It’s like sex, dragons and rock `n’ roll. “A Storm of Swords,” the third book in George R. R. Martin’s wildly popular fantasy series “A Song of Ice and Fire,” can be summed up as such, but with enough politics and treachery to put Hamlet to shame.

The novel opens in a land of Seven Kingdoms, now broken and plagued by warfare. Several self-proclaimed kings are struggling for control of all the land, and pit their forces against one another.

Each king has a unique claim to the throne or some special circumstance that makes him the rightful heir to the Seven Kingdoms. Wars, limited diplomacy and assassination are constantly used to try to form alliances and crush opponents.

Meanwhile, Martin sends a dark shadow creeping over the land, something much more heinous than usurping kings. In the far north, standing guard on a 700 foot wall of earth and ice are the brave men of the Night’s Watch, protecting the realm from the evils beyond the wall.

Many years of tranquility north of the wall have left the forces of the Night’s Watch untested and the numbers at a minimum. Soon, legions of the undead, called `The Others,’ begin attacking and the men of the Night’s Watch are sorely unprepared.

The Night’s Watch turn to the Seven Kingdoms for assistance, but none of the kings are willing to commit forces, for fear of being defeated. Now the land will be torn by the greed of the quarreling kings who ignore the true enemy, which is creeping steadily toward the south.

Upon embarking on this highly recommended journey into Martin’s war torn land of Seven Kingdoms, one must observe certain rules that will set this world apart from a normal epic fantasy.

Rule one: Main characters are not immune to death. In this series, readers may be aghast at how ruthlessly and apathetically Martin kills off key characters. Significant characters from both sides of the battlefield will die, much to the dismay of readers who sympathize for them.

Rule two: Good and evil are extremely subjective. Making for astoundingly realistic characters, Martin goads the reader in to thinking a certain person is evil incarnate, but then causes confusion by making the person do something incredibly heroic and virtuous. Even after the third book in the series, readers may still be asking `Who are the good guys?’

Rule 3: Have no expectations. Martin exceeds expectations with devious plot twists causing impatient readers to flip ahead and see what fate awaits the beleaguered characters. Martin ends each chapter with characters’ lives and actions at a critical point, causing even the most patient reader’s fingers to itch.

Though this novel is quite large, the many-faceted plot leaves for piqued curiosity throughout its entirety. The main characters are strong and unpredictable. Even the small characters are not of the plug and play, one-dimensional variety

that are found in most epic fantasy.

If you enjoy fantasy and have not been reading it lately, this series is a great excuse to get back into it. George R. R. Martin is embarking on a monumental journey, a journey in which readers everywhere are invited to participate. Participating in this journey is very much recommended.

Luke Rolfes is a junior in English from Polk City.