A Wiki of Ice and Fire - User contributions [en]

A Feast for Crows

2008-02-16T07:05:05Z

Eleventh: /* On the Iron Islands */

{{infobox Book | 
| name = A Feast for Crows
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = [[Image:AFeastForCrows.jpg|200px]]
| image_caption = US Hardcover Edition
| author = [[George R. R. Martin]]
| cover_artist =
| country = United States
| language = English
| series = [[A Song of Ice and Fire]]
| genre = Fantasy novel
| publisher = Voyager Books (UK) & Bantam Books (US)
| release_date = 17 October 2005 (UK) & 8 November 2005 (US)
| pages = 753 (US Hardback), 704 (UK Hardback), 1104 (US Paperback)
| isbn = ISBN 0-553-80150-3 (US Hardback), ISBN 0-00-224743-7 (UK Hardback), ISBN 0-553-58202-X (US Paperback)
| preceded_by = [[A Storm of Swords]]
| followed_by = [[A Dance with Dragons]] (forthcoming)
}}

'''''A Feast for Crows''''' is the fourth of seven planned novels in ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'', an epic fantasy series by American author [[George R. R. Martin]]. The novel was first published on October 17 2005 in the United Kingdom, with a United States edition following on [[November 8]] [[2005]]; however, it appeared ahead of the publication date in several UK bookshops. Its publication was preceded by a novella named ''Arms of the Kraken'', which collected the first four Iron Islands chapters together. ''Arms of the Kraken'' was published in the August 2002 edition of Dragon Magazine. Another chapbook featuring three [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]] chapters was published for BookExpo 2005, although these chapters were subsequently moved into the fifth volume, ''[[A Dance with Dragons]]''.

Like its predecessor ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'', ''A Feast for Crows'' was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel, one of the two most prestigious awards in science fiction and fantasy publishing, although it lost out the 2006 ballot to Robert Charles Wilson's ''Spin''. ''A Feast for Crows'' was also the first novel in the sequence to debut at the top of the ''New York Times'' bestseller list, a feat among fantasy writers only previously achieved by David Eddings, Robert Jordan and Neil Gaiman.

Due to complexities that arose during the writing process, ''A Feast for Crows'' only includes some of the POV characters from the past novels, as well as some new characters who appear only briefly. The remaining characters will return in ''A Dance with Dragons'', the fifth book.

==Plot summary==
{{spoilers}}
''A Feast for Crows'' picks up the tale where ''A Storm of Swords'' left off and runs simultaneously with events in the following novel, ''A Dance with Dragons''. The [[War of the Five Kings]] seems to be winding down. [[Robb Stark]], [[Joffrey Baratheon]], [[Renly Baratheon]] and [[Balon Greyjoy]] are dead. King [[Stannis Baratheon]] has fled to the [[Wall]], where [[Jon Snow]] has become Lord Commander. King [[Tommen Baratheon]], Joffrey's eight-year-old brother, now rules in King's Landing under the watchful eye of his mother, the Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]]. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] is dead, murdered by his son [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] in his flight from the city. [[Sansa Stark]] is in hiding in the Vale, protected by [[Petyr Baelish]] who has murdered his wife [[Lysa Arryn]] and named himself Protector of the Vale and guardian of eight-year-old Lord [[Robert Arryn]].

The novel spans several months in the first half of the year 300 After the Landing, possibly longer.

===In the Seven Kingdoms===
In the city of [[Oldtown]], a young [[Maesters of the Citadel|novice of the Citadel]] named Pate steals a master key from one of the maesters and sells it to a mysterious man calling himself the Alchemist. Shortly after receiving his payment, Pate collapses in the street.

In the city of [[King's Landing]], the funeral of Tywin Lannister is held. To Cersei's distaste, Lord [[Mace Tyrell]] tries to use the occasion to put himself forward for the position of [[Hand of the King]] and get one of his retainers from [[Highgarden]] installed on the [[Small Council]]. Cersei rebuffs him and asks her uncle [[Kevan Lannister|Kevan]] to serve as Hand. Kevan says he will accept only if Cersei steps down as Regent and returns to [[Casterly Rock]] as Tywin's heir. Cersei furiously refuses him and Kevan leaves to help his son [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]] rule his new castle of [[Darry]] in the Riverlands. Eventually, she names the biddable [[Harys Swyft]] the Hand and fills the rest of the Small Council with her minions, including [[Gyles Rosby]] as Master of Coin, the sellsail [[Aurane Waters]] as Commander of the Royal Fleet, and the disgraced ex-Maester [[Qyburn]] as Master of Whisperers.

At the [[Wall]], [[Samwell Tarly]] receives a new mission from Jon Snow. He is to take [[Maester Aemon]] back to the Citadel in Oldtown by sea and research the [[Others]] in the archives there. The information may be essential in a possible war to come. The [[wildling]] girl [[Gilly]] and the singer [[Dareon]] will accompany them as well. Jon is busy rebuilding the Watch following the [[battle before the Wall]], and is concerned over Melisandre's plans to burn the captive [[Mance Rayder]] in an attempt to resurrect stone dragons. Sam, Aemon, and Gilly take ship across the Narrow Sea for the [[Free Cities|Free City]] of [[Braavos]], but Aemon's health begins to fail him. Gilly cries throughout the journey, and Aemon reveals that she was forced to swap her baby with Mance's at the Wall (again to avoid Melisandre's fires). In Braavos, Aemon's health takes a turn for the worse and they miss the ship that was supposed to take them south. Dareon makes money singing, but constantly spends it on wine and prostitutes, leaving the group stranded. Dareon also hears rumours in the city of a three-headed dragon in [[Meereen]]. After Sam violently confronts Dareon, he meets a [[Summer Islander]] who saw [[Daenerys Targaryen]]'s dragons in [[Qarth]]. Aemon comes to believe that Daenerys fulfills the prophecy of the [[Prince Who Was Promised]], reasoning that dragons are hermaphroditic. He resolves to travel to Meereen, and the Summer Islanders agree to take them south to Oldtown as part of the journey. At sea, Aemon dies of natural causes. His last instructions to Sam are to tell the maesters of the Citadel what has happened and make them understand they must send aid to Daenerys. Gilly and Sam become lovers along the way.

In the Free City of Braavos, [[Arya Stark]] finds her way to the [[House of Black and White]], a temple to the Many-Faced God. There Arya is inducted into the ranks of the [[Faceless Men]] as a novice. She learns that the Faceless Men are not simply a band of skilled assassins, but also a religious sect dating long before the Doom of [[Valyria]]. They consider their assassinations to be holy sacraments to their god of death. As Faceless Men must have no true identity, Arya assumes the role of 'Cat of the Canals' and becomes a familiar sight on the streets of the city. However, her old identity occasionally slips through. She hides her sword [[Needle]] rather than discarding it and later kills Dareon for forsaking his vows to the Night's Watch. The priests of the House of Black and White strike her blind by some means, but it is unclear whether this is part of her training or punishment for her transgressions.

[[Brienne of Tarth]] continues her quest to find Sansa. She is found by [[Podrick Payne]], Tyrion's former squire, and agrees to let him accompany her. They pass north through the town of [[Duskendale]], where they encounter the Tyrell army under Lord [[Randyll Tarly]] and are joined by an old acquaintance of Brienne, Ser [[Hyle Hunt]]. Brienne's explorations take her along [[Crackclaw Point]], where she kills several of the now-scattered [[Bloody Mummers]], and to a septry in the estuary of the River Trident. The Elder Brother of the septry tells her that he found [[Sandor Clegane]] dying under a tree and learned that he had been with Arya Stark, who fled towards the coast. Brienne's pursuit takes her to [[Maidenpool]] and the [[Saltpans]], but she can find no sign of Arya. Her group runs across the remnants of the [[Brotherhood Without Banners]], who take her captive. [[Thoros of Myr]] tells her that [[Beric Dondarrion]] died, giving up his borrowed life to save another. They take her to the undead Catelyn Stark, whom they name 'Lady Stoneheart'. Catelyn believes that Brienne has betrayed her by allowing Jaime to go free without returning with her daughters. She orders her, Podrick, and Hunt hanged. As they dangle on the noose, "[Brienne] screamed a word."

[[Paxter Redwyne|Paxter Redwyne's]] fleet of the Arbor arrives at [[Dragonstone]] and the castle is put under siege, whilst Mace Tyrell leads his army south to invest [[Storm's End]] and end the pretensions of Stannis's loyalists in the south once and for all. Cersei has the [[High Septon]] murdered so that he can be replaced by someone loyal to her, but the newcomer turns out to be a zealous [[martinet]] who has the support of the war-refugees that now throng in the city. He offers to speed up Tommen's coronation and forgive the crown its debts to the church if Cersei will restore the [[Faith Militant]]. Cersei agrees, to the horror of [[Grand Maester Pycelle]].

In the [[Eyrie]], Littlefinger is confronted by several of the lords of the [[The Vale of Arryn|Vale]], who are unhappy with him becoming their de facto ruler after the death of Lady Lysa Arryn. One of the lords, whom Littlefinger bribed ahead of time, breaks custom by baring steel during the meeting. Littlefinger uses the insult to turn the tables on the lords, who eventually allow him to remain Lord Protector of little Lord Robert Arryn for the next year. Afterwards, Littlefinger discusses the deception with Sansa (who is posing as his bastard daughter, Alayne Stone) and is impressed at how quickly she picks up on the subtleties of his scheme. He reveals to her that if something should happen to little Robert, the Eyrie and the name Arryn will pass to [[Harry Hardyng]], a distant nephew of the house, and if Harry and Sansa were to wed, that would give her an army with which to reclaim Winterfell. Whilst Sansa thinks on this, the weather is worsening, a sure sign that winter is almost upon the Seven Kingdoms, and the household of the Eyrie move to the [[Gates of the Moon]] at the base of the mountain the Eyrie rests on. During the move Sansa befriends [[Mya Stone]], one of the late King Robert Baratheon's bastard daughters. Sansa also becomes a new mother figure for sickly Robert Arryn.

Jaime departs King's Landing to help end the siege of [[Riverrun]], where the [[House Frey|Frey]] and [[House Lannister|Lannister]] besiegers are still defied by Lord Edmure Tully's uncle and castellan, [[Brynden Tully|Brynden]] the 'Blackfish'. Jaime has the captive Edmure brought down from [[The Twins]] and promises not to harm him and to allow the smallfolk of the castle to remain if Brynden surrenders. After a lengthy siege, in which Edmure is made to stand on a gibbet in a failed attempt by the Freys at a threat, Brynden refuses Jaime's terms of surrender. Jaime cuts Edmure down and negotiates a surrender with him, as he is the true lord of the castle. Edmure is returned to Riverrun, but delays his surrender for half a day, slipping his uncle out one of Riverrun's water gates, past the Lannister siege. Furious, Jaime has Edmure sent under heavy guard to Casterly Rock. [[Emmon Frey]] takes his appointed place as Lord of Riverrun. Shortly after the siege has ended, snowflakes start falling across the Riverlands. Winter has come. Jaime realizes that there will be no time for another harvest. The Seven Kingdoms will suffer harshly in what is to come.

The [[The Iron Islands|ironborn]] strike hard along the coast of the Reach, conquering the Shield Islands and virtually blockading the mouth of the [[Honeywine]] and the route into Oldtown. Furious, [[Margaery Tyrell]] and her brother [[Loras Tyrell|Loras]] ask Cersei for aid, but Cersei is reluctant to give it. She gives permission for Lord Redwyne to take his fleet home and destroy the ironborn, but only once Dragonstone is taken. Loras leads an assault on the castle and takes it, but is reported grievously injured in the process. Margaery's protestations vex Cersei, causing her to doubt her future role as Tommen's wife. She conceives a plan to ruin Margaery by framing her to the [[Faith]] for sleeping with one of Cersei's guardsmen. Unfortunately the plan backfires when the new High Septon has the guardsman scourged to ensure the truth of the matter, and he confesses about Cersei's many impropieties as well. The Faith arrests both Cersei and Margaery. Kevan Lannister is recalled to take over as Regent and Hand. Cersei's summons for Jaime to return and defend her go unanswered. Mace Tyrell lifts the siege of Storm's End barely weeks after it began to race back to the capital and learn the fate of his daughter, whilst Randyll Tarly marches on the city from the north. Meanwhile, Aurane Waters absconds with the newly-rebuilt royal fleet.

Sam's ship reaches Oldtown, barely evading the ironborn reavers. They learn that the ironborn have raided and seized territories on the [[The Arbor|Arbor]] and failed an attempt to burn the city harbor of Oldtown. Sam goes to the Citadel, but is intercepted by Archmaester Marwyn. Marwyn reveals that the other archmaesters will not be impressed or moved by Sam's revelations about Daenerys. When Sam asks how Marwyn knows that he was coming, Marwyn reveals that the Citadel has some of the ancient Valyrian obsidian candles, through which they could see things from afar. Marwyn states that nearly two centuries ago the maesters helped kill the last of the dragons to rid the world of magic forever, but now it is returning. Marwyn departs immediately for Slaver's Bay, telling Sam to study hard and fast, for the Wall will need his services. Sam is left in the company of two students, Alleras the Sphinx and a boy named Pate.

===On the Iron Islands===
Following the death of King [[Balon Greyjoy]], a [[kingsmoot]] is summoned by [[Aeron Damphair]], Balon's youngest brother and the most respected priest of the [[Drowned God]]. With [[Theon Greyjoy]] a prisoner of the [[House Bolton|Boltons]] at the [[The Dreadfort|Dreadfort]], the strongest candidates are Balon's brothers [[Victarion Greyjoy|Victarion]] and [[Euron Greyjoy|Euron Crow's Eye]], who has just returned from reaving in the east. [[Asha Greyjoy]], Balon's daughter, also tries to claim the [[Seastone Chair]] in spite of her sex. The moot is deadlocked between the three until Euron reveals his plan to seize control of Daenerys's dragons through the use of magic and so rule Westeros. The moot crowns Euron king, and Asha disappears with her ship northwards. Aeron, who considers Euron ungodly, also leaves to gain popular support against him.

Euron launches an ambitious campaign against the [[The Reach|Reach]], sending ships under his brother Victarion to conquer the [[Shield Islands]] and raid the coast. Initial appetites for plunder are sated by the raids in [[Westeros]], however, and both support for Euron's trip [[across the narrow sea]] and his hold over the ironmen dwindles. He realizes that he must remain and consolidate his control. Victarion agrees to go to [[Slaver's Bay]] and deliver Euron's marriage proposal to Daenerys. However, Victarion hates Euron for sleeping with his wife and decides to get revenge by courting Daenerys himself.

===In Dorne===
In [[Sunspear]], the capital of [[Dorne]], news is received of the death of [[House Martell#Oberyn|Oberyn Martell]] at the hands of [[Gregor Clegane]], although Gregor was mortally wounded in the same battle. Oberyn's bastard daughters, the [[Sand Snakes]], demand various plans for vengeance, including attacking Oldtown and raiding the Reach. Prince Doran Martell has them locked up to prevent them from doing anything too precipitous, and sends word to King's Landing confirming his loyalty. His eldest daughter and heir (due to Dorne's equal primogeniture), [[Arianne Martell|Arianne]] is disgusted with her father's weakness and suspicious that her father would prefer to supplant her with her brother [[Quentyn Martell|Quentyn]], who she learns has vanished eastwards on unknown business. Princess [[Myrcella Baratheon]], elder sister to King Tommen, is in Sunspear, as she has been betrothed to [[Trystane Martell]], and Arianne hatches a plan to crown Myrcella Queen of the Seven Kingdoms according to Dornish law and reignite the war. Her attempts are thwarted, however. Ser Arys Oakheart, the [[Kingsguard]] guarding Myrcella, is killed in a melee and Myrcella is injured. Arianne is imprisoned for her actions.

Prince Doran finally lets his daughter visit him and learns of her grievances. He explains that whilst he had intended Quentyn to follow him as Prince of Dorne, he had a greater role in mind for Arianne: she was to have become Queen of all Westeros. Arianne is confused, but learns that Doran planned to wed her to [[Viserys Targaryen]], but that plan was thwarted when [[Khal Drogo]] killed Viserys. Now the plan has changed. Quentyn is on his way to Slaver's Bay to find and win the Martells' heart's desire: "Fire and Blood."

==Characters==
The tale is told through the point of view of 12 POV characters and, as with previous volumes, a one-off prologue POV.

*Prologue: Pate, a novice of the maesters in Oldtown.
*The Prophet, The Drowned Man: [[Aeron Greyjoy|Aeron "Damphair" Greyjoy]]
*The Captain of the Guards: Areo Hotah, Captain of Guards to Prince [[Doran Martell]] of Dorne
*The Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]]
*[[Brienne of Tarth|Lady Brienne, the Maid of Tarth]]
*[[Samwell Tarly]]
*[[Arya Stark]], later referred to as "Cat of the Canals"
*Ser [[Jaime Lannister]], Lord Commander of the Kingsguard
*[[Sansa Stark]], pretending to be Lord [[Petyr Baelish]]'s bastard daughter "Alayne Stone" (by which name some of her chapters are known)
*The Kraken's Daughter: [[Asha Greyjoy]], King Balon's daughter
*The Soiled Knight: Ser [[Arys Oakheart]] of the Kingsguard
*The Iron Captain, The Reaver: [[Victarion Greyjoy]], King Balon's brother
*The Queenmaker, The Princess in the Tower: [[Arianne Martell]], a Dornish princess

{{endspoiler}}

==Delay in publication==
The novel was published five years and two months after the previous volume in the series, ''A Storm of Swords''. This was due to a series of problems that arose during the writing of the novel. George R. R. Martin originally planned for the fourth book to be called ''A Dance with Dragons'' with the story picking up five years after the events of ''A Storm of Swords'' (primarily to advance the ages of the younger characters). However, during the writing process it was discovered that this was leading to an overreliance on flashbacks to fill in the gap. After twelve months or so of working on the book, Martin decided to abandon much of what had previously been written and start again, this time picking up immediately after the end of ''A Storm of Swords''. He announced this decision, along with the new title ''A Feast for Crows'', at the World Science Fiction Convention in [[Philadelphia]] on [[1 September]] [[2001]] [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Month/2001/09/]. He also announced that ''A Dance with Dragons'' would now be the fifth book in the sequence.

The reason for the subsequent delays were that the novel grew too long and the format changed from the previous book, with the introduction of short-lived POV characters who only had one or two chapters apiece. Martin also wrote a 250-page prologue to the novel which he then scrapped and scattered throughout the novel. Finally, when the novel was nearing completion his publishers realised it was significantly longer than ''A Storm of Swords'' and requested it be split in half for publication. After initially considering publishing it as 'Part 1' and 'Part 2', Martin's friend and fellow author [[Daniel Abraham (author)|Daniel Abraham]] suggested splitting it by POV and location instead, which Martin agreed with. Thus ''A Feast for Crows'' only contains the POV characters from the South of the Seven Kingdoms and the Iron Islands. The characters in the North, in the Free Cities and in Meereen (including fan-favourites Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen) will return in the fifth book. The split of the novel also meant that the series would be seven rather than six books long. ''A Dance with Dragons'' remains the title of the fifth book.

Martin supplied a note at the end of ''A Feast for Crows'' explaining the reason for the split and promising that ''A Dance with Dragons'' would follow with the missing POV characters 'next year'. However, subsequently Martin embarked on a four-month signing tour in the US, [[Canada]] and [[Europe]] at the request of his publishers and lost that time in writing the novel, which is now expected some time in [[2007]].

==Allusions/references to other works==
Bakkalon, the Pale Child, is one of the Gods worshipped mostly by soldiers at the House of Black and White. This god appeared already in Martin's 1975 story ''And Seven Times Never Kill Man'' (where he is worshipped by a religious sect called ''Steel Angels''), as well as in some other stories of the same era.

In Oldtown, mention is made that Maester Rigney believes that time is a wheel. This could possibly allude to fantasy author [[Robert Jordan]] and his popular series, ''[[The Wheel of Time]]'', as Jordan's true name is James Rigney. Another character, the southern noble Lord Trebor Jordayne of the Tor, is also an allusion to Jordan, [[Tor Books]] being Jordan's best-known publisher, and the name Trebor itself being an anagram of Robert.

In the Chapter "Cat of the Canals" a reference is made to a story about the "Lord of the Woeful Countance," which is believed to be a reference to Don Quixote.

==Release details==
*2005, UK, Voyager ISBN 0-00-224743-7, Pub date 17 October 2005, hardback
*2005, UK, Voyager ISBN 0-00-722463-X, Pub date ? ? 2005, hardback (presentation edition)
*2005, USA, Spectra Books ISBN 0-553-80150-3, Pub date 8 November 2005, hardback
*2006, UK, Voyager ISBN 0-00-224742-9, Pub date 25 April 2006, paperback

==Translations==
*Bulgarian: Bard (2006) : Пир за Врани
*Croatian: Algoritam (2006): ''Gozba vrana''
*Dutch: Luitingh (2006): ''Een feestmaal voor kraaien''
*French: Hardcover: Pygmalion (2006-...): ''Le chaos'', ''Les sables de Dorne'' (to be released), possibly additional unnamed books
*German: Single volume, Fantasy Productions (2006): ''Krähenfest'' (to be released). Two volumes, Blanvalet (2006): ''Zeit der Krähen'', ''Die dunkle Königin'' (to be released).
*Italian: Il Dominio della Regina (Volume 1, 2006), more to come.
*Serbian: Laguna (2006): Gozba za vrane

==Awards and nominations==
*[[Hugo Award]] – Best Novel (nominated) – (2006)
*[[British Fantasy Award]] – Best Novel (nominated) – (2006)
*Quill Award – Best Novel (Science Fiction & Fantasy) (nominated) – (2006)

==External links==
* [http://www.georgerrmartin.com GeorgeRRMartin.com] - official website of the author.

==References and sources==
{{EnWP|A Feast for Crows}}

[[Category:Books]]

A Feast for Crows

2008-02-16T07:00:29Z

Eleventh: /* Characters */

{{infobox Book | 
| name = A Feast for Crows
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = [[Image:AFeastForCrows.jpg|200px]]
| image_caption = US Hardcover Edition
| author = [[George R. R. Martin]]
| cover_artist =
| country = United States
| language = English
| series = [[A Song of Ice and Fire]]
| genre = Fantasy novel
| publisher = Voyager Books (UK) & Bantam Books (US)
| release_date = 17 October 2005 (UK) & 8 November 2005 (US)
| pages = 753 (US Hardback), 704 (UK Hardback), 1104 (US Paperback)
| isbn = ISBN 0-553-80150-3 (US Hardback), ISBN 0-00-224743-7 (UK Hardback), ISBN 0-553-58202-X (US Paperback)
| preceded_by = [[A Storm of Swords]]
| followed_by = [[A Dance with Dragons]] (forthcoming)
}}

'''''A Feast for Crows''''' is the fourth of seven planned novels in ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'', an epic fantasy series by American author [[George R. R. Martin]]. The novel was first published on October 17 2005 in the United Kingdom, with a United States edition following on [[November 8]] [[2005]]; however, it appeared ahead of the publication date in several UK bookshops. Its publication was preceded by a novella named ''Arms of the Kraken'', which collected the first four Iron Islands chapters together. ''Arms of the Kraken'' was published in the August 2002 edition of Dragon Magazine. Another chapbook featuring three [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]] chapters was published for BookExpo 2005, although these chapters were subsequently moved into the fifth volume, ''[[A Dance with Dragons]]''.

Like its predecessor ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'', ''A Feast for Crows'' was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel, one of the two most prestigious awards in science fiction and fantasy publishing, although it lost out the 2006 ballot to Robert Charles Wilson's ''Spin''. ''A Feast for Crows'' was also the first novel in the sequence to debut at the top of the ''New York Times'' bestseller list, a feat among fantasy writers only previously achieved by David Eddings, Robert Jordan and Neil Gaiman.

Due to complexities that arose during the writing process, ''A Feast for Crows'' only includes some of the POV characters from the past novels, as well as some new characters who appear only briefly. The remaining characters will return in ''A Dance with Dragons'', the fifth book.

==Plot summary==
{{spoilers}}
''A Feast for Crows'' picks up the tale where ''A Storm of Swords'' left off and runs simultaneously with events in the following novel, ''A Dance with Dragons''. The [[War of the Five Kings]] seems to be winding down. [[Robb Stark]], [[Joffrey Baratheon]], [[Renly Baratheon]] and [[Balon Greyjoy]] are dead. King [[Stannis Baratheon]] has fled to the [[Wall]], where [[Jon Snow]] has become Lord Commander. King [[Tommen Baratheon]], Joffrey's eight-year-old brother, now rules in King's Landing under the watchful eye of his mother, the Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]]. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] is dead, murdered by his son [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] in his flight from the city. [[Sansa Stark]] is in hiding in the Vale, protected by [[Petyr Baelish]] who has murdered his wife [[Lysa Arryn]] and named himself Protector of the Vale and guardian of eight-year-old Lord [[Robert Arryn]].

The novel spans several months in the first half of the year 300 After the Landing, possibly longer.

===In the Seven Kingdoms===
In the city of [[Oldtown]], a young [[Maesters of the Citadel|novice of the Citadel]] named Pate steals a master key from one of the maesters and sells it to a mysterious man calling himself the Alchemist. Shortly after receiving his payment, Pate collapses in the street.

In the city of [[King's Landing]], the funeral of Tywin Lannister is held. To Cersei's distaste, Lord [[Mace Tyrell]] tries to use the occasion to put himself forward for the position of [[Hand of the King]] and get one of his retainers from [[Highgarden]] installed on the [[Small Council]]. Cersei rebuffs him and asks her uncle [[Kevan Lannister|Kevan]] to serve as Hand. Kevan says he will accept only if Cersei steps down as Regent and returns to [[Casterly Rock]] as Tywin's heir. Cersei furiously refuses him and Kevan leaves to help his son [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]] rule his new castle of [[Darry]] in the Riverlands. Eventually, she names the biddable [[Harys Swyft]] the Hand and fills the rest of the Small Council with her minions, including [[Gyles Rosby]] as Master of Coin, the sellsail [[Aurane Waters]] as Commander of the Royal Fleet, and the disgraced ex-Maester [[Qyburn]] as Master of Whisperers.

At the [[Wall]], [[Samwell Tarly]] receives a new mission from Jon Snow. He is to take [[Maester Aemon]] back to the Citadel in Oldtown by sea and research the [[Others]] in the archives there. The information may be essential in a possible war to come. The [[wildling]] girl [[Gilly]] and the singer [[Dareon]] will accompany them as well. Jon is busy rebuilding the Watch following the [[battle before the Wall]], and is concerned over Melisandre's plans to burn the captive [[Mance Rayder]] in an attempt to resurrect stone dragons. Sam, Aemon, and Gilly take ship across the Narrow Sea for the [[Free Cities|Free City]] of [[Braavos]], but Aemon's health begins to fail him. Gilly cries throughout the journey, and Aemon reveals that she was forced to swap her baby with Mance's at the Wall (again to avoid Melisandre's fires). In Braavos, Aemon's health takes a turn for the worse and they miss the ship that was supposed to take them south. Dareon makes money singing, but constantly spends it on wine and prostitutes, leaving the group stranded. Dareon also hears rumours in the city of a three-headed dragon in [[Meereen]]. After Sam violently confronts Dareon, he meets a [[Summer Islander]] who saw [[Daenerys Targaryen]]'s dragons in [[Qarth]]. Aemon comes to believe that Daenerys fulfills the prophecy of the [[Prince Who Was Promised]], reasoning that dragons are hermaphroditic. He resolves to travel to Meereen, and the Summer Islanders agree to take them south to Oldtown as part of the journey. At sea, Aemon dies of natural causes. His last instructions to Sam are to tell the maesters of the Citadel what has happened and make them understand they must send aid to Daenerys. Gilly and Sam become lovers along the way.

In the Free City of Braavos, [[Arya Stark]] finds her way to the [[House of Black and White]], a temple to the Many-Faced God. There Arya is inducted into the ranks of the [[Faceless Men]] as a novice. She learns that the Faceless Men are not simply a band of skilled assassins, but also a religious sect dating long before the Doom of [[Valyria]]. They consider their assassinations to be holy sacraments to their god of death. As Faceless Men must have no true identity, Arya assumes the role of 'Cat of the Canals' and becomes a familiar sight on the streets of the city. However, her old identity occasionally slips through. She hides her sword [[Needle]] rather than discarding it and later kills Dareon for forsaking his vows to the Night's Watch. The priests of the House of Black and White strike her blind by some means, but it is unclear whether this is part of her training or punishment for her transgressions.

[[Brienne of Tarth]] continues her quest to find Sansa. She is found by [[Podrick Payne]], Tyrion's former squire, and agrees to let him accompany her. They pass north through the town of [[Duskendale]], where they encounter the Tyrell army under Lord [[Randyll Tarly]] and are joined by an old acquaintance of Brienne, Ser [[Hyle Hunt]]. Brienne's explorations take her along [[Crackclaw Point]], where she kills several of the now-scattered [[Bloody Mummers]], and to a septry in the estuary of the River Trident. The Elder Brother of the septry tells her that he found [[Sandor Clegane]] dying under a tree and learned that he had been with Arya Stark, who fled towards the coast. Brienne's pursuit takes her to [[Maidenpool]] and the [[Saltpans]], but she can find no sign of Arya. Her group runs across the remnants of the [[Brotherhood Without Banners]], who take her captive. [[Thoros of Myr]] tells her that [[Beric Dondarrion]] died, giving up his borrowed life to save another. They take her to the undead Catelyn Stark, whom they name 'Lady Stoneheart'. Catelyn believes that Brienne has betrayed her by allowing Jaime to go free without returning with her daughters. She orders her, Podrick, and Hunt hanged. As they dangle on the noose, "[Brienne] screamed a word."

[[Paxter Redwyne|Paxter Redwyne's]] fleet of the Arbor arrives at [[Dragonstone]] and the castle is put under siege, whilst Mace Tyrell leads his army south to invest [[Storm's End]] and end the pretensions of Stannis's loyalists in the south once and for all. Cersei has the [[High Septon]] murdered so that he can be replaced by someone loyal to her, but the newcomer turns out to be a zealous [[martinet]] who has the support of the war-refugees that now throng in the city. He offers to speed up Tommen's coronation and forgive the crown its debts to the church if Cersei will restore the [[Faith Militant]]. Cersei agrees, to the horror of [[Grand Maester Pycelle]].

In the [[Eyrie]], Littlefinger is confronted by several of the lords of the [[The Vale of Arryn|Vale]], who are unhappy with him becoming their de facto ruler after the death of Lady Lysa Arryn. One of the lords, whom Littlefinger bribed ahead of time, breaks custom by baring steel during the meeting. Littlefinger uses the insult to turn the tables on the lords, who eventually allow him to remain Lord Protector of little Lord Robert Arryn for the next year. Afterwards, Littlefinger discusses the deception with Sansa (who is posing as his bastard daughter, Alayne Stone) and is impressed at how quickly she picks up on the subtleties of his scheme. He reveals to her that if something should happen to little Robert, the Eyrie and the name Arryn will pass to [[Harry Hardyng]], a distant nephew of the house, and if Harry and Sansa were to wed, that would give her an army with which to reclaim Winterfell. Whilst Sansa thinks on this, the weather is worsening, a sure sign that winter is almost upon the Seven Kingdoms, and the household of the Eyrie move to the [[Gates of the Moon]] at the base of the mountain the Eyrie rests on. During the move Sansa befriends [[Mya Stone]], one of the late King Robert Baratheon's bastard daughters. Sansa also becomes a new mother figure for sickly Robert Arryn.

Jaime departs King's Landing to help end the siege of [[Riverrun]], where the [[House Frey|Frey]] and [[House Lannister|Lannister]] besiegers are still defied by Lord Edmure Tully's uncle and castellan, [[Brynden Tully|Brynden]] the 'Blackfish'. Jaime has the captive Edmure brought down from [[The Twins]] and promises not to harm him and to allow the smallfolk of the castle to remain if Brynden surrenders. After a lengthy siege, in which Edmure is made to stand on a gibbet in a failed attempt by the Freys at a threat, Brynden refuses Jaime's terms of surrender. Jaime cuts Edmure down and negotiates a surrender with him, as he is the true lord of the castle. Edmure is returned to Riverrun, but delays his surrender for half a day, slipping his uncle out one of Riverrun's water gates, past the Lannister siege. Furious, Jaime has Edmure sent under heavy guard to Casterly Rock. [[Emmon Frey]] takes his appointed place as Lord of Riverrun. Shortly after the siege has ended, snowflakes start falling across the Riverlands. Winter has come. Jaime realizes that there will be no time for another harvest. The Seven Kingdoms will suffer harshly in what is to come.

The [[The Iron Islands|ironborn]] strike hard along the coast of the Reach, conquering the Shield Islands and virtually blockading the mouth of the [[Honeywine]] and the route into Oldtown. Furious, [[Margaery Tyrell]] and her brother [[Loras Tyrell|Loras]] ask Cersei for aid, but Cersei is reluctant to give it. She gives permission for Lord Redwyne to take his fleet home and destroy the ironborn, but only once Dragonstone is taken. Loras leads an assault on the castle and takes it, but is reported grievously injured in the process. Margaery's protestations vex Cersei, causing her to doubt her future role as Tommen's wife. She conceives a plan to ruin Margaery by framing her to the [[Faith]] for sleeping with one of Cersei's guardsmen. Unfortunately the plan backfires when the new High Septon has the guardsman scourged to ensure the truth of the matter, and he confesses about Cersei's many impropieties as well. The Faith arrests both Cersei and Margaery. Kevan Lannister is recalled to take over as Regent and Hand. Cersei's summons for Jaime to return and defend her go unanswered. Mace Tyrell lifts the siege of Storm's End barely weeks after it began to race back to the capital and learn the fate of his daughter, whilst Randyll Tarly marches on the city from the north. Meanwhile, Aurane Waters absconds with the newly-rebuilt royal fleet.

Sam's ship reaches Oldtown, barely evading the ironborn reavers. They learn that the ironborn have raided and seized territories on the [[The Arbor|Arbor]] and failed an attempt to burn the city harbor of Oldtown. Sam goes to the Citadel, but is intercepted by Archmaester Marwyn. Marwyn reveals that the other archmaesters will not be impressed or moved by Sam's revelations about Daenerys. When Sam asks how Marwyn knows that he was coming, Marwyn reveals that the Citadel has some of the ancient Valyrian obsidian candles, through which they could see things from afar. Marwyn states that nearly two centuries ago the maesters helped kill the last of the dragons to rid the world of magic forever, but now it is returning. Marwyn departs immediately for Slaver's Bay, telling Sam to study hard and fast, for the Wall will need his services. Sam is left in the company of two students, Alleras the Sphinx and a boy named Pate.

===On the Iron Islands===
Following the death of King [[Balon Greyjoy]], a kingsmoot is summoned by [[Aeron Damphair]], Balon's youngest brother and the most respected priest of the [[Westeros#The Drowned God|Drowned God]], to decide who will be king. With [[Theon Greyjoy]] a prisoner of the [[House Bolton|Boltons]] at the [[The Dreadfort|Dreadfort]], the strongest candidates are Balon's brothers [[Victarion Greyjoy|Victarion]] and [[Euron Greyjoy|Euron]] Crow's Eye, who has just returned from reaving in the east. [[Asha Greyjoy]], Balon's daughter, also tries to claim the Seastone Chair in spite of her sex. The moot is deadlocked between the three until Euron reveals his plan to seize control of Daenerys's dragons through the use of magic and so rule Westeros. The moot crowns Euron king, and Asha disappears with her ship northwards. Aeron, who considers Euron ungodly, also leaves to gain popular support against him.

Euron launches an ambitious campaign against the [[The Reach|Reach]], sending ships under his brother Victarion to conquer the Shield Islands and raid the coast. Initial appetites for plunder are sated by the raids in [[Westeros]], however, and support for Euron's plan for a trip [[across the narrow sea]] dwindles, as does his hold over the ironmen. He realises that he must remain and consolidate his control. Victarion agrees to go to [[Slaver's Bay]] and deliver Euron's marriage proposal to Daenerys. Victarion, who hates Euron for sleeping with his wife, whom he then felt obligated to secretly honor kill, decides to return the favor and court Daenerys for himself.

===In Dorne===
In [[Sunspear]], the capital of [[Dorne]], news is received of the death of [[House Martell#Oberyn|Oberyn Martell]] at the hands of [[Gregor Clegane]], although Gregor was mortally wounded in the same battle. Oberyn's bastard daughters, the [[Sand Snakes]], demand various plans for vengeance, including attacking Oldtown and raiding the Reach. Prince Doran Martell has them locked up to prevent them from doing anything too precipitous, and sends word to King's Landing confirming his loyalty. His eldest daughter and heir (due to Dorne's equal primogeniture), [[Arianne Martell|Arianne]] is disgusted with her father's weakness and suspicious that her father would prefer to supplant her with her brother [[Quentyn Martell|Quentyn]], who she learns has vanished eastwards on unknown business. Princess [[Myrcella Baratheon]], elder sister to King Tommen, is in Sunspear, as she has been betrothed to [[Trystane Martell]], and Arianne hatches a plan to crown Myrcella Queen of the Seven Kingdoms according to Dornish law and reignite the war. Her attempts are thwarted, however. Ser Arys Oakheart, the [[Kingsguard]] guarding Myrcella, is killed in a melee and Myrcella is injured. Arianne is imprisoned for her actions.

Prince Doran finally lets his daughter visit him and learns of her grievances. He explains that whilst he had intended Quentyn to follow him as Prince of Dorne, he had a greater role in mind for Arianne: she was to have become Queen of all Westeros. Arianne is confused, but learns that Doran planned to wed her to [[Viserys Targaryen]], but that plan was thwarted when [[Khal Drogo]] killed Viserys. Now the plan has changed. Quentyn is on his way to Slaver's Bay to find and win the Martells' heart's desire: "Fire and Blood."

==Characters==
The tale is told through the point of view of 12 POV characters and, as with previous volumes, a one-off prologue POV.

*Prologue: Pate, a novice of the maesters in Oldtown.
*The Prophet, The Drowned Man: [[Aeron Greyjoy|Aeron "Damphair" Greyjoy]]
*The Captain of the Guards: Areo Hotah, Captain of Guards to Prince [[Doran Martell]] of Dorne
*The Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]]
*[[Brienne of Tarth|Lady Brienne, the Maid of Tarth]]
*[[Samwell Tarly]]
*[[Arya Stark]], later referred to as "Cat of the Canals"
*Ser [[Jaime Lannister]], Lord Commander of the Kingsguard
*[[Sansa Stark]], pretending to be Lord [[Petyr Baelish]]'s bastard daughter "Alayne Stone" (by which name some of her chapters are known)
*The Kraken's Daughter: [[Asha Greyjoy]], King Balon's daughter
*The Soiled Knight: Ser [[Arys Oakheart]] of the Kingsguard
*The Iron Captain, The Reaver: [[Victarion Greyjoy]], King Balon's brother
*The Queenmaker, The Princess in the Tower: [[Arianne Martell]], a Dornish princess

{{endspoiler}}

==Delay in publication==
The novel was published five years and two months after the previous volume in the series, ''A Storm of Swords''. This was due to a series of problems that arose during the writing of the novel. George R. R. Martin originally planned for the fourth book to be called ''A Dance with Dragons'' with the story picking up five years after the events of ''A Storm of Swords'' (primarily to advance the ages of the younger characters). However, during the writing process it was discovered that this was leading to an overreliance on flashbacks to fill in the gap. After twelve months or so of working on the book, Martin decided to abandon much of what had previously been written and start again, this time picking up immediately after the end of ''A Storm of Swords''. He announced this decision, along with the new title ''A Feast for Crows'', at the World Science Fiction Convention in [[Philadelphia]] on [[1 September]] [[2001]] [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Month/2001/09/]. He also announced that ''A Dance with Dragons'' would now be the fifth book in the sequence.

