2. A Storm Of Swords
When it comes to iconic moments in the series, look no further than A Storm Of Swords. The book is without a doubt the most exciting, shocking and compelling in the series, never lingering long before the next twist or thrilling set piece. A Storm Of Swords is the book that sees Joffrey poisoned, the Red Wedding occur, Tyrion's trial by combat and the subsequent murder of Shae and Tywin...and that's just scratching the surface. It's not just these individual moments that make the book so good, though. It's the incredible ability to balance everything coherently and concisely. Despite the book's length, it never feels like it's plodding or padding: everything is as essential as it is captivating. It's possible that this is owing to the fact that A Storm of Swords was published just one year after A Clash Of Kings. At this point, Martin had already written a huge amount of material in quick succession, maintaining a sense of purpose and momentum which shines through in the book's concise plotting.
Brian Wilson
Contributor
Commonly found reading, sitting firmly in a seat at the cinema (bottle of water and a Freddo bar, please) or listening to the Mountain Goats.
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