Plot twists in a novel are impressive. To have your assumptions on how the narrative will turn out upended or be completely blindsided by a turn of events is a wonderful aspect of any story. It’s also incredibly difficult to pull of. The greatest example of this that I’ve found so far is located in George R.R. Martin’s A Clash of Kings.
In A Clash of Kings chaos reigns as the Seven Kingdoms fracture and begin fighting amongst themselves. At one point Theon Greyjoy seizes Winterfell, claiming it as his own. Bran–along with his younger brother and some allies–attempts to flee. Theon–needed them as hostages-pursues. What unfolds from here was so expertly written that I didn’t suspect the truth nearly until Martin revealed it.
The book is written to make you believe that Theon didn’t just pursue Bran and his brother, but that he killed them, put their heads on spikes, and left their bodies to rot–all of which gave me an overpowering physical desire to strangle Theon. Aside from that, Theon’s actions afterwards–including his apparent guilt–left me fully convinced of his actions. It wasn’t until just before he was captured and reading his thought process that I began to suspect that I’d set up. When I read the next chapter I knew the truth–I’d been had. Bran and his brother were still alive.
As plot twists go this one was pretty impressive. It takes a lot of skill to not only evoke emotion in a reader, but to trap them into believing that a set of events is actually true. To do that and then surprise them with the truth is a feat that I’ve rarely seen in books, and never done as well as it was here. I love plot twists in general, but this one is by far my favorite.
KES Writer's Blog 