The reason for the subsequent delays were that the novel grew too long and the format changed from the previous book, with the introduction of short-lived POV characters who only had one or two chapters apiece. Martin also wrote a 250-page prologue to the novel which he then scrapped and scattered throughout the novel. Finally, when the novel was nearing completion his publishers realised it was significantly longer than ''A Storm of Swords'' and requested it be split in half for publication. After initially considering publishing it as 'Part 1' and 'Part 2', Martin's friend and fellow author [[Daniel Abraham (author)|Daniel Abraham]] suggested splitting it by POV and location instead, which Martin agreed with. Thus ''A Feast for Crows'' only contains the POV characters from the South of the Seven Kingdoms and the Iron Islands. The characters in the North, in the Free Cities and in Meereen (including fan-favourites Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen) will return in the fifth book. The split of the novel also meant that the series would be seven rather than six books long. ''A Dance with Dragons'' remains the title of the fifth book.

Martin supplied a note at the end of ''A Feast for Crows'' explaining the reason for the split and promising that ''A Dance with Dragons'' would follow with the missing POV characters 'next year'. However, subsequently Martin embarked on a four-month signing tour in the US, [[Canada]] and [[Europe]] at the request of his publishers and lost that time in writing the novel, which is now expected some time in [[2007]].

==Allusions/references to other works==
Bakkalon, the Pale Child, is one of the Gods worshipped mostly by soldiers at the House of Black and White. This god appeared already in Martin's 1975 story ''And Seven Times Never Kill Man'' (where he is worshipped by a religious sect called ''Steel Angels''), as well as in some other stories of the same era.

In Oldtown, mention is made that Maester Rigney believes that time is a wheel. This could possibly allude to fantasy author [[Robert Jordan]] and his popular series, ''[[The Wheel of Time]]'', as Jordan's true name is James Rigney. Another character, the southern noble Lord Trebor Jordayne of the Tor, is also an allusion to Jordan, [[Tor Books]] being Jordan's best-known publisher, and the name Trebor itself being an anagram of Robert.

In the Chapter "Cat of the Canals" a reference is made to a story about the "Lord of the Woeful Countance," which is believed to be a reference to Don Quixote.

==Release details==
*2005, UK, Voyager ISBN 0-00-224743-7, Pub date 17 October 2005, hardback
*2005, UK, Voyager ISBN 0-00-722463-X, Pub date ? ? 2005, hardback (presentation edition)
*2005, USA, Spectra Books ISBN 0-553-80150-3, Pub date 8 November 2005, hardback
*2006, UK, Voyager ISBN 0-00-224742-9, Pub date 25 April 2006, paperback

==Translations==
*Bulgarian: Bard (2006) : Пир за Врани
*Croatian: Algoritam (2006): ''Gozba vrana''
*Dutch: Luitingh (2006): ''Een feestmaal voor kraaien''
*French: Hardcover: Pygmalion (2006-...): ''Le chaos'', ''Les sables de Dorne'' (to be released), possibly additional unnamed books
*German: Single volume, Fantasy Productions (2006): ''Krähenfest'' (to be released). Two volumes, Blanvalet (2006): ''Zeit der Krähen'', ''Die dunkle Königin'' (to be released).
*Italian: Il Dominio della Regina (Volume 1, 2006), more to come.
*Serbian: Laguna (2006): Gozba za vrane

==Awards and nominations==
*[[Hugo Award]] – Best Novel (nominated) – (2006)
*[[British Fantasy Award]] – Best Novel (nominated) – (2006)
*Quill Award – Best Novel (Science Fiction & Fantasy) (nominated) – (2006)

==External links==
* [http://www.georgerrmartin.com GeorgeRRMartin.com] - official website of the author.

==References and sources==
{{EnWP|A Feast for Crows}}

[[Category:Books]]

A Feast for Crows

2008-02-16T06:59:03Z

Eleventh: Cleanup - Grammatical, Linking, Revision, etc.

{{infobox Book | 
| name = A Feast for Crows
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = [[Image:AFeastForCrows.jpg|200px]]
| image_caption = US Hardcover Edition
| author = [[George R. R. Martin]]
| cover_artist =
| country = United States
| language = English
| series = [[A Song of Ice and Fire]]
| genre = Fantasy novel
| publisher = Voyager Books (UK) & Bantam Books (US)
| release_date = 17 October 2005 (UK) & 8 November 2005 (US)
| pages = 753 (US Hardback), 704 (UK Hardback), 1104 (US Paperback)
| isbn = ISBN 0-553-80150-3 (US Hardback), ISBN 0-00-224743-7 (UK Hardback), ISBN 0-553-58202-X (US Paperback)
| preceded_by = [[A Storm of Swords]]
| followed_by = [[A Dance with Dragons]] (forthcoming)
}}

'''''A Feast for Crows''''' is the fourth of seven planned novels in ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'', an epic fantasy series by American author [[George R. R. Martin]]. The novel was first published on October 17 2005 in the United Kingdom, with a United States edition following on [[November 8]] [[2005]]; however, it appeared ahead of the publication date in several UK bookshops. Its publication was preceded by a novella named ''Arms of the Kraken'', which collected the first four Iron Islands chapters together. ''Arms of the Kraken'' was published in the August 2002 edition of Dragon Magazine. Another chapbook featuring three [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]] chapters was published for BookExpo 2005, although these chapters were subsequently moved into the fifth volume, ''[[A Dance with Dragons]]''.

Like its predecessor ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'', ''A Feast for Crows'' was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel, one of the two most prestigious awards in science fiction and fantasy publishing, although it lost out the 2006 ballot to Robert Charles Wilson's ''Spin''. ''A Feast for Crows'' was also the first novel in the sequence to debut at the top of the ''New York Times'' bestseller list, a feat among fantasy writers only previously achieved by David Eddings, Robert Jordan and Neil Gaiman.

Due to complexities that arose during the writing process, ''A Feast for Crows'' only includes some of the POV characters from the past novels, as well as some new characters who appear only briefly. The remaining characters will return in ''A Dance with Dragons'', the fifth book.

==Plot summary==
{{spoilers}}
''A Feast for Crows'' picks up the tale where ''A Storm of Swords'' left off and runs simultaneously with events in the following novel, ''A Dance with Dragons''. The [[War of the Five Kings]] seems to be winding down. [[Robb Stark]], [[Joffrey Baratheon]], [[Renly Baratheon]] and [[Balon Greyjoy]] are dead. King [[Stannis Baratheon]] has fled to the [[Wall]], where [[Jon Snow]] has become Lord Commander. King [[Tommen Baratheon]], Joffrey's eight-year-old brother, now rules in King's Landing under the watchful eye of his mother, the Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]]. Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] is dead, murdered by his son [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] in his flight from the city. [[Sansa Stark]] is in hiding in the Vale, protected by [[Petyr Baelish]] who has murdered his wife [[Lysa Arryn]] and named himself Protector of the Vale and guardian of eight-year-old Lord [[Robert Arryn]].

The novel spans several months in the first half of the year 300 After the Landing, possibly longer.

===In the Seven Kingdoms===
In the city of [[Oldtown]], a young [[Maesters of the Citadel|novice of the Citadel]] named Pate steals a master key from one of the maesters and sells it to a mysterious man calling himself the Alchemist. Shortly after receiving his payment, Pate collapses in the street.

In the city of [[King's Landing]], the funeral of Tywin Lannister is held. To Cersei's distaste, Lord [[Mace Tyrell]] tries to use the occasion to put himself forward for the position of [[Hand of the King]] and get one of his retainers from [[Highgarden]] installed on the [[Small Council]]. Cersei rebuffs him and asks her uncle [[Kevan Lannister|Kevan]] to serve as Hand. Kevan says he will accept only if Cersei steps down as Regent and returns to [[Casterly Rock]] as Tywin's heir. Cersei furiously refuses him and Kevan leaves to help his son [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]] rule his new castle of [[Darry]] in the Riverlands. Eventually, she names the biddable [[Harys Swyft]] the Hand and fills the rest of the Small Council with her minions, including [[Gyles Rosby]] as Master of Coin, the sellsail [[Aurane Waters]] as Commander of the Royal Fleet, and the disgraced ex-Maester [[Qyburn]] as Master of Whisperers.

At the [[Wall]], [[Samwell Tarly]] receives a new mission from Jon Snow. He is to take [[Maester Aemon]] back to the Citadel in Oldtown by sea and research the [[Others]] in the archives there. The information may be essential in a possible war to come. The [[wildling]] girl [[Gilly]] and the singer [[Dareon]] will accompany them as well. Jon is busy rebuilding the Watch following the [[battle before the Wall]], and is concerned over Melisandre's plans to burn the captive [[Mance Rayder]] in an attempt to resurrect stone dragons. Sam, Aemon, and Gilly take ship across the Narrow Sea for the [[Free Cities|Free City]] of [[Braavos]], but Aemon's health begins to fail him. Gilly cries throughout the journey, and Aemon reveals that she was forced to swap her baby with Mance's at the Wall (again to avoid Melisandre's fires). In Braavos, Aemon's health takes a turn for the worse and they miss the ship that was supposed to take them south. Dareon makes money singing, but constantly spends it on wine and prostitutes, leaving the group stranded. Dareon also hears rumours in the city of a three-headed dragon in [[Meereen]]. After Sam violently confronts Dareon, he meets a [[Summer Islander]] who saw [[Daenerys Targaryen]]'s dragons in [[Qarth]]. Aemon comes to believe that Daenerys fulfills the prophecy of the [[Prince Who Was Promised]], reasoning that dragons are hermaphroditic. He resolves to travel to Meereen, and the Summer Islanders agree to take them south to Oldtown as part of the journey. At sea, Aemon dies of natural causes. His last instructions to Sam are to tell the maesters of the Citadel what has happened and make them understand they must send aid to Daenerys. Gilly and Sam become lovers along the way.

In the Free City of Braavos, [[Arya Stark]] finds her way to the [[House of Black and White]], a temple to the Many-Faced God. There Arya is inducted into the ranks of the [[Faceless Men]] as a novice. She learns that the Faceless Men are not simply a band of skilled assassins, but also a religious sect dating long before the Doom of [[Valyria]]. They consider their assassinations to be holy sacraments to their god of death. As Faceless Men must have no true identity, Arya assumes the role of 'Cat of the Canals' and becomes a familiar sight on the streets of the city. However, her old identity occasionally slips through. She hides her sword [[Needle]] rather than discarding it and later kills Dareon for forsaking his vows to the Night's Watch. The priests of the House of Black and White strike her blind by some means, but it is unclear whether this is part of her training or punishment for her transgressions.

[[Brienne of Tarth]] continues her quest to find Sansa. She is found by [[Podrick Payne]], Tyrion's former squire, and agrees to let him accompany her. They pass north through the town of [[Duskendale]], where they encounter the Tyrell army under Lord [[Randyll Tarly]] and are joined by an old acquaintance of Brienne, Ser [[Hyle Hunt]]. Brienne's explorations take her along [[Crackclaw Point]], where she kills several of the now-scattered [[Bloody Mummers]], and to a septry in the estuary of the River Trident. The Elder Brother of the septry tells her that he found [[Sandor Clegane]] dying under a tree and learned that he had been with Arya Stark, who fled towards the coast. Brienne's pursuit takes her to [[Maidenpool]] and the [[Saltpans]], but she can find no sign of Arya. Her group runs across the remnants of the [[Brotherhood Without Banners]], who take her captive. [[Thoros of Myr]] tells her that [[Beric Dondarrion]] died, giving up his borrowed life to save another. They take her to the undead Catelyn Stark, whom they name 'Lady Stoneheart'. Catelyn believes that Brienne has betrayed her by allowing Jaime to go free without returning with her daughters. She orders her, Podrick, and Hunt hanged. As they dangle on the noose, "[Brienne] screamed a word."

[[Paxter Redwyne|Paxter Redwyne's]] fleet of the Arbor arrives at [[Dragonstone]] and the castle is put under siege, whilst Mace Tyrell leads his army south to invest [[Storm's End]] and end the pretensions of Stannis's loyalists in the south once and for all. Cersei has the [[High Septon]] murdered so that he can be replaced by someone loyal to her, but the newcomer turns out to be a zealous [[martinet]] who has the support of the war-refugees that now throng in the city. He offers to speed up Tommen's coronation and forgive the crown its debts to the church if Cersei will restore the [[Faith Militant]]. Cersei agrees, to the horror of [[Grand Maester Pycelle]].

In the [[Eyrie]], Littlefinger is confronted by several of the lords of the [[The Vale of Arryn|Vale]], who are unhappy with him becoming their de facto ruler after the death of Lady Lysa Arryn. One of the lords, whom Littlefinger bribed ahead of time, breaks custom by baring steel during the meeting. Littlefinger uses the insult to turn the tables on the lords, who eventually allow him to remain Lord Protector of little Lord Robert Arryn for the next year. Afterwards, Littlefinger discusses the deception with Sansa (who is posing as his bastard daughter, Alayne Stone) and is impressed at how quickly she picks up on the subtleties of his scheme. He reveals to her that if something should happen to little Robert, the Eyrie and the name Arryn will pass to [[Harry Hardyng]], a distant nephew of the house, and if Harry and Sansa were to wed, that would give her an army with which to reclaim Winterfell. Whilst Sansa thinks on this, the weather is worsening, a sure sign that winter is almost upon the Seven Kingdoms, and the household of the Eyrie move to the [[Gates of the Moon]] at the base of the mountain the Eyrie rests on. During the move Sansa befriends [[Mya Stone]], one of the late King Robert Baratheon's bastard daughters. Sansa also becomes a new mother figure for sickly Robert Arryn.

Jaime departs King's Landing to help end the siege of [[Riverrun]], where the [[House Frey|Frey]] and [[House Lannister|Lannister]] besiegers are still defied by Lord Edmure Tully's uncle and castellan, [[Brynden Tully|Brynden]] the 'Blackfish'. Jaime has the captive Edmure brought down from [[The Twins]] and promises not to harm him and to allow the smallfolk of the castle to remain if Brynden surrenders. After a lengthy siege, in which Edmure is made to stand on a gibbet in a failed attempt by the Freys at a threat, Brynden refuses Jaime's terms of surrender. Jaime cuts Edmure down and negotiates a surrender with him, as he is the true lord of the castle. Edmure is returned to Riverrun, but delays his surrender for half a day, slipping his uncle out one of Riverrun's water gates, past the Lannister siege. Furious, Jaime has Edmure sent under heavy guard to Casterly Rock. [[Emmon Frey]] takes his appointed place as Lord of Riverrun. Shortly after the siege has ended, snowflakes start falling across the Riverlands. Winter has come. Jaime realizes that there will be no time for another harvest. The Seven Kingdoms will suffer harshly in what is to come.

The [[The Iron Islands|ironborn]] strike hard along the coast of the Reach, conquering the Shield Islands and virtually blockading the mouth of the [[Honeywine]] and the route into Oldtown. Furious, [[Margaery Tyrell]] and her brother [[Loras Tyrell|Loras]] ask Cersei for aid, but Cersei is reluctant to give it. She gives permission for Lord Redwyne to take his fleet home and destroy the ironborn, but only once Dragonstone is taken. Loras leads an assault on the castle and takes it, but is reported grievously injured in the process. Margaery's protestations vex Cersei, causing her to doubt her future role as Tommen's wife. She conceives a plan to ruin Margaery by framing her to the [[Faith]] for sleeping with one of Cersei's guardsmen. Unfortunately the plan backfires when the new High Septon has the guardsman scourged to ensure the truth of the matter, and he confesses about Cersei's many impropieties as well. The Faith arrests both Cersei and Margaery. Kevan Lannister is recalled to take over as Regent and Hand. Cersei's summons for Jaime to return and defend her go unanswered. Mace Tyrell lifts the siege of Storm's End barely weeks after it began to race back to the capital and learn the fate of his daughter, whilst Randyll Tarly marches on the city from the north. Meanwhile, Aurane Waters absconds with the newly-rebuilt royal fleet.

Sam's ship reaches Oldtown, barely evading the ironborn reavers. They learn that the ironborn have raided and seized territories on the [[The Arbor|Arbor]] and failed an attempt to burn the city harbor of Oldtown. Sam goes to the Citadel, but is intercepted by Archmaester Marwyn. Marwyn reveals that the other archmaesters will not be impressed or moved by Sam's revelations about Daenerys. When Sam asks how Marwyn knows that he was coming, Marwyn reveals that the Citadel has some of the ancient Valyrian obsidian candles, through which they could see things from afar. Marwyn states that nearly two centuries ago the maesters helped kill the last of the dragons to rid the world of magic forever, but now it is returning. Marwyn departs immediately for Slaver's Bay, telling Sam to study hard and fast, for the Wall will need his services. Sam is left in the company of two students, Alleras the Sphinx and a boy named Pate.

===On the Iron Islands===
Following the death of King [[Balon Greyjoy]], a kingsmoot is summoned by [[Aeron Damphair]], Balon's youngest brother and the most respected priest of the [[Westeros#The Drowned God|Drowned God]], to decide who will be king. With [[Theon Greyjoy]] a prisoner of the [[House Bolton|Boltons]] at the [[The Dreadfort|Dreadfort]], the strongest candidates are Balon's brothers [[Victarion Greyjoy|Victarion]] and [[Euron Greyjoy|Euron]] Crow's Eye, who has just returned from reaving in the east. [[Asha Greyjoy]], Balon's daughter, also tries to claim the Seastone Chair in spite of her sex. The moot is deadlocked between the three until Euron reveals his plan to seize control of Daenerys's dragons through the use of magic and so rule Westeros. The moot crowns Euron king, and Asha disappears with her ship northwards. Aeron, who considers Euron ungodly, also leaves to gain popular support against him.

Euron launches an ambitious campaign against the [[The Reach|Reach]], sending ships under his brother Victarion to conquer the Shield Islands and raid the coast. Initial appetites for plunder are sated by the raids in [[Westeros]], however, and support for Euron's plan for a trip [[across the narrow sea]] dwindles, as does his hold over the ironmen. He realises that he must remain and consolidate his control. Victarion agrees to go to [[Slaver's Bay]] and deliver Euron's marriage proposal to Daenerys. Victarion, who hates Euron for sleeping with his wife, whom he then felt obligated to secretly honor kill, decides to return the favor and court Daenerys for himself.

===In Dorne===
In [[Sunspear]], the capital of [[Dorne]], news is received of the death of [[House Martell#Oberyn|Oberyn Martell]] at the hands of [[Gregor Clegane]], although Gregor was mortally wounded in the same battle. Oberyn's bastard daughters, the [[Sand Snakes]], demand various plans for vengeance, including attacking Oldtown and raiding the Reach. Prince Doran Martell has them locked up to prevent them from doing anything too precipitous, and sends word to King's Landing confirming his loyalty. His eldest daughter and heir (due to Dorne's equal primogeniture), [[Arianne Martell|Arianne]] is disgusted with her father's weakness and suspicious that her father would prefer to supplant her with her brother [[Quentyn Martell|Quentyn]], who she learns has vanished eastwards on unknown business. Princess [[Myrcella Baratheon]], elder sister to King Tommen, is in Sunspear, as she has been betrothed to [[Trystane Martell]], and Arianne hatches a plan to crown Myrcella Queen of the Seven Kingdoms according to Dornish law and reignite the war. Her attempts are thwarted, however. Ser Arys Oakheart, the [[Kingsguard]] guarding Myrcella, is killed in a melee and Myrcella is injured. Arianne is imprisoned for her actions.

Prince Doran finally lets his daughter visit him and learns of her grievances. He explains that whilst he had intended Quentyn to follow him as Prince of Dorne, he had a greater role in mind for Arianne: she was to have become Queen of all Westeros. Arianne is confused, but learns that Doran planned to wed her to [[Viserys Targaryen]], but that plan was thwarted when [[Khal Drogo]] killed Viserys. Now the plan has changed. Quentyn is on his way to Slaver's Bay to find and win the Martells' heart's desire: "Fire and Blood."

==Characters==
The tale is told through the point of view of 12 POV characters and, as with previous volumes, a one-off prologue POV.

*Prologue: Pate, a novice of the maesters in Oldtown.
*The Prophet, The Drowned Man: [[Aeron Greyjoy|Aeron "Damphair" Greyjoy]]
*The Captain of the Guards: Areo Hotah, Captain of Guards to [[Prince Doran Martell]] of Dorne
*[[Cersei Lannister|The Queen Regent Cersei Lannister]]
*[[Brienne of Tarth|Lady Brienne, the Maid of Tarth]]
*[[Samwell Tarly]]
*[[Arya Stark]], later referred to as "Cat of the Canals"
*[[Ser Jaime Lannister]], Lord Commander of the Kingsguard
*[[Sansa Stark]], pretending to be [[Petyr Baelish|Lord Petyr Baelish]]'s bastard daughter "Alayne Stone" (by which name some of her chapters are known)
*The Kraken's Daughter: [[Asha Greyjoy]], King Balon's daughter
*The Soiled Knight: [[Ser Arys Oakheart]] of the Kingsguard
*The Iron Captain, The Reaver: [[Victarion Greyjoy]], King Balon's brother
*The Queenmaker, The Princess in the Tower: [[Arianne Martell]], a Dornish princess

{{endspoiler}}

==Delay in publication==
The novel was published five years and two months after the previous volume in the series, ''A Storm of Swords''. This was due to a series of problems that arose during the writing of the novel. George R. R. Martin originally planned for the fourth book to be called ''A Dance with Dragons'' with the story picking up five years after the events of ''A Storm of Swords'' (primarily to advance the ages of the younger characters). However, during the writing process it was discovered that this was leading to an overreliance on flashbacks to fill in the gap. After twelve months or so of working on the book, Martin decided to abandon much of what had previously been written and start again, this time picking up immediately after the end of ''A Storm of Swords''. He announced this decision, along with the new title ''A Feast for Crows'', at the World Science Fiction Convention in [[Philadelphia]] on [[1 September]] [[2001]] [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Month/2001/09/]. He also announced that ''A Dance with Dragons'' would now be the fifth book in the sequence.

The reason for the subsequent delays were that the novel grew too long and the format changed from the previous book, with the introduction of short-lived POV characters who only had one or two chapters apiece. Martin also wrote a 250-page prologue to the novel which he then scrapped and scattered throughout the novel. Finally, when the novel was nearing completion his publishers realised it was significantly longer than ''A Storm of Swords'' and requested it be split in half for publication. After initially considering publishing it as 'Part 1' and 'Part 2', Martin's friend and fellow author [[Daniel Abraham (author)|Daniel Abraham]] suggested splitting it by POV and location instead, which Martin agreed with. Thus ''A Feast for Crows'' only contains the POV characters from the South of the Seven Kingdoms and the Iron Islands. The characters in the North, in the Free Cities and in Meereen (including fan-favourites Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen) will return in the fifth book. The split of the novel also meant that the series would be seven rather than six books long. ''A Dance with Dragons'' remains the title of the fifth book.

Martin supplied a note at the end of ''A Feast for Crows'' explaining the reason for the split and promising that ''A Dance with Dragons'' would follow with the missing POV characters 'next year'. However, subsequently Martin embarked on a four-month signing tour in the US, [[Canada]] and [[Europe]] at the request of his publishers and lost that time in writing the novel, which is now expected some time in [[2007]].

==Allusions/references to other works==
Bakkalon, the Pale Child, is one of the Gods worshipped mostly by soldiers at the House of Black and White. This god appeared already in Martin's 1975 story ''And Seven Times Never Kill Man'' (where he is worshipped by a religious sect called ''Steel Angels''), as well as in some other stories of the same era.

In Oldtown, mention is made that Maester Rigney believes that time is a wheel. This could possibly allude to fantasy author [[Robert Jordan]] and his popular series, ''[[The Wheel of Time]]'', as Jordan's true name is James Rigney. Another character, the southern noble Lord Trebor Jordayne of the Tor, is also an allusion to Jordan, [[Tor Books]] being Jordan's best-known publisher, and the name Trebor itself being an anagram of Robert.

In the Chapter "Cat of the Canals" a reference is made to a story about the "Lord of the Woeful Countance," which is believed to be a reference to Don Quixote.

==Release details==
*2005, UK, Voyager ISBN 0-00-224743-7, Pub date 17 October 2005, hardback
*2005, UK, Voyager ISBN 0-00-722463-X, Pub date ? ? 2005, hardback (presentation edition)
*2005, USA, Spectra Books ISBN 0-553-80150-3, Pub date 8 November 2005, hardback
*2006, UK, Voyager ISBN 0-00-224742-9, Pub date 25 April 2006, paperback

==Translations==
*Bulgarian: Bard (2006) : Пир за Врани
*Croatian: Algoritam (2006): ''Gozba vrana''
*Dutch: Luitingh (2006): ''Een feestmaal voor kraaien''
*French: Hardcover: Pygmalion (2006-...): ''Le chaos'', ''Les sables de Dorne'' (to be released), possibly additional unnamed books
*German: Single volume, Fantasy Productions (2006): ''Krähenfest'' (to be released). Two volumes, Blanvalet (2006): ''Zeit der Krähen'', ''Die dunkle Königin'' (to be released).
*Italian: Il Dominio della Regina (Volume 1, 2006), more to come.
*Serbian: Laguna (2006): Gozba za vrane

==Awards and nominations==
*[[Hugo Award]] – Best Novel (nominated) – (2006)
*[[British Fantasy Award]] – Best Novel (nominated) – (2006)
*Quill Award – Best Novel (Science Fiction & Fantasy) (nominated) – (2006)

==External links==
* [http://www.georgerrmartin.com GeorgeRRMartin.com] - official website of the author.

==References and sources==
{{EnWP|A Feast for Crows}}

[[Category:Books]]

A Clash of Kings

2008-02-16T04:13:33Z

Eleventh: /* In the Seven Kingdoms */

{{infobox Book | 
| name = A Clash of Kings
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = [[Image:AClashOfKings.jpg|200px]]
| image_caption = US Hardcover Edition
| author = [[George R. R. Martin]]
| cover_artist = [[Steve Youll]]
| country = [[United States]]
| language = [[English language|English]]
| series = [[A Song of Ice and Fire]]
| genre = [[Fantasy]]
| publisher = [[Bantam Books]] (US) & [[Voyager Books]] (UK)
| release_date = November 1998 (UK) & March 1999 (US)
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[Paperback]])
| pages = 708 (UK Hardback), 768 (US Hardback), 1009 (US Paperback)
| isbn = ISBN 0-00-224585-X (UK Hardback), ISBN 0-553-10803-4 (US Hardback), ISBN 0-553-57990-8 (US Paperback)
| preceded_by = [[A Game of Thrones]]
| followed_by = [[A Storm of Swords]]
}}

'''''A Clash of Kings''''' is the second of seven planned novels in '''''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]''''', an epic fantasy series by American author [[George R. R. Martin]]. It was first published on 16 November 1998 in the United Kingdom, although the first United States edition did not follow until March 1999.

In May 2005 Meisha Merlin released a much-delayed limited edition of the novel, fully illustrated by John Howe.

''A Clash of Kings'' is also the name of the first expansion to the board game "A Game of Thrones".

==Plot summary==

'''Spoilers follow.'''

''A Clash of Kings'' picks up the story where ''A Game of Thrones'' left off. The [[Seven Kingdoms]] are plagued by civil war, the [[Night's Watch]] mounts a reconnaissance force north of the [[Wall]], and in the distant east, [[Daenerys Targaryen]] continues her quest to return to the Seven Kingdoms and claim her birthright.

The novel spans most of the year 299 After the Landing.

===In the Seven Kingdoms===
The civil war complicates further when the [[House Greyjoy|Greyjoys]] make their entrance. [[Robb Stark|Robb Stark's]] attempts to secure an alliance with the Greyjoys are rebuffed and answered with a massive assault along the west coast of [[the North]]. [[Ironborn]] raiders seize control of [[Moat Cailin]], [[Torrhen's Square]] and [[Deepwood Motte]], whilst raiding the [[Stoney Shore]].

At [[Winterfell]], [[Bran Stark]] is left in charge of the castle and begins suffering from strange dreams. He finds two new friends when [[Jojen Reed|Jojen]] and [[Meera Reed]], children of [[Eddard Stark|Eddard Stark's]] close friend [[Howland Reed|Lord Howland]], arrive from [[Greywater Watch]] and take an interest in his dreams.

Meanwhile, [[Stannis Baratheon]] declares himself King of Westeros with the support of the lords of the Narrow Sea and [[Melisandre]], a red priestess of the eastern god [[R'hllor]]. Enraged when his brother [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]] also makes a claim for the throne, Stannis chooses to besiege his own home castle of [[Storm's End]] to force Renly to march east and treat with him. [[Catelyn Stark]], who has journeyed south to discuss a possible alliance against the [[House Lannister|Lannisters]], also accompanies Renly. The ensuing parley ends in acrimony and Renly resolves to destroy his brother with his larger army. However, without warning a mysterious shadow comes to life in Renly's own tent and kills him. Shocked, Catelyn and the only other witness, the warrior-maid [[Brienne of Tarth]], flee the scene. Having lost Renly, the Storm Lords have no choice but to declare for Stannis. Storm's End itself only falls, however, when Stannis' loyal [[Davos Seaworth|Ser Davos]] (a former smuggler) sneaks Melisandre below the castle in a small boat. To his horror, Melisandre 'gives birth' to a 'shadow' which enters Storm's End and slays its stubborn castellan.

In King's Landing, [[Tyrion Lannister]] arrives to act as [[Hand of the King|Hand]] in [[Tywin Lannister|Lord Tywin's]] stead. Whilst intriguing against his sister Cersei, Tyrion improves the city's defenses. Learning of Renly's death, Tyrion resolves on two courses of action. Knowing that the [[House Tyrell|Tyrells]] will not be happy following Stannis, he decides to make them a better offer. He also resolves to bring the [[House Martell|Martells of Dorne]] into the war on his side. He sends [[Petyr Baelish|Littlefinger]] to treat with the Tyrells and sends other messengers to Dorne. He wins Littlefinger's support by promising to make him the Lord of [[Harrenhal]]. The negotiations are solidified by marriage arrangements. [[Mace Tyrell|Lord Mace Tyrell]] agrees to wed his daughter [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]] to [[Joffrey Baratheon|King Joffrey]], whilst [[Doran Martell|Prince Doran Martell]] agrees to marry his son [[Trystane Martell|Trystane]] to Joffrey's sister [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]].

[[Theon Greyjoy]] leads a small force of ironmen north and captures Winterfell, taking Bran and [[Rickon Stark]] captive. Theon's sister [[Asha Greyjoy|Asha]] suggests he raze the castle and flee before other northmen arrive to reclaim it, but Theon petulantly tries to hold onto his new castle. Eventually a strong force of northmen arrive and discover what appear to be the corpses of Bran and Rickon Stark. However, as the disgusted besiegers begin to mount their assault on Winterfell, the contingent of [[House Bolton]], led by [[Roose Bolton|Lord Roose Bolton's]] bastard son [[Ramsey Snow]], turn on the other northmen and drive them off. Theon eagerly opens the gates to his new 'allies', only to be beaten and taken captive. Winterfell is razed to the ground and the Boltons return to the [[Dreadfort]]. Shortly after, Bran and Rickon emerge from hiding, unharmed and decide to split up. [[Osha]], a [[wildling]] woman serving in Winterfell, agrees to take Rickon to safety, whilst Bran and the Reeds travel north to the Wall.

Robb Stark leads his northern army into the [[Westerlands]] and emerges victorious from a number of battles against Lannister forces, winning battles at [[Oxcross]], [[Ashemark]], and storming the [[Golden Tooth]] and [[the Crag]]. Tywin reluctantly emerges from Harrenhal and attempts to pass the fords near Riverrun, where he is stopped by [[Edmure Tully]], Catelyn's brother and the infirm Lord Hoster's heir. This prevents the Lannisters from falling on Robb's rear, but allows them to rapidly march south to join their new allies, the Tyrells.

[[Arya Stark]], posing as a boy named Arry, is taken north by [[Yoren]] as a new recruit for the Night's Watch. However, they are attacked by Lannister freeriders led by [[Amory Lorch|Ser Amory Lorch]] and Yoren is killed on the shores of [[Gods Eye]]. Lorch takes his captives to Harrenhal and Arya survives her time at Harrenhal with the help of a man named [[Jaqen H'ghar]], one of the criminals Yoren was bringing to the Wall. For saving his life during the attack, H'ghar promises to repay Arya by killing three men of her choice. He also gives her a mysterious iron coin and tells her to find him in Braavos if she should ever desire to learn his secrets. H'ghar adopts a new identity and leaves. With Harrenhal abandoned by Lord Tywin, Roose Bolton captures the castle under the banner of [[the King of the North]]. Bolton executes Lorch in the castle's bear pit and takes on Arya as his page. Bolton orders the Stark foot army to advance on [[Duskendale]] to threaten King's Landing from the north, informing them that the orders come directly from Robb Stark. Arya kills a guard and escapes Harrenhal with some of the other Night's Watch recruits.

Stannis Baratheon's army reaches King's Landing and a combined assault is launched by both land and sea. Tyrion traps the Baratheon fleet in the mouth of the [[Blackwater Rush]] with a huge chain and destroys Stannis' fleet by detonating barrels of [[wildfire]] on nearby ships. Despite heavy losses, some of Stannis' men establish a foothold on the north shore until a brave sally led by Tyrion dislodges them. Tyrion is nearly killed when he is betrayed by one of the [[Kingsguard]], [[Mandon Moore|Ser Mandon Moore]], but is saved by his squire, [[Podrick Payne]]. The battle ends when Stannis is unexpectedly flanked by the Tyrells and barely manages to escape with a few thousand soldiers and a handful of ships.

In Riverrun, Catelyn's grieves over the supposed death of her sons, Rickon and Bran. While questioning the captive [[Jaime Lannister]], she reaches for a sword and...

===On the Wall===
The Night's Watch advances northwards from the Wall into the [[Haunted Forest]]. They stop at [[Craster's Keep]], where a wildling man named Craster serves as an informant for the Watch. They continue north and make camp at a ruined fortress known as the [[Fist of the First Men]], which serves as a strong defensive position. Concerned about the whereabouts and activities of the King-beyond-the-Wall [[Mance Rayder]], [[Jeor Mormont|Lord Commander Jeor Mormont]] sends [[Jon Snow]] and [[Qhorin Halfhand]] on a reconnaissance mission through the [[Skirling Pass]].

In the pass, Snow and Halfhand discover much wildling activity in the mountains. However, they are cornered and Halfhand commands Snow to infiltrate the wildlings by pretending to betray the Watch. In order to convince the wildlings, Snow is forced to kill Halfhand. A wildling girl named [[Ygritte]], agrees to speak on Jon's behalf to Mance Rayder, who is advancing on the Wall with an army in the tens of thousands.

===In the East===
Despite her three infant dragons, Daenerys Targaryen's followers have been much reduced. The vast Dothraki army formerly commanded by her husband, [[Khal Drogo]], has broken into individual factions and she is left with only her bloodriders, [[Jorah Mormont|Ser Jorah Mormont]], and a hundred or so retainers. Nevertheless, they proclaim her the 'Mother-of-Dragons' and 'the Unburnt' and swear to follow her.

Daenerys strikes east across the forbidding [[Red Waste]] and loses many of her followers to the harsh conditions before stumbling upon the ancient, abandoned city of [[Vaes Tolorro]]. They find clean water and fruit and enjoy a much needed respite. Daenerys' bloodriders scout the surrounding region and find a safe route to the great trading city of [[Qarth]] on the Jade Sea. The Qartheen dote on Daenerys and her dragons, but her attempts to secure help claiming the throne of Westeros do not succeed. She goes to the [[House of the Undying]] to form an alliance with its powerful warlocks, but instead she is shown confusing and disturbing images. Her dragon [[Drogon]] burns down the House of the Undying, sparking the enmity of the Qartheen and encouraging Daenerys to leave the city. An assassin hired by the warlocks attempts to kill Daenerys in the city's harbor, but it is thwarted by the arrival of two strangers: a fat warrior named [[Strong Belwas]] and his squire, an old but hale warrior named [[Arstan Whitebeard]]. They claim to be agents of [[Ilyrio Mopatis]], come to take Daenerys back to [[Pentos]]. Daenerys agrees to accompany them back to the Free Cities.

==Characters==
The tale is told through the eyes of 9 POV characters and a one-off prologue POV:

*Prologue: Maester Cressen, maester at Dragonstone.
*Lady [[Catelyn Stark]], of House Tully, widow of Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell
*[[Sansa Stark]], eldest daughter of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Stark, held captive by the King on the Iron Throne at King's Landing
*[[Arya Stark]], youngest daughter of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Stark, missing and presumed dead
*[[Bran Stark]], second son of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Stark and heir to Winterfell and the Kingdom in the North
*[[Jon Snow]], bastard son of Eddard Stark
*[[Tyrion Lannister]], youngest son of [[House Lannister#Tywin|Lord Tywin Lannister]], a dwarf and Queen Cersei's brother
*Ser [[Davos Seaworth]], a smuggler turned knight in the service of King Stannis Baratheon
*[[Theon Greyjoy]], heir to the Seastone Chair and former ward of Lord Eddard Stark
*Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]], Stormborn, of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] Dynasty

{{endspoiler}}

==Translations==
*Bulgarian
*Catalan
*Chinese
*Croatian
*Czech
*Dutch: Luitingh-Sijthoff (1999): ''De strijd der koningen''
*Finnish: Kuninkaiden Koitos
*French: Three volumes (Hardcover: Pygmalion (2000); paperback: J'ai Lu (2002)): ''La bataille des rois'', ''L'ombre maléfique'', ''L'invincible forteresse''
*German: Single volume, Fantasy Productions (2004): ''Königsfehde''. Two volumes, Blanvalet (2000): ''Der Thron der Sieben Königreiche'', ''Die Saat des goldenen Löwen''.
*Greek
*Hebrew
*Hungarian: Single volume, Alexandra: ''Királyok csatája''
*Italian: Single volume, Mondadori (2001): Il regno dei lupi''. Two volumes, Mondadori (2002): ''Il regno dei lupi'', ''La regina dei draghi''.
*Japanese
*Korean
*Polish
*Russian
*Serbian
*Spanish: Gigamesh (2003): ''Choque de reyes''
*Swedish: ''Sagan om Eld och Is: Kungarnas Krig''

==Awards and nominations==
*[[w:Locus Award|Locus Award]] – Best Novel (Fantasy) (Won) – (1999)
*[[w:Nebula Award|Nebula Award]] – Best Novel (Nominated) – (2000)
*Ignotus Award – Best Novel (Foreign) (Won) – (2004)

==External links==
*[http://members.aol.com/vbkorik27/summary/ACOKspoilerfree.html chapter-by-chapter summary] by Vincent Briscuso

==References and Sources==
{{EnWP|A Clash of Kings}}

[[Category:Books]]

A Clash of Kings

2008-02-16T04:11:17Z

Eleventh:

{{infobox Book | 
| name = A Clash of Kings
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = [[Image:AClashOfKings.jpg|200px]]
| image_caption = US Hardcover Edition
| author = [[George R. R. Martin]]
| cover_artist = [[Steve Youll]]
| country = [[United States]]
| language = [[English language|English]]
| series = [[A Song of Ice and Fire]]
| genre = [[Fantasy]]
| publisher = [[Bantam Books]] (US) & [[Voyager Books]] (UK)
| release_date = November 1998 (UK) & March 1999 (US)
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[Paperback]])
| pages = 708 (UK Hardback), 768 (US Hardback), 1009 (US Paperback)
| isbn = ISBN 0-00-224585-X (UK Hardback), ISBN 0-553-10803-4 (US Hardback), ISBN 0-553-57990-8 (US Paperback)
| preceded_by = [[A Game of Thrones]]
| followed_by = [[A Storm of Swords]]
}}

'''''A Clash of Kings''''' is the second of seven planned novels in '''''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]''''', an epic fantasy series by American author [[George R. R. Martin]]. It was first published on 16 November 1998 in the United Kingdom, although the first United States edition did not follow until March 1999.

In May 2005 Meisha Merlin released a much-delayed limited edition of the novel, fully illustrated by John Howe.

''A Clash of Kings'' is also the name of the first expansion to the board game "A Game of Thrones".

==Plot summary==

'''Spoilers follow.'''

''A Clash of Kings'' picks up the story where ''A Game of Thrones'' left off. The [[Seven Kingdoms]] are plagued by civil war, the [[Night's Watch]] mounts a reconnaissance force north of the [[Wall]], and in the distant east, [[Daenerys Targaryen]] continues her quest to return to the Seven Kingdoms and claim her birthright.

The novel spans most of the year 299 After the Landing.

