A Clash of Kings

George R. R. Martin

ISBN 10: 1892065312 / ISBN 13: 9781892065315

Published by Meisha Merlin Publishing, 2004

** Number 191 from a Signed Limited Edition of 500 Copies, Signed by George R. R. Martin and both Illustrators **; Fine in a Near Fine dust jacket; Hardcover; Jacket is still glossy with no marks or tears, and has not been price-clipped, the only flaw being one tiny dimple-mark to the front of the jacket at the bottom left edge of the spine (Now fitted with a new, Brodart jacket protector); Unmarked boards with â straight" edge-corners; Unblemished textblock edges; The endpapers and all text pages are bright and unmarked; Binding is tight with a straight spine;The slipcase is As New with no apparent flaws; This book will be shipped in a sturdy cardboard box with foam padding; Medium-Large Format (Quatro, 9.75" - 10.75" tall); Purple dust jacket with illustration of ship in storm, and title in blue lettering, housed in a dark burgundy cloth-covered slipcase; 2004, Meisha Merlin Publishing; 750 pages; "A Clash of Kings," by George R. R. Martin. Seller Inventory # SKU-0059AA02111182

Synopsis:

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.

Review: How does he do it? George R.R. Martin's high fantasy weaves a spell sufficient to seduce even those who vowed never to start a doorstopper fantasy series again (the first book--A Game of Thrones--runs over 700 pages). A Clash of Kings is longer and even more grim, but Martin continues to provide compelling characters in a vividly real world.

The Seven Kingdoms have come apart. Joffrey, Queen Cersei's sadistic son, ascends the Iron Throne following the death of Robert Baratheon, the Usurper, who won it in battle. Queen Cersei's family, the Lannisters, fight to hold it for him. Both the dour Stannis and the charismatic Renly Baratheon, Robert's brothers, also seek the throne. Robb Stark, declared King in the North, battles to avenge his father's execution and retrieve his sister from Joffrey's court. Daenerys, the exiled last heir of the former ruling family, nurtures three dragons and seeks a way home. Meanwhile the Night's Watch, sworn to protect the realm from dangers north of the Wall, dwindle in numbers, even as barbarian forces gather and beings out of legend stalk the Haunted Forest.

Sound complicated? It is, but fine writing makes this a thoroughly satisfying stew of dark magic, complex political intrigue, and horrific bloodshed. --Nona Vero

Bibliographic Details

Title: A Clash of Kings
Publisher: Meisha Merlin Publishing
Publication Date: 2004
Binding: Hardcover
Illustrator: John Howe
Condition: Like New
Signed: Signed by Author(s)