History Literature / AStormOfSwords

* JustLikeRobinHood: The Brotherhood Without Banners starts out as this, with some pretty clear expies of the Merry Men (including a revered leader ShroudedInMyth, an alcoholic BadassPreacher, TheBigGuy, the ArcherArchetype, and TheBard). After a change in leadership, the group increasingly become [[KnightTemplar Knight Templars]], changing its goal from protecting and aiding the victims of war crimes to hanging war criminals, [[KangarooCourt people suspected of being war criminals, and relatives of war criminals]].

* SheCleansUpNicely: Catelyn notes that ActionGirl Dacey Mormont looks very nice at the wedding in an elegant dress. [[spoiler: When this turns into the Red Wedding, it evolves into KickingAssInAllHerFinery, as Dacey takes a couple of Freys down until she is dispatched]].

* CryForTheDevil: While he later gets over it, Tyrion's initial reaction to [[spoiler: Joffrey's horrific death]] is to feel the same feelings he would if it were to happen to any other child.
--> ''"He's only a boy."''

* AttemptedRape: Vargo Hoat tries to rape Brienne, who bites off his ear.

** Kraznys explains that each Unsullied has to kill a child in front of its mother, and then deliver financial compensation. When Daenerys asks if it's for the mother, Kraznys condescendingly says it's for the owner, not only showing himself to be a condescending {{jerkass}}, but showing he has no problem with the murder of children.

* ForWantOfANail: Oberyn Martell tells Tyrion in conversation how his elder sister Elia was smitten with young Baelor Hightower, until Baelor had [[{{Gasshole}} the misfortune to fart in the presence of the Martell siblings]] . Oberyn promptly nicknamed him "[[EmbarrassingNickname Baelor Breakwind]]" and after that Elia couldn't be in the same room with the poor boy without laughing at him, wrecking any chances of an ArrangedMarriage between the two. After hearing this story and knowing that Baelor Hightower is now a renowned knight, heir to an extremely powerful noble house and considered one of the most eligible bachelors in Westeros, Tyrion thinks that had Oberyn kept his mouth shut, Elia might still be alive and happily married to Baelor, instead of going on to marry Rhaegar Targaryen and ending up being murdered with the rest of the royal family during the final battle of the civil war her husband started when he abandoned Elia to elope with Lyanna Stark.

* VillainRespect: Stannis called Tyrion "dangerous" when he had been accused of [[spoiler:killing Joffrey]]. He also gives him his due for his actions at the Battle of the Blackwater.

* WorfHadTheFlu: Jaime recovering from imprisonment with his hands chained versus Brienne with two arrows in her and sworn to keep him alive. They're so evenly matched that she wins by sheer endurance.

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Littlefinger kills [[spoiler:Dontos]] when he has no further use for him and [[HeKnowsTooMuch couldn't risk him leaking any information]].

* King's Landing and the king's court are once again seen through the eyes of Tyrion Lannister and Sansa Stark.

* Riverrun and the northern army are presented through Catelyn Stark's perspective.
* Arya Stark introduces the Brotherhood without Banners, a band of Myth/{{Robin Hood}}-esque outlaws.

* Daenerys Targaryen once again gives the events on the east.

''A Storm of Swords'' is currently the longest book in the series. Due to length, the UK paperback edition was split into two parts: ''Steel and Snow'' and ''Blood and Gold''. The events of the book are also spread out amongst the third, fourth, and fifth seasons of HBO's ''Series/GameOfThrones''.

* DeceasedFallGuyGambit: Tywin Lannister tries to put the blame of Elia Martell's murder on the recently deceased Amory Lorch. Oberyn Martell does not believe it [[spoiler:and he's right.]]