===In the Seven Kingdoms===
The civil war complicates further when the [[House Greyjoy|Greyjoys]] make their entrance. [[Robb Stark|Robb Stark's]] attempts to secure an alliance with the Greyjoys are rebuffed and answered with a massive assault along the west coast of [[the North]]. [[Ironborn]] raiders seize control of [[Moat Cailin]], [[Torrhen's Square]] and [[Deepwood Motte]], whilst raiding the [[Stoney Shore]].

At [[Winterfell]], [[Bran Stark]] is left in charge of the castle and begins suffering from strange dreams. He finds two new friends when [[Jojen Reed|Jojen]] and [[Meera Reed]], children of [[Eddard Stark|Eddard Stark's]] close friend [[Howland Reed|Lord Howland]], arrive from [[Greywater Watch]] and take an interest in his dreams.

Meanwhile, [[Stannis Baratheon]] declares himself King of Westeros with the support of the lords of the Narrow Sea and [[Melisandre]], a red priestess of the eastern god [[R'hllor]]. Enraged when his brother [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]] also makes a claim for the throne, Stannis chooses to besiege his own home castle of [[Storm's End]] to force Renly to march east and treat with him. [[Catelyn Stark]], who has journeyed south to discuss a possible alliance against the [[House Lannister|Lannisters]], also accompanies Renly. The ensuing parley ends in acrimony and Renly resolves to destroy his brother with his larger army. However, without warning a mysterious shadow comes to life in Renly's own tent and kills him. Shocked, Catelyn and the only other witness, the warrior-maid [[Brienne of Tarth]], flee the scene. Having lost Renly, the Storm Lords have no choice but to declare for Stannis. Storm's End itself only falls, however, when Stannis' loyal [[Davos Seaworth|Ser Davos]] (a former smuggler) sneaks Melisandre below the castle in a small boat. To his horror, Melisandre 'gives birth' to a 'shadow' which enters Storm's End and slays its stubborn castellan.

In King's Landing, [[Tyrion Lannister]] arrives to act as [[King's Hand|Hand]] in [[Tywin Lannister|Lord Tywin's]] stead. Whilst intriguing against his sister Cersei, Tyrion improves the city's defenses. Learning of Renly's death, Tyrion resolves on two courses of action. Knowing that the [[House Tyrell|Tyrells]] will not be happy following Stannis, he decides to make them a better offer. He also resolves to bring the [[House Martell|Martells of Dorne]] into the war on his side. He sends [[Petyr Baelish|Littlefinger]] to treat with the Tyrells and sends other messengers to Dorne. He wins Littlefinger's support by promising to make him the Lord of [[Harrenhal]]. The negotiations are solidified by marriage arrangements. [[Mace Tyrell|Lord Mace Tyrell]] agrees to wed his daughter [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]] to [[Joffrey Baratheon|King Joffrey]], whilst [[Doran Martell|Prince Doran Martell]] agrees to marry his son [[Trystane Martell|Trystane]] to Joffrey's sister [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]].

[[Theon Greyjoy]] leads a small force of ironmen north and captures Winterfell, taking Bran and [[Rickon Stark]] captive. Theon's sister [[Asha Greyjoy|Asha]] suggests he raze the castle and flee before other northmen arrive to reclaim it, but Theon petulantly tries to hold onto his new castle. Eventually a strong force of northmen arrive and discover what appear to be the corpses of Bran and Rickon Stark. However, as the disgusted besiegers begin to mount their assault on Winterfell, the contingent of [[House Bolton]], led by [[Roose Bolton|Lord Roose Bolton's]] bastard son [[Ramsey Snow]], turn on the other northmen and drive them off. Theon eagerly opens the gates to his new 'allies', only to be beaten and taken captive. Winterfell is razed to the ground and the Boltons return to the [[Dreadfort]]. Shortly after, Bran and Rickon emerge from hiding, unharmed and decide to split up. [[Osha]], a [[wildling]] woman serving in Winterfell, agrees to take Rickon to safety, whilst Bran and the Reeds travel north to the Wall.

Robb Stark leads his northern army into the [[Westerlands]] and emerges victorious from a number of battles against Lannister forces, winning battles at [[Oxcross]], [[Ashemark]], and storming the [[Golden Tooth]] and [[the Crag]]. Tywin reluctantly emerges from Harrenhal and attempts to pass the fords near Riverrun, where he is stopped by [[Edmure Tully]], Catelyn's brother and the infirm Lord Hoster's heir. This prevents the Lannisters from falling on Robb's rear, but allows them to rapidly march south to join their new allies, the Tyrells.

[[Arya Stark]], posing as a boy named Arry, is taken north by [[Yoren]] as a new recruit for the Night's Watch. However, they are attacked by Lannister freeriders led by [[Amory Lorch|Ser Amory Lorch]] and Yoren is killed on the shores of [[Gods Eye]]. Lorch takes his captives to Harrenhal and Arya survives her time at Harrenhal with the help of a man named [[Jaqen H'ghar]], one of the criminals Yoren was bringing to the Wall. For saving his life during the attack, H'ghar promises to repay Arya by killing three men of her choice. He also gives her a mysterious iron coin and tells her to find him in Braavos if she should ever desire to learn his secrets. H'ghar adopts a new identity and leaves. With Harrenhal abandoned by Lord Tywin, Roose Bolton captures the castle under the banner of [[the King of the North]]. Bolton executes Lorch in the castle's bear pit and takes on Arya as his page. Bolton orders the Stark foot army to advance on [[Duskendale]] to threaten King's Landing from the north, informing them that the orders come directly from Robb Stark. Arya kills a guard and escapes Harrenhal with some of the other Night's Watch recruits.

Stannis Baratheon's army reaches King's Landing and a combined assault is launched by both land and sea. Tyrion traps the Baratheon fleet in the mouth of the [[Blackwater Rush]] with a huge chain and destroys Stannis' fleet by detonating barrels of [[wildfire]] on nearby ships. Despite heavy losses, some of Stannis' men establish a foothold on the north shore until a brave sally led by Tyrion dislodges them. Tyrion is nearly killed when he is betrayed by one of the [[Kingsguard]], [[Mandon Moore|Ser Mandon Moore]], but is saved by his squire, [[Podrick Payne]]. The battle ends when Stannis is unexpectedly flanked by the Tyrells and barely manages to escape with a few thousand soldiers and a handful of ships.

In Riverrun, Catelyn's grieves over the supposed death of her sons, Rickon and Bran. While questioning the captive [[Jaime Lannister]], she reaches for a sword and...

===On the Wall===
The Night's Watch advances northwards from the Wall into the [[Haunted Forest]]. They stop at [[Craster's Keep]], where a wildling man named Craster serves as an informant for the Watch. They continue north and make camp at a ruined fortress known as the [[Fist of the First Men]], which serves as a strong defensive position. Concerned about the whereabouts and activities of the King-beyond-the-Wall [[Mance Rayder]], [[Jeor Mormont|Lord Commander Jeor Mormont]] sends [[Jon Snow]] and [[Qhorin Halfhand]] on a reconnaissance mission through the [[Skirling Pass]].

In the pass, Snow and Halfhand discover much wildling activity in the mountains. However, they are cornered and Halfhand commands Snow to infiltrate the wildlings by pretending to betray the Watch. In order to convince the wildlings, Snow is forced to kill Halfhand. A wildling girl named [[Ygritte]], agrees to speak on Jon's behalf to Mance Rayder, who is advancing on the Wall with an army in the tens of thousands.

===In the East===
Despite her three infant dragons, Daenerys Targaryen's followers have been much reduced. The vast Dothraki army formerly commanded by her husband, [[Khal Drogo]], has broken into individual factions and she is left with only her bloodriders, [[Jorah Mormont|Ser Jorah Mormont]], and a hundred or so retainers. Nevertheless, they proclaim her the 'Mother-of-Dragons' and 'the Unburnt' and swear to follow her.

Daenerys strikes east across the forbidding [[Red Waste]] and loses many of her followers to the harsh conditions before stumbling upon the ancient, abandoned city of [[Vaes Tolorro]]. They find clean water and fruit and enjoy a much needed respite. Daenerys' bloodriders scout the surrounding region and find a safe route to the great trading city of [[Qarth]] on the Jade Sea. The Qartheen dote on Daenerys and her dragons, but her attempts to secure help claiming the throne of Westeros do not succeed. She goes to the [[House of the Undying]] to form an alliance with its powerful warlocks, but instead she is shown confusing and disturbing images. Her dragon [[Drogon]] burns down the House of the Undying, sparking the enmity of the Qartheen and encouraging Daenerys to leave the city. An assassin hired by the warlocks attempts to kill Daenerys in the city's harbor, but it is thwarted by the arrival of two strangers: a fat warrior named [[Strong Belwas]] and his squire, an old but hale warrior named [[Arstan Whitebeard]]. They claim to be agents of [[Ilyrio Mopatis]], come to take Daenerys back to [[Pentos]]. Daenerys agrees to accompany them back to the Free Cities.

==Characters==
The tale is told through the eyes of 9 POV characters and a one-off prologue POV:

*Prologue: Maester Cressen, maester at Dragonstone.
*Lady [[Catelyn Stark]], of House Tully, widow of Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell
*[[Sansa Stark]], eldest daughter of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Stark, held captive by the King on the Iron Throne at King's Landing
*[[Arya Stark]], youngest daughter of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Stark, missing and presumed dead
*[[Bran Stark]], second son of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Stark and heir to Winterfell and the Kingdom in the North
*[[Jon Snow]], bastard son of Eddard Stark
*[[Tyrion Lannister]], youngest son of [[House Lannister#Tywin|Lord Tywin Lannister]], a dwarf and Queen Cersei's brother
*Ser [[Davos Seaworth]], a smuggler turned knight in the service of King Stannis Baratheon
*[[Theon Greyjoy]], heir to the Seastone Chair and former ward of Lord Eddard Stark
*Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]], Stormborn, of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] Dynasty

{{endspoiler}}

==Translations==
*Bulgarian
*Catalan
*Chinese
*Croatian
*Czech
*Dutch: Luitingh-Sijthoff (1999): ''De strijd der koningen''
*Finnish: Kuninkaiden Koitos
*French: Three volumes (Hardcover: Pygmalion (2000); paperback: J'ai Lu (2002)): ''La bataille des rois'', ''L'ombre maléfique'', ''L'invincible forteresse''
*German: Single volume, Fantasy Productions (2004): ''Königsfehde''. Two volumes, Blanvalet (2000): ''Der Thron der Sieben Königreiche'', ''Die Saat des goldenen Löwen''.
*Greek
*Hebrew
*Hungarian: Single volume, Alexandra: ''Királyok csatája''
*Italian: Single volume, Mondadori (2001): Il regno dei lupi''. Two volumes, Mondadori (2002): ''Il regno dei lupi'', ''La regina dei draghi''.
*Japanese
*Korean
*Polish
*Russian
*Serbian
*Spanish: Gigamesh (2003): ''Choque de reyes''
*Swedish: ''Sagan om Eld och Is: Kungarnas Krig''

==Awards and nominations==
*[[w:Locus Award|Locus Award]] – Best Novel (Fantasy) (Won) – (1999)
*[[w:Nebula Award|Nebula Award]] – Best Novel (Nominated) – (2000)
*Ignotus Award – Best Novel (Foreign) (Won) – (2004)

==External links==
*[http://members.aol.com/vbkorik27/summary/ACOKspoilerfree.html chapter-by-chapter summary] by Vincent Briscuso

==References and Sources==
{{EnWP|A Clash of Kings}}

[[Category:Books]]

A Clash of Kings

2008-02-16T04:07:56Z

Eleventh: Cleanup - Grammatical, Linking, Revision, etc.

{{infobox Book | 
| name = A Clash of Kings
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = [[Image:AClashOfKings.jpg|200px]]
| image_caption = US Hardcover Edition
| author = [[George R. R. Martin]]
| cover_artist = [[Steve Youll]]
| country = [[United States]]
| language = [[English language|English]]
| series = [[A Song of Ice and Fire]]
| genre = [[Fantasy]]
| publisher = [[Bantam Books]] (US) & [[Voyager Books]] (UK)
| release_date = November 1998 (UK) & March 1999 (US)
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[Paperback]])
| pages = 708 (UK Hardback), 768 (US Hardback), 1009 (US Paperback)
| isbn = ISBN 0-00-224585-X (UK Hardback), ISBN 0-553-10803-4 (US Hardback), ISBN 0-553-57990-8 (US Paperback)
| preceded_by = [[A Game of Thrones]]
| followed_by = [[A Storm of Swords]]
}}

'''''A Clash of Kings''''' is the second of seven planned novels in '''''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]''''', an epic fantasy series by American author [[George R. R. Martin]]. It was first published on 16 November 1998 in the United Kingdom, although the first United States edition did not follow until March 1999. Like its predecessor, ''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', it both won the 1999 [[w:Locus Award|Locus Award]] for Best Novel and was nominated for the 2000 [[w:Nebula Award|Nebula Award]] for best novel.

In May 2005 Meisha Merlin released a much-delayed limited edition of the novel, fully illustrated by John Howe.

''A Clash of Kings'' is also the name of the first expansion to the [[board game]] [[A Game of Thrones (board game)|"A Game of Thrones]]".

==Plot introduction==
''A Clash of Kings'' is set in a fictitious world reminiscent of [[Medieval]] Europe (primarily on a continent called [[Westeros]]), except for the fact that in this world, the seasons last for years and, sometimes, decades.

==Plot summary==

'''Spoilers follow.'''

''A Clash of Kings'' picks up the story where ''A Game of Thrones'' left off. The [[Seven Kingdoms]] are plagued by civil war, the [[Night's Watch]] mounts a reconnaissance force north of the [[Wall]], and in the distant east, [[Daenerys Targaryen]] continues her quest to return to the Seven Kingdoms and claim her birthright.

The novel spans most of the year 299 After the Landing.

===In the Seven Kingdoms===
The civil war complicates further when the [[House Greyjob|Greyjoys]] make their entrance. [[Robb Stark|Robb Stark's]] attempts to secure an alliance with the Greyjoys are rebuffed and answered with a massive assault along the west coast of [[the North]]. [[Ironborn]] raiders seize control of [[Moat Cailin]], [[Torrhen's Square]] and [[Deepwood Motte]], whilst raiding the [[Stoney Shore]].

At [[Winterfell]], [[Bran Stark]] is left in charge of the castle and begins suffering from strange dreams. He finds two new friends when [[Jojen Reed|Jojen]] and [[Meera Reed]], children of [[Eddard Stark|Eddard Stark's]] close friend [[Howland Reed|Lord Howland]], arrive from [[Greywater Watch]] and take an interest in his dreams.

Meanwhile, [[Stannis Baratheon]] declares himself King of Westeros with the support of the lords of the Narrow Sea and [[Melisandre]], a red priestess of the eastern god [[R'hllor]]. Enraged when his brother [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]] also makes a claim for the throne, Stannis chooses to besiege his own home castle of [[Storm's End]] to force Renly to march east and treat with him. [[Catelyn Stark]], who has journeyed south to discuss a possible alliance against the [[House Lannister|Lannisters]], also accompanies Renly. The ensuing parley ends in acrimony and Renly resolves to destroy his brother with his larger army. However, without warning a mysterious shadow comes to life in Renly's own tent and kills him. Shocked, Catelyn and the only other witness, the warrior-maid [[Brienne of Tarth]], flee the scene. Having lost Renly, the Storm Lords have no choice but to declare for Stannis. Storm's End itself only falls, however, when Stannis' loyal [[Davos Seaworth|Ser Davos]] (a former smuggler) sneaks Melisandre below the castle in a small boat. To his horror, Melisandre 'gives birth' to a 'shadow' which enters Storm's End and slays its stubborn castellan.

In King's Landing, [[Tyrion Lannister]] arrives to act as [[King's Hand|Hand]] in [[Tywin Lannister|Lord Tywin's]] stead. Whilst intriguing against his sister Cersei, Tyrion improves the city's defenses. Learning of Renly's death, Tyrion resolves on two courses of action. Knowing that the [[House Tyrell|Tyrells]] will not be happy following Stannis, he decides to make them a better offer. He also resolves to bring the [[House Martell|Martells of Dorne]] into the war on his side. He sends [[Petyr Baelish|Littlefinger]] to treat with the Tyrells and sends other messengers to Dorne. He wins Littlefinger's support by promising to make him the Lord of [[Harrenhal]]. The negotiations are solidified by marriage arrangements. [[Mace Tyrell|Lord Mace Tyrell]] agrees to wed his daughter [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]] to [[Joffrey Baratheon|King Joffrey]], whilst [[Doran Martell|Prince Doran Martell]] agrees to marry his son [[Trystane Martell|Trystane]] to Joffrey's sister [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]].

[[Theon Greyjoy]] leads a small force of ironmen north and captures Winterfell, taking Bran and [[Rickon Stark]] captive. Theon's sister [[Asha Greyjoy|Asha]] suggests he raze the castle and flee before other northmen arrive to reclaim it, but Theon petulantly tries to hold onto his new castle. Eventually a strong force of northmen arrive and discover what appear to be the corpses of Bran and Rickon Stark. However, as the disgusted besiegers begin to mount their assault on Winterfell, the contingent of [[House Bolton]], led by [[Roose Bolton|Lord Roose Bolton's]] bastard son [[Ramsey Snow]], turn on the other northmen and drive them off. Theon eagerly opens the gates to his new 'allies', only to be beaten and taken captive. Winterfell is razed to the ground and the Boltons return to the [[Dreadfort]]. Shortly after, Bran and Rickon emerge from hiding, unharmed and decide to split up. [[Osha]], a [[wildling]] woman serving in Winterfell, agrees to take Rickon to safety, whilst Bran and the Reeds travel north to the Wall.

Robb Stark leads his northern army into the [[Westerlands]] and emerges victorious from a number of battles against Lannister forces, winning battles at [[Oxcross]], [[Ashemark]], and storming the [[Golden Tooth]] and [[the Crag]]. Tywin reluctantly emerges from Harrenhal and attempts to pass the fords near Riverrun, where he is stopped by [[Edmure Tully]], Catelyn's brother and the infirm Lord Hoster's heir. This prevents the Lannisters from falling on Robb's rear, but allows them to rapidly march south to join their new allies, the Tyrells.

[[Arya Stark]], posing as a boy named Arry, is taken north by [[Yoren]] as a new recruit for the Night's Watch. However, they are attacked by Lannister freeriders led by [[Amory Lorch|Ser Amory Lorch]] and Yoren is killed on the shores of [[Gods Eye]]. Lorch takes his captives to Harrenhal and Arya survives her time at Harrenhal with the help of a man named [[Jaqen H'ghar]], one of the criminals Yoren was bringing to the Wall. For saving his life during the attack, H'ghar promises to repay Arya by killing three men of her choice. He also gives her a mysterious iron coin and tells her to find him in Braavos if she should ever desire to learn his secrets. H'ghar adopts a new identity and leaves. With Harrenhal abandoned by Lord Tywin, Roose Bolton captures the castle under the banner of [[the King of the North]]. Bolton executes Lorch in the castle's bear pit and takes on Arya as his page. Bolton orders the Stark foot army to advance on [[Duskendale]] to threaten King's Landing from the north, informing them that the orders come directly from Robb Stark. Arya kills a guard and escapes Harrenhal with some of the other Night's Watch recruits.

Stannis Baratheon's army reaches King's Landing and a combined assault is launched by both land and sea. Tyrion traps the Baratheon fleet in the mouth of the [[Blackwater Rush]] with a huge chain and destroys Stannis' fleet by detonating barrels of [[wildfire]] on nearby ships. Despite heavy losses, some of Stannis' men establish a foothold on the north shore until a brave sally led by Tyrion dislodges them. Tyrion is nearly killed when he is betrayed by one of the [[Kingsguard]], [[Mandon Moore|Ser Mandon Moore]], but is saved by his squire, [[Podrick Payne]]. The battle ends when Stannis is unexpectedly flanked by the Tyrells and barely manages to escape with a few thousand soldiers and a handful of ships.

In Riverrun, Catelyn's grieves over the supposed death of her sons, Rickon and Bran. While questioning the captive [[Jaime Lannister]], she reaches for a sword and...

===On the Wall===
The Night's Watch advances northwards from the Wall into the [[Haunted Forest]]. They stop at [[Craster's Keep]], where a wildling man named Craster serves as an informant for the Watch. They continue north and make camp at a ruined fortress known as the [[Fist of the First Men]], which serves as a strong defensive position. Concerned about the whereabouts and activities of the King-beyond-the-Wall [[Mance Rayder]], [[Jeor Mormont|Lord Commander Jeor Mormont]] sends [[Jon Snow]] and [[Qhorin Halfhand]] on a reconnaissance mission through the [[Skirling Pass]].

In the pass, Snow and Halfhand discover much wildling activity in the mountains. However, they are cornered and Halfhand commands Snow to infiltrate the wildlings by pretending to betray the Watch. In order to convince the wildlings, Snow is forced to kill Halfhand. A wildling girl named [[Ygritte]], agrees to speak on Jon's behalf to Mance Rayder, who is advancing on the Wall with an army in the tens of thousands.

===In the East===
Despite her three infant dragons, Daenerys Targaryen's followers have been much reduced. The vast Dothraki army formerly commanded by her husband, [[Khal Drogo]], has broken into individual factions and she is left with only her bloodriders, [[Jorah Mormont|Ser Jorah Mormont]], and a hundred or so retainers. Nevertheless, they proclaim her the 'Mother-of-Dragons' and 'the Unburnt' and swear to follow her.

Daenerys strikes east across the forbidding [[Red Waste]] and loses many of her followers to the harsh conditions before stumbling upon the ancient, abandoned city of [[Vaes Tolorro]]. They find clean water and fruit and enjoy a much needed respite. Daenerys' bloodriders scout the surrounding region and find a safe route to the great trading city of [[Qarth]] on the Jade Sea. The Qartheen dote on Daenerys and her dragons, but her attempts to secure help claiming the throne of Westeros do not succeed. She goes to the [[House of the Undying]] to form an alliance with its powerful warlocks, but instead she is shown confusing and disturbing images. Her dragon [[Drogon]] burns down the House of the Undying, sparking the enmity of the Qartheen and encouraging Daenerys to leave the city. An assassin hired by the warlocks attempts to kill Daenerys in the city's harbor, but it is thwarted by the arrival of two strangers: a fat warrior named [[Strong Belwas]] and his squire, an old but hale warrior named [[Arstan Whitebeard]]. They claim to be agents of [[Ilyrio Mopatis]], come to take Daenerys back to [[Pentos]]. Daenerys agrees to accompany them back to the Free Cities.

==Characters==
The tale is told through the eyes of 9 POV characters and a one-off prologue POV:

*Prologue: Maester Cressen, maester at Dragonstone.
*Lady [[Catelyn Stark]], of House Tully, widow of Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell
*[[Sansa Stark]], eldest daughter of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Stark, held captive by the King on the Iron Throne at King's Landing
*[[Arya Stark]], youngest daughter of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Stark, missing and presumed dead
*[[Bran Stark]], second son of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Stark and heir to Winterfell and the Kingdom in the North
*[[Jon Snow]], bastard son of Eddard Stark
*[[Tyrion Lannister]], youngest son of [[House Lannister#Tywin|Lord Tywin Lannister]], a dwarf and Queen Cersei's brother
*Ser [[Davos Seaworth]], a smuggler turned knight in the service of King Stannis Baratheon
*[[Theon Greyjoy]], heir to the Seastone Chair and former ward of Lord Eddard Stark
*Queen [[Daenerys Targaryen]], Stormborn, of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] Dynasty

{{endspoiler}}

==Translations==
*Bulgarian
*Catalan
*Chinese
*Croatian
*Czech
*Dutch: Luitingh-Sijthoff (1999): ''De strijd der koningen''
*Finnish: Kuninkaiden Koitos
*French: Three volumes (Hardcover: Pygmalion (2000); paperback: J'ai Lu (2002)): ''La bataille des rois'', ''L'ombre maléfique'', ''L'invincible forteresse''
*German: Single volume, Fantasy Productions (2004): ''Königsfehde''. Two volumes, Blanvalet (2000): ''Der Thron der Sieben Königreiche'', ''Die Saat des goldenen Löwen''.
*Greek
*Hebrew
*Hungarian: Single volume, Alexandra: ''Királyok csatája''
*Italian: Single volume, Mondadori (2001): Il regno dei lupi''. Two volumes, Mondadori (2002): ''Il regno dei lupi'', ''La regina dei draghi''.
*Japanese
*Korean
*Polish
*Russian
*Serbian
*Spanish: Gigamesh (2003): ''Choque de reyes''
*Swedish: ''Sagan om Eld och Is: Kungarnas Krig''

==Awards and nominations==
*[[Locus Award]] – Best Novel (Fantasy) (Won) – (1999)
*[[Nebula Award]] – Best Novel (Nominated) – (2000)
*Ignotus Award – Best Novel (Foreign) (Won) – (2004)

==External links==
*[http://members.aol.com/vbkorik27/summary/ACOKspoilerfree.html chapter-by-chapter summary] by Vincent Briscuso

==References and Sources==
{{EnWP|A Clash of Kings}}

[[Category:Books]]

Hrakkar

2008-02-15T23:47:34Z

Eleventh:

A breed of white lion native to the [[Dothraki Sea]].

Hrakkar

2008-02-15T23:47:09Z

Eleventh: New page: A breed of white lion native to the Dothraki sea.

A breed of white lion native to the [[Dothraki sea]].

Oubliette

2008-02-15T09:26:51Z

Eleventh: New page: A prison cell which is only accessible from above. It is impossible to escape an ''oubliette'' without help. Prisoners are often left in oubliettes to die of starvation. In A Feast for Cr...

A prison cell which is only accessible from above. It is impossible to escape an ''oubliette'' without help. Prisoners are often left in oubliettes to die of starvation.

In A Feast for Crows, [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]] claims that [[Casterly Rock]] has oubliettes so small that a man cannot even sit down in one.

Night soil

2008-02-13T08:11:27Z

Eleventh:

''Night soil'' is a euphemism for human or animal [[w:feces|excrement]]. It is sometimes applied to weapons such as arrows to turn the wounds they inflict [[w:sepsis|septic]].

Night soil

2008-02-13T08:11:16Z

Eleventh:

''Night soil'' is a euphemism for human or animal [[w:feces|excrement]]. It is sometimes applied to weapons such as arrows to turn the wound they inflict [[w:sepsis|septic]].

Night soil

2008-02-13T08:10:29Z

Eleventh:

''Night soil'' is a euphemism for human or animal [[w:excrement|feces]]. It is sometimes applied to weapons such as arrows to turn the wound they inflict [[w:sepsis|septic]].

Night soil

2008-02-13T08:09:59Z

Eleventh:

''Night soil'' is a euphemism for human or animal [[w:excrement|feces]]. It is sometimes applied to weapons such as arrows to turn the wound they inflict [[w:septic|septic]].

Night soil

2008-02-13T08:08:19Z

Eleventh:

''Night soil'' is a euphemism for human [[w:excrement|feces]]. It is sometimes used as a [[w:toxicant|toxicant]] on weapons such as arrows to turn the wound [[w:septic|septic]].

Night soil

2008-02-13T08:07:23Z

Eleventh: New page: ''Night soil'' is a euphemism for human excrement. It is sometimes used as a toxicant on weapons such as arrows to turn the wound septic.

''Night soil'' is a euphemism for human [[w:excrement|excrement]]. It is sometimes used as a [[w:toxicant|toxicant]] on weapons such as arrows to turn the wound [[w:septic|septic]].

Escutcheon

2008-02-10T09:12:00Z

Eleventh: New page: The shield displayed in a coat of arms.

The shield displayed in a coat of arms.

House Tyrell

2008-02-10T08:30:32Z

Eleventh: /* Margaery */

{{Noble House
| House_name = House Tyrell
| Coat_of_arms = A golden rose on a green field
| Words = '''Growing Strong'''
| Seat = [[Highgarden]]
| Current_Lord = [[Mace Tyrell]]
| Region = [[The Reach]]
| Title = Warden of the South
| Heir = [[Willas Tyrell]]
| Overlord = King [[Robert Baratheon]]
}}
'''House Tyrell''' is the principal noble house in [[the Reach]]; many lesser houses are sworn to them. Their seat is at Highgarden, a castle near the Manderly river. Their sigil is a golden rose on a green field, and their words are "Growing Strong."

==History==
The Tyrells trace a line of descent, through the female line, to the legendary Garth Greenhand, the first King of the Reach in the Age of Heroes. The Tyrells were [[steward]]s to House Gardener, the ancient ruling line of Kings of the Reach, who periodically intermarried with lower ranking houses of the Reach such as Tyrell or Florent. After House Gardner was extinguished in the [[War of Conquest]], the Tyrells surrendered Highgarden to the Targaryens. For their service they were created [[lords paramount]] in the Reach and [[Wardens]] of the South.

==House genealogy==
{{familytree/start|style=font: 70% sans-serif;}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | |LUT|y|OL | | | | | | | | | | | | |,|Sib
|LUT=Luthor Longturn|Sib=Cadet branches|OL=Olenna Redwyne|}}
{{familytree | | | | | |,|-|-|-|v|-|^|-|-|-|-|-|.| | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | |}}
{{familytree |RED|y|MIN| |MA|y|AL| |JA|-|JN| | | | |)|VC|-|JB|=
|RED=Paxter Redwyne|MIN=Mina|MA=[[Mace Tyrell|Mace]]|AL=[[Alerie Hightower|Alerie Hightower]]|JA=Janna|JN=[[Jon Fossoway|Jon Fossoway]]| |VC=Victoria|JB=Jon Bullwer|}}
{{familytree | | | |!| |,|-|-|-|v|-|^|-|-|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|.| | | | | |!| | | | | | | |}}
{{familytree |HR|(|WL| |GR|-|LN| |MR| |LR| | | | |)|VC|-|JB|=
|HR=Horas Redwyne|WL=[[House Tyrell#Willas|Willas]]|GR=[[House Tyrell#Garlan|Garlan]]|MR=[[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]]|LR=[[Loras Tyrell|Loras]]|LN=Leonette Fossoway|VC=Elinor|JB=Alyn Ambrose| }}
{{familytree | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | }}
{{familytree |HB|(| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | || | | | | | | |)|VC|-|JB| =
|HB=Hobber Redwyne|VC=Ser Leo|JB=Alys Beesbury|}}
{{familytree | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | }}
{{familytree |DS|'| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |)|VC|-|JB| =
|DS=Desmera Redwyne|VC=Olenna|JB=Leo Blackbar}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | }}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |)|VC|-|JB| =
|DS=Desmera Redwyne|VC=Olymer|JB=Lysa Meadows}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | }}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | || | | | | | | | |)|VC|-|JB| =
|DS=Desmera Redwyne|VC=Luthor|JB=Elyn Norridge}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | }}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |`|VC|-|JB| =
|DS=Desmera Redwyne|VC=Theodore|JB=Lia Serry}}
{{familytree/end}}

==Current members==
===Mace===
Lord of Highgarden, Defender of the Marches, High Marshal of the Reach, and Warden of the South. Mace Tyrell is a prematurely old and rather tedious man lacking in political savvy. His sole military accomplishment is the [[Siege of Storm's End]]. Though he has tried to use the [[Battle of Ashford]] as evidence of strategic brilliance, he actually had little to do with the fighting. He now serves only as the figurehead of his powerful house for his more intelligent family members.

Mace has always dreamed of his daughter being a Queen, thus when [[Renly Baratheon]] and [[Loras Tyrell]] presented the plan to crown Renly and have him wed [[Margaery Tyrell]], they had his full support. However, King Renly’s rule did not last long enough for him to consummate the marriage as he was slain at Storm’s End. When word of this reached Mace, he marched some ten thousand men to Bitterbridge to plan his next move with his sons. They were joined by Petyr Baelish with an offer from King [[Joffrey Baratheon]]. Forming an alliance with house Lannister he was soon joined by [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]]'s army to march on and defeat [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]] at the Blackwater. His reward was a seat on the [[Small Council]]. Later, he was charged with the capture of Storm’s End, but the siege was interrupted by news that Margaery had been imprisoned. He abandoned his charge and is currently marching his army on the city of King’s Landing.

===Alerie Hightower===
Lady Alerie Tyrell is Mace's wife and the daughter of Lord Leyton Hightower, the Tyrells' most powerful bannerman. She is described as simpering by [[Cersei Lannister]]. Physically, she is an elegant woman, tall and lovely with long silver hair worn in a braid, held with jeweled rings. She is the mother of Willas, Garlan, Loras and Margaery.

===Willas===
Mace's eldest son, the heir to Highgarden. He was crippled in a tourney mishap while facing [[Oberyn Martell]], the latest round in a longstanding feud between the two houses that continues to this day. Willas is described by others as a very intelligent, scholarly, and sensitive young man. He appears to hold no grudge on Oberyn for the accident, and communicates with him occasionally through letters.

Although he has not appeared directly in the story, Margaery and Olenna planned to marry him to Sansa Stark to gain Tyrell claim on the North, but the plot fell through. Tywin Lannister suggested him as a possible candidate for marriage to Cersei Lannister, but Mace refused the offer. The matter was dropped after Tywin's death. As of Mace's departure from Highgarden, Willas is ruling in his stead, and is attempting to fend off the raids from the Greyjoys and their Iron Fleet.

===Garlan===
Mace's second son, he is known as Garlan the Gallant. Although his younger brother is renowned in the joust, Loras admits that Garlan is superior with the sword, making Garlan one of the best swordsmen in Westeros. Garlan often trains against two or three men at once. He is married to Leonette Fossaway, daughter of a Tyrell banner-house. They have no children of yet.

Garlan wore Lord Renly's armor during the [[Battle of the Blackwater]], killing a dozen knights, including the famed warrior Ser Guyard Morrigen. The sight of what seemed to be a dead man leading the vanguard drove many of Stannis' men into panic. For his service on the Blackwater, Garlan was granted the Lordship of Brightwater Keep and the lands of the Florents, who were bannermen to the Tyrells but joined with Stannis. This reward makes Garlan a powerful lord in his own right. At Joffrey's wedding, he was one of a very few characters in the series to acknowledge and praise the abilities of Tyrion Lannister. During the wedding feast, he stood up for Tyrion when the drunken groom abused him, even rebuking the Joffrey in front of his court. During Tyrion's trial, Garlan attempted to defend him, but Tyrion realized that Cersei was using Garlan's honorable reputation to build a credible backbone for her case. After Margaery and Tommen's wedding he returned to the Reach with some ten thousand men in an attempt claim his new lands of Brightwater.

===Loras===
:''Main article: [[Loras Tyrell]]

Mace's third son, known as the Knight of Flowers, Loras is a highly skilled and celebrated knight. He was also the secret lover of [[Renly Baratheon]]. After Renly's death, Loras became a member of the [[Kingsguard]].

===Margaery===
Mace's only daughter, Margaery is an intelligent and shrewd young woman, very much the protégé of her cunning grandmother, Olenna. She is also very beautiful, with softly curling brown hair, brown eyes and a slender yet shapely figure.

Margaery was first married to King Renly Baratheon, as a pledge of loyalty from the Tyrell family. When he was killed, the Tyrells allied with the Lannisters, wedding Margaery to King Joffrey Baratheon. After Joffrey was poisoned at their wedding feast, Margaery was wed yet again, this time to Joffrey's younger brother [[Tommen]], a little boy who was then crowned king. In the months after their marriage, the [[Queen Regent Cersei]] schemed to dispose of Margaery and the Tyrells, taking advantage of Margaery's claim to still be a maid despite her marriage to Renly. This claim may or may not be true; Margaery's [[maidenhead]] was confirmed to have been ruptured by a Septa who inspected her, but as communicated to the readers by Cersei, highborn girls often have their maidenheads broken by horseback-riding.

While Tommen's queen, she did much to curry favor with the populace, visiting local markets and buying fresh fruits, breads and fish, and ordering dresses and such from many local seamstresses, and making great public shows of charity, all while travelling with a bright and colorful retinue. Margaery suggested several activities for Tommen in an effort to shape him into a successful ruler, such as riding in sight of his subjects and observing sessions of the Small Council. Cersei forbade all of Margaery's suggestions. Later, Margaery recognized the military threat created by the [[The Iron Islands|ironborn]] invasion of the Shield Islands, and was incredulous at Cersei's lack of understanding.

Cersei accused Margaery of adultery and treason, lining up an impressive, if untrue, array of conspirators and evidence; she was arrested, and imprisoned to await trial by the [[Faith]] at the Great Sept of Baelor. While in custody, she confronted Cersei, revealing that she knew that this was all the doings of her "good-mother" (mother-in-law), and that she knew Cersei wanted to remove her from a position of influence, perhaps by arranging for her death. Later, one of Cersei's key witnesses revealed her plots under torture, and Cersei soon found herself sharing Margaery's plight. Their fate is unknown.

===Olenna Redwyne===
Mace's mother, widow of Lord Luthor Tyrell, Lady Olenna was born of [[House Redwyne]], a powerful [[feodality|bannerhouse]] of House Tyrell. She is a wizened, cunning old woman with a wicked wit and a sharp tongue, which had earned her the sobriquet "the Queen of Thorns." She is often accompanied by seven-foot tall identical twin guards whom she calls "Left" and "Right". Olenna has two daughters, Janna, and Mina, Lady of [[the Arbor]] by virtue of her marriage to [[House Redwyne|Lord Paxter Redwyne]].

Olenna was introduced in ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'', sharply questioning Sansa Stark on Joffrey's nature, apparently concerned about the rumors that followed the boy that was to wed her granddaughter. She refused to accept Sansa's half-truths and polite evasions. After getting Sansa to speak about Joffrey's cruelty and the beatings he gave her, Olenna began talking of taking Sansa away to Highgarden and marrying her to Willas. [[Petyr Baelish]] later claimed that Lady Olenna was King Joffrey's poisoner. The truth of this charge is unclear, but Olenna did appear to remove a bead from Sansa's hairnet, and it is strongly implied by several characters that the beads in this net were actually a deadly poison in disguise. Olenna also invited Sansa to return to Highgarden with her, possibly as a way of helping her escape Lannister persecution. Shortly after Margaery's wedding to Tommen, Olenna returned to Highgarden. However, before she left, she very subtly implied to Cersei that she believed that Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen were the products of incest between Cersei and Jaime, and that they were not Robert's trueborn children.

===Mina===
The older of Mace's sisters, Lady Mina is married to [[Lord Paxter Redwyne]], and hence the Lady of [[the Arbor]]. She has three children:
* Ser Horas Redwyne, twin to Hobber.
* Ser Hobber Redwyne, twin to Horas.
* Desmera Redwyne

===Janna===
The younger of Mace's sisters, Lady Janna is married to Ser Jon Fossaway.

==Sworn Houses==
*'''[[Ashford]]''' of Ashford.
* [[House Bulwer|'''Bulwer''']] of Blackcrown. The Bulwers are cousins of the Tyrell family, with a member, Victaria Tyrell, marrying into the family at some point in the recent past. The Lady of House Bulwer, Alysanne, is Victaria's daughter. She is a little girl and one of Margaery's [[w::lady-in-waiting|ladies-in-waiting]].
* [[House Chester|'''Chester''']] The Lord of House Chester is given the title of Lord of Greenshield.
* [[House Crane|'''Crane''']] of Red Lake.
* '''[[House Florent|Florent]]''' of Brightwater Keep.
* [[House Fossoway|'''Fossoway''']]. Two branches exist:
** The "red apple" ''Fossoways of Cider Hall''
** The "green apple" ''Fossoways of New Barrel'', a cadet branch descending from Raymun Fossoway. The house's creation is described in ''[[The Hedge Knight]]''.
* [[House Grimm|'''Grimm''']] of Grimstone. The Lord of House Grimm is given the title of Lord of Greyshield.
* [[House Hewett|'''Hewett''']] of Hewett Castle. The Lord of House Hewett is given the title of Lord of Oakenshield.
* '''[[Hightower]]''' of the Hightower. They are the Lords of [[Oldtown]], and as masters of Oldtown, the Hightower family are very influential.
* '''[[Merryweather]]''' of Longtable.
* [[House Mullendore|'''Mullendore''']] of Uplands.
* '''[[Oakheart]]''' of Old Oak.
* '''[[Osgrey]]''' of Standfast. ''[[The Sworn Sword]]'' describes the service of Ser Duncan the Tall to Ser Eustace Osgrey.
* '''[[Redwyne]]''' of the Arbor, a large island off of Westeros proper.
* '''[[House Rowan|Rowan]]''' of Goldengrove
* '''[[Serry]]''' The Lord of House Serry is given the title of Lord of Southshield.
* '''[[House Tarly|Tarly]]''' of Horn Hill.
* [[House Vyrwel|'''Vyrwel''']] of Darkdell
{{Template:HousesReach}}

==References==
{{EnWP|House Tyrell}}

[[Category:Noble houses|Tyrell]]
[[Category:Houses from the Reach|Tyrell]]
[[Category:House Tyrell|*]]

House Allyrion

2008-02-10T08:29:08Z

Eleventh: /* A Song of Ice and Fire */

{{Noble House
| House_name = House Allyrion
| image =
| image_caption =
| Coat_of_arms = A golden hand on gyronny red and black
| Words = «No Foe May Pass»
| Seat = Godsgrace
| Current_Lord = Lady Delonne Allyrion
| Region = [[Dorne]]
| Title =
| Heir = Ser Ryon Allyrion
| Overlord = [[House Martell]]
| Ancestral_weapon =
| Cadet_branch =
| Founded_in =
| Founder =
| Died_out =
}}

'''House Allyrion of Godsgrace''' is a major [[Dorne|Dornish]] noble house. Godsgrace sits on the fork between the Scourge and the Vaith.

