , a red priestess of R'hllor  , Milisandre (new character) a lady from the Asshai with a new religion of the light. She uses some kind of dark magic to help Stannis , she predicts his victory and seduces him body and soul, maybe shadow to her religion. Eerie woman and odd. She helps Stannis kill his brother, Renly Baratheon. for the night is dark and full terrors. I think anybody could like Davos. He's a simple man really,loves his wife ans sons and is honest and loyal to his friend and lord, Stannis. But he dies.

Rob's still a young lad leading an army ,being a King. He has a lot of victories and he has the Kingslayer. although he needs more men so he sends Theon Greyjoy to get more men from the Iron Islands, to make an ally out of Balon Greyjoy(Theon's father) and his mother he sends  to Renly. Theon the douchebag betrays Robb and becomes a monster. Lady stark is there when Renly is murdered. She flees with one of Renly's kingsguard, Brienne (new character). 

Theon fails to convince his father to help Robb. Balon is still angry about his failed rebellion and hates the Starks and wants revenge. Lady  stark was right about  Theon, the dude is all wrong. He's arrogant and thinks he's better and he's pathetic. Eventually he gets his father's trust and together they will (try) take the Iron Throne (whatever). but no Theon will disobey his fathers orders and take Winterfell. It's not a completely  stupid plan, Winterfell is poorly guarded and the only Starks there are but little boys. Theon succeeds in taking Winterfell but then it all goes down hill from there. The boys escape, so he murders two other little boys to prove a point (whatever it  was has escaped me). On top of that he gets screwed over by Ramsey Bolton, you gotta give the author kudos for the awesome names. I liked this scene when Bolten arrived and told Theon who he was. It felt conspiracy-like. and I love conspiracies <3.
One thing I will say about the Greyjoys is, this thing about paying the iron price or the gold one. please you lot shut it, you're all thieves!!

Tyrion arrives in Kingslanding with Bron and his own guard of crazy cavemen people. I love this guy. He comes at Kingslanding with one purpose, Justice. Tyrion isn't bad not really. He'd do the right thing just like Eddard would have but he knows how to play the game, he's a pseudo-conformist. At the end of this book he almost dies and  is no longer the  Hand of the King. But he was a great Hand.

Arya's been taken to Harrenhall. Jaqen H'ghar is probably one of my many favorite characters from this book. I love the way he talked. “The Red God has his due, sweet girl, and only death may pay for life. This girl took three that were his. This girl must give three in their places. Speak the names, and a man will do the rest.” Arya tricks Jaqen when she uses her last name. She wants to escape Harrenhall but needs Jaqen to help her. He refuses because she has one name left. Arya then says Jaqen's name instead. So if Jaqen wants Arya to take the name back he must help her escape. This he does. Jaqen leaves and gives Arya a coin and the words 'Valar Morghulis'. Arya's facing a lot of bad and ugly stuff but she's a wolf and a survivor and if George Martin kills her off ,I will be pissd off!!

One of my favorite scenes  from the TV serie  , I found it in the book too: when Tyrion arrives and sees Joffrey punishing Sansa for her brothers "crimes". Page 488-489 . My favorite quote is when Joffrey says "You can't talk to me that way, the King can do as he liikes" I imagine it the way he says it in the show. He sounds more like a spoiled brat (which he is) than a King.

There's also another scene which wasn't in the TVserie neither were the characters: The Reeds , Meera and Jojen, come to Winterfell to swear fealty. The scene of their arrival and when they swear fealty was great and it sucks it wasn't in the TVserie . I love these characters and they help Bran with his dreams.The scene is  on page 328-329 
excerpt: 

"To Winterfell we pledge the faith of Greywater. Hearth and heart and harvest we yield up to you, my lord. Our swords and spears and arrows are yours to command. Grant mercy to our weak, help to our helpless,and justice to all,and we shall never fail you. I swear it by earth and water. I swear it by bronze and iron. "we swear it by ice and fire".

We leave the characters: after the news of the deaths of her two youngest sons we leave lady Starks in Jaime's cell asking Brienne to give her a sword, Tyrion waking up from his injuries defending the city from Stannis. Sandor has disappeared, Jon  "joins" the wildlings, Bran and Rickon have left Winterfell and go separate ways.

There's a lot going on in this book to love, hate and the scares. It's worth a read, so go on and pick it up.

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