A Clash of Kings Review and Discussion Questions

Just one little tidbit of business before we get into A Clash of Kings.  I know it seems early to be talking about our book for September, but August 11th will get here sooner than you think.  Please be thinking about some titles and I'll have something posted by the end of the week.

I have been trying in vain to write a review for this book that wasn't a novel in and of itself.  So I've decided that I'm going to post links to some reviews that I think do a better job than I would ever do and then the discussion questions I've come up with.  Hopefully this works for everyone and please let me know what you think of this new format.  Some of the discussion questions and their answers may be a little bit spoilery so please continue reading after the break.

So here are some of the better reviews for A Clash of Kings that I've found.

The Eyrie (appropriately named, don't you think)
http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/reviews/books/0-553-57990-8.html

The Literary Omnivore
http://theliteraryomnivore.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/review-a-clash-of-kings/

Wikipedia- It might seem a little cheesy to go there, but it's one of the only sites that gives a fairly in-depth review of the plot.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Clash_of_Kings

Discussion Questions

• This book seems to be about journeys and hardship.  Whose journey do you think is the hardest?
• Did your opinion of any of the characters change from A Game of Thrones?
• This book, more than A Game of Thrones, focuses on the religions of Westeros and abroad.  Did you like the way George RR Martin handled this often sticky subject?
• Do you have a hard time picking a side?  I find that I like one or two of the characters on each side of the war.
• Do you think Arya would have been better off staying in Kings Landing as a Lannister hostage?
• What did you think of Jaqen H'ghar?  Do you think that Arya was smart to trust him or his iron coin?
• Why do you think, of all the contenders for the Iron Throne, Daenerys is the only one we get to see as a point of view?
• What do think happened to Theon?  Do you even care?
• Do you think that Sansa should have left with the Hound on the night of the Battle of Blackwater Bay?  Should she still be trusting Ser Dontos?
• What do you think of Stannis?  His claim to the throne is the best, considering what we know of Joffrey's parentage, but was Renly right to think that the people wouldn't want him as their king?
• Do you think Bran is the first to discover his new power because he is crippled and so badly wants a way out?
• Why do you think Qhorin Halfhand told Jon to switch sides, to join the wildlings?
• Do you think that it was Cersei that tried to have Tyrion killed during the battle or maybe someone else?