Their blazon is a golden hand on gyronny red and black. Their words do not appear in the books, but [[George R. R. Martin|the author]] has suggested in noncanon correspondence with fans «No Foe May Pass»

==The Allyrion House at the end of the third century==

The known Allyrions during the timespan of the events described on [[A Song of Ice and Fire]] are:
*Lady Delonne Allyrion: Lady of Godsgrace.
**Ser Ryon Allyrion: His son and heir.
***Ser Damon Sand: His bastard son. Known as "The Bastard of Godsgrace"

{{familytree/start|style=font: 70% sans-serif;}}
{{familytree | | DEL | | | | | |DEL=Delonne Allyrion}}
{{familytree | | |!| | | | | | }}
{{familytree | | RYO | | | | | |RYO=Ryon Allyrion}}
{{familytree | | |:| | | | | | }}
{{familytree | | BAS | | | | | |BAS=Damon Sand}}
{{familytree/end}}

==References in the books==
===Dunk and Egg===
===A Song of Ice and Fire===
*Ser Ryon Allyrion and Damon Sand were among the Dornish nobles that accompanied [[Oberyn Martell]] to [[King's Landing]].
*The bastard of Godsgrace helped Prince Oberyn to his armor before the duel against [[Gregor Clegane]].
*On [[292 AL]], when they were both fourteen, the Bastard of Godsgrace took Arianne's Martell [[maidenhead]].

{{Template:HousesDorne}}
[[Category:Noble houses|Allyrion]]
[[Category:Houses from Dorne|Allyrion]]

House Tarth

2008-02-10T08:28:53Z

Eleventh: /* A Song of Ice and Fire */

{{Noble House
| House_name = House Tarth
| Coat_of_arms = Yellow suns on rose quartered with white crescents on azure
| Seat = Evenfall Hall
| Current_Lord = Lord Selwyn of Tarth
| Region = [[Stormlands]], Island of [[Tarth]]
| Title = The Evenstar
| Heir = [[Brienne of Tarth]]
| Overlord = [[Renly Baratheon]]
}}
'''House Tarth of Evenfall Hall''' is a noble house that rule the [[Tarth|island of Tarth]], a beautiful island north of the Shipbreaker Bay that controls the Straits of Tarth between the island and the continent. It's called the Sapphire Island for the blue of its waters.

Their blazon is quartered with yellow suns on rose and white crescents and azure.

==The Tarth House at the end of the third century==

The known Tarths during the timespan of the events described on [[A Song of Ice and Fire]] are:
*Lord Selwyn of Tarth: Lord of Evenfall Hall. Called the Evenstar.
**[[Brienne of Tarth]]: His daughter. An ugly, big and strong maid. Sometimes mocked as Brienne the Beauty.
**Galladon: His son. He died as a boy of drowning.
**Arianne: His daughter. She died as an infant.
**Alysanne: His daughter. She died as an infant.

With unspecified familiar relationship to the main branch there is also:

*Ser Endrew Tarth: A black brother of the [[Night's Watch]].

==References in the books==
===A Song of Ice and Fire===

*Ser Endrew Tarth, stationed in the Shadow Tower, is recalled to Castle Black to train the new recruits as Master at Arms after [[Alliser Thorne]] is sent away.
*The Tarths declared for Renly during the War of the Five Kings. When Stannis sent Davos Seaworth to rally the Stormlords, they only agreed to a midnight meeting in a grove.
*Ser Endrew is described as gentler teacher than Ser Alliser, but still demanding.
*Brienne of Tarth won the meleé at Bitterbridge, defeating Ser Alyn Connington and Ser Loras Tyrell. As a reward King Renly granted her a place in his [[Rainbow Guard]].
*In Renly's camp, Brienne is continously mocked. Some of the young knights waged who would be the first to get her [[maidenhead]].
*Brienne was helping Renly to don his armor when he was murdered by a shadow. She fled with [[Catelyn Tully]] to Riverrun.
*Brienne sworn her sword to Catelyn Tully.
*Following Catelyn's orders, Brienne escapes with Jaime and Cleos from Riverrun. She plays a significant part in [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]]'s storyline.
*Ser Endrew Tarth dies fighting the Wildings at the Bridge of Skulls.
*Brienne is entrusted by Jaime to look for Catelyn's daughters, and gives her a Valyrian steel sword named [[Oathkeeper]].
*While following Arya's track, Brienne is captured by the [[Brothership without Banners]] and sentenced to death by the revived Catelyn Tully.

{{Template:HousesStormlands}}

[[Category:Noble houses|Tarth]]
[[Category:Houses from the Stormlands|Tarth]]

Randyll Tarly

2008-02-10T08:28:39Z

Eleventh: /* History */

Lord '''Randyll Tarly''' is the Lord of Horn Hill and the head of [[House Tarly]]. He is married to Melessa [[House Florent|Florent]]. He has a reputation as a strong battle commander, and wields the Tarly ancestral blade [[Heartsbane]], a [[Valyrian steel]] greatsword, in battle.

==Appearance==
He is a lean and balding man with a short, bristly grey beard.

==History==
Randyll Tarly is considered one of the best soldiers in Westeros. During [[Robert's Rebellion]] his army inflicted the only defeat on [[Robert Baratheon]]'s forces, at the [[Battle of Ashford]]. A martinet, he became disappointed in his gentle, timid firstborn son [[Samwell Tarly|Samwell]] and made several harsh attempts to engage him in manly, martial persuits, but all to no effect. When Melessa gave birth to his second son, the more bold Dickon, Randyll left Samwell to his own devices until he approached adulthood. At that time, Randyll threatened Sam's life he did not join the [[Night's Watch]], thereby nullifying his claim to Horn Hill.

When Renly called his banners to him, Randyll joined with [[House Tyrell]] in supporting him. At the camp, Dickon told Randyll of a cruel game that several of the knights were playing on [[Brienne of Tarth]]. He summoned Brienne to her and told her that they had laid wagers on the first to claim her [[maidenhead]]. He then tersely advised her that women have no place on the battlefield. When Renly was assassinated, he continued to follow the Tyrells in abandoning Stannis's cause and joining with the Lannisters. He received a commendation for his services at the [[Battle of the Blackwater]].

Randyll then took his forces and began reconstruction of Maidenpool. Brienne encountered him again while he was dispensing harsh but fair justice in the marketsquare. He extracted her business from her, but allowed her to leave. After Brienne returned with the heads of several [[Brave Companions]], Randyll complained that he had executed many outlaws, but could not find their leaders.

[[Category:Nobles|Tarly, Randyll]]
[[Category:Characters from the Reach|Tarly, Randyll]]
[[Category:House Tarly]]

Margaery Tyrell

2008-02-10T08:28:25Z

Eleventh: /* History */

'''Margaery Tyrell''' is the only daughter of [[Mace Tyrell]] and his wife, [[Alerie Tyrell]]. She is an intelligent and shrewd young woman, very much the protégé of her cunning grandmother, [[Olenna Tyrell]].

==Appearance==
She is very beautiful, with softly curling brown hair, brown eyes and a slender yet shapely figure.

==History==
Margaery was first married to [[Renly Baratheon]], as a pledge of the Tyrell's support for his claim to the [[Iron Throne]]. When he was killed, the Tyrells allied with the Lannisters, wedding Margaery to King [[Joffrey Baratheon]]. After Joffrey was poisoned at their wedding feast, Margaery was wed yet again, this time to Joffrey's younger brother [[Tommen Baratheon]], a little boy who was then crowned king. In the months after their marriage, [[Cersei Lannister]] schemed to dispose of Margaery and the Tyrells, taking advantage of Margaery's claim to still be a [[w:virgin|maid]] despite her marriage to Renly. This claim may or may not be true; Margaery's [[maidenhead]] was confirmed to have been ruptured by a Septa who inspected her, but Cersei noted that highborn girls often have their maidenheads broken by horseback-riding.

While Tommen's queen, Margaery did much to curry favor with the populace. She visited local markets to buying fresh fruits, breads and fish, ordered dresses from many local seamstresses, and made great public shows of charity, all while travelling with a bright and colorful retinue. Margaery suggested several activities for Tommen in an effort to shape him into a successful ruler, such as riding in sight of his subjects and observing sessions of the [[Small Council]]. Cersei forbade all of Margaery's suggestions. Later, Margaery recognized the military threat created by the [[ironmen]] invasion of the [[Shield Islands]], and was incredulous at Cersei's lack of understanding.

Cersei accused Margaery of adultery and treason, lining up an impressive, if untrue, array of conspirators and evidence; Margaery was arrested and imprisoned to await trial by the [[Faith of the Seven|Faith]] at the [[Great Sept of Baelor]]. While in custody, she confronted Cersei, revealing that she knew that Cersei was behind the accusations and wanted to remove her from a position of influence, perhaps by arranging for her death. Later, one of Cersei's key witnesses revealed her plots under torture, and Cersei soon found herself sharing Margaery's plight. Their fate is unknown.

==Retinue==
Margaery was accompanied by a train of ladies when she arrived in King's Landing to become Joffrey's queen consort, most of whom are either her relatives, or the daughters of her father's bannermen, some of whom would be her ladies-in-waiting.

* Septa [[Nysterica]]
* [[Alysanne Bulwer]] - the daughter of her Tyrell cousin, [[Victaria Bulwer]]
* [[Alla Tyrell]]
* [[Elinor Tyrell]]
* [[Megga Tyrell]]

==References and Sources==
{{EnWP|House Tyrell}}

[[Category:Characters from the Reach|Tyrell, Margaery]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Tyrell, Margaery]]
[[Category:House Tyrell]]

Sandbeggar

2008-02-08T04:20:39Z

Eleventh: New page: A tree native to Dorne with leaves and thorns. Sandbeggars grow on the edge of deserts and are said to mark nearby water. Category:Plants

A tree native to [[Dorne]] with leaves and thorns. Sandbeggars grow on the edge of deserts and are said to mark nearby water.
[[Category:Plants]]

Drogo

2008-01-25T21:37:48Z

Eleventh: /* History */

'''Khal Drogo''' was a rich and powerful [[Dothraki]] horselord (or ''khal''). His ''khalasar'' had forty thousand warriors in addition to their women, children, and slaves. He married [[Daenerys Targaryen]], promising to invade [[Westeros]] for her, but he died before the invasion could begin.

==Physical Description==
Drogo's skin was the color of copper, his hair and eyes were black, and he was very tall and graceful. He had a long, drooping mustache and wore his hair in a braid that came to his thighs, hung with tiny bells. His long braid had never been cut, signifying that he had never lost a fight.

==History==
Before the age of thirty, Drogo led the largest ''khalasar'' in the [[Dothraki Sea]], with forty thousand warriors, and had never been defeated. He owned a palace in [[Vaes Dothrak]] and a nine-towered mansion in [[Pentos]], given to him by the magisters of the city to appease him. While Drogo was in Pentos, [[Illyrio Mopatis]] arranged a marriage between him and [[Daenerys Targaryen]], in return for providing [[Viserys Targaryen]] ten thousand men to retake the [[Iron Throne]].

Drogo and Daenerys's marriage became a surprisingly happy one. Though Drogo cut a ferocious figure before his men, he was tender to Daenerys on their wedding night. He also gifted her with a magnificent silver mare. As Daenerys learned to speak Dothraki, Drogo proved a quick study learning the common tongue of Westeros, though he retained a barbarous accent. Drogo's relationship with Viserys was not as pleasant. He quickly became scornful of Viserys's pushy demeanor and frequent transgressions of Dothraki taboos. When Viserys drew a forbidden blade in Vaes Dothrak, demanding his crown, Drogo killed him by upending a pot of molten gold over his head.

At Vaes Dothrak, the wise women proclaimed that Drogo and Daenerys's unborn child would be the Stallion that Mounts the World, a prophecied conqueror in Dothraki legend. Drogo began to reconsider his promise to invade Westeros until an assassin attempted to kill Daenerys and claim [[Robert Baratheon]]'s reward. Drogo reaffirmed his commitment to conquer the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. He pillaged several [[Lhazar]]een villages to acquire slaves to sell for ships. While in Lhazar, Drogo's ''khalasar'' encountered and defeated the ''khalasar'' of Khal Ogo. Drogo slew Ogo himself, but took a wound to the chest.

Though Drogo was unconcerned with his wound, Daenerys convinced him to let [[Mirri Maz Duur]], a Lhazareen ''[[maegi]]'' she had rescued, make him a [[poultice]]. The poultice itched, and Drogo tore it off, causing the wound to fester. Drogo's condition deteriorated until he fell from his horse, a symbol to his ''khalasar'' that he could no longer lead. As he lingered near death, Daenerys convinced Mirri Maz Duur to use her magic to preserve his life. The ''maegi'' betrayed her, and the ritual only returned Drogo to a catatonic state, while costing the life of their unborn child. Daenerys smothered him with a pillow and built him a funeral pyre as his ''khalasar'' broke apart. She burned him on the pyre along with Mirri Maz Duur and entered the flames with her petrified [[dragon]] eggs. The flames magically traded life for life, killing the ''maegi'', preserving Daenerys, and hatching the dragons.

[[Category:Nobles|Drogo, Khal]]
[[Category:Characters from the Dothraki Sea|Drogo, Khal]]

Maesters

2008-01-17T07:20:18Z

Eleventh: /* Other Members */

The '''maesters''' are an order of scholars, healers and scientists who are trained at a school called the [[Citadel]].

== Organization ==
The maesters are scholars, scientists, learned advisors to the nobility, and occasionally pseudo-religious researchers in the occult. Males of any age may begin training as a maester; females are not permitted to study or join the order. Noble families in [[Westeros]] sometimes send their younger sons to the Citadel. The maesters, like the brothers of the [[Night's Watch]], are considered to be servants of Westeros and all its people and in theory have no political allegiance. After finishing his course of study, a maester is assigned to a castle, keep or other holding, and is loyal to the people of that place as a mentor, healer and advisor, regardless of changes in control of that holding. To this end a man who earns his chain is stripped of his family name and from that time on is known only by his title and first name. In practice some maesters hold over old allegiances and loyalties.

=== Archmaester ===
The perceived "master" of any area of study is given a mask, ring or rod and the title Archmaester in the corresponding metal to signify his expertise. For example, an archmaester who specializes in ravenry will have a mask, ring or rod made of black iron. Archmaesters are the senior members of the Order and are given the right to sit on the Conclave. The Conclave is the governing body of the Citadel and is the same body that elects the Grand Maester. All the meetings of the Conclave are confidential in nature and conducted behind closed doors at the Citadel only.

=== Grand Maester ===
The Grand Maester is considered the senior member of the Order and serves as its representative to the King. He sits on the [[Small Council]] and acts as the King's advisor. The Grand Maester wears many interwoven maester chains to indicate his high office, but these do not reflect his true studies. Gems are woven into the chains.

== The Citadel ==

The [[Citadel]] is an impressive structure in the city of [[Oldtown]], and is considered the home of all maesters. Here they undergo all of their training from the time they arrive as novices until they have achieved the status of maester. At the entrance of the Citadel are green marble sphinxes.

== Traditions and Culture ==
Maesters begin their training as novices in the Citadel. Once they begin their study and have been seen as proficient in a particular course of study they are tested and awarded a link of a certain metal to reflect their skill and knowledge. A student with a link is known as an acolyte until he has a full chain; it is not until he has completed extensive study in various subjects and has earned enough links to form a chain (to be worn around the neck) that he is considered worthy of advancement to the title of Maester, no longer a student but a peer. There have been whispers that the maesters have held much more power and sway than they are ready to admit. Archmaester [[Marwyn]] suspects that they had a role in the demise of [[House Targaryen]]'s [[dragon]]s. Some consider most maesters to be categorically opposed to magic and its influence on [[Westeros]].

=== The collar ===
The collar signifies that maesters do not serve themselves, but are instead servants of all of Westeros. The collar consists of several links of different types of metal. These chains are formed from every metal known to man, but almost no maester will ever wear them all. These metals include:
* Black iron (Ravenry)
* Brass
* Bronze (Astronomy)
* Copper (History)
* Gold (Economics)
* Iron (Warcraft)
* Lead
* Pale steel (Smithing)
* Pewter
* Platinum
* Red gold
* Silver (Medicine and healing)
* Steel
* Tin
* [[Valyrian steel]] (Magic and the occult) - Only one in one hundred holds a link of Valyrian steel; the study of magic is looked down upon by most Maesters.

=== Practices and observances ===
Maesters chiefly communicate through messenger ravens. One of the typical duties of a maester is care of a keep's ravens. A special breed of white ravens that are larger and more intelligent than average are maintained at the Citadel for important communications. Maesters also constantly monitor the seasons. When the seasons are about to change, they send white ravens to spread the announcement throughout the realm. Maesters who are skilled in astronomy often watch the skies and study constellations. When the red comet appeared during the events of the [[War of the Five Kings]], the maesters were among the first to notice.

==Notable Members==
===Grand Maester Pycelle===
Pycelle is a maester of around 80 years and has served as Grand Maester on several kings' [[Small Council]]s over the last few decades. Though intelligent and highly educated, Pycelle's effectiveness on the king's court has been dulled by his advanced age. He sometimes falls asleep during meetings.

Despite his oath to serve the King, Pycelle has more loyalties to the [[House Lannister|Lannister]] family. At the end of [[Robert's Rebellion]], Pycelle convinced [[Aerys II]] that [[Tywin Lannister]]'s invasion force was reinforcements. He contributed to the death of [[Jon Arryn]] by stopping Maester Coleman's effective treatment, fearing what he would reveal if he should live. His complicity in Cersei's plots brought him in conflict with [[Tyrion Lannister]], who shaved Pycelle's signature white beard while interrogating him on Cersei's actions. Pycelle's self-confidence was shaken after his shaving, and Cersei perceived him to be a broken man. He began objecting to Cersei's more paranoid schemes, which caused her to contemplate having him replaced. His future in the court was uncertain until Cersei's imprisonment by the [[Faith]]. In spite of his past failings in court intrigue, Pycelle successfully seized control of King Tommen and the council in Cersei's absence. He is last reported as offering [[Kevan Lannister]] the Regency of the Seven Kingdoms.

===Other Members===
*Grand Maester Gerardys, who was fed to a dragon by [[Aegon II]].
*Archmaester Marwyn, the order's leading researcher into the occult and magic.
*[[Maester Aemon]], Maester of the [[Night's Watch]], one of three living members of [[House Targaryen]]. Died of a chill after crossing by sea to the [[Free Cities]] in the company of his student, [[Samwell Tarly]].
*Maester Cressen, Maester at Dragonstone and advisor to [[Stannis Baratheon]]. He drank from the cup of poison that was meant for Stannis' red priestess, [[Melisandre]]. The poison did not affect Melisandre, but Cressen was still killed.
*Maester Harmune, a maester for the [[Night's Watch]] at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea.
*Maester [[Luwin]], Maester of [[Winterfell]] and trusted advisor to [[House Stark]]. Killed during fighting in [[Winterfell]] between [[House Greyjoy]] and [[House Bolton]]. One of the few maesters to have studied magic.
*Maester Mullin, a maester for the [[Night's Watch]] at the Shadow Tower.
*Maester Pylos, successor to Cressen at Dragonstone. Aided [[Davos Seaworth]] in smuggling out [[Edric Storm]], in order to spare him from being burned as a sacrifice by [[Melisandre]].
*[[Qyburn]], advisor to Queen Cersei. Former maester stripped of his chain and title by the Citadel for conducting immoral research (vivisection and other experiments performed on live human subjects).
*Novice [[Samwell Tarly]], Brother of the [[Night's Watch]] and student of Maester Aemon.
*[[Novice Pate]], Archmaester Walgrave's assistant, killed by the [[Alchemist]]. Some speculate that [[Jaqen H'ghar]] was the Alchemist, and took up Pate's identity after killing him.

==References and Sources==
{{EnWP|Maesters}}

[[Category:Organizations]]

Maesters

2008-01-17T07:19:52Z

Eleventh: /* Other Members */ Added Gerardys

The '''maesters''' are an order of scholars, healers and scientists who are trained at a school called the [[Citadel]].

== Organization ==
The maesters are scholars, scientists, learned advisors to the nobility, and occasionally pseudo-religious researchers in the occult. Males of any age may begin training as a maester; females are not permitted to study or join the order. Noble families in [[Westeros]] sometimes send their younger sons to the Citadel. The maesters, like the brothers of the [[Night's Watch]], are considered to be servants of Westeros and all its people and in theory have no political allegiance. After finishing his course of study, a maester is assigned to a castle, keep or other holding, and is loyal to the people of that place as a mentor, healer and advisor, regardless of changes in control of that holding. To this end a man who earns his chain is stripped of his family name and from that time on is known only by his title and first name. In practice some maesters hold over old allegiances and loyalties.

=== Archmaester ===
The perceived "master" of any area of study is given a mask, ring or rod and the title Archmaester in the corresponding metal to signify his expertise. For example, an archmaester who specializes in ravenry will have a mask, ring or rod made of black iron. Archmaesters are the senior members of the Order and are given the right to sit on the Conclave. The Conclave is the governing body of the Citadel and is the same body that elects the Grand Maester. All the meetings of the Conclave are confidential in nature and conducted behind closed doors at the Citadel only.

=== Grand Maester ===
The Grand Maester is considered the senior member of the Order and serves as its representative to the King. He sits on the [[Small Council]] and acts as the King's advisor. The Grand Maester wears many interwoven maester chains to indicate his high office, but these do not reflect his true studies. Gems are woven into the chains.

== The Citadel ==

The [[Citadel]] is an impressive structure in the city of [[Oldtown]], and is considered the home of all maesters. Here they undergo all of their training from the time they arrive as novices until they have achieved the status of maester. At the entrance of the Citadel are green marble sphinxes.

== Traditions and Culture ==
Maesters begin their training as novices in the Citadel. Once they begin their study and have been seen as proficient in a particular course of study they are tested and awarded a link of a certain metal to reflect their skill and knowledge. A student with a link is known as an acolyte until he has a full chain; it is not until he has completed extensive study in various subjects and has earned enough links to form a chain (to be worn around the neck) that he is considered worthy of advancement to the title of Maester, no longer a student but a peer. There have been whispers that the maesters have held much more power and sway than they are ready to admit. Archmaester [[Marwyn]] suspects that they had a role in the demise of [[House Targaryen]]'s [[dragon]]s. Some consider most maesters to be categorically opposed to magic and its influence on [[Westeros]].

=== The collar ===
The collar signifies that maesters do not serve themselves, but are instead servants of all of Westeros. The collar consists of several links of different types of metal. These chains are formed from every metal known to man, but almost no maester will ever wear them all. These metals include:
* Black iron (Ravenry)
* Brass
* Bronze (Astronomy)
* Copper (History)
* Gold (Economics)
* Iron (Warcraft)
* Lead
* Pale steel (Smithing)
* Pewter
* Platinum
* Red gold
* Silver (Medicine and healing)
* Steel
* Tin
* [[Valyrian steel]] (Magic and the occult) - Only one in one hundred holds a link of Valyrian steel; the study of magic is looked down upon by most Maesters.

=== Practices and observances ===
Maesters chiefly communicate through messenger ravens. One of the typical duties of a maester is care of a keep's ravens. A special breed of white ravens that are larger and more intelligent than average are maintained at the Citadel for important communications. Maesters also constantly monitor the seasons. When the seasons are about to change, they send white ravens to spread the announcement throughout the realm. Maesters who are skilled in astronomy often watch the skies and study constellations. When the red comet appeared during the events of the [[War of the Five Kings]], the maesters were among the first to notice.

==Notable Members==
===Grand Maester Pycelle===
Pycelle is a maester of around 80 years and has served as Grand Maester on several kings' [[Small Council]]s over the last few decades. Though intelligent and highly educated, Pycelle's effectiveness on the king's court has been dulled by his advanced age. He sometimes falls asleep during meetings.

Despite his oath to serve the King, Pycelle has more loyalties to the [[House Lannister|Lannister]] family. At the end of [[Robert's Rebellion]], Pycelle convinced [[Aerys II]] that [[Tywin Lannister]]'s invasion force was reinforcements. He contributed to the death of [[Jon Arryn]] by stopping Maester Coleman's effective treatment, fearing what he would reveal if he should live. His complicity in Cersei's plots brought him in conflict with [[Tyrion Lannister]], who shaved Pycelle's signature white beard while interrogating him on Cersei's actions. Pycelle's self-confidence was shaken after his shaving, and Cersei perceived him to be a broken man. He began objecting to Cersei's more paranoid schemes, which caused her to contemplate having him replaced. His future in the court was uncertain until Cersei's imprisonment by the [[Faith]]. In spite of his past failings in court intrigue, Pycelle successfully seized control of King Tommen and the council in Cersei's absence. He is last reported as offering [[Kevan Lannister]] the Regency of the Seven Kingdoms.

===Other Members===
*Grand Maester Gerardys, who was fed to a dragon by [[Aegon II]]
*Archmaester Marwyn, the order's leading researcher into the occult and magic.
*[[Maester Aemon]], Maester of the [[Night's Watch]], one of three living members of [[House Targaryen]]. Died of a chill after crossing by sea to the [[Free Cities]] in the company of his student, [[Samwell Tarly]].
*Maester Cressen, Maester at Dragonstone and advisor to [[Stannis Baratheon]]. He drank from the cup of poison that was meant for Stannis' red priestess, [[Melisandre]]. The poison did not affect Melisandre, but Cressen was still killed.
*Maester Harmune, a maester for the [[Night's Watch]] at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea.
*Maester [[Luwin]], Maester of [[Winterfell]] and trusted advisor to [[House Stark]]. Killed during fighting in [[Winterfell]] between [[House Greyjoy]] and [[House Bolton]]. One of the few maesters to have studied magic.
*Maester Mullin, a maester for the [[Night's Watch]] at the Shadow Tower.
*Maester Pylos, successor to Cressen at Dragonstone. Aided [[Davos Seaworth]] in smuggling out [[Edric Storm]], in order to spare him from being burned as a sacrifice by [[Melisandre]].
*[[Qyburn]], advisor to Queen Cersei. Former maester stripped of his chain and title by the Citadel for conducting immoral research (vivisection and other experiments performed on live human subjects).
*Novice [[Samwell Tarly]], Brother of the [[Night's Watch]] and student of Maester Aemon.
*[[Novice Pate]], Archmaester Walgrave's assistant, killed by the [[Alchemist]]. Some speculate that [[Jaqen H'ghar]] was the Alchemist, and took up Pate's identity after killing him.

==References and Sources==
{{EnWP|Maesters}}

[[Category:Organizations]]

House Blacktyde

2008-01-15T06:32:05Z

Eleventh: /* The Blacktyde House at the end of the third century */

'''House Blacktyde of Blacktyde''' is a noble house from this isle of the [[Iron Islands]].

Their blazon is vairy green and black. Their motto does not appear in the books.

==The Blacktyde House at the end of the third century==

The only known Blacktydes during the timespan of the events described on [[A Song of Ice and Fire]] are:
*Lord Baelor Blacktyde: Lord of Blacktyde. Captured during the [[Greyjoy Rebellion]] and hold prisoner at [[Oldtown]], were he converted to the Faith.

With unspecified familiar relationship with the lord of the house there is also:
*Blind Ben Blacktyde: A priest of the Drowned God.

==References in the books==
===A Song of Ice and Fire===
*When entering the great hall with his father's captains Theon sees some Blacktydes among them.
*Blind Baelor Blacktyde added his voice to the Damphair into calling for the kingsmoot.
*Lord Baelor Blacktyde comes to see Rodrik Harlaw before the kingsmoot.
*Tristifer Botley was sent away to be fostered with Lord Blacktyde when Balon Greyjoy discovered he pretended tomarry Asha Greyjoy. Wether this Lord Blacktyde is the current Lord Blacktyde or his father remains to be seen.
*Lord Blacktyde's ship, the Nightflyer, was seen on the shores of Old Wyk before the kingsmoot.
*Some Blacktydes gathered around [[Victarion Greyjoy|Victarion]] before the kignsmoot and gave him support.
*Lord Blacktyde asks Victarion if he pretends to continue with the war, considering that it has brought woe to the ironmen. He says that the Old Way is dead and complains that his father was killed during the first Balon's rebellion.
*Baelor Blacktyde shouted for Asha during the kingsmoot.
*Baelor refused to aknowledge Euron as king after the kingsmoot, and tried to flee. He was seized by Victarion's fleet and delivered to Euron in chains, who made his mutes and mongrels cut him into seven parts.
*Euron took Lord Blacktyde's sable cloak after ordering his execution and wore it afterwards.

{{Template:HousesIslands}}
[[Category:Noble houses|Blacktyde]]
[[Category:Houses from the Iron Islands|Blacktyde]]

Victarion Greyjoy

2008-01-15T06:31:49Z

Eleventh: /* History */

'''Victarion Greyjoy''' is a brother of [[Balon Greyjoy]] and commander of the [[Iron Fleet]]. He is a capable commander and a fierce warrior in battle, but has a calm demeanor outside of it, thinking of enemies with great respect. He is a religious man and wears full plate armor while sailing because he has no fear of drowning.

==Appearance==
Victarion is a large and powerful man, wearing plate armor in combat and wielding a cruel axe.

==History==
Balon recognized the greatness of his older brother Balon and followed him loyally. He commanded the Iron Fleet during the [[Greyjoy Rebellion]] and afterwards. served his older brother capably. After his brother [[Euron Greyjoy|Euron]] seduced and bedded his second wife, Victarion killed her to retain his honor and has never married nor forgiven Euron since.

After Balon's death, Victarion made a claim to the [[Seastone Chair]] as Balon's brother and second-in-command. Victarion made a strong claim, but the crowd ultimately favored Euron. Despite his hatred for Euron, Victarion's obedient and dutiful nature kept him following Euron's orders. He lead the assault on the [[Shield Islands]], slaughtering unarmored sailors and winning a duel with a lord's son. After his victory, he watched helplessly as Euron stole many of his trusted comrades away from him by giving them titles on the Shield Islands. He also deplored the cruelty Euron displayed toward the slain lords' women.

Apparently oblivious to Victarion's hatred, Euron summoned Victarion to a private meeting and asked him to find [[Daenerys Targaryen]] and deliver Euron's marriage proposal. Victarion agreed, but secretly planned on courting Daenerys for himself.

[[Category:Nobles|Greyjoy, Victarion]]
[[Category:Characters from the Iron Islands|Greyjoy, Victarion]]
[[Category:House Greyjoy]]
[[Category:POV characters|Greyjoy, Victarion]]
[[Category:Improve this article]]

Aeron Greyjoy

2008-01-15T06:31:17Z

Eleventh: /* History */

'''Aeron Greyjoy''', known as '''Damphair''', is a priest of the [[Drowned God]] and the younger brother of [[Balon Greyjoy]].

==Appearance==
Aeron wears a roughspun robe and never cuts his hair. He weaves seaweed into his long mane and beard.

==History==
Aeron was an idle and ribald drunk in his youth. He once wagered his ship against a flock of goats that he could douse a hearth-fire by urinating on it. After nearly drowning when his ship was sunk in the [[Greyjoy Rebellion]], he experienced a spiritual reawakening, and dedicated himself to the worship of the [[Drowned God]]. He became hard, humorless, ascetic, living as a hermit on the beach. Fellow holy men, called Drowned Men, do his bidding without question, and he is greatly respected by the ironborn in general.

Aeron fears his brother [[Euron Greyjoy|Euron]] for reasons that are not presently clear. He has recurring memories and nightmares of a door with screeching hinges, which might have something to do with his fear of Euron. He is still afflicted with guilt over the death of his brother Urrigon, who died from the infection of a wound that occurred while he and Aeron performed the Finger Dance, a traditional axe-juggling game.

After Balon's death and Euron's return, Aeron used his influence as a high priest of the Drowned God to bring about a Kingsmoot for the selection of Balon's replacement. He had hoped to crown his brother [[Victarion Greyjoy|Victarion]], whom he knew would continue Balon's traditional and conservative ways. The plan went awry, however, and Euron was able to claim the throne. Aeron announced plans to try to rouse the people against the "godless" Euron, and disappeared the next day. His fate is unknown.

==References and sources==
{{EnWP|House Greyjoy}}

[[Category:Nobles|Greyjoy, Aeron]]
[[Category:House Greyjoy]]
[[Category:Characters from the Iron Islands|Greyjoy, Aeron]]
[[Category:POV characters|Greyjoy, Aeron]]
[[Category:Improve this article]]

Jorah Mormont

2008-01-15T06:30:53Z

Eleventh: /* History */

Ser '''Jorah Mormont''' is an exiled [[knight]] who was once the head of [[House Mormont]] and lord of [[Bear Island]]. He fled Westeros to escape execution for trading in slaves, and entered the service of the last [[House Targaryen|Targaryens]]. He becomes one of the most trusted companions of [[Daenerys Targaryen]].

==Appearance==
Jorah is middled-aged and balding, but still strong and fit. He is very hairy and not particularly handsome.

==History==
When Jorah matured, his [[Jeor Mormont|father]] vacated joined the [[Night's Watch]] in order to give Jorah the lordship of [[House Mormont]]. Jorah's first wife miscarried three times and died after the third. He fought in the [[Greyjoy Rebellion]] and received a knighthood for his bravery. After a tournament held in [[Lannisport]] to celebrate the victory, he met Lynesse Hightower and was immediately smitten by her, asking to wear her favor in the tournament. He won an improbable victory and named her queen of love and beauty. That night, he asked Lord Leyton for her hand, and he acquiesced. They were happy until they got back to his keep on [[Bear Island]], which was a miserable hovel to Lynesse. He spent large sums of money trying to keep her happy and ended up broke. When he sold a few poachers into slavery, [[Eddard Stark]] condemned him to death. Rather than join his father in taking the black, Jorah fled to Lys with Lynesse, but she soon left him.

In Pentos, [[Viserys Targaryen]] noticed Jorah at the party celebrating the engagement of his sister, Daenerys, to [[Khal Drogo]] and took him into his service. Hoping to earn a royal pardon, Jorah secretly reported all of the Targaryens' movements to [[Varys]]. However, Jorah began to fall in love with the beautiful young Daenerys and eventually stopped sending reports. He proclaimed his love repeatedly and suggested that they marry, but she always refused. Eventually [[Barristan Selmy]] revealed Jorah's early betrayal. Daenerys sent Jorah on a dangerous mission into [[Meereen]] as punishment. The mission succeeded, but Jorah continued to insist that he had done nothing wrong. Daenerys could not forgive him, and she banished him from her service, swearing to kill him if she saw him again. Crushed by her rejection, Jorah fled to parts unknown.

==Quotes==
* Rhaegar fought valiantly, Rhaegar fought nobly, Rhaegar fought honorably. And Rhaegar died.
* The common people pray for rain, healthy children, and a summer that never ends. It is no matter to them if the high lords play their game of thrones, so long as they are left in peace. They never are.

==References and sources==
{{EnWP|Minor houses in A Song of Ice and Fire}}

[[Category:Nobles|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Knights|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Outlaws]]
[[Category:Characters from the North|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:House Mormont]]

Beric Dondarrion

2008-01-15T06:29:09Z

Eleventh: Added to ITA

{{Template:Stub}}
'''Beric Dondarrion''' is the handsome lord of Blackhaven. He fought in the tourney celebrating Ned Stark's appointment as Hand, and remained in King's Landing afterwards. This lead to him being appointed to lead an expedition to bring in [[Gregor Clegane]] who had been raiding the Riverlands after the capture of Tyrion Lannister.

Slain in an ambush, he was resurrected by [[Thoros of Myr]] and became the leader of the outlaw band, the [[Brotherhood Without Banners]]. He was killed several more times, but was brought back to life each time. He finally died when he gave his life to bring back [[Catelyn Stark]] whose body had been found by the outlaws after the [[Red Wedding]].

[[Category:Members of the Brotherhood Without Banners|Dondarrion, Beric]]
[[Category:Nobles|Dondarrion, Beric]]
[[Category:Improve this article]]

Beric Dondarrion

2008-01-15T06:28:49Z

Eleventh:

House Goodbrook

2008-01-15T06:28:27Z

Eleventh: /* A Song of Ice and Fire */

{{Noble House
| House_name = House Goodbrook
| image =
| image_caption =
| Coat_of_arms = A blue wavy bend on gold
| Words =
| Seat =
| Current_Lord = Lord Lymond Goodbrook
| Region = [[the Riverlands]]
| Title =
| Heir =
| Overlord = [[House Tully]]
| Ancestral_weapon =
| Cadet_branch =
| Founded_in =
| Founder =
| Died_out =
}}

'''House Goodbrook''' is a noble house sworn to Riverrun.

Lord Goodbrook was one of the lords from the Riverlands that stayed loyal to [[Aerys II|King Aerys]] during Robert's Rebellion, instead of following the banner of their liege lord. For this, Hoster Tully descended upon his village and burned it. After the war, his son made peace with King Robert and Lord Hoster, but the wealth of the Goodbrooks had been substantially reduced for the fighting.

Neither their arms or their words appear in the books, but in noncanon correspondence with fans [[George R. R. Martin]] blazons their arms a blue wavy bend on gold.

The name of the keep of the Goodbrooks and its location are unknown.

==The Goodbrook House at the end of the third century==

The known Goodbrooks during the timespan of the events described on [[A Song of Ice and Fire]] are:
*Lord Lymond Goodbrook: A young lord. Probably the son of the Lord Goodbrook that fought supported the Targaryens during the Rebellion.

With unspecified familiar relationship to the lord of the house there are also:
*Garse Goodbrook: husband of Kyra Frey, the daughter of [[Lord Walder Frey]]'s fourth son (Jared Frey).
**Walder Goodbrook: his son.
**Jeyne Goodbrook: his daughter.

{{familytree/start|style=font: 70% sans-serif;}}
{{familytree | | LYM | | | | | GAR |v| KYR | |LYM=Lymond Goodbrook|GAR=Garse Goodbrook|KYR=Kyra Frey}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | |,|-|^|-|.| }}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | WAL | | JEY |WAL=Walder Goodbrook|JEY=Jeyne Goodbrook}}
{{familytree/end}}

==References in the books==
===A Song of Ice and Fire===
*Traveling with the [[Brotherhood Without Banners]], Arya visits a village that was Lord Goodbrok's. Notch explains her that Hoster Tully had put the town to the torch after Lord Goodbrook remained loyal to king Aerys during Robert's Rebellioon.
*During the march to the Twins for his own wedding, Edmure Tully enjoys the company of Marq Piper, Lymond Goodbrook, Patrek Mallister, and the young Vances.
*Lord Lymond Goodbrook bent his knee to the Lannisters after Robb's murder, and was pardoned by King Tommen.
*Ser Garse Goodbrook was slain during the Red Wedding, while he was killing Robb's men at the camps.
*Jaime sees the Goodbrook banner besieging Riverrun under the command of [[Daven Lannister]]

{{Template:HousesRiverlands}}
[[Category:Noble houses|Goodbrook]]
[[Category:Houses from the Riverlands|Goodbrook]]

Arya Stark

2008-01-15T06:28:14Z

Eleventh: /* Organisations */

'''Arya Stark''' is the third trueborn child, and second daughter, of [[House Stark]] head couple, [[Eddard_Stark|Eddard]] and [[Catelyn_Stark|Catelyn]]. She is nine at the start of [[A Game of Thrones]]. A spirited girl with an interest in fighting and exploring, she is a foil of her proper sister [[Sansa_Stark|Sansa]], whom she often describes as "stupid". She is particularly close with her bastard half-brother [[Jon Snow]]. Throughout her travels, Arya displays great resourcefulness, cunning, and an unflinching ability to accept hard necessity. She is said to take after her fiery aunt [[Lyanna_Stark|Lyanna]] in temperament. Like her siblings, she is a [[skinchanger]], and bonded a [[direwolf]] she named Nymeria, a reference to a [[rhoynar]] warrior-queen.

