BookMarks #26: A Storm of Swords

BookMarks: A Storm of Swords

Title: A Storm of Swords

Author: Geroge RR Martin

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Setting: Fictional Continents of Westeros & Essos, in medieval times

Published: 2000

Summary

“You know nothing Jon Snow”

After the Battle of Blackwater, Ser Davos is appointed by Stannis as his Hand. Melisandre convinces Stannis to sacrifice Edric Storm, one of Robert’s bastards, but Davos smuggles him out and also manages to convince Stannis to head to the Wall to defend it from the Wildings.

Beyond the Wall, the White Walkers attack the Night’s Watch. The survivors flee with Sam managing to kill a White Walker with dragonglass. They arrive at Craster’s place where a mutiny breaks out in which Lord Commander Mormont & Craster are killed. Sam escapes with Gilly and her newborn son and heads back to Castle Black.

Jon meets Mance Rayder, the King-beyond-the-wall, who questions him about his breaking the vow. There he meets Tormund, Ygritte alongwith giants and mammoths. Jon falls in love with Ygritte. Mance decides to attack the Wall. Jon and Ygritte along with other wildlings climb over the Wall. Across the Wall, they catch an old man and ask Jon to kill him. Jon refuses and breaks away from the Wildlings to head to Castle Black and warns them about the impeding attack. The Wildings attack the Castle, which the pre-warned Brothers successfully defend against. Ygritte is killed during the attack. Mance attacks the Wall from the North, while Jon and others defend it. Just in time, Stannis arrives to destroy the wildling army. Jon is elected as the new Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch.

Jaime Lannister is freed by Catelyn Stark and sent along with Brienne with a promise to return the Stark girls, Sansa and Arya. Her son, Robb, returns with his new wife Jeyne Westerling, breaking the promise made to Walder Frey. After Lord Hoster Tully’s death, Edmure takes over as Lord of Riverrun. The Freys agree to accept Robb’s apology on condition of Edmure marrying Walder Frey’s daughter Roslin. At the wedding, Walder Frey and Roose Bolton betray them and kill Robb, Catelyn, Robb’s direwolf and most of the Northern Army.

Jaime and Brienne are taken captive by Roose Bolton’s men. Jaime’s right hand is cut off. His captors take him to Harrenhal. Roose Bolton releases Jaime and heads for the Twins. Jaime returns to take Brienne along with him. 

Arya escapes from Harrenhal, alongwith Gendry and Hot Pie, and attempts to reach Riverrun. On the way, they run into soldiers of the Brotherhood without Banners, one of whom recognizes her as Arya Stark of Winterfell. Bedric Dondarrion, the Leader of the Brotherhood, plans to ransom her to Robb. The Brotherhood captures the Hound and condemns him to trial by combat. The Hound kills Bedric who is brought back to life and the Hound is pardoned. Arya is kidnapped by the Hound, who wants to ransom her himself. But just as they reach the Twins, they witness the murders of Robb and Catelyn. Later they run into other Lannister soliders, whom they kill but the Hound is badly wounded. Arya gets back Needle, her sword. Arya leaves the Hound and finds a ship to Bravos with the help of the coin given to her by Jaqen H’gar.

At King’s Landing, Lord Tywin takes over as the King’s Hand. Sansa Stark is questioned about Joffery's nature by Margery and her grandmother Olenna Sansa hesitatingly tells them the truth Olenna offers Sansa to be married to her grandson Willas. Hearing of this, Tywin marries off Tyrion to Sansa and proposes Cersei to be married to Willas leaving both the siblings quite unhappy.

At the wedding, Joffery is killed after drinking poisoned wine. Tyrion is accused by Cersei of murdering Joffery. In the confusion, Sansa makes her escape from King’s Landing aided by Lord Petyr Baelish. Baelish informs Sansa that Joffery was poisoned by Olenna.

Tyrion demands a trial by combat with Prince Oberyn of Dorne offering to be his champion. Oberyn gets killed by the Mountain, although the Mountain is also seriously injured. Tyrion is sentenced to death. However, Jaime and Varys rescue him. Before leaving, Tyrion kills his father, Tywin.

Baelish marries Lysa Arryn, Sansa’s aunt. Sansa is introduced as his daughter Alayne. At the Eyrie, Lysa is killed by Baelish, but the blame is passed onto the singer. Lysa had earlier poisoned her husband, Jon Arryn at Petyr’s behest, thus setting in motion the entire story.

Jaime returns to Winterfell to resume a Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. He releases Brienne and tells her to find and protect Sansa Stark. The Lannisters send a Northern girl pretending to be Arya Stark to be wed to Roose Bolton's son Ramsay.

Daenerys and her followers head towards Westeros in a ship. Ser Jorah convinces her to change course to Slaver’s Bay to buy out an Army. With the help of her dragons, she defeats the Slavers of Astapor, and takes over the army of the Unsullied alongwith the translator, Missandei. Grey Worm is selected as Commander of the Unsullied Army. After Astapor, they take over Yunkai, where more freed slaves, and others led by Daario Nahaaris join them. At Mereen, Danerys learns off the true identity of Arstan Whitebeard as Ser Barristan Selmy. She also learns that Jorah Mormont had been an informer for Late King Robert. She banishes Jorah, while appointing Ser Barristan as her Queensguard.

After escaping from Winterfell, Bran alongwith the Reed Siblings heads Beyond-the-Wall to meet the three-eyed-raven. 

Meanwhile, the Brotherhood Without Banners finds the body of Catelyn Stark and brings it back to life, although she is mute now. 

BookMarks 

Sequel to A Clash of Kings

3rd book in the Series “A Song of Ice and Fire” and provides the basis for the 3rd and 4th seasons of the TV Series “A Game of Thrones”. Looking more divergent from the TV Show now, where it seems many characters have been merged into single entity. E.g. Edric Storm and Gendry; the Tyrell Brothers etc. 

There is the “Red Wedding”. Having watched the series, knew it was coming and yet it was still numbing to read. The many treacherous plots and sub-plots going on in Westeros are mind-numbing to say the least. 

Onwards to A Feast of Crows now.

Previously on BookMarks: Sapiens