History Literature / ASongOfIceAndFire

For more information, see the [[Characters/ASongOfIceAndFire character sheet]], GRRM's "[[http://grrm.livejournal.com Not-a-blog]]" and [[http://www.winter-is-coming.net Winter Is Coming]], a central nexus for news on the TV show. Synopsis pages for each novel are in progress; in the meanwhile, feel free also to check out our [[Recap/GameOfThrones recap page]] for the show; HBO have been fairly faithful to the original material, and the recaps document any significant deviations.

* A [[http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/103343/a-game-of-thrones-the-board-game-second-edition table top strategy game]] has been published by Fantasy Flight Games.

For more information, see the [[Characters/ASongOfIceAndFire character sheet]], GRRM's "[[http://grrm.livejournal.com Not-a-blog]]" and [[http://www.winter-is-coming.net Winter Is Coming]], a central nexus for news on the TV show. Feel free also to check out our [[Recap/GameOfThrones recap page]] as well; while it focuses on the TV show, it still contains the gist of the novels (it is ''quite'' faithful) and documents any significant deviations.

The series has been received with great acclaim, with TIME Magazine even going so far as to brand Martin "the American [[Creator/JRRTolkien Tolkien]]." They share a SwitchingPOV and infrequent instances of magic, but ''Ice and Fire'' has so many narrators that there is no central protagonist. The series is located on the ''far'' end of the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism, with [[GrayAndGrayMorality moral ambiguity]] very prevalent and few clear-cut heroes or villains. Martin plays for keeps with his characters, and AnyoneCanDie, no matter who they are, how safe they seem, how beloved by fans they are or how important they are to the setting's stability. While a SaveTheWorldClimax has been foreshadowed ever since the prologue to the first book, it's taken five books of FourLinesAlWaiting for the MythArc to finally start coming together in earnest.

The series has been received with great acclaim, with TIME Magazine even going so far as to brand Martin "the American [[Creator/JRRTolkien Tolkien]]." They share a SwitchingPOV and infrequent instances of magic, but ''Ice and Fire'' has so many narrators that there is no central protagonist. The series is located on the ''far'' end of the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism, with [[GrayAndGrayMorality moral ambiguity]] very prevalent and few clear-cut heroes or villains. Martin plays for keeps with his characters, and AnyoneCanDie, no matter who they are, how safe they seem, how beloved by fans they are or how important they are to the setting's stability. While a SaveTheWorldClimax has been foreshadowed ever since the prologue to the first book, it's taken five books of ThreeLinesSomeWaiting for the MythArc to finally start coming together in earnest.

The series has been received with great acclaim, with TIME Magazine even going so far as to brand Martin "the American [[Creator/JRRTolkien Tolkien]]." They share a SwitchingPOV and infrequent instances of magic, but ''Ice and Fire'' has so many narrators that there is no central protagonist. The series is located on the ''far'' end of the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism, with [[GrayAndGrayMorality moral ambiguity]] very prevalent and few clear-cut heroes or villains. Martin plays for keeps with his characters, and AnyoneCanDie, no matter who they are, how safe they seem, how beloved by fans they are or how important they are to the setting's stability. While a SaveTheWorldClimax has been foreshadwed ever since the prologue to the first book, it's taken five books of ThreeLinesSomeWaiting for the MythArc to finally start coming together in earnest.

# ''The Winds of Winter'' (TBD)

The series has been received with great acclaim, with TIME Magazine even going so far as to brand Martin "the American [[Creator/JRRTolkien Tolkien]]." They share a SwitchingPOV and infrequent instances of magic, but ''Ice and Fire'' has so many narrators that there is no central protagonist. The series is located on the ''far'' end of the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism, with [[GrayAndGrayMorality moral ambiguity]] very prevalent and few clear-cut heroes or villains. Martin plays for keeps with his characters, and AnyoneCanDie, no matter who they are, how safe they seem, how beloved by fans they are or how important they are to the setting's stability. There is no SaveTheWorldClimax scenario yet either, but after four books the ThreeLinesSomeWaiting finally started coming together in a much-alluded MythArc of greater scope.

** ''The Rogue Prince, or, The King's Brother'': A novella narrating the exploits of Prince Daemon Targaryen, including the events leading to "The Princess and the Queen", published in June 2014 as part of an anthology of short stories Martin helped publish called ''Rogues.'' (Martin also provided the forward)

The series is primarily set on the continent of Westeros, in a world where the [[BizarreSeasons seasons can last for years]]. Fifteen years ago lords Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon, along with their foster father Jon Arryn, rose up in rebellion and overthrew the [[RoyallyScrewedUp Mad King Aerys Targaryen]]. They appointed Robert to the throne and drove Aerys' children into exile, breaking a 300-year dynasty of inbred kings. Now Eddard rules his northern homeland and raises his own family in peace. When Jon Arryn unexpectedly dies King Robert ventures north to name Eddard as the new Hand of the King, the most powerful man in the Seven Kingdoms after the king himself. Eddard must leave his home to join the corrupt court in King's Landing and find the truth about Jon's death, unwittingly setting into motion a civil war. Unbeknownst to all the vengeance-mad children of King Aerys, living in exile far away from Westeros, plot their return.

''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is a bestselling {{Doorstopper}} epic fantasy series written by Creator/GeorgeRRMartin. The first book (out of a planned seven) was published in 1996, and the series reached its fifth book in 2011. In addition to the main books there are a variety of spin-offs and related media, such as prequels and in-universe history texts.