==Appearance==
Arya is skinny and athletic. She has strong Stark family features, with a long face, grey eyes and brown hair. A the start of the story, she is generally regarded as plain, as exemplified by her nickname ''Arya Horseface'', and often mistaken for a boy. However, there are instances of her being called pretty, compared to beautiful [[Lyanna Stark|Lyanna]], and catching the eye of men later in the books. Starting from [[A Storm of Swords]], noone mistakes her for a boy anymore.

==Competences==
She is left-handed, quick and dexterous. She is a [[skinchanger|warg]]. She has water dancing swordsplay basics and knows how to use knives. She is a very good rider. She recieved a noble's education, and is said to be good with mathematics. She has proved to know at least a bit of High Valyrian. She also speaks braavosi with a strong accent. She has a quick and curious mind and a very practical outlook. Her outspoken, willful nature and her quick wits make her a natural leader.

==History==
Arya traveled with her father to [[King's Landing]]. On the way south to the capital, however, she was forced to abandon her direwolf Nymeria when it defended her from Prince [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]]. Queen [[Cersei Lannister|Cersei]] then ordered Arya's sister's direwolf, Lady, to be killed when Nymeria ran away, an incident that created in Arya a deep hatred for the crown prince and the queen. While at court, she trained under [[Syrio Forel]], a celebrated [[Braavos|Braavosi]] swordsman. Under his strict but creative tutelage, Arya learned to fight in the Braavosi style with Needle, a slim shortsword that Jon Snow gave her. During the purge of Starks from the Red Keep, Syrio held off Arya's attackers so she could escape. She lived on the streets of King's Landing until the day she witnessed her father's public execution.

With no family or home, and being hunted for a highborn prisoner, Arya became a servant to many parties under different names. First, with [[Yoren]] of the [[Night's Watch]], she was "Arry", a boy headed to join the Night's Watch. He planned to return her to [[Winterfell]] until he was killed in a battle with Ser [[Amory Lorch]] and his men, where Arya saved the lives of [[Jaqen H'ghar]], [[Rorge]] and [[Biter]]. She was "Weasel", a servant girl at [[Harrenhal]] under the command of [[Tywin Lannister]] and, later, Ser Amory Lorch. Jaqen offered her three murders for the lives she saved. Her choices were [[Chiswyck]], [[Weese]], and ultimately Jaqen himself. In an effort to make her unsay his name, he helped her free the Northmen in the dungeon and stage an uprising. With Harrenhal under the command of [[Roose Bolton]], she called herself "Nymeria, or Nan", a servant girl, and became one of Roose's cupbearers. After Harrenhal was left to [[Vargo Hoat]], Arya escaped it with two companions, [[Gendry]] and [[Hot Pie]], fellow boys from Yoren's party of recruits. They were captured by the [[Brotherhood Without Banners]]. Her friends joined the outlaws while they made plans to ransom her, knowing her to be Arya Stark.

[[Sandor Clegane]] then stole her away to return her to her brother [[Robb Stark|Robb]] and win a place in his service. Clegane and Arya reached the [[Twins]] during the [[Red Wedding]], just as Robb and [[Catelyn Stark|Catelyn]] were being murdered. Clegane prevented Arya from running to them, and decided that the only place left to take her was to the [[Vale of Arryn]], which was ruled by Arya's aunt, [[Lysa Arryn]]. They could not reach the [[Eyrie]] and Lysa, however, and were forced to go back toward Riverrun. On the way, Clegane took a serious wound, and Arya left him to die. She gained passage on a ship headed to [[Braavos]] by using a coin that [[Jaqen H'ghar]] had given her, along with the Valyrian phrase "valar morghulis".

In Braavos Arya entered the [[House of Black and White]], where a "kindly old man" initiated her into the Guild of the [[Faceless Men]]. She was required to discard her old personality, including her belongings, to begin the training, and she did, except for Needle, that she hid in a safe location. Arya's training required her to go out into the city under the identity of Cat of the Canals, a street urchin, and learn secrets. One night, months after, she killed a deserter from the Night's Watch and accepted milk meant for "Arya". She awoke blind the next morning.

==Arya and death==
During her journey, Arya was subjected to many hard situations in the war-torn Westeros. Her fiery personality prompted her to take the initiative and fight back, and so she was led to kill and ultimately desired murdering specific characters herself. This course of action ended as of [[A Feast for Crows]] with her being an assassin trainee in Braavos, and becoming apparently indifferent to death and killing.

===Hit list===
Every night before sleeping, Arya repeated aloud a list of the people she wanted dead, before she was accepted as a Faceless Man trainee. Some names were added as she went, and others were dropped when the character died or became closer to her. She called it a prayer and ended it most of the time with the words [[Valar Morghulis]]. The names were:

====Dead or missing====
*King Joffrey: [[Joffrey Baratheon]], because he ordered the execution of her father.
*The Hound: [[Sandor Clegane]], because he killed her friend Micah and laughed about it.
*Ser Amory: [[Amory Lorch]], because he attacked her group, killed [[Yoren]], and prevented her to reach the Wall.
*Ser Gregor: [[Gregor Clegane]], because of his and his band's atrocities.
*The Tickler: He was Gregor Clegane's torturer, and killed many people before her eyes.
*Polliver: He was in Gregor Clegane's company and stole her sword [[Needle]].
*Chiswyck: He was one of the soldiers guarding prisoners in Gregor's company, and joked about their ordeal.
*Weese: He was a cruel understeward at [[Harrendal]] who mistreated her when she worked for him as "weasel".

====Still alive====
*Ser Ilyn: [[Ilyn Payne]], because he beheaded her father.
*Ser Meryn: [[Meryn Trant]], because he killed her master at arms, Syrio Forel.
*Queen Cersei: [[Cersei Lannister]], because she was the one behind the fall of her family.
*Dunsen: He was one of the soldiers guarding prisoners in Gregor's company, and stole Gendry's helm.
*Raff the Sweetling: He was one of the soldiers guarding prisoners in Gregor's company, and killed her comrade Lommy Greenhands.

===Confirmed Kills===
*A King's Landing stableboy: Stabbed in the belly, after he threatened her during the fall of the Starks.
*Several [[House Lannister|Lannister]] soldiers, during Amory Lorch's attack, slashed and stabbed.
*Chyswick: Pushed off the walls of Harrendal by [[Jaqen H'ghar]], after she ordered his death.
*Weese: Killed by his own dog, turned mad by Jaqen H'ghar, after she ordered his death.
*A [[House Bolton|Bolton]] guard: Throat slit, he blocked her way out of Harrendal.
*A [[House Sarsfield|Sarsfield]] squire: Stabbed in the belly, after he threatened her.
*The Tickler: Stabbed many times in the back.
*[[Dareon]]: Throat slit and corpse dumped in a canal, after confirming he was a Night's Watch deserter.

She also was the initiator, and took part, along Jaqen H'ghar, Rorge and Biter, in the killing of eight Harrendal jailors, event that would be remembered as the "weasel soup", from the nickname she used by then.

==Connections==
====Organisations====
*The [[Night's Watch]]: their lord commander is her brother [[Jon Snow]].
*The [[Faceless Men]]: She is currently a member of that organisation to whom all braavosis apparently obey.
*The [[Brotherhood Without Banners]]: Her mother is leading, and she is friend with some of its key members, including [[Thoros of Myr]], [[Gendry]] and [[Edric Dayne]].
*A gigantic pack of wolves, prowling in the [[Riverlands]], led by her direwolf [[Nymeria]].

====People====
*[[Sansa Stark]], her sister, is close to both regent and heir, and poised to become leader of the Vale by marriage.
*[[Bran Stark|Brandon Stark]], one of her brother, went North of the wall to train his power with a mysterious magical entity.

*[[Jaqen H'ghar]], who seems to be in the thick of a conspiracy in the Citadel of Oldtown.

====Political alliances====
*Bethroted once to [[Elmar Frey]] in exchange for [[Walder Frey]]'s alliegeance to her brother [[Robb Stark|Robb]].
*Officially bethroted to [[Ramsay Bolton]], through an impersonator who presents similarities to [[Jeyne Poole]].

==References and Sources==
{{EnWP|House Stark}}

[[Category:POV characters|Stark, Arya]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Stark, Arya]]
[[Category:House Stark]]
[[Category:Characters from the North|Stark, Arya]]
[[Category:Skinchangers|Stark, Arya]]

Ironmen

2008-01-15T06:26:25Z

Eleventh: New page: {{Template:Stub}} People from the Iron Islands

{{Template:Stub}}
People from the [[Iron Islands]]

A Dance with Dragons

2008-01-15T06:22:49Z

Eleventh: /* Split in publication */

{{infobox Book | 
| name = A Dance with Dragons
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = 
| author = [[George R. R. Martin]]
| cover_artist =
| country = United States
| language = English
| series = [[A Song of Ice and Fire]]
| genre = Fantasy Novel
| publisher = Voyager Books (UK) & Spectra Books (USA)
| release_date = 2007 (tbc)
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[Paperback]])
| pages = tbc
| isbn = tbc
| preceded_by = [[A Feast for Crows]]
| followed_by = The Winds of Winter (forthcoming)
}}

'''''A Dance with Dragons''''' is the fifth of seven planned novels in the epic fantasy series [[A Song of Ice and Fire]] by American author [[George R. R. Martin]]. Despite original predictions of possible completion in late 2006, Martin has, as of early 2007, ceased to offer an expected publication date, and has reported, as of February 15, 2007, that the book remains as yet incomplete, reiterating that he will not be reporting on the state of its completion until it is finished.[http://www.georgerrmartin.com/if-update.html]

'The Dance of the Dragons' is the name given to a civil war in the prior history of [[Westeros]], leading to much speculation that the novel will feature the long-awaited invasion of Westeros by the army of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]. However, at ComiCon 2006, George R. R. Martin says that is not necessarily what the title is referring to.[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Month/2006/07/]

''A Dance of Dragons'' was originally the title of the second novel in the sequence, when Martin still envisaged the series as a trilogy. Some early US editions of ''[[A Game of Thrones]]'' list ''A Dance of Dragons'' as the forthcoming second volume in the series. It was also the original planned title for the fourth novel.

==Plot summary==
''A Dance with Dragons'' is set in a fictitious world reminiscent of Medieval Europe (primarily on a continent called [[Westeros]]), except for the fact that in this world, seasons can last for years, occasionally decades.

{{spoiler}}

''A Dance with Dragons'' picks up where ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' left off and runs simultaneously with events in ''[[A Feast for Crows]]''. The War of the Five Kings seems to be winding down. In the North, King Stannis Baratheon has installed himself at the Wall and vowed to win the support of the northmen to continue his struggle to claim the Iron Throne, although this is complicated by the fact that much of the west coast is under occupation by the ironborn. On the Wall itself Jon Snow has been elected the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, but has enemies both in the Watch and beyond the Wall to watch for. Tyrion Lannister has been taken by ship across the Narrow Sea to [[Free Cities (ASOIAF)#Pentos|Pentos]], but his eventual goals are unknown even to him. In the far east, Daenerys Targaryen has conquered the city of Meereen, but has decided to stay and rule the city, honing her skills of leadership which will be needed when she travels on to Westeros. But Daenerys' presence is now known to many in Westeros, and from the Iron Islands and Dorne, from Oldtown and the Free Cities, emissaries are on their way to find her and use her cause for their own ends...

'''Note:''' An excerpt (presumably a full chapter) of ''A Dance With Dragons'' can be found on George R R Martin's website, under the heading "Ice & Fire Sample".

==Characters==
The tale is told through the eyes of 9 POV characters and, as with previous volumes, a one-off prologue POV.

* Prologue: [[Varamyr Sixskin]], a wildling skinchanger.
* [[Jon Snow]], the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.
* [[Tyrion Lannister]], a fugitive wanted for kinslaying and regicide, lately fled from the Seven Kingdoms.
* [[Davos Seaworth|Ser Davos Seaworth]], King's Hand to Stannis Baratheon.
* [[Daenerys Targaryen]], sole heir to the Targaryen dynasty who ruled Westeros for 300 years until their deposition 15 years prior to the first novel. Called Stormborn, the Unburnt, the Mother of Dragons, and self-proclaimed Queen of Westeros, now ruling the city of Meereen.
* [[Bran Stark]], rightful heir to the late Robb Stark, in hiding beyond the Wall and believed dead by his own family.
* [[Arya Stark]], in hiding in the Free City of Braavos, where she is also called 'Cat of the Canals' and continuing her training by the Faceless Men.
* [[Asha Greyjoy]], the niece of King Euron Greyjoy of the Iron Islands, lately fled from the isles.
* [[House Martell#Quentyn|Quentyn Martell]], the eldest son of Prince Doran Martell of Dorne, travelling into the east on a mission for his father.
* An old, or "retired", POV will be returning.

==Split in publication==
When the fourth novel in the series, ''[[A Feast for Crows]]'', was published it was missing many of its key characters. This was because the book had gotten far too large to publish as one volume. Rather than simply split it in half and publish it as 'Part 1' and 'Part 2', Martin decided to split the book by character and location. This decision was apparently inspired by a conversation with Martin's friend and fellow writer Daniel Abraham. Thus, characters in the South of the Seven Kingdoms and in the new locations of the Iron Islands and Dorne appeared in ''A Feast for Crows''. Characters in the North and across the sea were held back for ''A Dance with Dragons''. [[Arya Stark]] and [[Asha Greyjoy]] will appear in both volumes.

Approximately one-third of the published ''A Dance with Dragons'' will consist of material that had been written for the pre-split ''A Feast for Crows'', although much of this has been rewritten by Martin. Martin has also promised to try and include some 'catch-up' chapters at the end of the novel to reveal what happened to some of that novel's characters after the cliffhanger endings of ''A Feast for Crows'', such as [[Sansa Stark]], [[Brienne of Tarth]], [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]] and [[Cersei Lannister]].

==External links==
* [http://www.georgerrmartin.com GeorgeRRMartin.com] - official website of the author.
* [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/ The Citadel] at [http://www.westeros.org www.westeros.org] - extensive archive about the series, including detailed thematic notes, timelines, artwork & [[heraldry]], and correspondence from the author.
* [http://towerofthehand.com/ Tower of the Hand] - A comprehensive treatment of A Song of Ice and Fire with chapter summaries and individual pages for every character, location, historical event, noble house, etc. from the series all thoroughly cross-referenced and hyperlinked.
* [http://www.georgerrmartin.com/if-sample.html Ice & Fire sample] A sample chapter from the book, provided by George R.R. Martin.
* [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=georrmar&keyword=George%20R.%20R.%20Martin&mode=books Song of Ice and Fire books] at Amazon.com
* [http://asoiaf.westeros.org Message Board] - extensive topical theory discussion about current and upcoming books.
* {{isfdb series | id=A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire | title=A Song of Ice and Fire}}

==References and sources==
{{EnWP|A Dance with Dragons}}

[[Category:Books]]

A Dance with Dragons

2008-01-15T06:22:13Z

Eleventh: /* Split in publication */

{{infobox Book | 
| name = A Dance with Dragons
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = 
| author = [[George R. R. Martin]]
| cover_artist =
| country = United States
| language = English
| series = [[A Song of Ice and Fire]]
| genre = Fantasy Novel
| publisher = Voyager Books (UK) & Spectra Books (USA)
| release_date = 2007 (tbc)
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[Paperback]])
| pages = tbc
| isbn = tbc
| preceded_by = [[A Feast for Crows]]
| followed_by = The Winds of Winter (forthcoming)
}}

'''''A Dance with Dragons''''' is the fifth of seven planned novels in the epic fantasy series [[A Song of Ice and Fire]] by American author [[George R. R. Martin]]. Despite original predictions of possible completion in late 2006, Martin has, as of early 2007, ceased to offer an expected publication date, and has reported, as of February 15, 2007, that the book remains as yet incomplete, reiterating that he will not be reporting on the state of its completion until it is finished.[http://www.georgerrmartin.com/if-update.html]

'The Dance of the Dragons' is the name given to a civil war in the prior history of [[Westeros]], leading to much speculation that the novel will feature the long-awaited invasion of Westeros by the army of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]. However, at ComiCon 2006, George R. R. Martin says that is not necessarily what the title is referring to.[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Month/2006/07/]

''A Dance of Dragons'' was originally the title of the second novel in the sequence, when Martin still envisaged the series as a trilogy. Some early US editions of ''[[A Game of Thrones]]'' list ''A Dance of Dragons'' as the forthcoming second volume in the series. It was also the original planned title for the fourth novel.

==Plot summary==
''A Dance with Dragons'' is set in a fictitious world reminiscent of Medieval Europe (primarily on a continent called [[Westeros]]), except for the fact that in this world, seasons can last for years, occasionally decades.

{{spoiler}}

''A Dance with Dragons'' picks up where ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' left off and runs simultaneously with events in ''[[A Feast for Crows]]''. The War of the Five Kings seems to be winding down. In the North, King Stannis Baratheon has installed himself at the Wall and vowed to win the support of the northmen to continue his struggle to claim the Iron Throne, although this is complicated by the fact that much of the west coast is under occupation by the ironborn. On the Wall itself Jon Snow has been elected the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, but has enemies both in the Watch and beyond the Wall to watch for. Tyrion Lannister has been taken by ship across the Narrow Sea to [[Free Cities (ASOIAF)#Pentos|Pentos]], but his eventual goals are unknown even to him. In the far east, Daenerys Targaryen has conquered the city of Meereen, but has decided to stay and rule the city, honing her skills of leadership which will be needed when she travels on to Westeros. But Daenerys' presence is now known to many in Westeros, and from the Iron Islands and Dorne, from Oldtown and the Free Cities, emissaries are on their way to find her and use her cause for their own ends...

'''Note:''' An excerpt (presumably a full chapter) of ''A Dance With Dragons'' can be found on George R R Martin's website, under the heading "Ice & Fire Sample".

==Characters==
The tale is told through the eyes of 9 POV characters and, as with previous volumes, a one-off prologue POV.

* Prologue: [[Varamyr Sixskin]], a wildling skinchanger.
* [[Jon Snow]], the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.
* [[Tyrion Lannister]], a fugitive wanted for kinslaying and regicide, lately fled from the Seven Kingdoms.
* [[Davos Seaworth|Ser Davos Seaworth]], King's Hand to Stannis Baratheon.
* [[Daenerys Targaryen]], sole heir to the Targaryen dynasty who ruled Westeros for 300 years until their deposition 15 years prior to the first novel. Called Stormborn, the Unburnt, the Mother of Dragons, and self-proclaimed Queen of Westeros, now ruling the city of Meereen.
* [[Bran Stark]], rightful heir to the late Robb Stark, in hiding beyond the Wall and believed dead by his own family.
* [[Arya Stark]], in hiding in the Free City of Braavos, where she is also called 'Cat of the Canals' and continuing her training by the Faceless Men.
* [[Asha Greyjoy]], the niece of King Euron Greyjoy of the Iron Islands, lately fled from the isles.
* [[House Martell#Quentyn|Quentyn Martell]], the eldest son of Prince Doran Martell of Dorne, travelling into the east on a mission for his father.
* An old, or "retired", POV will be returning.

==Split in publication==
When the fourth novel in the series, ''[[A Feast for Crows]]'', was published it was missing many of its key characters. This was because the book had gotten far too large to publish as one volume. Rather than simply split it in half and publish it as 'Part 1' and 'Part 2', Martin decided to split the book by character and location. This decision was apparently inspired by a conversation with Martin's friend and fellow writer Daniel Abraham. Thus, characters in the South of the Seven Kingdoms and in the new locations of the Iron Islands and Dorne appeared in ''A Feast for Crows''. Characters in the North and across the sea were held back for ''A Dance with Dragons''. [[Arya Stark]] and [[Asha Greyjoy]] will appear in both volumes.

Approximately one-third of the published ''A Dance with Dragons'' will consist of material that had been written for the pre-split ''A Feast for Crows'', although much of this has been rewritten by Martin. Martin has also promised to try and include some 'catch-up' chapters at the end of the novel to reveal what happened to some of that novel's characters after the cliffhanger endings of ''A Feast for Crows'', such as [[Sansa Stark]], [[Brienne of Tarth]], [[Jaime]] and [[Cersei Lannister]].

==External links==
* [http://www.georgerrmartin.com GeorgeRRMartin.com] - official website of the author.
* [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/ The Citadel] at [http://www.westeros.org www.westeros.org] - extensive archive about the series, including detailed thematic notes, timelines, artwork & [[heraldry]], and correspondence from the author.
* [http://towerofthehand.com/ Tower of the Hand] - A comprehensive treatment of A Song of Ice and Fire with chapter summaries and individual pages for every character, location, historical event, noble house, etc. from the series all thoroughly cross-referenced and hyperlinked.
* [http://www.georgerrmartin.com/if-sample.html Ice & Fire sample] A sample chapter from the book, provided by George R.R. Martin.
* [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=georrmar&keyword=George%20R.%20R.%20Martin&mode=books Song of Ice and Fire books] at Amazon.com
* [http://asoiaf.westeros.org Message Board] - extensive topical theory discussion about current and upcoming books.
* {{isfdb series | id=A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire | title=A Song of Ice and Fire}}

==References and sources==
{{EnWP|A Dance with Dragons}}

[[Category:Books]]

A Game of Thrones

2008-01-15T06:21:15Z

Eleventh: /* Allusions/references to other works */

{{infobox Book | 
| name = A Game of Thrones
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = [[Image:AGameOfThrones.jpg|200px]] 
| image_caption = US Hardcover (2002 Bantam Reissue)
| author = [[George R. R. Martin]]
| cover_artist = [[w:Steve Youll|Steve Youll]]
| country = [[w:United States|United States]]
| language = [[w:English language|English]]
| series = [[A Song of Ice and Fire]]
| genre = [[w:Fantasy|Fantasy]]
| publisher = [[w:Bantam Books|Bantam Books]] (US) & [[w:Voyager Books|Voyager Books]] (UK)
| release_date = [[w:6 August|6 August]] [[w:1996|1996]]
| media_type = Print ([[w:Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[w:Paperback|Paperback]])
| pages = 694 pp (US Hardback), 672 pp (UK Hardcover), 835 pp (US Paperback)
| isbn = ISBN 0-553-10354-7 (US Hardback), ISBN 0-00-224584-1 (UK Hardback), ISBN 0-553-57340-3 (US Paperback)
| preceded_by =
| followed_by = [[A Clash of Kings]]
}}

'''''A Game of Thrones''''' is the first of seven planned novels in '''''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]''''', an [[w:epic fantasy|epic fantasy]] series by American author [[George R. R. Martin]]. It was first published on [[w:6 August|6 August]] [[w:1996|1996]]. The novel was nominated for the [[w:1998|1998]] [[w:Nebula Award|Nebula Award]] and the [[w:1997|1997]] [[w:World Fantasy Award|World Fantasy Award]], and won the 1997 [[w:Locus Award|Locus Award]]. The novella ''Blood of the Dragon'', comprising the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel, won the 1997 [[w:Hugo Award|Hugo Award]] for Best Novella.

The novel lends its name to several spin-off items based on the novels, including a [[A Game of Thrones (card game)|trading card game]], [[A Game of Thrones (board game)|board game]] and [[A Game of Thrones (RPG)|roleplaying game]].

==Plot introduction==

'''Warning: spoilers follow.'''

''A Game of Thrones'' is set in the Seven Kingdoms of [[Westeros]], a land reminiscent of [[w:Medieval|Medieval]] [[w:Europe|Europe]]. In Westeros the seasons last for years, sometimes decades, at a time.

Fifteen years prior to the novel, the Seven Kingdoms were torn apart by a [[War of the Usurper|civil war]], known alternately as "Robert's Rebellion" and the "War of the Usurper." Prince [[House Targaryen#Rhaegar|Rhaegar Targaryen]] kidnapped [[House Stark#Lyanna|Lyanna Stark]], arousing the ire of her family and of her betrothed, Lord [[House Baratheon#Robert|Robert Baratheon]] (the war's titular rebel). The Mad King, [[House Targaryen#Aerys II|Aerys II Targaryen]], had Lyanna's father and [[House Stark#Brandon|eldest brother]] executed when they demanded her safe return. Her second brother, [[House Stark#Eddard|Eddard]], joined his boyhood friend Robert Baratheon and Jon Arryn, with whom they had been fostered as children, in declaring war against the Targaryens, securing the allegiances of [[House Tully]] and [[House Arryn]] through a network of dynastic marriages (Lord Eddard to [[House Tully#Catelyn|Catelyn Tully]] and Lord [[House Arryn#Jon|Jon Arryn]] to [[House Tully#Lysa|Lysa Tully]]). The powerful [[House Tyrell]] continued to support the King, but [[House Lannister]] and [[House Martell]] both dragged their feet due to insults against their houses by the King. The civil war climaxed with the [[War of the Usurper#Battle of the Trident|Battle of the Trident]], when Prince Rhaegar was killed in battle by Robert Baratheon. The Lannisters finally agreed to support King Aerys, but then brutally turned against him, [[War of the Usurper#Sack of King's Landing|sacking the capital at King's Landing]]. [[House Lannister#Jaime|Jaime Lannister]] of the Kingsguard executed King Aerys and House Lannister swore loyalty to Robert Baratheon. The Tyrells and remaining royalists surrendered and Robert Baratheon was declared King of the Seven Kingdoms. Unfortunately, during the war, Lyanna Stark had died, apparently of illness; Robert Baratheon instead married [[House Lannister#Cersei|Cersei Lannister]] to cement the alliance. Despite Robert's victory, the Mad King's youngest son [[House Targaryen#Viserys|Visery]]s and youngest daughter [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]] were taken to safety across the sea by loyal retainers. After the war House Martell chose a path of isolation, since [[House Martell#Doran|Prince Doran]]'s sister [[House Martell#Elia|Elia]] (Prince Rhaegar's wife) and her young children had been killed by Lannister armsmen during the storming of the capital.

Six years later King Robert proved his resolve by [[Greyjoy Rebellion|defeating a rebellion]] by Lord [[House Greyjoy#Balon|Balon Greyjoy]] of the Iron Islands. Balon's two eldest sons were killed and his youngest son, [[House Greyjoy#Theon|Theon]], was given to the care of Eddard Stark as a ward.

==Plot summary==
{{spoiler}}
''A Game of Thrones'' follows three principal storylines as they develop in tandem with one another. The novel begins in the year 298 AL (After Landing) and continues for many months, probably into the early months of 299 AL.

===In the Seven Kingdoms===
Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and the North, attends the execution of a man of the [[Night's Watch]] who has betrayed his vows and fled from the Wall. His sons [[House Stark#Robb|Robb]] and [[House Stark#Bran|Bran]], his bastard son [[House Stark#Jon Snow|Jon Snow]], and his ward [[House Greyjoy#Theon|Theon Greyjoy]] all attend. After the beheading, Robb finds a dead [[w:direwolf|direwolf]] (the symbol of [[House Stark]]), killed by the antlers of a stag (the symbol of [[House Baratheon]]), which had given birth to five pups before it died. Robb and his brothers ask to keep them and Eddard consents, on the condition that the children themselves take care of them, rather than leaving the matter to the servants of House Stark. There are five pups, one for each of Eddard's trueborn children: Robb names his Grey Wind and Bran names his Summer, whilst Eddard's daughters [[House Stark#Sansa|Sansa]] and [[House Stark#Arya|Arya]] name theirs Lady and Nymeria respectively. Eddard's youngest, three-year-old [[House Stark#Rickon|Rickon]], names his Shaggydog. Unexpectedly, Jon finds a sixth pup lying separately nearby: an [[w:albino]] runt with white fur and red eyes. Jon claims this one, Ghost, for himself.

King Robert Baratheon arrives at Winterfell with his court and many retainers, including his wife, Queen Cersei of [[House Lannister]], and his children: [[House Baratheon#Joffrey|Joffrey]], [[House Baratheon#Myrcella|Myrcella]] and [[House Baratheon#Tommen|Tommen]]. The queen's twin brother, Ser Jaime Lannister of the Kingsguard, and their younger brother [[House Lannister#Tyrion|Tyrion]], the Imp (so named for his dwarfism), also accompany the group. Robert asks Eddard to become the new Hand of the King after the death of the previous office holder, Lord Jon Arryn. Eddard agrees and travels south with his daughters Sansa and Arya, leaving Catelyn, Robb, Bran (now in a [[w:coma|coma]] after a grievous fall from a window) and Rickon at home. Jon Snow elects to travel north to the Wall to join the Night's Watch and is joined by Tyrion, who is eager to see the fabled construction for himself.

Catelyn Stark, learns from her sister Lysa Arryn (widow of the late Lord Jon Arryn) that the Lannisters had Jon Arryn murdered. After Eddard leaves for the south, an attempt is made on Bran's life, thwarted only by the direwolf Summer. Catelyn realises that Bran must have seen something and been pushed from the window deliberately, and that the would-be murderers are trying to cover their tracks. She travels by sea to King's Landing and learns from her childhood friend [[Petyr Baelish|Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish]] that the dagger used in the assassination attempt was last seen in the hands of Tyrion Lannister. Travelling north again, Catelyn and her retainers encounter Tyrion by chance in an inn (as he returns south from the Wall) and take him captive to the Eyrie, where Lady Lysa places him on trial. Unfortunately, Tyrion chooses trial by battle and his champion, a [[w:mercenary|sellsword]] named [[Bronn]], wins freedom for him.

In the capital at King's Landing, Eddard investigates Jon's death and learns that Jon Arryn and King Robert's brother, Lord [[House Baratheon#Stannis|Stannis Baratheon]], had discovered that King Robert's three children were actually the products of an incestuous liaison between Queen Cersei and her twin brother Jaime. Spurning the advice of Robert's other brother [[House Baratheon#Renly|Renly]] to take Cersei into custody, Eddard instead tries mercy by offering Cersei the chance to flee. King Robert dies of a mishap whilst hunting and Cersei's eldest son Joffrey is proclaimed King before Eddard can pass the crown to Stannis, Robert's true heir. When Eddard moves against him, he is betrayed by Littlefinger. Eddard reluctantly agrees to sign a false confession of treason in return for Sansa and Arya's lives and the chance to go into exile on the Wall. Instead, Joffrey has Eddard brutally executed. Whilst Sansa is retained in custody, Arya manages to escape with the help of Yoren, a recruiting agent for the [[Night's Watch]].

A civil war, later dubbed the [[War of the Five Kings]], erupts. Robb Stark leads an army of northmen into the Riverlands to support Lord [[House Tully#Hoster|Hoster Tully]], whose forces came under attack by Lord Tywin Lannister after Catelyn took Tyrion prisoner. Riverrun, the Tully stronghold, is besieged by an army under Jaime Lannister, whilst Lord Tywin holds a large army south of the River Trident to prevent Robb's advance. Unexpectedly, Robb wins the support of [[House Frey]] by agreeing to a dynastic marriage. This allows him to detach his cavalry and cross the Green Fork whilst his infantry carries on to the Trident under Lord [[House Bolton#Roose|Roose Bolton]], one of Robb's bannermen. Tywin, joined by the liberated Tyrion (who has won the support of the mountain clans of the Vale) defeats the Stark footmen before learning that Robb has outmaneuvered him. Shortly afterwards Robb's forces surprise and capture Jaime Lannister before smashing the Lannister army at the Whispering Wood outside Riverrun. Tywin falls back on the strong castle of Harrenhal and orders Tyrion to go to King's Landing and help give Joffrey better advice.

Lord Renly Baratheon flees south from King's Landing to Highgarden, stronghold of the powerful House Tyrell, and there is declared King of Westeros by acclamation, becoming the second of the war's five kings. Robb Stark becomes the third, when he is proclaimed the King in the North and by all the Stark and Tully bannermen present.

===On the Wall===
In the lands beyond the Wall, three men of the Night's Watch stumble across the massacred bodies of wildlings. Ser Waymar Royce is confronted by several creatures of ice, the fabled 'Others' of legend. He fights one, but is killed. The second man, Will, investigates Royce's corpse only for it to come to life and strangle him. The third, Gared, is so terrified of what he sees that he flees south to the Wall and then beyond. He is the deserter executed by Ned Stark in the first chapter of the book.

Jon Snow chooses to join the Night's Watch after his father departs for King's Landing and travels north with his uncle [[House Stark#Benjen|Benjen Stark]], the First Ranger of the Watch. At the Wall Jon finds that the Watch is beset with problems. A new [[King-Beyond-the-Wall]] has arisen in the northern lands to rally the wildlings to his banner. This man, [[Mance Rayder]], was once a brother of the Watch before fleeing to join the wildlings. Jon also learns that the Watch is grievously under strength, mustering barely a thousand men to cover the three hundred miles of the Wall, and its manpower is now made up of murderers and criminals who chose the Wall over execution or imprisonment. Some time after Jon's arrival, Benjen vanishes whilst on a ranging beyond the Wall.

Jon and many of the other younger men are remorselessly bullied by the master-at-arms, Alliser Thorne, but Jon concocts a plan for them to stand up to him. Jon wins the friendship of [[Samwell Tarly|Samwell Tarly]], a [[w:coward|craven]] but intelligent boy from the Reach, and also that of [[House Targaryen#Maester Aemon|Maester Aemon]]. Jon is startled to learn that Aemon is a member of House Targaryen, the grand-uncle of the now-deposed Mad King Aerys II, and the oldest man alive in Westeros.

The Lord Commander of the Watch, Jeor Mormont, is attacked by a corpse which suddenly comes back to life. Jon burns the [[w:wight|wight]], saving Mormont's life. Shaken, Mormont resolves to lead the Watch beyond the Wall in strength to test Mance Rayder's strength. Although news of his father's death causes Jon to doubt his calling, he decides his place is with the Watch.

===In the East===
In the Free City of Pentos, Magister Illyrio Mopatis and the exiled Prince Viserys Targaryen conspire to sell Viserys' thirteen-year-old sister Daenerys in marriage to [[Khal Drogo]] of the Dothraki. Drogo commands an clan of forty thousand mounted warriors whom Viserys plans to use to reclaim his homeland from the usurper Robert Baratheon. Among the wedding gifts are three stone dragon eggs from Ilyrio. Unexpectedly, Daenerys and Drogo find love as they journey east into the vast grasslands of the Dothraki sea, and Daenerys becomes pregnant with a son, to be named Rhaego after her dead brother. Ser [[House Mormont#Jorah|Jorah Mormont]], son of the Lord Commander of the Watch and a knight exiled from Westeros for dealing in slaves, joins Viserys' entourage as an advisor on the current state of the Seven Kingdoms.

Viserys becomes angry about how long he must wait before Drogo decides to invade Westeros and, in a drunken rage, insults Drogo grievously. Drogo decides to crown him right there— with molten gold. Daenerys picks up her brother's quest to reclaim the Iron Throne, but Drogo is just as obstinate with the moon of his life as he was with the Beggar King. The tables turn when a Westerosi assassin, in the pay of King Robert, nearly kills her and their unborn child; a furious Drogo agrees to invade Westeros. However, during a warm-up raid on the peaceful Lhazareen, Drogo takes a wound which festers. Daenerys loses both Drogo and her unborn son to the machinations of a Lhazareen witch, and has her burned in a pyre. Daenerys had previously felt the eggs and found them warm to her touch, but not to others'. Before she had placed them in a small fire and thought that the flames made something in the eggs alive. While the witch was being burned she placed the eggs in the very hot fire. Incredibly, the eggs hatch, and Daenerys Targaryen, the Stormborn, becomes mother to the first three dragons seen in the world for one hundred and sixty years.

==Viewpoint Characters==
All of the novels in the series use a system for the books where by each chapter concentrates on one character in a [[w:point of view (literature)|third person limited point of view]]. Thus, the chapter list for each book would read something like: "Bran", "Eddard", "Catelyn", "Eddard", "Tyrion", "Catelyn" etc, with the story flipping back and forth between the main characters.

The tale of ''A Game of Thrones'' is told through the eyes of 8 POV characters and a one-off prologue POV.

*Prologue: Will, a man of the [[Night's Watch]].
*[[House Stark#Eddard|Lord Eddard Stark]], Warden of the North and Lord of [[Winterfell]], Hand of the King.
*[[House Tully#Catelyn|Lady Catelyn Stark]], of [[House Tully]], wife of Eddard Stark.
*[[House Stark#Sansa|Sansa Stark]], eldest daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark.
*[[House Stark#Arya|Arya Stark]], youngest daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark.
*[[House Stark#Bran|Bran Stark]], middle of three sons of Eddard and Catelyn Stark.
*[[House Stark#Jon Snow|Jon Snow]], bastard son of Eddard Stark.
*[[House Lannister#Tyrion|Tyrion Lannister]], a dwarf, son of [[House Lannister#Tywin|Lord Tywin Lannister]] and [[House Lannister#Cersei|Queen Cersei]]'s brother.
*[[Daenerys Targaryen]], Stormborn, the Princess of Dragonstone and heiress to the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] throne through her older brother [[House Targaryen#Viserys|Viserys]].

==Allusions/references to other works==
One of Martin's earliest attempts at writing a fantasy story was 'Dark Gods of Kor-Yuban', which was never published. The two heroes of the short story are the exiled 'Prince R'hllor of Raugg' and his boisterous, swaggering companion 'Argilac the Arrogant'. In an abandoned sequel Argilac teams up with Barron, the Bloody Blade of the Dothrak Empire, to slay the winged demons who killed Barron's grandfather Barristan the Bold. Most of these names reoccur in ''A Game of Thrones'': R'hllor is the red god worshipped in the east (although not specifically named until ''A Clash of Kings''); Argilac the Arrogant was the last Storm King thrown down by the Targaryens; the Dothrak Empire became the Dothraki horse-riders of the eastern plains; and Barristan the Bold was recast as Ser Barristan Selmy of the Kingsguard. Martin covers the origin of these characters and names in his essay 'The Heirs of Turtle Castle' in ''[[Dreamsongs: A Retrospective]]''.

==Editions==



In [[w:June|June]] [[w:2000|2000]] [[w:Meisha Merlin|Meisha Merlin]] released a limited edition of the book, fully illustrated by Jeffrey Jones.

