Reviewed by: Rabid Reads 
 The second installment of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series is even bloodier than the first. Although, this book is very different than A Game of Thrones it's still just as spellbinding. All hell has broken loose in the seven kingdoms and there are now five kings fighting for the Iron Throne. I found that HBO didn't stick quite as closely to the original story this time around so if you want the real scoop you'll have to bite the bullet and read all 761 pages of A Clash of Kings. I expect that this will continue to be the case for future season's because Martin's books keep getting longer and longer. Discouraged? I hear that the audio books are quite good and help make the descriptive writing and old school language easier to digest. 
 I immensely enjoyed all of the war games that are played in book 2. Battle tactics aren't as straightforward as you might think. I was especially impressed by Tyrion Lannister's cunning. He sets the beginnings of his plan in motion early on and at first you can't help but wonder what the heck he is doing. When his elaborate scheme finally comes together towards the end it only makes his actions all the more clever. I never thought that my favorite A Song of Ice and Fire character would be a dwarf but there you have it! It's still early in the series to say for sure but I'm really diggin' Tyrion's wit and sly ways. Plus, he tells Cersei and Joffrey where to stick it on several occasions. There's just something hilariously funny about a dwarf not only standing up to his royal family but actually winning his arguments and making them look bad. I can't wait for the rest of his story! 
 The format of this book is consistent with that of its predecessor. Each chapter is named after a character and follows their role in the war. In my opinion, there's good things and bad things to be said about this style of writing. I like that readers get inside of each character's head and that the point of view is constantly changing. There's never a dull moment! However, it can also cause quite a bit of confusion; especially when a character hasn't made an appearance for 50 chapters. After a while you start to forget where you last left them which caused me to feel frustrated at times. I hate having to backtrack while reading. The lengthy descriptions and old dialect are also trying at times. This isn't a book to read when the kids are screaming for dinner and the TV is blaring. It requires your full attention otherwise you're going to miss a few crucial details and ultimately end up lost. 
 A Clash of Kings isn't for the faint of heart. This story is overflowing with betrayal, violence and rape. These are the realities of war after all. I'm hoping that the next book focuses more on what's happening beyond the wall. I'm dying to learn more about the paranormal aspects of this fantasy series. War and politics make for a great story but I want to know about the Others, white walkers, dragons and the children of the forest. Let the kings fight amongst themselves for a while and bring on the big bads!