The series is primarily set on the continent of Westeros, in a world where the [[BizarreSeasons seasons can last for years]]. Fifteen years ago, lords Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon, along with their foster father Jon Arryn, rose up in rebellion and overthrew the [[RoyallyScrewedUp Mad King Aerys Targaryen]]. They appointed Robert to the throne and drove Aerys' children into exile, breaking a 300-year dynasty of inbred kings. Now, Eddard rules his northern homeland and raises his own family in peace. When Jon Arryn unexpectedly dies, King Robert ventures north to name Eddard as the new Hand of the King, the most powerful man in the Seven Kingdoms after the king himself. Eddard must leave his home to join the corrupt court in King's Landing and find the truth about Jon's death, unwittingly setting into motion a civil war. Unbeknownst to all, the vengeance-mad children of King Aerys, living in exile far away from Westeros, plot their return.

Meanwhile, Eddard's acknowledged bastard Jon Snow ventures north to join the Night's Watch at the Wall, an ancient structure erected eons ago. The Wall is supposed to keep out the Others, a mysterious race of ice demons who once ravaged Westeros and nearly wiped out mankind. However, the Others have been unseen for so long that most living people think them a myth, and the once-honourable Watch has been reduced to a fraction of the size it once was and is now [[ArmyOfThievesAndWhores mostly composed of condemned criminals commuting their death sentences]]. The Others are prophesied to return in the Longest Night, a winter colder than any other, which will last forever if the Others should conquer Westeros. Naturally, at the time these novels are set, [[ArcWords winter is coming]], and it could not come at a worse time for a land which is soon to be engulfed in tyranny, civil war, and invaders from across the sea.

->''"For God's sake, let us sit upon the ground And tell sad stories of the death of kings; How some have been deposed; some slain in war, Some haunted by the ghosts they have deposed; Some poison'd by their wives: some sleeping kill'd; All murder'd: for within the hollow crown That rounds the mortal temples of a king Keeps Death his court and there the antic sits, Scoffing his state and grinning at his pomp, Allowing him a breath, a little scene, To monarchize, be fear'd and kill with looks, Infusing him with self and vain conceit, As if this flesh which walls about our life, Were brass impregnable, and humour'd thus Comes at the last and with a little pin Bores through his castle wall, and farewell king!"''
-->-- '''Richard II''', ''William Shakespeare ''

->''"For God's sake, let us sit upon the ground
And tell sad stories of the death of kings;
How some have been deposed; some slain in war,
Some haunted by the ghosts they have deposed;
Some poison'd by their wives: some sleeping kill'd;
All murder'd: for within the hollow crown
That rounds the mortal temples of a king
Keeps Death his court and there the antic sits,
Scoffing his state and grinning at his pomp,
Allowing him a breath, a little scene,
To monarchize, be fear'd and kill with looks,
Infusing him with self and vain conceit,
As if this flesh which walls about our life,
Were brass impregnable, and humour'd thus
Comes at the last and with a little pin
Bores through his castle wall, and farewell king!"''

''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is a bestselling {{Doorstopper}} epic fantasy series written by Creator/GeorgeRRMartin, considered to be his MagnumOpus. The first book (out of a planned seven) was published in 1996, and the series reached its fifth book in 2011. In addition to the main books there are a variety of spin-offs and related media, such as prequels and in-universe history texts.

'''''A Song of Ice and Fire''''' is a bestselling {{Doorstopper}} epic fantasy series written by Creator/GeorgeRRMartin, considered to be his MagnumOpus. The first book (out of a planned seven) was published in 1996, and the series reached its fifth book in 2011. In addition to the main books there are a variety of spin-offs and related media, such as prequels and in-universe history texts.

# ''The Winds of Winter'' (2016)

# ''The Winds of Winter'' (TBD)

->''"He is the prince that was promised, and his is [[TitleDrop the song of ice and fire]]."''

** ''The Rogue Prince, or, The King's Brother'': A novella narrating the exploits of Prince Daemon Targaryen, including the events leading to "The Princess and the Queen", published in June 2014.

The first three books were released over the course of a decade, with the next two over another. This has led to anxiety for some fans, as when ''A Storm of Swords'' was released, it ended on a cliffhanger, and then later ''A Feast for Crows'' and ''A Dance with Dragons'' suffered major structural problems that led to a lot of ScheduleSlip, exacerbated by Martin and/or over-eager vendors announcing publication dates only to miss them with little-to-no explanation. Repeat this a few times, during which time fellow {{Fantasy}} {{Doorstopper}} writer [[TheWheelOfTime Robert Jordan]] [[AuthorExistenceFailure passed away]], and the end result is a very worried and inpatient fanbase.

Meanwhile, Eddard's bastard son Jon Snow decides to go far north to the Wall, an ancient structure erected eons ago that is manned and protected by the Night's Watch, whom Jon Snow intends to join. The Wall is supposed to keep out the Others, a mysterious race of ice demons who once ravaged Westeros and nearly wiped out mankind. However, the Others have been unseen for so long that most living people think them a myth, and the once-honourable Watch has been reduced to a fraction of the size it once was and is now [[ArmyOfThievesAndWhores mostly composed of condemned criminals commuting their death sentences]]. The Others are prophesied to return in the Longest Night, a winter colder than any other, which will last forever if the Others should conquer Westeros. Naturally, at the time these novels are set, [[ArcWords winter is coming]], and it could not come at a worse time for a land which is soon to be engulfed in tyranny, civil war, and invaders from across the sea.

->''He is the prince that was promised, and his is [[TitleDrop the song of ice and fire]].''

# ''The Winds of Winter'' (2015)

# ''The Winds of Winter'' (TBD)