===Foreign language editions===

* Bulgarian
* Catalan: Devir Contenidos (2006): ''La ma del rei''
* Chinese
* Croatian
* Czech
* Dutch: Luitingh-Sijthoff (1997): ''Het spel der tronen''
* Estonian: Varrak (2006): ''Troonide mäng''
* Finnish: Valtaistuinpeli (2003)
* French: Two volumes (hardcover: Pygmalion (1998, 1999); paperback: J'ai Lu (2001)) ''Le trône de fer'', ''Le donjon rouge''.
* German: Single volume, Fantasy Productions (2004): ''Eisenthron''. Two volumes, Goldmann (1997, 1998): ''Die Herren von Winterfell'', ''Das Erbe von Winterfell''
* Greek
* Hebrew
* Hungarian: Single volume, Alexandra: ''Trónok harca''
* Italian: Two volumes, Mondadori (hardcover: 1999, 2000; paperback: 2001): ''Il trono di spade'', ''Il grande inverno''
* Japanese
* Korean
* Polish: Zysk (1998): ''Gra o tron''
* Portuguese: Entre Letras Editora (2002): ''A Muralha''
* Russian: "Игра престолов"
* Serbian: "Igra Prestola" (2003)
* Slovenian: ''Igra Prestolov'' (2007)
* Spanish: Gigamesh (2002): ''Juego de tronos''
* Swedish: Two volumes, Forum: ''I vargens tid'', ''Kampen on järntronen''. Single volume, Forum (2005): ''Kampen om järntronen''
* Turkish: ''Buz ve Ateşin Şarkısı Serisi: - Taht Oyunları'' (2005)

==Literary significance & criticism==
*{{cite web | title=SF Reviews.Net | author=Wagner, T. M. | url=http://www.sfreviews.net/gameofthrones.html }}
*{{cite web | title=SF Site | author=Seidman, James | url=http://www.sfsite.com/09a/game16.htm }}
*{{cite web | title=SFF World | author=Silver, Steven H. | url=http://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/martin.html }}

==Awards and nominations==
*[[w:Locus Award|Locus Award]] – Best Novel (Fantasy) (Won) – (1997)
*[[w:World Fantasy Award|World Fantasy Award]] – Best Novel (Nominated) – (1997)
*[[w:Hugo Award|Hugo Award]] – Best Novella for ''Blood of the Dragon'' (Won) – (1997)
*[[w:Nebula Award|Nebula Award]] – Best Novel (Nominated) – (1997)
*Ignotus Award – Best Novel (Foreign) (Won) – (2003)

==External links==
*[http://members.aol.com/vbkorik27/summary/AGOT.htm#prologue Book Summary] by Vincent Briscuso

==References and sources==
{{EnWP|A Game of Thrones}}

[[Category:Books]]

A Dance with Dragons

2008-01-15T06:21:05Z

Eleventh: /* Characters */

{{infobox Book | 
| name = A Dance with Dragons
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = 
| author = [[George R. R. Martin]]
| cover_artist =
| country = United States
| language = English
| series = [[A Song of Ice and Fire]]
| genre = Fantasy Novel
| publisher = Voyager Books (UK) & Spectra Books (USA)
| release_date = 2007 (tbc)
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[Paperback]])
| pages = tbc
| isbn = tbc
| preceded_by = [[A Feast for Crows]]
| followed_by = The Winds of Winter (forthcoming)
}}

'''''A Dance with Dragons''''' is the fifth of seven planned novels in the epic fantasy series [[A Song of Ice and Fire]] by American author [[George R. R. Martin]]. Despite original predictions of possible completion in late 2006, Martin has, as of early 2007, ceased to offer an expected publication date, and has reported, as of February 15, 2007, that the book remains as yet incomplete, reiterating that he will not be reporting on the state of its completion until it is finished.[http://www.georgerrmartin.com/if-update.html]

'The Dance of the Dragons' is the name given to a civil war in the prior history of [[Westeros]], leading to much speculation that the novel will feature the long-awaited invasion of Westeros by the army of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]. However, at ComiCon 2006, George R. R. Martin says that is not necessarily what the title is referring to.[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Month/2006/07/]

''A Dance of Dragons'' was originally the title of the second novel in the sequence, when Martin still envisaged the series as a trilogy. Some early US editions of ''[[A Game of Thrones]]'' list ''A Dance of Dragons'' as the forthcoming second volume in the series. It was also the original planned title for the fourth novel.

==Plot summary==
''A Dance with Dragons'' is set in a fictitious world reminiscent of Medieval Europe (primarily on a continent called [[Westeros]]), except for the fact that in this world, seasons can last for years, occasionally decades.

{{spoiler}}

''A Dance with Dragons'' picks up where ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' left off and runs simultaneously with events in ''[[A Feast for Crows]]''. The War of the Five Kings seems to be winding down. In the North, King Stannis Baratheon has installed himself at the Wall and vowed to win the support of the northmen to continue his struggle to claim the Iron Throne, although this is complicated by the fact that much of the west coast is under occupation by the ironborn. On the Wall itself Jon Snow has been elected the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, but has enemies both in the Watch and beyond the Wall to watch for. Tyrion Lannister has been taken by ship across the Narrow Sea to [[Free Cities (ASOIAF)#Pentos|Pentos]], but his eventual goals are unknown even to him. In the far east, Daenerys Targaryen has conquered the city of Meereen, but has decided to stay and rule the city, honing her skills of leadership which will be needed when she travels on to Westeros. But Daenerys' presence is now known to many in Westeros, and from the Iron Islands and Dorne, from Oldtown and the Free Cities, emissaries are on their way to find her and use her cause for their own ends...

'''Note:''' An excerpt (presumably a full chapter) of ''A Dance With Dragons'' can be found on George R R Martin's website, under the heading "Ice & Fire Sample".

==Characters==
The tale is told through the eyes of 9 POV characters and, as with previous volumes, a one-off prologue POV.

* Prologue: [[Varamyr Sixskin]], a wildling skinchanger.
* [[Jon Snow]], the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.
* [[Tyrion Lannister]], a fugitive wanted for kinslaying and regicide, lately fled from the Seven Kingdoms.
* [[Davos Seaworth|Ser Davos Seaworth]], King's Hand to Stannis Baratheon.
* [[Daenerys Targaryen]], sole heir to the Targaryen dynasty who ruled Westeros for 300 years until their deposition 15 years prior to the first novel. Called Stormborn, the Unburnt, the Mother of Dragons, and self-proclaimed Queen of Westeros, now ruling the city of Meereen.
* [[Bran Stark]], rightful heir to the late Robb Stark, in hiding beyond the Wall and believed dead by his own family.
* [[Arya Stark]], in hiding in the Free City of Braavos, where she is also called 'Cat of the Canals' and continuing her training by the Faceless Men.
* [[Asha Greyjoy]], the niece of King Euron Greyjoy of the Iron Islands, lately fled from the isles.
* [[House Martell#Quentyn|Quentyn Martell]], the eldest son of Prince Doran Martell of Dorne, travelling into the east on a mission for his father.
* An old, or "retired", POV will be returning.

==Split in publication==
When the fourth novel in the series, ''[[A Feast for Crows]]'', was published it was missing many of its key characters. This was because the book had gotten far too large to publish as one volume. Rather than simply split it in half and publish it as 'Part 1' and 'Part 2', Martin decided to split the book by character and location. This decision was apparently inspired by a conversation with Martin's friend and fellow writer Daniel Abraham. Thus, characters in the South of the Seven Kingdoms and in the new locations of the Iron Islands and Dorne appeared in ''A Feast for Crows''. Characters in the North and across the sea were held back for ''A Dance with Dragons''. [[House Stark#Arya|Arya Stark]] and [[House Greyjoy#Asha|Asha Greyjoy]] will appear in both volumes.

Approximately one-third of the published ''A Dance with Dragons'' will consist of material that had been written for the pre-split ''A Feast for Crows'', although much of this has been rewritten by Martin. Martin has also promised to try and include some 'catch-up' chapters at the end of the novel to reveal what happened to some of that novel's characters after the [[cliffhanger]] endings of ''A Feast for Crows'', such as [[House Stark#Sansa|Sansa Stark]], [[Characters from A Song of Ice and Fire#Brienne of Tarth|Brienne of Tarth]], [[House Lannister#Jaime|Jaime]] and [[House Lannister#Cersei|Cersei Lannister]].

==External links==
* [http://www.georgerrmartin.com GeorgeRRMartin.com] - official website of the author.
* [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/ The Citadel] at [http://www.westeros.org www.westeros.org] - extensive archive about the series, including detailed thematic notes, timelines, artwork & [[heraldry]], and correspondence from the author.
* [http://towerofthehand.com/ Tower of the Hand] - A comprehensive treatment of A Song of Ice and Fire with chapter summaries and individual pages for every character, location, historical event, noble house, etc. from the series all thoroughly cross-referenced and hyperlinked.
* [http://www.georgerrmartin.com/if-sample.html Ice & Fire sample] A sample chapter from the book, provided by George R.R. Martin.
* [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=georrmar&keyword=George%20R.%20R.%20Martin&mode=books Song of Ice and Fire books] at Amazon.com
* [http://asoiaf.westeros.org Message Board] - extensive topical theory discussion about current and upcoming books.
* {{isfdb series | id=A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire | title=A Song of Ice and Fire}}

==References and sources==
{{EnWP|A Dance with Dragons}}

[[Category:Books]]

A Dance with Dragons

2008-01-15T06:19:15Z

Eleventh: /* Characters */

{{infobox Book | 
| name = A Dance with Dragons
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = 
| author = [[George R. R. Martin]]
| cover_artist =
| country = United States
| language = English
| series = [[A Song of Ice and Fire]]
| genre = Fantasy Novel
| publisher = Voyager Books (UK) & Spectra Books (USA)
| release_date = 2007 (tbc)
| media_type = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[Paperback]])
| pages = tbc
| isbn = tbc
| preceded_by = [[A Feast for Crows]]
| followed_by = The Winds of Winter (forthcoming)
}}

'''''A Dance with Dragons''''' is the fifth of seven planned novels in the epic fantasy series [[A Song of Ice and Fire]] by American author [[George R. R. Martin]]. Despite original predictions of possible completion in late 2006, Martin has, as of early 2007, ceased to offer an expected publication date, and has reported, as of February 15, 2007, that the book remains as yet incomplete, reiterating that he will not be reporting on the state of its completion until it is finished.[http://www.georgerrmartin.com/if-update.html]

'The Dance of the Dragons' is the name given to a civil war in the prior history of [[Westeros]], leading to much speculation that the novel will feature the long-awaited invasion of Westeros by the army of [[Daenerys Targaryen]]. However, at ComiCon 2006, George R. R. Martin says that is not necessarily what the title is referring to.[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Month/2006/07/]

''A Dance of Dragons'' was originally the title of the second novel in the sequence, when Martin still envisaged the series as a trilogy. Some early US editions of ''[[A Game of Thrones]]'' list ''A Dance of Dragons'' as the forthcoming second volume in the series. It was also the original planned title for the fourth novel.

==Plot summary==
''A Dance with Dragons'' is set in a fictitious world reminiscent of Medieval Europe (primarily on a continent called [[Westeros]]), except for the fact that in this world, seasons can last for years, occasionally decades.

{{spoiler}}

''A Dance with Dragons'' picks up where ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' left off and runs simultaneously with events in ''[[A Feast for Crows]]''. The War of the Five Kings seems to be winding down. In the North, King Stannis Baratheon has installed himself at the Wall and vowed to win the support of the northmen to continue his struggle to claim the Iron Throne, although this is complicated by the fact that much of the west coast is under occupation by the ironborn. On the Wall itself Jon Snow has been elected the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, but has enemies both in the Watch and beyond the Wall to watch for. Tyrion Lannister has been taken by ship across the Narrow Sea to [[Free Cities (ASOIAF)#Pentos|Pentos]], but his eventual goals are unknown even to him. In the far east, Daenerys Targaryen has conquered the city of Meereen, but has decided to stay and rule the city, honing her skills of leadership which will be needed when she travels on to Westeros. But Daenerys' presence is now known to many in Westeros, and from the Iron Islands and Dorne, from Oldtown and the Free Cities, emissaries are on their way to find her and use her cause for their own ends...

'''Note:''' An excerpt (presumably a full chapter) of ''A Dance With Dragons'' can be found on George R R Martin's website, under the heading "Ice & Fire Sample".

==Characters==
The tale is told through the eyes of 9 POV characters and, as with previous volumes, a one-off prologue POV.

* Prologue: [[Varamyr Sixskin]], a wildling skinchanger.
* [[Jon Snow]], the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.
* [[Tyrion Lannister]], a fugitive wanted for kinslaying and regicide, lately fled from the Seven Kingdoms.
* [[Davos Seaworth|Ser Davos Seaworth]], King's Hand to Stannis Baratheon.
* [[Daenerys Targaryen]], sole heir to the Targaryen dynasty who ruled Westeros for 300 years until their deposition 15 years prior to the first novel. Called Stormborn, the Unburnt, the Mother of Dragons, and self-proclaimed Queen of Westeros, now ruling the city of Meereen.
* [[Bran Stark]], rightful heir to the late Robb Stark, in hiding beyond the Wall and believed dead by his own family.
* [[Arya Stark]], in hiding in the Free City of Braavos, where she is also called 'Cat of the Canals' and continuing her training by the Faceless Men.
* [[Asha Greyjoy]], the niece of King Euron Greyjoy of the Iron Islands, lately fled from the isles.
* [[Quentyn Martell]], the eldest son of Prince Doran Martell of Dorne, travelling into the east on a mission for his father.
* An old, or "retired", POV will be returning.

==Split in publication==
When the fourth novel in the series, ''[[A Feast for Crows]]'', was published it was missing many of its key characters. This was because the book had gotten far too large to publish as one volume. Rather than simply split it in half and publish it as 'Part 1' and 'Part 2', Martin decided to split the book by character and location. This decision was apparently inspired by a conversation with Martin's friend and fellow writer Daniel Abraham. Thus, characters in the South of the Seven Kingdoms and in the new locations of the Iron Islands and Dorne appeared in ''A Feast for Crows''. Characters in the North and across the sea were held back for ''A Dance with Dragons''. [[House Stark#Arya|Arya Stark]] and [[House Greyjoy#Asha|Asha Greyjoy]] will appear in both volumes.

Approximately one-third of the published ''A Dance with Dragons'' will consist of material that had been written for the pre-split ''A Feast for Crows'', although much of this has been rewritten by Martin. Martin has also promised to try and include some 'catch-up' chapters at the end of the novel to reveal what happened to some of that novel's characters after the [[cliffhanger]] endings of ''A Feast for Crows'', such as [[House Stark#Sansa|Sansa Stark]], [[Characters from A Song of Ice and Fire#Brienne of Tarth|Brienne of Tarth]], [[House Lannister#Jaime|Jaime]] and [[House Lannister#Cersei|Cersei Lannister]].

==External links==
* [http://www.georgerrmartin.com GeorgeRRMartin.com] - official website of the author.
* [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/ The Citadel] at [http://www.westeros.org www.westeros.org] - extensive archive about the series, including detailed thematic notes, timelines, artwork & [[heraldry]], and correspondence from the author.
* [http://towerofthehand.com/ Tower of the Hand] - A comprehensive treatment of A Song of Ice and Fire with chapter summaries and individual pages for every character, location, historical event, noble house, etc. from the series all thoroughly cross-referenced and hyperlinked.
* [http://www.georgerrmartin.com/if-sample.html Ice & Fire sample] A sample chapter from the book, provided by George R.R. Martin.
* [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=georrmar&keyword=George%20R.%20R.%20Martin&mode=books Song of Ice and Fire books] at Amazon.com
* [http://asoiaf.westeros.org Message Board] - extensive topical theory discussion about current and upcoming books.
* {{isfdb series | id=A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire | title=A Song of Ice and Fire}}

==References and sources==
{{EnWP|A Dance with Dragons}}

[[Category:Books]]

Robert I Baratheon

2008-01-15T06:16:32Z

Eleventh: /* Known bastards */

{{Monarch
| name = Robert Baratheon
| reign= [[Years after Aegon's Landing#Year 283 after Aegon's Landing|283 AL]] - [[Years after Aegon's Landing#Year 298 after Aegon's Landing|298 AL]]
| coronation=
| othertitles= King of the [[Andals]], the [[Rhoynar]] and the [[First Men]]
| fullname= Robert Baratheon the First of His Name
| predecessor= [[Aerys II]]
| successor= [[Joffrey Baratheon]]
| suc-type=
| heir= [[Joffrey Baratheon]]
| queen= [[Cersei Lannister]]
| consort=
| spouse1=
| issue= See [[Robert Baratheon#Known bastards|Known bastards]]
| royalhouse= [[House Baratheon]]
| dynasty=
| royalanthem=
| father= [[House Baratheon#Past and historic members:Steffon|Steffon Baratheon]]
| mother= [[House Estermont|Cassana Estermont]]
| dateofbirth=
| placeofbirth=
| dateofdeath= [[Years after Aegon's Landing#Year 298 after Aegon's Landing|298 AL]]
| placeofdeath= [[Kingslanding]]
| dateofburial=
| placeofburial=
}}
'''Robert Baratheon''' is a former member of [[House Baratheon]] and a former king of the [[Seven Kingdoms]].
Robert Baratheon was crowned king of the Seven Kingdoms after winning the [[War of the Usurper]]. A large man, Robert was once a renowned warrior, but grew fat from excessive alcohol and food consumption. He was known for his gregarious personality and remarkable ability to turn enemies into friends. He was killed during a hunt.

== Biography ==
Robert Baratheon was eldest son of [[House Baratheon#Past and historic members:Steffon|Steffon Baratheon]]
and [[House Estermont|Cassana Estermont]]. When his parents died in a shipwreck in the sight of their castle [[Storm's End]], Robert was raised by [[Jon Arryn]]. In [[the Vale]] he met [[Eddard Stark]] an other foster-child of Arryn and they became fast friends. Later he was set to be married to Eddard's sister, [[Lyanna Stark]].
When [[Rhaegar Targaryen]] kidnapped her, Robert was driven almost mad by the thought of Rhaegar raping her. Together with Eddard and their foster father [[House Arryn#Jon|Jon Arryn]], he started the War of the Usurper. Although he won the rebellion and killed Rhaegar, Lyanna died before they could be reunited. Robert was thereafter haunted by her memory and the desire for further vengeance against the slain Rhaegar.

Robert took the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms due to a distant relation to the Targaryens and married [[Cersei Lannister]]. He pardoned many of his former enemies and won some over as allies. Jon Arryn, as Hand of the King, held the Seven Kingdoms together while Robert ate, drank, hunted, and whored. Robert beggared the realm with the expense of his tournaments and sired many bastards.

When Jon Arryn died suddenly, Robert journeyed to Winterfell to meet the last person he truly trusted, Eddard Stark, after a long separation. Robert appeared to Eddard a broken man, unhealthy and unhappy. Eddard reluctantly took the job of Hand and came to King's Landing, where he discovered that Robert's children were in fact Cersei's bastards born of incest with her brother. After Eddard threatened to reveal her secret to Robert, Cersei sent Robert a very strong wine when he went out on a hunting trip, which caused him to get very drunk and receive a mortal wound from a boar. Robert's death tipped off a struggle for power that lead to the [[War of the Five Kings]].

=== Known bastards ===
Although Robert Baratheon is known to have fathered at least sixteen bastards, only one has been acknowledged. Five have been seen by POV characters, while two others have been mentioned only in passing.

*'''Gendry'''. An unacknowledged bastard who was born to a worker in an alehouse. When he was old enough, an unknown lord paid his apprentice fee so he could learn to be a blacksmith. Gendry developed a reputation for stubbornness and fashioned a bull's head helmet as a result, causing him to be named the "Bull". Following the death of Robert, he fled the city with Yoren of the [[Night's Watch]]. He knew that Queen Cersei wanted him dead, although he did not know why. He traveled with Arya Stark until the [[Brotherhood Without Banners]] captured them and he joined the organization. The Brotherhood later placed him at the Old Crossroads Inn to look after a group of orphans there.
*'''Mya Stone'''. An unacknowledged bastard daughter born to Robert in the Vale. She served as a guide to and from the Eyrie, and became a favorite companion to [[House Stark#Sansa|Sansa Stark]]. Eddard Stark remembered that Robert was very fond of her.
*'''Edric Storm'''. Robert's only acknowledged bastard son, born to Delena Florent. He lived in [[Storm's End]] under the protection of Cortnay Penrose, the castellan. Stannis laid siege to the castle with the goal of capturing Edric Storm and using him to prove his claims of Cersei's incestuous affair with her brother. The red witch [[Melisandre]] also aimed to use Edric's blood to raise the dragons of Dragonstone. [[Davos Seaworth]] smuggled Edric away from Dragonstone before he could be sacrificed.
*'''Bella'''. An unacknowledged bastard daughter who lived at the Old Crossroads Inn.
*'''Barra'''. The youngest of Robert's known bastard children. A baby, she was killed by agents of Cersei following the death of Robert.
*'''Two unnamed twins'''. Petyr Baelish hints that Robert fathered twins to a woman in Casterly Rock who were killed by Queen Cersei's agents.

== See also ==
*[[House Baratheon]]

== References and Sources ==
{{EnWP|House Baratheon}}

[[Category:House Baratheon]]
[[Category:Monarchs]]

Robert I Baratheon

2008-01-15T06:15:55Z

Eleventh: /* Biography */

{{Monarch
| name = Robert Baratheon
| reign= [[Years after Aegon's Landing#Year 283 after Aegon's Landing|283 AL]] - [[Years after Aegon's Landing#Year 298 after Aegon's Landing|298 AL]]
| coronation=
| othertitles= King of the [[Andals]], the [[Rhoynar]] and the [[First Men]]
| fullname= Robert Baratheon the First of His Name
| predecessor= [[Aerys II]]
| successor= [[Joffrey Baratheon]]
| suc-type=
| heir= [[Joffrey Baratheon]]
| queen= [[Cersei Lannister]]
| consort=
| spouse1=
| issue= See [[Robert Baratheon#Known bastards|Known bastards]]
| royalhouse= [[House Baratheon]]
| dynasty=
| royalanthem=
| father= [[House Baratheon#Past and historic members:Steffon|Steffon Baratheon]]
| mother= [[House Estermont|Cassana Estermont]]
| dateofbirth=
| placeofbirth=
| dateofdeath= [[Years after Aegon's Landing#Year 298 after Aegon's Landing|298 AL]]
| placeofdeath= [[Kingslanding]]
| dateofburial=
| placeofburial=
}}
'''Robert Baratheon''' is a former member of [[House Baratheon]] and a former king of the [[Seven Kingdoms]].
Robert Baratheon was crowned king of the Seven Kingdoms after winning the [[War of the Usurper]]. A large man, Robert was once a renowned warrior, but grew fat from excessive alcohol and food consumption. He was known for his gregarious personality and remarkable ability to turn enemies into friends. He was killed during a hunt.

== Biography ==
Robert Baratheon was eldest son of [[House Baratheon#Past and historic members:Steffon|Steffon Baratheon]]
and [[House Estermont|Cassana Estermont]]. When his parents died in a shipwreck in the sight of their castle [[Storm's End]], Robert was raised by [[Jon Arryn]]. In [[the Vale]] he met [[Eddard Stark]] an other foster-child of Arryn and they became fast friends. Later he was set to be married to Eddard's sister, [[Lyanna Stark]].
When [[Rhaegar Targaryen]] kidnapped her, Robert was driven almost mad by the thought of Rhaegar raping her. Together with Eddard and their foster father [[House Arryn#Jon|Jon Arryn]], he started the War of the Usurper. Although he won the rebellion and killed Rhaegar, Lyanna died before they could be reunited. Robert was thereafter haunted by her memory and the desire for further vengeance against the slain Rhaegar.

Robert took the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms due to a distant relation to the Targaryens and married [[Cersei Lannister]]. He pardoned many of his former enemies and won some over as allies. Jon Arryn, as Hand of the King, held the Seven Kingdoms together while Robert ate, drank, hunted, and whored. Robert beggared the realm with the expense of his tournaments and sired many bastards.

When Jon Arryn died suddenly, Robert journeyed to Winterfell to meet the last person he truly trusted, Eddard Stark, after a long separation. Robert appeared to Eddard a broken man, unhealthy and unhappy. Eddard reluctantly took the job of Hand and came to King's Landing, where he discovered that Robert's children were in fact Cersei's bastards born of incest with her brother. After Eddard threatened to reveal her secret to Robert, Cersei sent Robert a very strong wine when he went out on a hunting trip, which caused him to get very drunk and receive a mortal wound from a boar. Robert's death tipped off a struggle for power that lead to the [[War of the Five Kings]].

=== Known bastards ===
Although Robert Baratheon is known to have fathered at least sixteen bastards, only one has been acknowledged. Five have been seen by POV characters, while two others have been mentioned only in passing.

*'''Gendry'''. An unacknowledged bastard who was born to a worker in an alehouse. When he was old enough, an unknown lord paid his apprentice fee so he could learn to be a blacksmith. Gendry developed a reputation for stubbornness and fashioned a bull's head helmet as a result, causing him to be named the "Bull". Following the death of Robert, he fled the city with Yoren of the [[Night's Watch]]. He knew that Queen Cersei wanted him dead, although he did not know why. He traveled with Arya Stark until the [[Brotherhood Without Banners]] captured them and he joined the organization. The Brotherhood later placed him at the Old Crossroads Inn to look after a group of orphans there.
*'''Mya Stone'''. An unacknowledged bastard daughter born to Robert in the Vale. She served as a guide to and from the Eyrie, and became a favorite companion to [[House Stark#Sansa|Sansa Stark]]. Eddard Stark remembered that Robert was very fond of her.
*'''Edric Storm'''. Robert's only acknowledged bastard son, born to Delena Florent. He lived in [[Strongholds of A Song of Ice and Fire#Storm's End|Storm's End]] under the protection of Cortnay Penrose, the castellan. Stannis laid siege to the castle with the goal of capturing Edric Storm and using him to prove his claims of Cersei's incestuous affair with her brother. The red witch [[Melisandre]] also aimed to use Edric's blood to raise the dragons of Dragonstone. [[Davos Seaworth]] smuggled Edric away from Dragonstone before he could be sacrificed.
*'''Bella'''. An unacknowledged bastard daughter who lived at the Old Crossroads Inn.
*'''Barra'''. The youngest of Robert's known bastard children. A baby, she was killed by agents of Cersei following the death of Robert.
*'''Two unnamed twins'''. Petyr Baelish hints that Robert fathered twins to a woman in Casterly Rock who were killed by Queen Cersei's agents.

== See also ==
*[[House Baratheon]]

== References and Sources ==
{{EnWP|House Baratheon}}

[[Category:House Baratheon]]
[[Category:Monarchs]]

Template:ASOIAF

2008-01-15T06:15:05Z

Eleventh:

{{Navbox generic
| name = ASOIAF
| title = <big>''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' by [[George R. R. Martin]]</big>
| color = #ccc
| style = text-align:left;
| group-style = background-color:#ddd; white-space:nowrap; text-align: right;
| state =
| group1 = Novels
| list1 = ''[[A Game of Thrones]]'' (1996){{·}} ''[[A Clash of Kings]]'' (1998){{·}} ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' (2000){{·}} ''[[A Feast for Crows]]'' (2005){{·}} {{nowrap|''[[A Dance with Dragons]]''}}{{·}} {{nowrap|''The Winds of Winter''}}{{·}} {{nowrap|''A Dream of Spring''}}
| group2 = Novellas
| list2 = ''[[Tales of Dunk and Egg#The Hedge Knight|The Hedge Knight]]''{{·}} ''[[Tales of Dunk and Egg#The Sworn Sword|The Sworn Sword]]''
| group3 = Major Houses
| list3 = [[House Arryn|Arryn]]{{·}} [[House Baratheon|Baratheon]]{{·}} [[House Bolton|Bolton]]{{·}} [[House Frey|Frey]]{{·}} [[House Greyjoy|Greyjoy]]{{·}} [[House Lannister|Lannister]]{{·}} [[House Martell|Martell]]{{·}} [[House Stark|Stark]]{{·}} [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]]{{·}} [[House Tully|Tully]]{{·}} [[House Tyrell|Tyrell]]
| group4 = Other characters
| list4 = [[Minor houses in A Song of Ice and Fire|Minor Houses]]{{·}} [[:Category:Characters|Complete character list]]{{·}} [[Daenerys Targaryen]]
| group5 = Organizations
| list5 = [[Night's Watch]]{{·}} [[Kingsguard]]{{·}} [[Maesters]]{{·}} [[Brotherhood Without Banners]]{{·}} [[Organizations in A Song of Ice and Fire|Other organizations]]
| group6 = Places
| list6 = [[Westeros]]{{·}} [[Cities in A Song of Ice and Fire|Cities]]{{·}} [[Strongholds of A Song of Ice and Fire|Strongholds]]{{·}} [[Across the narrow sea]]{{·}} [[Free Cities (A Song of Ice and Fire)|Free Cities]]{{·}} [[Ghis]]
| group7 = Wars and tourneys
| list7 = [[:Category:Wars|Historic wars]]{{·}} [[War of the Usurper]]{{·}} [[War of the Five Kings]]{{·}} [[Tourneys in A Song of Ice and Fire|Tourneys]]
| group8 = Games
| list8 = ''A Game of Thrones:'' [[A Game of Thrones collectible card game|collectible card game]]''{{·}} ''[[A Game of Thrones (board game)|board game]]''{{·}} ''[[A Game of Thrones (role-playing_game)|role-playing game]]''
}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Infobox templates|ASOIAF]]

</noinclude>

A Song of Ice and Fire

2008-01-15T06:13:43Z

Eleventh: /* Storyline overview */

'''''A Song of Ice and Fire''''' (commonly abbreviated as '''ASoIaF''') is a series of epic fantasy novels by American author [[George R. R. Martin]]. According to the author, the series will consist of seven novels.
[[Image:2005_GoT_cover.jpg|thumb|100px|2005 US Edition of A Game of Thrones from Bantam]]
[[Image:2005_CoK_cover.jpg|thumb|100px|2005 US Edition of A Clash of Kings from Bantam]]
[[Image:2005_SoS_cover.jpg|thumb|100px|2005 US Edition of A Storm of Swords from Bantam]]
[[Image:2005_FfC_cover.jpg|thumb|100px|2005 US Edition of A Feast for Crows from Bantam]]
==Novels and novellas==
Four of these novels have been completed and published:

* ''[[A Game of Thrones]]'' [[1996 in literature|(1996)]]
* ''[[A Clash of Kings]]'' [[1998 in literature|(1998)]]
* ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' [[2000 in literature|(2000)]]
* ''[[A Feast for Crows]]'' [[2005 in books|(2005)]]

The remaining three novels are provisionally titled:

* ''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'' (no release date set, but it is hoped to be released in 2007)
* ''[[The Winds of Winter]]''
* ''[[A Dream of Spring]]'' (formerly known as ''A Time for Wolves'')

There are also two prequel novellas to the series, set roughly 90 years before the novels.

* ''[[The Hedge Knight]]'' [[1998|(1998)]]
* ''[[The Sworn Sword]]'' [[2003|(2003)]]

These short stories are commonly known as "Dunk and Egg" stories (after their protagonists). ''The Hedge Knight'' is also available as a [[graphic novel]] from [[Dabel Brothers Productions]]; an adaptation of ''The Sworn Sword'' is forthcoming from the same company. The author has said that he would like to write a number of these stories (varying from six to twelve from interview to interview) covering the entire lives of these two characters. Publication of a third "Dunk and Egg" novella is provisonally set for 2007.

The series has been placed as the number 1 rated series at the [[Bibliographic_database#Internet_Book_List|Internet Book List]] since a revision of the rating system in October 2005.<ref>[http://www.iblist.com/list_by_rating.php?type=series list Internet book list rating ASOIAF], retrieved December 20th, 2006</ref>

==Themes of the novels==
The books are known for complex characters, sudden and often violent plot twists, and political intrigue. In a genre where [[Magic (paranormal)|magic]] usually takes center stage, this series has a reputation for its limited and subtle use of magic, employing it as an ambiguous and often sinister background force.<ref>SFX Magazine #138 feature, Christmas 2005</ref> Finally, the novels do not (presently) center around a climactic clash between "Good" and "Evil;" plot lines have revolved primarily around political infighting and civil war, with only one or two storyline arcs even suggesting the possibility of an external threat.

The novels are narrated from a very strict [[third person limited omniscient]] perspective, the chapters alternating between different [[point of view]] characters. Martin's treatment of his characters makes them extremely hard to classify: very few can be labeled as "good" or "evil". The author also has a reputation of not being afraid to kill any character, no matter how major.

==Storyline overview==
{{spoiler}}

'''''A Song of Ice and Fire''''' is set primarily in the fictional Seven Kingdoms of [[Westeros]], a large, South American-sized continent with an ancient history stretching back some twelve thousand years. A detailed history reveals how seven kingdoms came to dominate this continent, and then how these seven nations were united as one by Aegon the Conqueror, of [[House Targaryen]]. Some 283 years after Aegon's conquest, the Targaryens are overthrown in a civil war and King [[Robert Baratheon]], backed primarily by his friend Lord [[Eddard Stark]] and foster father Lord [[Jon Arryn]], takes the Iron Throne. The novels, which begin fifteen years later, follow the fall-out from this event across three major storylines, set not only in Westeros but on the eastern continent as well.

The first storyline, set in the Seven Kingdoms themselves, chronicles a many-sided struggle for the Iron Throne that develops after King Robert's death. The throne is claimed by his son [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], supported by his mother's powerful family, [[House Lannister]], but Robert's brother [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]] claims that Robert's children are illegitimate, and claims the throne himself, to a less-than-enthusiastic response. Robert's youngest brother, [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]], also claims the throne with the support of the extremely powerful [[House Tyrell]]. Whilst these three claimants battle for the throne itself, [[Robb Stark]], Lord Eddard Stark's heir, is proclaimed King in the North as the northmen and their allies in the Riverlands seek to break away from the Iron Throne and rule themselves. Similarly, [[Balon Greyjoy]] also claims the throne of his own region, the Iron Islands, and likewise seeks independence. The War of the Five Kings is the principal storyline in the second and third novels, with its fall-out and repercussions affecting much of what follows.

The second storyline is set on the extreme northern border of Westeros. Here, eight thousand years ago, a huge wall of ice and gravel was constructed by spells and by hand to defend Westeros from the threat of '[[The Others]]', a semi-mythical race of ice creatures living in the uttermost north. The 300-mile-long, 700-foot-tall Wall is defended by the Sworn Brotherhood of the [[Night's Watch]], which by the time of the novels is badly under-strength and under threat by the human 'wildlings' or 'free folk' who live to the north. This storyline strand follows [[Jon Snow]], [[bastard]] son of [[Lord Eddard Stark]], as he rises through the ranks of the Watch and learns the true nature of the threat from the north. By the end of the third volume, this storyline has become more entangled with the civil war to the south as well.

The third storyline is set on the huge eastern continent and follows the adventures of [[Daenerys Targaryen]], the last (known) scion of [[House Targaryen]] and another claimant to the Iron Throne. Daenerys's story shows her growing rise to power, from a near-penniless wanderer to a powerful and canny ruler who possesses the last living dragons. Though her story is separated from the others by many thousands of miles, her stated goal is to reclaim the Iron Throne. Although she is not known to many in Westeros, the chaos of two civil wars in rapid succession has led to much yearning among the smallfolk for the days of stability under the Targaryens. Daenerys' storyline will return her to Westeros before the end of the series.

The eponymous Song of Ice and Fire is mentioned only once in the series, in a vision Daenerys sees in ''A Clash of Kings'': "He is the prince that was promised, and his is the song of ice and fire", spoken by a Targaryen (probably Daenerys's dead older brother [[Rhaegar Targaryen]]) about his infant son named Aegon. It is implied that there is a connection between the song, the promise, and Daenerys herself. This is established more clearly in ''A Feast for Crows'', when Aemon Targaryen identifies Daenerys as the heir that was promised. The phrase "ice and fire" is also mentioned in the Reeds' oath of loyalty to Bran in ''A Clash of Kings''. However, the song and the promise are never mentioned again, and the song itself remains a mystery.

''See also:'' [[:Category:Characters|List of all characters]]

==Historical and literary sources==
Numerous parallels have been seen between the events and characters in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' and events and people involved in the [[Wars of the Roses]]. Two of the principal families in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', the Starks and the Lannisters, are seen as representing the historical [[House of York]] and [[House of Lancaster]], respectively.

A similar reality-inspired conflict is the succession struggle called the [[Dance of Dragons]] between two children Aegon II and Rhaenyra. A historical struggle (labeled [[The Anarchy]]) between [[Empress Matilda]], daughter of [[Henry I of England]], and her cousin [[Stephen of England|Stephen of Blois]], provides the inspiration. Each daughter is announced as her father's successor, but due to differing reasons, male rivals seize the crown and are anointed as rulers. During the dynastic struggle, the rival claimants are deposed and succeeded by the son ([[Aegon III]] and Henry II of England respectively) of the original designated heir. Neither Empress Matilda nor Rhaenyra actually ruled in their own name.

Martin is an avid student of medieval Europe, and has said that the Wars of the Roses, along with many other events in Europe during that time, have influenced the series. However, he insists that "there's really no one-for-one character-for-character correspondence. I like to use history to flavor my fantasy, to add texture and verisimilitude, but simply rewriting history with the names changed has no appeal for me. I prefer to reimagine it all, and take it in new and unexpected directions." <ref>[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/SSM01.html So Spake Martin Report #1]</ref>

Martin has also said the [[Albigensian Crusade]]s are an influence for the series.

==Origins of the series==
Although George RR Martin had long had a love of model knights and medieval [[history]], his early novels and short stories mostly fit into the [[science fiction]] genre, although eventually several fantasy stories did appear, such as ''The Ice Dragon''. In the mid-1980s, Martin worked mainly in [[Hollywood]], principally as a writer or producer on ''[[The New Twilight Zone]]'' and [[Beauty and the Beast (TV series)|''Beauty and the Beast'']]. After ''Beauty and the Beast'' ended in 1989 Martin returned to writing prose and started work on a science fiction novel called ''Avalon''. In 1991, whilst struggling with this story, Martin conceived of a scene where several youngsters find a dead direwolf with a stag's antler in its throat. The direwolf has several pups, which are taken by the youngsters to raise as their own. Martin's imagination was fired by this idea and he developed it into an [[epic fantasy]] story, which he envisaged as a trilogy consisting of the books ''A Game of Thrones'', ''A Dance with Dragons'' and ''The Winds of Winter''. Martin had previously apparently not been inspired by the genre, but reading [[Tad Williams]]' ''[[Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn]]'' series had convinced him it could be approached in a more adult and mature way than previous authors.

In 1992 he put the book to one side when one of his TV ideas was picked up by Hollywood, resulting in the production of a pilot called ''Doorways''. The pilot was not successful and not picked up for a series.

In 1994 Martin resumed work on ''A Game of Thrones'' and completed it the following year, although he was only one-third of the way through his initial plan for the first novel. Martin then expanded the series to four books, and eventually to six. Publication of ''A Game of Thrones'' followed in early 1996. Pre-release publicity included publication of a 'sample novella' called ''Blood of the Dragon''.

After expanding the series to four volumes, Martin remarked, "What can I say? It's a BIG story, and a cast of thousands." <ref>Martin in post to ''Legends'', [[October 6]] [[1998]]. [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/SSM01.html So Spake Martin – Posts to Legends (SSL)]</ref>

After ''A Storm of Swords'' was completed in 2000, Martin began writing ''A Dance with Dragons'', the intended fourth volume which would pick up the story five years after the previous volume. Martin found it difficult to make this work without an over-reliance on flashbacks. At the [[World Science Fiction Convention]] in [[Philadelphia]] on [[1 September]] [[2001]], Martin announced that he was scrapping more than a year's work and writing a different fourth book that would fill in the gap, named ''A Feast for Crows''. He found it extremely difficult to go back and start again, especially as this novel was not planned for in his scheme for the series, and work on the book progressed slowly.

By May 2005 ''A Feast for Crows'' had become longer than ''A Storm of Swords'' and his publishers said they could not publish the book in one volume. They suggested splitting the book in two and releasing the volumes as ''A Feast for Crows, Volume I'' and ''A Feast for Crows, Volume II'', but Martin was unhappy with this idea. After discussing the matter with his publishers and his friend and fellow writer Daniel Abraham, Martin decided to split the book by character and location instead. The published ''A Feast for Crows'' thus contained all of the characters in the South of the Seven Kingdoms, whilst the forthcoming ''A Dance with Dragons'' will contain the characters in the North, the Free Cities and in Slaver's Bay.

In a May 2005 statement, the author also said that this move now meant that the series would require seven volumes. Martin recognized that this decision could cause frustration among some of his fans. He wrote: "I know some of you may be disappointed, especially when you buy ''A Feast for Crows'' and discover that your favorite character does not appear, but given the realities I think this was the best solution... and the more I look at it, the more convinced I am that these two parallel novels, when taken together, will actually tell the story better than one big book." <ref>Message on Martin's website, [[May 29]] [[2005]] [http://www.georgerrmartin.com/done.html It's Done!!!]</ref>

Despite the problems, ''A Feast for Crows'' was released in October 2005 and immediately won largely positive reviews. ''[[Time Magazine]]'' dubbed Martin, "The American [[J. R. R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]"[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1129596,00.html], and the novel went straight to the top of the ''[[New York Times]]'' bestseller list.

