4,5⭐️ I didn't like The Storm of Swords as much as the first two books in the series, but it was still fucking great. I still love the multiple POVs and at some points in the book the story just left me speechless and sobbing. The book did have some lengths from time to time but the whole story is slow paced and to be honest I really like that. Long story short - I love the story, the setting, the characters (more or less), the tension and the unanswered questions. Can’t wait to pick up volume 4 of the series!

4.5/5 stars "What is it you would have me see?" "The way the world is made. The truth is all around you, plain to behold. The night is dark and full of terrors, the day bright and beautiful and full of hope. One is black, the other white. There is ice and there is fire. Hate and love. Bitter and sweet. Male and female. Pain and pleasure. Winter and summer. Evil and good." She took a step towards him. "Death and life. Everywhere, opposites. Everywhere, the war." This instalment in the series for me is probably the most important one so far in terms of tying things together and eluding to the future of the story. We finally see Daenerys start to tie in to the rest of the world, which is something i wasn't feeling in the previous novels, but in this one i genuinely found myself enjoying her chapters for the first time. And it's not that i didn't like what was happening, i mean in full honesty when i say that i cannot think of a single time where i was bored by Martin's prose. I can't think of another author i've read where the huge amount of information and backstory on things hasn't bored me and lead me to giving up. The only reason Daenerys' chapters weren't sticking with me is simply because I really don't like her as a character. I feel like too much of her monologue is all I am the blood of the dragon, I am Daenerys Targaryen and that really annoyed me. She just seemed far too self centred due to being of Targaryen blood that she came across as arrogant to me. That changed in this book. I found her less annoying in that manner, and more matured as a character, actually seeking power without seeming as arrogant as she had in the last books in the series. That being said, she is definitely still a bit annoying when it comes to having counsel from the people in her immediate power, because the way she just dismisses some people and goes full on ahead to do her own thing because she thinks she's all high and mighty really annoys me. Similar to Joffrey in a way cause my god fuck that guy so much. And just quickly, WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK WAS UP WITH HER WAKING UP IN THE NIGHT FEELING A BIT HORNY, FULL ON JERKING IT RIGHT NEXT TO HER BLOOD RIDERS, AND THEN ONE OF THEM WAKES UP, AND PROCEEDS TO FINISH THE JOB OFF ON HER? WHAT IS THATTTTT?!?!!? IN WHAT SCENARIO DOES THAT OCCUR. THAT SHIT MAKES NO SENSE. Anyway, enough about Dany. Sansa Stark. I think this had been a long time coming, Even in the very first book I kinda realised that Sansa wasn't my favourite, but in this book it dawned on me that Sansa is an absolute bitch. Where i'd previously pardoned the things she did and the way she acted and was able to understand things, I just couldn't take it any longer when she decided to fuck with my boy Tyrion. That was just the last straw. The dude is trying to be genuinely good to her, and she's just an absolute asshole in return. I can understand that yes, he's a Lannister. Yes, the Lannisters are complete pricks, but Tyrion is a babe and I'm almost certain no one would disagree with that. So when Sansa decides to totally disregard him, that was when i'd had enough of her. I hate Sansa. The biggest issue I had with this as well. I'm either incredibly dumb, or this is one of the worst decisions i've ever read. Can someone PLEASE explain to me, how does Theon supposedly kill Bran and Rickon, mount their heads outside of Winterfell, and then somehow they were in the Crypts, the whole fucking time. So many questions. 1. who the fuck got killed instead of them. 2. HOW DO YOU MISTAKE THEM DUDE, HOW DO YOU KILL 2 INNOCENT BOYS INSTEAD OF THE FUCKING HEIRS TO THE CASTLE. 3. Does it not say that Summer and Shaggydog went on without them, how did two other random boys under 10 years old end up with them and then get killed after being somehow mistaken for the only remaining Starks at Winterfell. Makes no sense to me. Despite all that, this was a very enjoyable read, and really started to make me realise how much of a masterpiece this series is shaping out to be. Part 2 will almost certainly bump this rating to a 5/5 stars for storm of swords. Just don't pull anymore fake deaths on me George. That shit made no sense.

Old stories are like old friends, she used to say. You have to visit them from time to time. Not a lot happened in this book but it was a great build up to what’s coming in the following book (the Red/Purple Wedding!) I was so excited to finally read Jamie’s POV again and there were a lot of Arya chapters in this book as well. And the Tyrells and Martells finally appear! Unfortunately, we don’t get to read about Theon but at least there were great Gendrya scenes. However, I’m still not a fan of Catelyn and Bran. Catelyn doesn’t do anything. I never cared about Bran’s journey to the three-eyed raven.