A Storm of Swords

A Storm of Swords is the third volume in George R. R. Martin's cycle of novels that began with A Game of Thrones and continued in A Clash of Kings.

The book opens on a field of contenders who have already reduced themselves. Five parties want power, one of them is dead and another discredited, and the novel's method is to keep the fighting going through alliance and defection rather than through a single decisive campaign. Joffrey holds the Iron Throne and is described as an uneasy ruler, which is the book's summary of how secure the crown actually is. Lord Stannis, described as Joffrey's bitterest rival, begins this volume defeated in the field and disgraced, which leaves the war to be decided by alliances rather than by armies.

The series as a whole is presented by its publisher as a modern fantasy that joins magic, mystery, intrigue, romance and adventure in one setting, and this volume is the longest of the first three and the point at which the plotting becomes most compressed. Its reputation rests on the willingness to resolve long-running storylines abruptly, which is why it is often cited as a turning point in the cycle.