On January 24, 2006, Martin updated a statement on his personal site to note that he had completed 542 of an estimated 1200-1300 manuscript pages for the new book, ''A Dance with Dragons''. In the same statement, he explains that while the fifth book will run in a parallel timeline with the fourth, there is nothing to stop the line from extending further; hinting that if room remains, he will include chapters for some of the characters left in a cliffhanger-state at the end of the previous novel. He rounds out his site update by stating, "And before anyone writes me asking, yes, there is a third Dunk and Egg novella in the works as well. It's maybe three-quarters done, and sometime soon I want to find the time to finish that one too." <ref>Message on Martin's website, [[January 24]] [[2006]] [http://www.georgerrmartin.com/nextbook.html Update]</ref>

In a later update, Martin confirmed that the fifth book will be completed in early 2007 for publication in late 2007. He lost some time in writing the book due to a demanding appearances schedule and also due to home renovations.

==TV adaptation==
''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' reported on January 17th, 2007 that the rights for ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' have been sold to [[HBO]] with the intent of turning the novels into a television series.<ref>[http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117957532.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 Variety Article] - [[January 17]] [[2007]]</ref> Written and executive produced by [[David Benioff]] and [[D.B. Weiss]], the series is expected to cover one novel's worth of material per season. Martin plans to co-executive produce the series and is expected to write one episode per season. The series will be filmed in Europe or New Zealand.

==Spin-offs==
In addition to the novels and novellas, there are number of other products inspired by the series.

===Related publications===
Some of the novels' chapters have appeared previously in collected form in other outlets.
* ''Blood of the Dragon'' ([[Asimov's Science Fiction|Asimov’s]], July 1996) based on the ''Daenerys'' chapters from ''A Game of Thrones''. Received the 1997 [[Hugo Award for Best Novella]].
* ''Path of the Dragon'' ([[Asimov's Science Fiction|Asimov’s]], December 2000) based on the ''Daenerys'' chapters from ''A Storm of Swords''.
* ''Arms of the Kraken'' ([[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]] issue 305, August 2002) based on the Iron Islands chapters from ''A Feast for Crows''.

===''A Game of Thrones collectible card game''===
{{main|A Game of Thrones collectible card game}}

This is a [[collectible card game]] (CCG) produced by [[Fantasy Flight Games]]. A number of base sets have been released for the game, each with a number of expansions. The game's primary designer is [[Eric Lang]] and the lead developer is [[Nate French]]. The ''A Game of Thrones: Westeros Edition'' won the [[Origins Award]] for ''Best Trading Card Game of 2002''. The ''Game of Thrones: Ice and Fire Edition'' won the [[Origins Award]] for ''Best Card Game Expansion or Supplement of 2003''. It is an ongoing project consisting of five editions and eight expansions to date.

===''A Game of Thrones Board Game''===
{{main|A Game of Thrones (board game)}}

In 2003, [[Fantasy Flight Games]] released the ''A Game of Thrones'' [[German-style board game|strategy board game]] created by Christian T. Petersen. The [[Origins Award]]-winning game allows the players to take on the roles of several of the Great Houses vying for control of the Seven Kingdoms, including House Stark, House Lannister, House Baratheon, House Greyjoy, House Tyrell, and as of the expansion ''A Clash of Kings'', House Martell. Players maneuver armies to secure support in the various regions that comprise the Seven Kingdoms, with the goal of capturing enough support to claim the Iron Throne. Two expansions for the game, ''A Clash of Kings'' and ''A Storm of Swords'' have been released.

===''A Game of Thrones Roleplaying Game''===
{{main|A Game of Thrones (role-playing game)}}

The ''A Game of Thrones Roleplaying Game'' (2005), created by the defunct [[Guardians of Order]] company and published by [[White Wolf]], is a roleplaying game using the [[D20 System|d20]] and the [[TriStat dX]] rules systems. The game consists of a single large, full-colour rulebook featuring information on role-playing in the Seven Kingdoms and also background information to the series not found in the novels, including a detailed map of the Seven Kingdoms. The game was very well-received and was nominated for several awards, but this was not enough to save its parent company from closure in July 2006.

On [[28 July]] 2006 George R. R. Martin [http://www.georgerrmartin.com/news.html confirmed] that he had received word from the head of Guardians of Order that the company was folding and that no further releases for the setting would take place. Martin expressed hope that the game may be salvaged by another company.

===''The Art of Ice and Fire''===
This book, published in 2005 by Fantasy Flight Games, contains numerous works of art inspired by the series from a variety of different artists and illustrators. Some of the art previously appeared in the card game or on-line, but most of it was new.

===Models and figures===
[[Testor Corporation]] announced that in late 2006 it would begin releasing model figures based on the series, to be followed by a tactical wargame. No such releases have happened so far (March 2007).

===Computer games===
No official computer game based on the series has been made or announced, although according to George RR Martin there have been occasional inquiries. Several unofficial fan-created [[Mod (computer gaming)|mods]] have been created, however, for games such as ''[[Mount and Blade]]'', ''[[Rome: Total War]]'', ''[[Crusader Kings]]'', and ''[[Neverwinter Nights]]''.

===''The World of Ice and Fire''===
A companion volume for the series, provisionally known as a 'world book', is in development by George R. R. Martin and co-authors Elio M. García, Jr. and Linda Antonsson, although no publication date has been announced as yet. García and Antonsson run the largest ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' community on the web and assisted in the writing of the roleplaying game. The companion volume was given the working title ''The World of Ice and Fire'' at the 2006 [[Worldcon]], during a discussion between the writers. They confirmed that the book will open with a historical overview of the setting, have a 'who's who' of characters and have a large amount of heraldry and at least the Targaryen family tree, possibly more. The book will also contain a large amount of artwork and will be published after ''A Dance with Dragons'' is released.[http://www.hippoiathanatoi.com/Memoirs/Entry/1688/] The artist [[Ted Nasmith]], best known for his work on illustrated editions of [[J. R. R. Tolkien]] books, has been asked to do some landscape and castle portraits for the book. In his correspondence with the publishers, Nasmith was told that the target release date was spring [[2008]] [http://www.tednasmith.com/blog/2006/11/long_time_no_post--sorry_friends.html].

===Weapon Replicas===
On [[20 March]], 2007, George R. R. Martin announced on his blog[http://grrm.livejournal.com/14144.html] that he had "signed a deal with Jalic, Inc of East Lansing, Michigan, granting them a license to manufacture and sell full-sized high-quality replicas of the arms and armor from A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE", under the name Valyrian Steel, starting with the [[bastard sword]] Longclaw wielded by [[House Stark#Jon Snow|Jon Snow]].

==Pronunciation of names==
Unlike [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], who provided detailed instructions for the pronunciation of the [[languages of Middle-earth]], Martin has provided no canonical way of pronouncing Westerosi names, stating "You can pronounce it however you like." <ref>[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/SSM03k.html So Spake Martin Report #107]</ref> However, it is possible to establish some guidelines based on authorial chapter readings and question-and-answer sessions (marked "GRRM" in the following list), and the [[audio book]] adaptations read by [[Roy Dotrice]] ("RD") and John Lee ("JL"). Among the multimedia clips of the author speaking, RH indicates the Random House audio interview <ref>Random House audio interview with GRRM. [http://a1018.g.akamai.net/f/1018/19019/1d/randomhouse1.download.akamai.com/19019/GeorgeRRMartinInterview.mp3] �UNIQ5cb66c0b5ee762cd-HTMLCommentStrip7f6b23883a3eac4900000001</ref> and FF indicates the Fast Forward television interview.<ref>Fast Forward video interview with GRRM. [http://www.fast-forward.tv/archive/archive.htm]</ref> Entries marked with a question mark (?) are probably the pronunciations of RD and/or JL.

The list uses International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols. See [[IPA chart for English]] to learn about the symbols, and the [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] article proper for the problems of displaying and entering them.

====Characters====
*'''Areo Hotah''' GRRM-CBC [{{IPA|'ɑriəʊ həʊ'tɑː}}], sometimes [{{IPA|'həʊtɑ}}]
*'''Arya''' GRRM-FF [{{IPA|'ɑɹiə}}], like English ''aria''
*'''Bran''' GRRM-FF [{{IPA|bɹæn}}], like English ''bran''
*'''Brienne''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|bɹi'ɛni}}]. RD, JL: [{{IPA|brʌɪ'i:n}}].
*'''Caleotte''' GRRM-CBC: [{{IPA|'kælɪɒt}}])
*'''Catelyn''' (?: [{{IPA|'katlɪn}}])
*'''Cersei''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|'sɝseɪ}}]. RD [{{IPA|'sə:sɪ}}]. JL [{{IPA|'sɪəseɪ}}].
*'''Daenerys''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|dən'ɛɹɪs}}] (?: [{{IPA|deɪ'nɛ:rɪs}}])
*'''Dany''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|'dæni}}]
*'''Davos''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|'dɑːvos}}]
*'''Doran''' GRRM-CBC [{{IPA|dəʊ'ræn}}]
*'''Jaime''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|'dʒeɪmi}}] (?: [{{IPA|'dʒeɪmɪ}}])
*'''Jojen''' (?: [{{IPA|'dʒəʊdʒən}}])
*'''Jon''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|dʒɑn}}], like English ''John''
*'''Lysa''' (?: [{{IPA|'laɪsə}}]) 
*'''Petyr''' GRRM<ref>GRRM at ''To Be Continued 4'' (Chicago, IL), May 6–8, 2005. [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/SSM03g.html So Spake Martin Report #61]</ref> [{{IPA|pi:'tɚ}}], like English ''Peter'' but RD: [{{IPA|pɪ'tʌɪə}}]
*'''Rickon''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|'ɹɪkɑn}}]
*'''Tommen''' GRRM-CBC [{{IPA|'toʊmən}}], RD, JL: [{{IPA|'tomən}}]
*'''Tyrion''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|'tɪɹiən}}] (?: [{{IPA|'tɪrɪən}}])
*'''Tywin''' (?: [{{IPA|'tʌɪwɪn}}])
*'''Viserys''' (?: [{{IPA|vɪ'sɛ:rɪs}}])

====Houses and surnames====
*'''[[House Baratheon|Baratheon]]''' (?: [{{IPA|bə'rʌθɪən}}])
*'''[[House Lannister|Lannister]]''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|'lænɪstɚ}}]
*'''[[House Stark|Stark]]''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|stɑɹk}}], like English ''stark''
*'''[[House Targaryen|Targaryen]]''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|tɑɹ'gɛɹiən}}] (?: [{{IPA|ta'gɛ:rɪən}}])
Presumably, bastard names (like ''Snow'' and ''Rivers'') are always pronounced like the corresponding common noun.

====Places====
*'''Asshai''' RD: [{{IPA|a'ʃʌɪ}}]. JL: [{{IPA|'aʃʌɪ}}]
*'''Westeros''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|'wɛstɚos}}]

====Titles====
*'''Khaleesi''' (?: [{{IPA|kə'lɪ:sɪ}}])
*'''Maester''' (?: [{{IPA|'meɪstə}}])
*'''Ser''' (?: [{{IPA|sə:}}], like English ''sir'')

==Notes==
<references />

==External links==
* [http://www.georgerrmartin.com GeorgeRRMartin.com] - George R. R. Martin's website
* [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/ The Citadel] at [http://www.westeros.org www.westeros.org] - extensive archive about the series, including detailed thematic notes, timelines, artwork & [[heraldry]], and correspondence from the author
* [http://asoiaf.westeros.org Westeros Forum] - a popular and busy forum based around discussion of the series and its spin-offs
* [http://www.towerofthehand.com Tower of the Hand: An Encyclopaedia of Ice and Fire] - A comprehensive treatment of A Song of Ice and Fire with chapter summaries and individual pages for every character, location, historical event, noble house, etc. from the series all thoroughly cross-referenced and hyperlinked
* [http://www.amok-koma.ru/eng/gal/ Amoka.net Gallery] Fan-created [[portrait]]s and scenes of the Song of Ice and Fire characters
* [http://www.bwbfanclub.com BwB Fan Club] - GRRM fan club
* [http://www.iblist.com/author.php?id=326 IBList] - George R. R. Martin's page on the Internet Book List
* {{isfdb series | id=A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire | title=A Song of Ice and Fire}}
* [http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Main_Page A Wiki Of Ice And Fire] A Wiki for the World of Ice and Fire
{{ASOIAF}}

==References and sources==
{{EnWP|A Song of Ice and Fire}}

A Song of Ice and Fire

2008-01-15T06:13:22Z

Eleventh: /* Storyline overview */

'''''A Song of Ice and Fire''''' (commonly abbreviated as '''ASoIaF''') is a series of epic fantasy novels by American author [[George R. R. Martin]]. According to the author, the series will consist of seven novels.
[[Image:2005_GoT_cover.jpg|thumb|100px|2005 US Edition of A Game of Thrones from Bantam]]
[[Image:2005_CoK_cover.jpg|thumb|100px|2005 US Edition of A Clash of Kings from Bantam]]
[[Image:2005_SoS_cover.jpg|thumb|100px|2005 US Edition of A Storm of Swords from Bantam]]
[[Image:2005_FfC_cover.jpg|thumb|100px|2005 US Edition of A Feast for Crows from Bantam]]
==Novels and novellas==
Four of these novels have been completed and published:

* ''[[A Game of Thrones]]'' [[1996 in literature|(1996)]]
* ''[[A Clash of Kings]]'' [[1998 in literature|(1998)]]
* ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' [[2000 in literature|(2000)]]
* ''[[A Feast for Crows]]'' [[2005 in books|(2005)]]

The remaining three novels are provisionally titled:

* ''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'' (no release date set, but it is hoped to be released in 2007)
* ''[[The Winds of Winter]]''
* ''[[A Dream of Spring]]'' (formerly known as ''A Time for Wolves'')

There are also two prequel novellas to the series, set roughly 90 years before the novels.

* ''[[The Hedge Knight]]'' [[1998|(1998)]]
* ''[[The Sworn Sword]]'' [[2003|(2003)]]

These short stories are commonly known as "Dunk and Egg" stories (after their protagonists). ''The Hedge Knight'' is also available as a [[graphic novel]] from [[Dabel Brothers Productions]]; an adaptation of ''The Sworn Sword'' is forthcoming from the same company. The author has said that he would like to write a number of these stories (varying from six to twelve from interview to interview) covering the entire lives of these two characters. Publication of a third "Dunk and Egg" novella is provisonally set for 2007.

The series has been placed as the number 1 rated series at the [[Bibliographic_database#Internet_Book_List|Internet Book List]] since a revision of the rating system in October 2005.<ref>[http://www.iblist.com/list_by_rating.php?type=series list Internet book list rating ASOIAF], retrieved December 20th, 2006</ref>

==Themes of the novels==
The books are known for complex characters, sudden and often violent plot twists, and political intrigue. In a genre where [[Magic (paranormal)|magic]] usually takes center stage, this series has a reputation for its limited and subtle use of magic, employing it as an ambiguous and often sinister background force.<ref>SFX Magazine #138 feature, Christmas 2005</ref> Finally, the novels do not (presently) center around a climactic clash between "Good" and "Evil;" plot lines have revolved primarily around political infighting and civil war, with only one or two storyline arcs even suggesting the possibility of an external threat.

The novels are narrated from a very strict [[third person limited omniscient]] perspective, the chapters alternating between different [[point of view]] characters. Martin's treatment of his characters makes them extremely hard to classify: very few can be labeled as "good" or "evil". The author also has a reputation of not being afraid to kill any character, no matter how major.

==Storyline overview==
{{spoiler}}

'''''A Song of Ice and Fire''''' is set primarily in the fictional Seven Kingdoms of [[Westeros]], a large, South American-sized continent with an ancient history stretching back some twelve thousand years. A detailed history reveals how seven kingdoms came to dominate this continent, and then how these seven nations were united as one by Aegon the Conqueror, of [[House Targaryen]]. Some 283 years after Aegon's conquest, the Targaryens are overthrown in a civil war and King [[Robert Baratheon]], backed primarily by his friend Lord [[Eddard Stark]] and foster father Lord [[Jon Arryn]], takes the Iron Throne. The novels, which begin fifteen years later, follow the fall-out from this event across three major storylines, set not only in Westeros but on the eastern continent as well.

The first storyline, set in the Seven Kingdoms themselves, chronicles a many-sided struggle for the Iron Throne that develops after King Robert's death. The throne is claimed by his son [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], supported by his mother's powerful family, [[House Lannister]], but Robert's brother [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]] claims that Robert's children are illegitimate, and claims the throne himself, to a less-than-enthusiastic response. Robert's youngest brother, [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]], also claims the throne with the support of the extremely powerful [[House Tyrell]]. Whilst these three claimants battle for the throne itself, [[Robb Stark]], Lord Eddard Stark's heir, is proclaimed King in the North as the northmen and their allies in the Riverlands seek to break away from the Iron Throne and rule themselves. Similarly, [[Balon Greyjoy]] also claims the throne of his own region, the Iron Islands, and likewise seeks independence. The War of the Five Kings is the principal storyline in the second and third novels, with its fall-out and repercussions affecting much of what follows.

The second storyline is set on the extreme northern border of Westeros. Here, eight thousand years ago, a huge wall of ice and gravel was constructed by spells and by hand to defend Westeros from the threat of '[[The Others]]', a semi-mythical race of ice creatures living in the uttermost north. The 300-mile-long, 700-foot-tall Wall is defended by the Sworn Brotherhood of the [[Night's Watch]], which by the time of the novels is badly under-strength and under threat by the human 'wildlings' or 'free folk' who live to the north. This storyline strand follows [[Jon Snow]], [[bastard]] son of [[Lord Eddard Stark]], as he rises through the ranks of the Watch and learns the true nature of the threat from the north. By the end of the third volume, this storyline has become more entangled with the civil war to the south as well.

The third storyline is set on the huge eastern continent and follows the adventures of [[Daenerys Targaryen]], the last (known) scion of [[House Targaryen]] and another claimant to the Iron Throne. Daenerys's story shows her growing rise to power, from a near-penniless wanderer to a powerful and canny ruler who possesses the last living dragons. Though her story is separated from the others by many thousands of miles, her stated goal is to reclaim the Iron Throne. Although she is not known to many in Westeros, the chaos of two civil wars in rapid succession has led to much yearning among the smallfolk for the days of stability under the Targaryens. Daenerys' storyline will return her to Westeros before the end of the series.

The eponymous Song of Ice and Fire is mentioned only once in the series, in a vision Daenerys sees in ''A Clash of Kings'': "He is the prince that was promised, and his is the song of ice and fire", spoken by a Targaryen (probably Daenerys's dead older brother [[Rhaegar Targaryen]]) about his infant son named Aegon. It is implied that there is a connection between the song, the promise, and Daenerys herself. This is established more clearly in ''A Feast for Crows'', when Aemon Targaryen identifies Daenerys as the heir that was promised. The phrase "ice and fire" is also mentioned in the Reeds' oath of loyalty to Bran in ''A Clash of Kings''. However, the song and the promise are never mentioned again, and the song itself remains a mystery.

''See also:'' [[:Category:Characters]]

==Historical and literary sources==
Numerous parallels have been seen between the events and characters in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' and events and people involved in the [[Wars of the Roses]]. Two of the principal families in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', the Starks and the Lannisters, are seen as representing the historical [[House of York]] and [[House of Lancaster]], respectively.

A similar reality-inspired conflict is the succession struggle called the [[Dance of Dragons]] between two children Aegon II and Rhaenyra. A historical struggle (labeled [[The Anarchy]]) between [[Empress Matilda]], daughter of [[Henry I of England]], and her cousin [[Stephen of England|Stephen of Blois]], provides the inspiration. Each daughter is announced as her father's successor, but due to differing reasons, male rivals seize the crown and are anointed as rulers. During the dynastic struggle, the rival claimants are deposed and succeeded by the son ([[Aegon III]] and Henry II of England respectively) of the original designated heir. Neither Empress Matilda nor Rhaenyra actually ruled in their own name.

Martin is an avid student of medieval Europe, and has said that the Wars of the Roses, along with many other events in Europe during that time, have influenced the series. However, he insists that "there's really no one-for-one character-for-character correspondence. I like to use history to flavor my fantasy, to add texture and verisimilitude, but simply rewriting history with the names changed has no appeal for me. I prefer to reimagine it all, and take it in new and unexpected directions." <ref>[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/SSM01.html So Spake Martin Report #1]</ref>

Martin has also said the [[Albigensian Crusade]]s are an influence for the series.

==Origins of the series==
Although George RR Martin had long had a love of model knights and medieval [[history]], his early novels and short stories mostly fit into the [[science fiction]] genre, although eventually several fantasy stories did appear, such as ''The Ice Dragon''. In the mid-1980s, Martin worked mainly in [[Hollywood]], principally as a writer or producer on ''[[The New Twilight Zone]]'' and [[Beauty and the Beast (TV series)|''Beauty and the Beast'']]. After ''Beauty and the Beast'' ended in 1989 Martin returned to writing prose and started work on a science fiction novel called ''Avalon''. In 1991, whilst struggling with this story, Martin conceived of a scene where several youngsters find a dead direwolf with a stag's antler in its throat. The direwolf has several pups, which are taken by the youngsters to raise as their own. Martin's imagination was fired by this idea and he developed it into an [[epic fantasy]] story, which he envisaged as a trilogy consisting of the books ''A Game of Thrones'', ''A Dance with Dragons'' and ''The Winds of Winter''. Martin had previously apparently not been inspired by the genre, but reading [[Tad Williams]]' ''[[Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn]]'' series had convinced him it could be approached in a more adult and mature way than previous authors.

In 1992 he put the book to one side when one of his TV ideas was picked up by Hollywood, resulting in the production of a pilot called ''Doorways''. The pilot was not successful and not picked up for a series.

In 1994 Martin resumed work on ''A Game of Thrones'' and completed it the following year, although he was only one-third of the way through his initial plan for the first novel. Martin then expanded the series to four books, and eventually to six. Publication of ''A Game of Thrones'' followed in early 1996. Pre-release publicity included publication of a 'sample novella' called ''Blood of the Dragon''.

After expanding the series to four volumes, Martin remarked, "What can I say? It's a BIG story, and a cast of thousands." <ref>Martin in post to ''Legends'', [[October 6]] [[1998]]. [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/SSM01.html So Spake Martin – Posts to Legends (SSL)]</ref>

After ''A Storm of Swords'' was completed in 2000, Martin began writing ''A Dance with Dragons'', the intended fourth volume which would pick up the story five years after the previous volume. Martin found it difficult to make this work without an over-reliance on flashbacks. At the [[World Science Fiction Convention]] in [[Philadelphia]] on [[1 September]] [[2001]], Martin announced that he was scrapping more than a year's work and writing a different fourth book that would fill in the gap, named ''A Feast for Crows''. He found it extremely difficult to go back and start again, especially as this novel was not planned for in his scheme for the series, and work on the book progressed slowly.

By May 2005 ''A Feast for Crows'' had become longer than ''A Storm of Swords'' and his publishers said they could not publish the book in one volume. They suggested splitting the book in two and releasing the volumes as ''A Feast for Crows, Volume I'' and ''A Feast for Crows, Volume II'', but Martin was unhappy with this idea. After discussing the matter with his publishers and his friend and fellow writer Daniel Abraham, Martin decided to split the book by character and location instead. The published ''A Feast for Crows'' thus contained all of the characters in the South of the Seven Kingdoms, whilst the forthcoming ''A Dance with Dragons'' will contain the characters in the North, the Free Cities and in Slaver's Bay.

In a May 2005 statement, the author also said that this move now meant that the series would require seven volumes. Martin recognized that this decision could cause frustration among some of his fans. He wrote: "I know some of you may be disappointed, especially when you buy ''A Feast for Crows'' and discover that your favorite character does not appear, but given the realities I think this was the best solution... and the more I look at it, the more convinced I am that these two parallel novels, when taken together, will actually tell the story better than one big book." <ref>Message on Martin's website, [[May 29]] [[2005]] [http://www.georgerrmartin.com/done.html It's Done!!!]</ref>

Despite the problems, ''A Feast for Crows'' was released in October 2005 and immediately won largely positive reviews. ''[[Time Magazine]]'' dubbed Martin, "The American [[J. R. R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]"[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1129596,00.html], and the novel went straight to the top of the ''[[New York Times]]'' bestseller list.

On January 24, 2006, Martin updated a statement on his personal site to note that he had completed 542 of an estimated 1200-1300 manuscript pages for the new book, ''A Dance with Dragons''. In the same statement, he explains that while the fifth book will run in a parallel timeline with the fourth, there is nothing to stop the line from extending further; hinting that if room remains, he will include chapters for some of the characters left in a cliffhanger-state at the end of the previous novel. He rounds out his site update by stating, "And before anyone writes me asking, yes, there is a third Dunk and Egg novella in the works as well. It's maybe three-quarters done, and sometime soon I want to find the time to finish that one too." <ref>Message on Martin's website, [[January 24]] [[2006]] [http://www.georgerrmartin.com/nextbook.html Update]</ref>

In a later update, Martin confirmed that the fifth book will be completed in early 2007 for publication in late 2007. He lost some time in writing the book due to a demanding appearances schedule and also due to home renovations.

==TV adaptation==
''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' reported on January 17th, 2007 that the rights for ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' have been sold to [[HBO]] with the intent of turning the novels into a television series.<ref>[http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117957532.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 Variety Article] - [[January 17]] [[2007]]</ref> Written and executive produced by [[David Benioff]] and [[D.B. Weiss]], the series is expected to cover one novel's worth of material per season. Martin plans to co-executive produce the series and is expected to write one episode per season. The series will be filmed in Europe or New Zealand.

==Spin-offs==
In addition to the novels and novellas, there are number of other products inspired by the series.

===Related publications===
Some of the novels' chapters have appeared previously in collected form in other outlets.
* ''Blood of the Dragon'' ([[Asimov's Science Fiction|Asimov’s]], July 1996) based on the ''Daenerys'' chapters from ''A Game of Thrones''. Received the 1997 [[Hugo Award for Best Novella]].
* ''Path of the Dragon'' ([[Asimov's Science Fiction|Asimov’s]], December 2000) based on the ''Daenerys'' chapters from ''A Storm of Swords''.
* ''Arms of the Kraken'' ([[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]] issue 305, August 2002) based on the Iron Islands chapters from ''A Feast for Crows''.

===''A Game of Thrones collectible card game''===
{{main|A Game of Thrones collectible card game}}

This is a [[collectible card game]] (CCG) produced by [[Fantasy Flight Games]]. A number of base sets have been released for the game, each with a number of expansions. The game's primary designer is [[Eric Lang]] and the lead developer is [[Nate French]]. The ''A Game of Thrones: Westeros Edition'' won the [[Origins Award]] for ''Best Trading Card Game of 2002''. The ''Game of Thrones: Ice and Fire Edition'' won the [[Origins Award]] for ''Best Card Game Expansion or Supplement of 2003''. It is an ongoing project consisting of five editions and eight expansions to date.

===''A Game of Thrones Board Game''===
{{main|A Game of Thrones (board game)}}

In 2003, [[Fantasy Flight Games]] released the ''A Game of Thrones'' [[German-style board game|strategy board game]] created by Christian T. Petersen. The [[Origins Award]]-winning game allows the players to take on the roles of several of the Great Houses vying for control of the Seven Kingdoms, including House Stark, House Lannister, House Baratheon, House Greyjoy, House Tyrell, and as of the expansion ''A Clash of Kings'', House Martell. Players maneuver armies to secure support in the various regions that comprise the Seven Kingdoms, with the goal of capturing enough support to claim the Iron Throne. Two expansions for the game, ''A Clash of Kings'' and ''A Storm of Swords'' have been released.

===''A Game of Thrones Roleplaying Game''===
{{main|A Game of Thrones (role-playing game)}}

The ''A Game of Thrones Roleplaying Game'' (2005), created by the defunct [[Guardians of Order]] company and published by [[White Wolf]], is a roleplaying game using the [[D20 System|d20]] and the [[TriStat dX]] rules systems. The game consists of a single large, full-colour rulebook featuring information on role-playing in the Seven Kingdoms and also background information to the series not found in the novels, including a detailed map of the Seven Kingdoms. The game was very well-received and was nominated for several awards, but this was not enough to save its parent company from closure in July 2006.

On [[28 July]] 2006 George R. R. Martin [http://www.georgerrmartin.com/news.html confirmed] that he had received word from the head of Guardians of Order that the company was folding and that no further releases for the setting would take place. Martin expressed hope that the game may be salvaged by another company.

===''The Art of Ice and Fire''===
This book, published in 2005 by Fantasy Flight Games, contains numerous works of art inspired by the series from a variety of different artists and illustrators. Some of the art previously appeared in the card game or on-line, but most of it was new.

===Models and figures===
[[Testor Corporation]] announced that in late 2006 it would begin releasing model figures based on the series, to be followed by a tactical wargame. No such releases have happened so far (March 2007).

===Computer games===
No official computer game based on the series has been made or announced, although according to George RR Martin there have been occasional inquiries. Several unofficial fan-created [[Mod (computer gaming)|mods]] have been created, however, for games such as ''[[Mount and Blade]]'', ''[[Rome: Total War]]'', ''[[Crusader Kings]]'', and ''[[Neverwinter Nights]]''.

===''The World of Ice and Fire''===
A companion volume for the series, provisionally known as a 'world book', is in development by George R. R. Martin and co-authors Elio M. García, Jr. and Linda Antonsson, although no publication date has been announced as yet. García and Antonsson run the largest ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' community on the web and assisted in the writing of the roleplaying game. The companion volume was given the working title ''The World of Ice and Fire'' at the 2006 [[Worldcon]], during a discussion between the writers. They confirmed that the book will open with a historical overview of the setting, have a 'who's who' of characters and have a large amount of heraldry and at least the Targaryen family tree, possibly more. The book will also contain a large amount of artwork and will be published after ''A Dance with Dragons'' is released.[http://www.hippoiathanatoi.com/Memoirs/Entry/1688/] The artist [[Ted Nasmith]], best known for his work on illustrated editions of [[J. R. R. Tolkien]] books, has been asked to do some landscape and castle portraits for the book. In his correspondence with the publishers, Nasmith was told that the target release date was spring [[2008]] [http://www.tednasmith.com/blog/2006/11/long_time_no_post--sorry_friends.html].

===Weapon Replicas===
On [[20 March]], 2007, George R. R. Martin announced on his blog[http://grrm.livejournal.com/14144.html] that he had "signed a deal with Jalic, Inc of East Lansing, Michigan, granting them a license to manufacture and sell full-sized high-quality replicas of the arms and armor from A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE", under the name Valyrian Steel, starting with the [[bastard sword]] Longclaw wielded by [[House Stark#Jon Snow|Jon Snow]].

==Pronunciation of names==
Unlike [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], who provided detailed instructions for the pronunciation of the [[languages of Middle-earth]], Martin has provided no canonical way of pronouncing Westerosi names, stating "You can pronounce it however you like." <ref>[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/SSM03k.html So Spake Martin Report #107]</ref> However, it is possible to establish some guidelines based on authorial chapter readings and question-and-answer sessions (marked "GRRM" in the following list), and the [[audio book]] adaptations read by [[Roy Dotrice]] ("RD") and John Lee ("JL"). Among the multimedia clips of the author speaking, RH indicates the Random House audio interview <ref>Random House audio interview with GRRM. [http://a1018.g.akamai.net/f/1018/19019/1d/randomhouse1.download.akamai.com/19019/GeorgeRRMartinInterview.mp3] �UNIQ5cb66c0b5ee762cd-HTMLCommentStrip7f6b23883a3eac4900000001</ref> and FF indicates the Fast Forward television interview.<ref>Fast Forward video interview with GRRM. [http://www.fast-forward.tv/archive/archive.htm]</ref> Entries marked with a question mark (?) are probably the pronunciations of RD and/or JL.

The list uses International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols. See [[IPA chart for English]] to learn about the symbols, and the [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] article proper for the problems of displaying and entering them.

====Characters====
*'''Areo Hotah''' GRRM-CBC [{{IPA|'ɑriəʊ həʊ'tɑː}}], sometimes [{{IPA|'həʊtɑ}}]
*'''Arya''' GRRM-FF [{{IPA|'ɑɹiə}}], like English ''aria''
*'''Bran''' GRRM-FF [{{IPA|bɹæn}}], like English ''bran''
*'''Brienne''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|bɹi'ɛni}}]. RD, JL: [{{IPA|brʌɪ'i:n}}].
*'''Caleotte''' GRRM-CBC: [{{IPA|'kælɪɒt}}])
*'''Catelyn''' (?: [{{IPA|'katlɪn}}])
*'''Cersei''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|'sɝseɪ}}]. RD [{{IPA|'sə:sɪ}}]. JL [{{IPA|'sɪəseɪ}}].
*'''Daenerys''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|dən'ɛɹɪs}}] (?: [{{IPA|deɪ'nɛ:rɪs}}])
*'''Dany''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|'dæni}}]
*'''Davos''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|'dɑːvos}}]
*'''Doran''' GRRM-CBC [{{IPA|dəʊ'ræn}}]
*'''Jaime''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|'dʒeɪmi}}] (?: [{{IPA|'dʒeɪmɪ}}])
*'''Jojen''' (?: [{{IPA|'dʒəʊdʒən}}])
*'''Jon''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|dʒɑn}}], like English ''John''
*'''Lysa''' (?: [{{IPA|'laɪsə}}]) 
*'''Petyr''' GRRM<ref>GRRM at ''To Be Continued 4'' (Chicago, IL), May 6–8, 2005. [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/SSM03g.html So Spake Martin Report #61]</ref> [{{IPA|pi:'tɚ}}], like English ''Peter'' but RD: [{{IPA|pɪ'tʌɪə}}]
*'''Rickon''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|'ɹɪkɑn}}]
*'''Tommen''' GRRM-CBC [{{IPA|'toʊmən}}], RD, JL: [{{IPA|'tomən}}]
*'''Tyrion''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|'tɪɹiən}}] (?: [{{IPA|'tɪrɪən}}])
*'''Tywin''' (?: [{{IPA|'tʌɪwɪn}}])
*'''Viserys''' (?: [{{IPA|vɪ'sɛ:rɪs}}])

====Houses and surnames====
*'''[[House Baratheon|Baratheon]]''' (?: [{{IPA|bə'rʌθɪən}}])
*'''[[House Lannister|Lannister]]''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|'lænɪstɚ}}]
*'''[[House Stark|Stark]]''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|stɑɹk}}], like English ''stark''
*'''[[House Targaryen|Targaryen]]''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|tɑɹ'gɛɹiən}}] (?: [{{IPA|ta'gɛ:rɪən}}])
Presumably, bastard names (like ''Snow'' and ''Rivers'') are always pronounced like the corresponding common noun.

====Places====
*'''Asshai''' RD: [{{IPA|a'ʃʌɪ}}]. JL: [{{IPA|'aʃʌɪ}}]
*'''Westeros''' GRRM-RH [{{IPA|'wɛstɚos}}]

====Titles====
*'''Khaleesi''' (?: [{{IPA|kə'lɪ:sɪ}}])
*'''Maester''' (?: [{{IPA|'meɪstə}}])
*'''Ser''' (?: [{{IPA|sə:}}], like English ''sir'')

==Notes==
<references />

==External links==
* [http://www.georgerrmartin.com GeorgeRRMartin.com] - George R. R. Martin's website
* [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/ The Citadel] at [http://www.westeros.org www.westeros.org] - extensive archive about the series, including detailed thematic notes, timelines, artwork & [[heraldry]], and correspondence from the author
* [http://asoiaf.westeros.org Westeros Forum] - a popular and busy forum based around discussion of the series and its spin-offs
* [http://www.towerofthehand.com Tower of the Hand: An Encyclopaedia of Ice and Fire] - A comprehensive treatment of A Song of Ice and Fire with chapter summaries and individual pages for every character, location, historical event, noble house, etc. from the series all thoroughly cross-referenced and hyperlinked
* [http://www.amok-koma.ru/eng/gal/ Amoka.net Gallery] Fan-created [[portrait]]s and scenes of the Song of Ice and Fire characters
* [http://www.bwbfanclub.com BwB Fan Club] - GRRM fan club
* [http://www.iblist.com/author.php?id=326 IBList] - George R. R. Martin's page on the Internet Book List
* {{isfdb series | id=A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire | title=A Song of Ice and Fire}}
* [http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Main_Page A Wiki Of Ice And Fire] A Wiki for the World of Ice and Fire
{{ASOIAF}}

==References and sources==
{{EnWP|A Song of Ice and Fire}}

House Martell

2008-01-15T06:12:12Z

Eleventh: /* Elia */

{{Noble House
| House_name = House Martell
| Coat_of_arms = A gold spear piercing a red sun
| Words = "Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken"
| Seat = [[Strongholds_of_A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire#Sunspear|Sunspear]]
| Current_Lord = [[Doran Martell]]
| Region = [[Dorne]]
| Title = Prince of Dorne
| Heir = [[Arianne Martell|Arianne Martell]]
| Overlord = [[Robert Baratheon]]
| Founded_in = 1000 years ago
| Founder = Mors Martell & Nymeria of the Rhoynar
}}
'''House Martell''' is a fictional noble family from [[George R. R. Martin]]'s ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]''. House Martell is the ruling house of the kingdom of [[Westeros#Dorne|Dorne]]. Their seat is at [[Strongholds_of_A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire#Sunspear|Sunspear]]. Their sigil is a gold spear piercing a red sun, and their words are "Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken."

==History==
House Martell's founding is unknown, except that they were one of the ruling Lords of Dorne which at the time was a coalition of states and petty kingdoms. Lord Mors Martell married the legendary warrior queen of the Rhoyne, Nymeria; thereafter their full surname was changed to "Nymeros Martell." The two united all of Dorne under their rule and House Martell has reigned for the last thousand years. The House follows several Rhoynar customs, using [[Primogeniture#Absolute primogeniture|equal primogeniture]] to determine inheritance and styling their rulers as 'Prince' rather than 'King.'

After two centuries of fighting off Targaryen occupation, House Martell ultmately submitted Dorne to [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] rule through marriage between the two houses; their Martell words evoke this feat. [[House Targaryen#Daeron II|King Daeron II]], called Daeron the Good, married Princess Myriah Martell, sister of the ruling Prince of Dorne, Maron Martell. In turn Prince Maron married a yet unnamed Targaryen princess, a sister of Daeron. Since then, the Martells have ruled Dorne in the name of the King on the Iron Throne, while keeping the title Prince of Dorne.

==House Genealogy==
{{familytree/start|style=font: 75% sans-serif;}}
{{familytree | | | | |?| | | | | | | | | | |LE| | | |=
|?=Lady of Dorne| LE=[[Kingsguard#Historical Members|Lewyn Martell]]| | | | | | }}
{{familytree | |,|-|-|-|^|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|.| }}
{{familytree |DO|y|ME| |MO| |OL| |EL|y|RE| |DV|y|OB|y|LL|=
|DO=[[Doran Martell|Doran]]|ME=[[House Martell#Mellario|Mellarion of Norvos]]|MO=Mors|OL=Olyvar|EL=[[House Martell#Elia|Elia]]|RE=[[House Targaryen#Rhaegar|Rhaegar Targaryen]]|DV=Various women|OB=[[Oberyn Martell|Oberyn 'the Red Viper']]| LL=Ellaria Sand}}
{{familytree | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | |!| | | |!| }}
{{familytree |AR|(| | | | | | | | | | | | |RH|(| | | | |OB|(| | | |)|LO|=
|AR=[[Arianne Martell|Arianne]]| | | | | | | | |RH=Rhaenys| | |OB=Obara Sand| | | |LO=Loreza Sand}}
{{familytree | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | |!| | | |!| }}
{{familytree |QU|(| | | | | | | | | | | | |AE|'| | | | |NY|(| | | |)|OB|=
|QU=[[House Martell#Quentyn|Quentyn]]| | | | | | | | |AE=Aegon| | | | | |NY=Nymeria Sand| | | | OB=Obella Sand}}
{{familytree | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | |!| }}
{{familytree |TR|'| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Ty|(| | | |)|DO|=
|TR=[[House Martell#Trystane|Trystane]]| | | | | | | | | | | |Ty=Tyene Sand| | | |DO=Dorea Sand}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | |!| }}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |SA|'| | | |`|EL|=
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |SA=Sarella Sand| |EL=Elia Sand | | | }}
{{familytree/end}}

==Current members==
===Doran===

:{{main|Doran Martell}}

===Arianne===
:{{main|Arianne Martell}}

===Elia===
Doran's sister, Elia, was very close to her brother Oberyn. She married [[House Targaryen#Rhaegar|Rhaegar Targaryen]], the Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne, and bore him two children: a daughter, Rhaenys and a son, Aegon. She was regarded as a good and gracious woman, although of delicate health. She was present at the Tourney of Harrenhal when her husband selected [[House Stark#Lyanna|Lyanna Stark]] as the Queen of Love and Beauty, although her reaction to what was regarded as an insult to her is unknown.

During Robert's Rebellion, Elia and her children were confined in the Red Keep by [[House Targaryen#Aerys II|King Aerys II]] as hostages against the obedience of Dorne. When Kings Landing was sacked, and the Red Keep captured, Elia was raped and murdered during the [[War of the Usurper#Sack of King's Landing|sack of King's Landing]] by [[Gregor Clegane|Ser Gregor Clegane]], and her children were murdered by retainers sworn to Casterly Rock.

===Mellario of Norvos===
Princess Mellario Martell is Doran's wife. While traveling in the [[Free Cities]], Doran met and fell in love with her for her beautiful dark skin. Areo Hotah, Sunspear's captain of the guards, originally accompanied her from her native city as her sworn protector. She was angered when Doran sent Quentyn away to Yronwood to be fostered. Unfamiliar with the foreign custom, she saw it as a "selling of flesh", causing a rift between Mellario and her husband. She has since returned to her family in the city of [[Free Cities#Norvos|Norvos]].

===Oberyn===
:{{main|Oberyn Martell}}

===Quentyn===
Quentyn Martell is the elder son of Doran Martell, but not his heir owing to Dornish law. Quentyn was fostered as the ward and squire of Lord Anders Yronwood to make peace with the house, after the previous Lord Yronwood died from poisoned wounds taken in a duel to first blood with Oberyn.

Quentyn is a new POV character introduced in ''[[A Dance with Dragons]]''. He has been sent on a journey to the East by Doran to bring back his family's "heart's desire." Doran has not disclosed what that desire is, but refers to it as "vengeance," "justice" and "fire and blood." It has yet to be revealed exactly what Doran intends Quentyn to do, but it is worth noting that "Fire and Blood" are the house words of [[House Targaryen]], and that the ''cyvasse'' piece he held was a dragon. This would imply that Prince Quentyn's quest would possibly be to retrieve [[Daenerys Targaryen]], the last scion of House Targaryen and the self-proclaimed Queen of Westeros.

===Trystane===
Trystane Martell is the younger son and third child of Doran and Mellario. He is dark in coloring, with shiny black hair.

Trystane was betrothed to [[House Baratheon#Myrcella|Myrcella Baratheon]] in order to ensure Dorne's support of [[House Baratheon#Joffrey|King Joffrey]] in the [[War of the Five Kings]]. The two children reportedly got along well.

===Sand Snakes===
:{{main|The Sand Snakes}}

==Past and historic members==
* Myriah Martell. Wife of [[King Daeron II]]. Their marriage brought [[Westeros#Dorne|Dorne]] into the Seven Kingdoms.
* Maron Martell. He was prince of Dorne. Daeron II gave him his sister in marriage although she was in love with [[Daemon Blackfyre]]

==Houses sworn to House Martell==
*[[House Allyrion|'''Allyrion''']] of Godsgrace.
*[[House Blackmont|'''Blackmont''']] of Blackmont.
*[[House Dalt|'''Dalt''']] of Lemonwood.
* '''[[House Dayne|Dayne]]''' of Starfall.
**''Dayne of High Hermitage'' a cadet branch of the former.
*[[House Fowler|'''Fowler''']] of Skyreach. The Lord of House Fowler is titled Warden of the Prince's Pass. The current Lord of Skyreach has twin daughters, who are companions and bedmates of Princess Arianne.
*[[House Gargalen|'''Gargalen''']] of Salt Shore.
*[[House Jordayne|'''Jordayne''']] of the Tor.
*[[House Manwoody|'''Manwoody''']] of Kingsgrave.
*[[House Qorgyle|'''Qorgyle''']] of Sandstone.
*[[House Santagar|'''Santagar''']] of Spottswood.
*[[House Toland|'''Toland''']] of Ghost Hill.
*[[House Uller|'''Uller''']] of the Hellholt.
*[[House Vaith|'''Vaith''']] of the Red Dunes
*[[House Wyl| '''Wyl''']] of Wyl.
*[[House Yronwood|'''Yronwood''']] of Yronwood. House Yronwood is accounted the most powerful of the bannerhouses sworn to House Martell. The Lord is titled Warden of the Boneway and The Bloodroyal.

{{Template:HousesDorne}}

==References and Sources==
{{EnWP|House Martell}}

[[Category:Noble houses|Martell]]
[[Category:Houses from Dorne|Martell]]
[[Category:House Martell|*]]

A Game of Thrones

2008-01-15T06:10:53Z

Eleventh: /* In the East */

{{infobox Book | 
| name = A Game of Thrones
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = [[Image:AGameOfThrones.jpg|200px]] 
| image_caption = US Hardcover (2002 Bantam Reissue)
| author = [[George R. R. Martin]]
| cover_artist = [[w:Steve Youll|Steve Youll]]
| country = [[w:United States|United States]]
| language = [[w:English language|English]]
| series = [[A Song of Ice and Fire]]
| genre = [[w:Fantasy|Fantasy]]
| publisher = [[w:Bantam Books|Bantam Books]] (US) & [[w:Voyager Books|Voyager Books]] (UK)
| release_date = [[w:6 August|6 August]] [[w:1996|1996]]
| media_type = Print ([[w:Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[w:Paperback|Paperback]])
| pages = 694 pp (US Hardback), 672 pp (UK Hardcover), 835 pp (US Paperback)
| isbn = ISBN 0-553-10354-7 (US Hardback), ISBN 0-00-224584-1 (UK Hardback), ISBN 0-553-57340-3 (US Paperback)
| preceded_by =
| followed_by = [[A Clash of Kings]]
}}

'''''A Game of Thrones''''' is the first of seven planned novels in '''''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]''''', an [[w:epic fantasy|epic fantasy]] series by American author [[George R. R. Martin]]. It was first published on [[w:6 August|6 August]] [[w:1996|1996]]. The novel was nominated for the [[w:1998|1998]] [[w:Nebula Award|Nebula Award]] and the [[w:1997|1997]] [[w:World Fantasy Award|World Fantasy Award]], and won the 1997 [[w:Locus Award|Locus Award]]. The novella ''Blood of the Dragon'', comprising the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel, won the 1997 [[w:Hugo Award|Hugo Award]] for Best Novella.

The novel lends its name to several spin-off items based on the novels, including a [[A Game of Thrones (card game)|trading card game]], [[A Game of Thrones (board game)|board game]] and [[A Game of Thrones (RPG)|roleplaying game]].

==Plot introduction==

'''Warning: spoilers follow.'''

''A Game of Thrones'' is set in the Seven Kingdoms of [[Westeros]], a land reminiscent of [[w:Medieval|Medieval]] [[w:Europe|Europe]]. In Westeros the seasons last for years, sometimes decades, at a time.

Fifteen years prior to the novel, the Seven Kingdoms were torn apart by a [[War of the Usurper|civil war]], known alternately as "Robert's Rebellion" and the "War of the Usurper." Prince [[House Targaryen#Rhaegar|Rhaegar Targaryen]] kidnapped [[House Stark#Lyanna|Lyanna Stark]], arousing the ire of her family and of her betrothed, Lord [[House Baratheon#Robert|Robert Baratheon]] (the war's titular rebel). The Mad King, [[House Targaryen#Aerys II|Aerys II Targaryen]], had Lyanna's father and [[House Stark#Brandon|eldest brother]] executed when they demanded her safe return. Her second brother, [[House Stark#Eddard|Eddard]], joined his boyhood friend Robert Baratheon and Jon Arryn, with whom they had been fostered as children, in declaring war against the Targaryens, securing the allegiances of [[House Tully]] and [[House Arryn]] through a network of dynastic marriages (Lord Eddard to [[House Tully#Catelyn|Catelyn Tully]] and Lord [[House Arryn#Jon|Jon Arryn]] to [[House Tully#Lysa|Lysa Tully]]). The powerful [[House Tyrell]] continued to support the King, but [[House Lannister]] and [[House Martell]] both dragged their feet due to insults against their houses by the King. The civil war climaxed with the [[War of the Usurper#Battle of the Trident|Battle of the Trident]], when Prince Rhaegar was killed in battle by Robert Baratheon. The Lannisters finally agreed to support King Aerys, but then brutally turned against him, [[War of the Usurper#Sack of King's Landing|sacking the capital at King's Landing]]. [[House Lannister#Jaime|Jaime Lannister]] of the Kingsguard executed King Aerys and House Lannister swore loyalty to Robert Baratheon. The Tyrells and remaining royalists surrendered and Robert Baratheon was declared King of the Seven Kingdoms. Unfortunately, during the war, Lyanna Stark had died, apparently of illness; Robert Baratheon instead married [[House Lannister#Cersei|Cersei Lannister]] to cement the alliance. Despite Robert's victory, the Mad King's youngest son [[House Targaryen#Viserys|Visery]]s and youngest daughter [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]] were taken to safety across the sea by loyal retainers. After the war House Martell chose a path of isolation, since [[House Martell#Doran|Prince Doran]]'s sister [[House Martell#Elia|Elia]] (Prince Rhaegar's wife) and her young children had been killed by Lannister armsmen during the storming of the capital.

Six years later King Robert proved his resolve by [[Greyjoy Rebellion|defeating a rebellion]] by Lord [[House Greyjoy#Balon|Balon Greyjoy]] of the Iron Islands. Balon's two eldest sons were killed and his youngest son, [[House Greyjoy#Theon|Theon]], was given to the care of Eddard Stark as a ward.

==Plot summary==
{{spoiler}}
''A Game of Thrones'' follows three principal storylines as they develop in tandem with one another. The novel begins in the year 298 AL (After Landing) and continues for many months, probably into the early months of 299 AL.

===In the Seven Kingdoms===
Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and the North, attends the execution of a man of the [[Night's Watch]] who has betrayed his vows and fled from the Wall. His sons [[House Stark#Robb|Robb]] and [[House Stark#Bran|Bran]], his bastard son [[House Stark#Jon Snow|Jon Snow]], and his ward [[House Greyjoy#Theon|Theon Greyjoy]] all attend. After the beheading, Robb finds a dead [[w:direwolf|direwolf]] (the symbol of [[House Stark]]), killed by the antlers of a stag (the symbol of [[House Baratheon]]), which had given birth to five pups before it died. Robb and his brothers ask to keep them and Eddard consents, on the condition that the children themselves take care of them, rather than leaving the matter to the servants of House Stark. There are five pups, one for each of Eddard's trueborn children: Robb names his Grey Wind and Bran names his Summer, whilst Eddard's daughters [[House Stark#Sansa|Sansa]] and [[House Stark#Arya|Arya]] name theirs Lady and Nymeria respectively. Eddard's youngest, three-year-old [[House Stark#Rickon|Rickon]], names his Shaggydog. Unexpectedly, Jon finds a sixth pup lying separately nearby: an [[w:albino]] runt with white fur and red eyes. Jon claims this one, Ghost, for himself.

King Robert Baratheon arrives at Winterfell with his court and many retainers, including his wife, Queen Cersei of [[House Lannister]], and his children: [[House Baratheon#Joffrey|Joffrey]], [[House Baratheon#Myrcella|Myrcella]] and [[House Baratheon#Tommen|Tommen]]. The queen's twin brother, Ser Jaime Lannister of the Kingsguard, and their younger brother [[House Lannister#Tyrion|Tyrion]], the Imp (so named for his dwarfism), also accompany the group. Robert asks Eddard to become the new Hand of the King after the death of the previous office holder, Lord Jon Arryn. Eddard agrees and travels south with his daughters Sansa and Arya, leaving Catelyn, Robb, Bran (now in a [[w:coma|coma]] after a grievous fall from a window) and Rickon at home. Jon Snow elects to travel north to the Wall to join the Night's Watch and is joined by Tyrion, who is eager to see the fabled construction for himself.

Catelyn Stark, learns from her sister Lysa Arryn (widow of the late Lord Jon Arryn) that the Lannisters had Jon Arryn murdered. After Eddard leaves for the south, an attempt is made on Bran's life, thwarted only by the direwolf Summer. Catelyn realises that Bran must have seen something and been pushed from the window deliberately, and that the would-be murderers are trying to cover their tracks. She travels by sea to King's Landing and learns from her childhood friend [[Petyr Baelish|Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish]] that the dagger used in the assassination attempt was last seen in the hands of Tyrion Lannister. Travelling north again, Catelyn and her retainers encounter Tyrion by chance in an inn (as he returns south from the Wall) and take him captive to the Eyrie, where Lady Lysa places him on trial. Unfortunately, Tyrion chooses trial by battle and his champion, a [[w:mercenary|sellsword]] named [[Bronn]], wins freedom for him.

In the capital at King's Landing, Eddard investigates Jon's death and learns that Jon Arryn and King Robert's brother, Lord [[House Baratheon#Stannis|Stannis Baratheon]], had discovered that King Robert's three children were actually the products of an incestuous liaison between Queen Cersei and her twin brother Jaime. Spurning the advice of Robert's other brother [[House Baratheon#Renly|Renly]] to take Cersei into custody, Eddard instead tries mercy by offering Cersei the chance to flee. King Robert dies of a mishap whilst hunting and Cersei's eldest son Joffrey is proclaimed King before Eddard can pass the crown to Stannis, Robert's true heir. When Eddard moves against him, he is betrayed by Littlefinger. Eddard reluctantly agrees to sign a false confession of treason in return for Sansa and Arya's lives and the chance to go into exile on the Wall. Instead, Joffrey has Eddard brutally executed. Whilst Sansa is retained in custody, Arya manages to escape with the help of Yoren, a recruiting agent for the [[Night's Watch]].

A civil war, later dubbed the [[War of the Five Kings]], erupts. Robb Stark leads an army of northmen into the Riverlands to support Lord [[House Tully#Hoster|Hoster Tully]], whose forces came under attack by Lord Tywin Lannister after Catelyn took Tyrion prisoner. Riverrun, the Tully stronghold, is besieged by an army under Jaime Lannister, whilst Lord Tywin holds a large army south of the River Trident to prevent Robb's advance. Unexpectedly, Robb wins the support of [[House Frey]] by agreeing to a dynastic marriage. This allows him to detach his cavalry and cross the Green Fork whilst his infantry carries on to the Trident under Lord [[House Bolton#Roose|Roose Bolton]], one of Robb's bannermen. Tywin, joined by the liberated Tyrion (who has won the support of the mountain clans of the Vale) defeats the Stark footmen before learning that Robb has outmaneuvered him. Shortly afterwards Robb's forces surprise and capture Jaime Lannister before smashing the Lannister army at the Whispering Wood outside Riverrun. Tywin falls back on the strong castle of Harrenhal and orders Tyrion to go to King's Landing and help give Joffrey better advice.

Lord Renly Baratheon flees south from King's Landing to Highgarden, stronghold of the powerful House Tyrell, and there is declared King of Westeros by acclamation, becoming the second of the war's five kings. Robb Stark becomes the third, when he is proclaimed the King in the North and by all the Stark and Tully bannermen present.

===On the Wall===
In the lands beyond the Wall, three men of the Night's Watch stumble across the massacred bodies of wildlings. Ser Waymar Royce is confronted by several creatures of ice, the fabled 'Others' of legend. He fights one, but is killed. The second man, Will, investigates Royce's corpse only for it to come to life and strangle him. The third, Gared, is so terrified of what he sees that he flees south to the Wall and then beyond. He is the deserter executed by Ned Stark in the first chapter of the book.

Jon Snow chooses to join the Night's Watch after his father departs for King's Landing and travels north with his uncle [[House Stark#Benjen|Benjen Stark]], the First Ranger of the Watch. At the Wall Jon finds that the Watch is beset with problems. A new [[King-Beyond-the-Wall]] has arisen in the northern lands to rally the wildlings to his banner. This man, [[Mance Rayder]], was once a brother of the Watch before fleeing to join the wildlings. Jon also learns that the Watch is grievously under strength, mustering barely a thousand men to cover the three hundred miles of the Wall, and its manpower is now made up of murderers and criminals who chose the Wall over execution or imprisonment. Some time after Jon's arrival, Benjen vanishes whilst on a ranging beyond the Wall.

Jon and many of the other younger men are remorselessly bullied by the master-at-arms, Alliser Thorne, but Jon concocts a plan for them to stand up to him. Jon wins the friendship of [[Samwell Tarly|Samwell Tarly]], a [[w:coward|craven]] but intelligent boy from the Reach, and also that of [[House Targaryen#Maester Aemon|Maester Aemon]]. Jon is startled to learn that Aemon is a member of House Targaryen, the grand-uncle of the now-deposed Mad King Aerys II, and the oldest man alive in Westeros.

The Lord Commander of the Watch, Jeor Mormont, is attacked by a corpse which suddenly comes back to life. Jon burns the [[w:wight|wight]], saving Mormont's life. Shaken, Mormont resolves to lead the Watch beyond the Wall in strength to test Mance Rayder's strength. Although news of his father's death causes Jon to doubt his calling, he decides his place is with the Watch.

===In the East===
In the Free City of Pentos, Magister Illyrio Mopatis and the exiled Prince Viserys Targaryen conspire to sell Viserys' thirteen-year-old sister Daenerys in marriage to [[Khal Drogo]] of the Dothraki. Drogo commands an clan of forty thousand mounted warriors whom Viserys plans to use to reclaim his homeland from the usurper Robert Baratheon. Among the wedding gifts are three stone dragon eggs from Ilyrio. Unexpectedly, Daenerys and Drogo find love as they journey east into the vast grasslands of the Dothraki sea, and Daenerys becomes pregnant with a son, to be named Rhaego after her dead brother. Ser [[House Mormont#Jorah|Jorah Mormont]], son of the Lord Commander of the Watch and a knight exiled from Westeros for dealing in slaves, joins Viserys' entourage as an advisor on the current state of the Seven Kingdoms.

Viserys becomes angry about how long he must wait before Drogo decides to invade Westeros and, in a drunken rage, insults Drogo grievously. Drogo decides to crown him right there— with molten gold. Daenerys picks up her brother's quest to reclaim the Iron Throne, but Drogo is just as obstinate with the moon of his life as he was with the Beggar King. The tables turn when a Westerosi assassin, in the pay of King Robert, nearly kills her and their unborn child; a furious Drogo agrees to invade Westeros. However, during a warm-up raid on the peaceful Lhazareen, Drogo takes a wound which festers. Daenerys loses both Drogo and her unborn son to the machinations of a Lhazareen witch, and has her burned in a pyre. Daenerys had previously felt the eggs and found them warm to her touch, but not to others'. Before she had placed them in a small fire and thought that the flames made something in the eggs alive. While the witch was being burned she placed the eggs in the very hot fire. Incredibly, the eggs hatch, and Daenerys Targaryen, the Stormborn, becomes mother to the first three dragons seen in the world for one hundred and sixty years.

==Viewpoint Characters==
All of the novels in the series use a system for the books where by each chapter concentrates on one character in a [[w:point of view (literature)|third person limited point of view]]. Thus, the chapter list for each book would read something like: "Bran", "Eddard", "Catelyn", "Eddard", "Tyrion", "Catelyn" etc, with the story flipping back and forth between the main characters.

The tale of ''A Game of Thrones'' is told through the eyes of 8 POV characters and a one-off prologue POV.

*Prologue: Will, a man of the [[Night's Watch]].
*[[House Stark#Eddard|Lord Eddard Stark]], Warden of the North and Lord of [[Winterfell]], Hand of the King.
*[[House Tully#Catelyn|Lady Catelyn Stark]], of [[House Tully]], wife of Eddard Stark.
*[[House Stark#Sansa|Sansa Stark]], eldest daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark.
*[[House Stark#Arya|Arya Stark]], youngest daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark.
*[[House Stark#Bran|Bran Stark]], middle of three sons of Eddard and Catelyn Stark.
*[[House Stark#Jon Snow|Jon Snow]], bastard son of Eddard Stark.
*[[House Lannister#Tyrion|Tyrion Lannister]], a dwarf, son of [[House Lannister#Tywin|Lord Tywin Lannister]] and [[House Lannister#Cersei|Queen Cersei]]'s brother.
*[[Daenerys Targaryen]], Stormborn, the Princess of Dragonstone and heiress to the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] throne through her older brother [[House Targaryen#Viserys|Viserys]].

==Allusions/references to other works==
One of Martin's earliest attempts at writing a fantasy story was 'Dark Gods of Kor-Yuban', which was never published. The two heroes of the short story are the exiled 'Prince R'hllor of Raugg' and his boisterous, swaggering companion 'Argilac the Arrogant'. In an abandoned sequel Argilac teams up with Barron, the Bloody Blade of the Dothrak Empire, to slay the winged demons who killed Barron's grandfather Barristan the Bold. Most of these names reoccur in ''A Game of Thrones'': R'hllor is the red god worshipped in the east (although not specifically named until ''A Clash of Kings''); Argilac the Arrogant was the last Storm King thrown down by the Targaryens; the Dothrak Empire became the Dothraki horse-riders of the eastern plains; and Barristan the Bold was recast as Ser Barristan Selmy of the Kingsguard. Martin covers the origin of these characters and names in his essay 'The Heirs of Turtle Castle' in ''[[Dreamsongs: A RRetrospective]]''.

==Editions==



In [[w:June|June]] [[w:2000|2000]] [[w:Meisha Merlin|Meisha Merlin]] released a limited edition of the book, fully illustrated by Jeffrey Jones.

===Foreign language editions===

* Bulgarian
* Catalan: Devir Contenidos (2006): ''La ma del rei''
* Chinese
* Croatian
* Czech
* Dutch: Luitingh-Sijthoff (1997): ''Het spel der tronen''
* Estonian: Varrak (2006): ''Troonide mäng''
* Finnish: Valtaistuinpeli (2003)
* French: Two volumes (hardcover: Pygmalion (1998, 1999); paperback: J'ai Lu (2001)) ''Le trône de fer'', ''Le donjon rouge''.
* German: Single volume, Fantasy Productions (2004): ''Eisenthron''. Two volumes, Goldmann (1997, 1998): ''Die Herren von Winterfell'', ''Das Erbe von Winterfell''
* Greek
* Hebrew
* Hungarian: Single volume, Alexandra: ''Trónok harca''
* Italian: Two volumes, Mondadori (hardcover: 1999, 2000; paperback: 2001): ''Il trono di spade'', ''Il grande inverno''
* Japanese
* Korean
* Polish: Zysk (1998): ''Gra o tron''
* Portuguese: Entre Letras Editora (2002): ''A Muralha''
* Russian: "Игра престолов"
* Serbian: "Igra Prestola" (2003)
* Slovenian: ''Igra Prestolov'' (2007)
* Spanish: Gigamesh (2002): ''Juego de tronos''
* Swedish: Two volumes, Forum: ''I vargens tid'', ''Kampen on järntronen''. Single volume, Forum (2005): ''Kampen om järntronen''
* Turkish: ''Buz ve Ateşin Şarkısı Serisi: - Taht Oyunları'' (2005)

==Literary significance & criticism==
*{{cite web | title=SF Reviews.Net | author=Wagner, T. M. | url=http://www.sfreviews.net/gameofthrones.html }}
*{{cite web | title=SF Site | author=Seidman, James | url=http://www.sfsite.com/09a/game16.htm }}
*{{cite web | title=SFF World | author=Silver, Steven H. | url=http://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/martin.html }}

==Awards and nominations==
*[[w:Locus Award|Locus Award]] – Best Novel (Fantasy) (Won) – (1997)
*[[w:World Fantasy Award|World Fantasy Award]] – Best Novel (Nominated) – (1997)
*[[w:Hugo Award|Hugo Award]] – Best Novella for ''Blood of the Dragon'' (Won) – (1997)
*[[w:Nebula Award|Nebula Award]] – Best Novel (Nominated) – (1997)
*Ignotus Award – Best Novel (Foreign) (Won) – (2003)

==External links==
*[http://members.aol.com/vbkorik27/summary/AGOT.htm#prologue Book Summary] by Vincent Briscuso

==References and sources==
{{EnWP|A Game of Thrones}}

[[Category:Books]]

House Florent

2008-01-15T06:10:10Z

Eleventh: /* Selyse Florent */

{{Noble House
| House_name = House Florent
| Coat_of_arms = A foxhead surrounded by flowers
| Seat = Brightwater Keep
| Current_Lord = Alester Florent
| Region = [[The Reach]]
| Heir = Alekyne Florent
| Overlord = [[House Tyrell]]
}}
'''House Florent''' is sworn to [[House Tyrell]], but also known to chafe at their [[Feudalism#Fealty|fealty]] owed to them. The Florents, like the Tyrells, claim descent from [[Feudalism#Extinction|extinct]] [[House Gardener]], the royal line of the defunct Kings of [[the Reach]]. The Florents believe that they have a superior line of descent, and by rights should possess Highgarden. The Florent seat is [[House Florent#Brightwater Keep|House Florent]]. Their sigil is the fox surrounded by flowers. Following [[House Lannister#Tywin|Lord Tywin's]] victory at the [[War_of_the_Five_Kings#Battles_Ending_the_War|Battle of the Blackwater]], Tywin [[Feudalism#Dispossession|dispossessed]] the Florents of their holdings and awarded them to [[House Tyrell#Garlan|House Tyrell]] as a reward for loyal service.

==House genealogy==
{{familytree/start|style=font: 75% sans-serif;}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | |?|y|?2| | | | | | | | | | | |=
|?=Unknown|?2=Unknown}}
{{familytree | | |,|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|v|^|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|-|.}}
{{familytree | |RO|y|ML| |MA| | | | | | | |AS| |RC|-|RY| | |TH| | =
|RO=[[House Florent#Alester|Alester]]|ML=Melara Crane|MA=[[House Florent#Axel|Ser Axel]]|AS=Ser Ryam|TH=Ser Colin|RY=Rylene|RC=Rycherd Crane}}
{{familytree | |,|-|-|^|v|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|.| | | | | | |)|-|.| | | | | | | |,|-|-|(| }}
{{familytree |RO| |ML|-|RT| |MA|-|LH| |!|AS| |HN|y|DE| |!| | | | =
|RO=Alekyne|ML=Melissa|RT=[[Randyll Tarly|Randyll Tarly]]|MA=Rhea|LH=[[House Hightower#Leyton|Leyton Hightower]]|AS=Ser Imry|SE=Selyse|SB=[[House Baratheon#Stannis|Stannis Baratheon]]|SR=Ser Erren|DE=Delena|HN=Ser Hosman Norcross|MO=Maester Omer|ME=Merrel}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |,|-|(| | |,|-|-|-|-|(| |!| | |)|-|.|}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | | | | | |SB|y|SE|!| |AN| |RN| |ES|!|MO|=
|SE=Selyse|SB=[[House Baratheon#Stannis|Stannis Baratheon]]|AN=Alester Norcross|RN=Renly Norcross|MO=Maester Omer|ES=[[Edrick Storm|Edric Storm]]}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | | |!| |}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |SH| |SE| | | | | | | | | | |ME|=
|SH=[[House Baratheon#Shireen|Shireen Baratheon]]|ME=Merrell|SE=Ser Erren}}
{{familytree/end}}

===Alester Florent===
Lord of the House. Hand of the King to [[House Baratheon#Stannis|Stannis Baratheon]]. Lord Alester attempted to send a peace offer to Lord Tywin following the defeat at the Battle of the Blackwater. For this perceived traitorous act, he was sent to the dungeons of Dragonstone. He was the grandfather of [[Samwell Tarly]] and the uncle of Selyse Florent. His daughters Melessa and Rhea are the Ladies of [[House Tarly#Horn Hill|Horn Hill]] and [[House Hightower#The Hightower|the Hightower]] respectively.

===Selyse Florent===
Wife to King [[House Baratheon#Stannis|Stannis]]. She was a severe-looking woman - tall and thin with big ears, a pointed nose, and the hint of a mustache on her upper lip. She had pale eyes. A follower of [[Melisandre]], she adopted the faith of [[Westeros#R'hllor|R'hllor]]. She was instrumental in convincing Stannis to seize [[Edric Storm]]. Later, she nearly succeeded in convincing him to sacrifice the boy for her faith.

===Alekyne Florent===
Lord Alester's son, and heir to Brightwater Keep. Upon the dispossession of his family, he sought refuge with his sister Rhea and her husband in [[Oldtown]]. His sisters are Melessa and Rhea. Selyse is his cousin.

===Melessa Florent===
Wife to Lord [[Randyll Tarly|Randyll Tarly]] of Horn Hill, and mother of [[Samwell Tarly]] and Dickon Tarly; Melessa is the daughter of Alester, and sister of Rhea and Alekyne. Selyse is her cousin.

===Rhea Florent===
Wife to Lord [[House Hightower]] of Oldtown. Rhea is the daughter of Alester, and sister of Melessa and Alekyne. Selyse is her cousin.

{{HousesReach}}
==References and Sources==
{{EnWP|Minor houses in A Song of Ice and Fire}}
[[Category:Noble houses|Florent]]
[[Category:Houses_from_the_Reach|Florent]]

A Game of Thrones

2008-01-15T06:09:52Z

Eleventh: /* In the Seven Kingdoms */

{{infobox Book | 
| name = A Game of Thrones
| title_orig =
| translator =
| image = [[Image:AGameOfThrones.jpg|200px]] 
| image_caption = US Hardcover (2002 Bantam Reissue)
| author = [[George R. R. Martin]]
| cover_artist = [[w:Steve Youll|Steve Youll]]
| country = [[w:United States|United States]]
| language = [[w:English language|English]]
| series = [[A Song of Ice and Fire]]
| genre = [[w:Fantasy|Fantasy]]
| publisher = [[w:Bantam Books|Bantam Books]] (US) & [[w:Voyager Books|Voyager Books]] (UK)
| release_date = [[w:6 August|6 August]] [[w:1996|1996]]
| media_type = Print ([[w:Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[w:Paperback|Paperback]])
| pages = 694 pp (US Hardback), 672 pp (UK Hardcover), 835 pp (US Paperback)
| isbn = ISBN 0-553-10354-7 (US Hardback), ISBN 0-00-224584-1 (UK Hardback), ISBN 0-553-57340-3 (US Paperback)
| preceded_by =
| followed_by = [[A Clash of Kings]]
}}

'''''A Game of Thrones''''' is the first of seven planned novels in '''''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]''''', an [[w:epic fantasy|epic fantasy]] series by American author [[George R. R. Martin]]. It was first published on [[w:6 August|6 August]] [[w:1996|1996]]. The novel was nominated for the [[w:1998|1998]] [[w:Nebula Award|Nebula Award]] and the [[w:1997|1997]] [[w:World Fantasy Award|World Fantasy Award]], and won the 1997 [[w:Locus Award|Locus Award]]. The novella ''Blood of the Dragon'', comprising the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel, won the 1997 [[w:Hugo Award|Hugo Award]] for Best Novella.

The novel lends its name to several spin-off items based on the novels, including a [[A Game of Thrones (card game)|trading card game]], [[A Game of Thrones (board game)|board game]] and [[A Game of Thrones (RPG)|roleplaying game]].

==Plot introduction==

'''Warning: spoilers follow.'''

''A Game of Thrones'' is set in the Seven Kingdoms of [[Westeros]], a land reminiscent of [[w:Medieval|Medieval]] [[w:Europe|Europe]]. In Westeros the seasons last for years, sometimes decades, at a time.

Fifteen years prior to the novel, the Seven Kingdoms were torn apart by a [[War of the Usurper|civil war]], known alternately as "Robert's Rebellion" and the "War of the Usurper." Prince [[House Targaryen#Rhaegar|Rhaegar Targaryen]] kidnapped [[House Stark#Lyanna|Lyanna Stark]], arousing the ire of her family and of her betrothed, Lord [[House Baratheon#Robert|Robert Baratheon]] (the war's titular rebel). The Mad King, [[House Targaryen#Aerys II|Aerys II Targaryen]], had Lyanna's father and [[House Stark#Brandon|eldest brother]] executed when they demanded her safe return. Her second brother, [[House Stark#Eddard|Eddard]], joined his boyhood friend Robert Baratheon and Jon Arryn, with whom they had been fostered as children, in declaring war against the Targaryens, securing the allegiances of [[House Tully]] and [[House Arryn]] through a network of dynastic marriages (Lord Eddard to [[House Tully#Catelyn|Catelyn Tully]] and Lord [[House Arryn#Jon|Jon Arryn]] to [[House Tully#Lysa|Lysa Tully]]). The powerful [[House Tyrell]] continued to support the King, but [[House Lannister]] and [[House Martell]] both dragged their feet due to insults against their houses by the King. The civil war climaxed with the [[War of the Usurper#Battle of the Trident|Battle of the Trident]], when Prince Rhaegar was killed in battle by Robert Baratheon. The Lannisters finally agreed to support King Aerys, but then brutally turned against him, [[War of the Usurper#Sack of King's Landing|sacking the capital at King's Landing]]. [[House Lannister#Jaime|Jaime Lannister]] of the Kingsguard executed King Aerys and House Lannister swore loyalty to Robert Baratheon. The Tyrells and remaining royalists surrendered and Robert Baratheon was declared King of the Seven Kingdoms. Unfortunately, during the war, Lyanna Stark had died, apparently of illness; Robert Baratheon instead married [[House Lannister#Cersei|Cersei Lannister]] to cement the alliance. Despite Robert's victory, the Mad King's youngest son [[House Targaryen#Viserys|Visery]]s and youngest daughter [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]] were taken to safety across the sea by loyal retainers. After the war House Martell chose a path of isolation, since [[House Martell#Doran|Prince Doran]]'s sister [[House Martell#Elia|Elia]] (Prince Rhaegar's wife) and her young children had been killed by Lannister armsmen during the storming of the capital.

Six years later King Robert proved his resolve by [[Greyjoy Rebellion|defeating a rebellion]] by Lord [[House Greyjoy#Balon|Balon Greyjoy]] of the Iron Islands. Balon's two eldest sons were killed and his youngest son, [[House Greyjoy#Theon|Theon]], was given to the care of Eddard Stark as a ward.

==Plot summary==
{{spoiler}}
''A Game of Thrones'' follows three principal storylines as they develop in tandem with one another. The novel begins in the year 298 AL (After Landing) and continues for many months, probably into the early months of 299 AL.

===In the Seven Kingdoms===
Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and the North, attends the execution of a man of the [[Night's Watch]] who has betrayed his vows and fled from the Wall. His sons [[House Stark#Robb|Robb]] and [[House Stark#Bran|Bran]], his bastard son [[House Stark#Jon Snow|Jon Snow]], and his ward [[House Greyjoy#Theon|Theon Greyjoy]] all attend. After the beheading, Robb finds a dead [[w:direwolf|direwolf]] (the symbol of [[House Stark]]), killed by the antlers of a stag (the symbol of [[House Baratheon]]), which had given birth to five pups before it died. Robb and his brothers ask to keep them and Eddard consents, on the condition that the children themselves take care of them, rather than leaving the matter to the servants of House Stark. There are five pups, one for each of Eddard's trueborn children: Robb names his Grey Wind and Bran names his Summer, whilst Eddard's daughters [[House Stark#Sansa|Sansa]] and [[House Stark#Arya|Arya]] name theirs Lady and Nymeria respectively. Eddard's youngest, three-year-old [[House Stark#Rickon|Rickon]], names his Shaggydog. Unexpectedly, Jon finds a sixth pup lying separately nearby: an [[w:albino]] runt with white fur and red eyes. Jon claims this one, Ghost, for himself.

King Robert Baratheon arrives at Winterfell with his court and many retainers, including his wife, Queen Cersei of [[House Lannister]], and his children: [[House Baratheon#Joffrey|Joffrey]], [[House Baratheon#Myrcella|Myrcella]] and [[House Baratheon#Tommen|Tommen]]. The queen's twin brother, Ser Jaime Lannister of the Kingsguard, and their younger brother [[House Lannister#Tyrion|Tyrion]], the Imp (so named for his dwarfism), also accompany the group. Robert asks Eddard to become the new Hand of the King after the death of the previous office holder, Lord Jon Arryn. Eddard agrees and travels south with his daughters Sansa and Arya, leaving Catelyn, Robb, Bran (now in a [[w:coma|coma]] after a grievous fall from a window) and Rickon at home. Jon Snow elects to travel north to the Wall to join the Night's Watch and is joined by Tyrion, who is eager to see the fabled construction for himself.

Catelyn Stark, learns from her sister Lysa Arryn (widow of the late Lord Jon Arryn) that the Lannisters had Jon Arryn murdered. After Eddard leaves for the south, an attempt is made on Bran's life, thwarted only by the direwolf Summer. Catelyn realises that Bran must have seen something and been pushed from the window deliberately, and that the would-be murderers are trying to cover their tracks. She travels by sea to King's Landing and learns from her childhood friend [[Petyr Baelish|Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish]] that the dagger used in the assassination attempt was last seen in the hands of Tyrion Lannister. Travelling north again, Catelyn and her retainers encounter Tyrion by chance in an inn (as he returns south from the Wall) and take him captive to the Eyrie, where Lady Lysa places him on trial. Unfortunately, Tyrion chooses trial by battle and his champion, a [[w:mercenary|sellsword]] named [[Bronn]], wins freedom for him.

In the capital at King's Landing, Eddard investigates Jon's death and learns that Jon Arryn and King Robert's brother, Lord [[House Baratheon#Stannis|Stannis Baratheon]], had discovered that King Robert's three children were actually the products of an incestuous liaison between Queen Cersei and her twin brother Jaime. Spurning the advice of Robert's other brother [[House Baratheon#Renly|Renly]] to take Cersei into custody, Eddard instead tries mercy by offering Cersei the chance to flee. King Robert dies of a mishap whilst hunting and Cersei's eldest son Joffrey is proclaimed King before Eddard can pass the crown to Stannis, Robert's true heir. When Eddard moves against him, he is betrayed by Littlefinger. Eddard reluctantly agrees to sign a false confession of treason in return for Sansa and Arya's lives and the chance to go into exile on the Wall. Instead, Joffrey has Eddard brutally executed. Whilst Sansa is retained in custody, Arya manages to escape with the help of Yoren, a recruiting agent for the [[Night's Watch]].

A civil war, later dubbed the [[War of the Five Kings]], erupts. Robb Stark leads an army of northmen into the Riverlands to support Lord [[House Tully#Hoster|Hoster Tully]], whose forces came under attack by Lord Tywin Lannister after Catelyn took Tyrion prisoner. Riverrun, the Tully stronghold, is besieged by an army under Jaime Lannister, whilst Lord Tywin holds a large army south of the River Trident to prevent Robb's advance. Unexpectedly, Robb wins the support of [[House Frey]] by agreeing to a dynastic marriage. This allows him to detach his cavalry and cross the Green Fork whilst his infantry carries on to the Trident under Lord [[House Bolton#Roose|Roose Bolton]], one of Robb's bannermen. Tywin, joined by the liberated Tyrion (who has won the support of the mountain clans of the Vale) defeats the Stark footmen before learning that Robb has outmaneuvered him. Shortly afterwards Robb's forces surprise and capture Jaime Lannister before smashing the Lannister army at the Whispering Wood outside Riverrun. Tywin falls back on the strong castle of Harrenhal and orders Tyrion to go to King's Landing and help give Joffrey better advice.

Lord Renly Baratheon flees south from King's Landing to Highgarden, stronghold of the powerful House Tyrell, and there is declared King of Westeros by acclamation, becoming the second of the war's five kings. Robb Stark becomes the third, when he is proclaimed the King in the North and by all the Stark and Tully bannermen present.

===On the Wall===
In the lands beyond the Wall, three men of the Night's Watch stumble across the massacred bodies of wildlings. Ser Waymar Royce is confronted by several creatures of ice, the fabled 'Others' of legend. He fights one, but is killed. The second man, Will, investigates Royce's corpse only for it to come to life and strangle him. The third, Gared, is so terrified of what he sees that he flees south to the Wall and then beyond. He is the deserter executed by Ned Stark in the first chapter of the book.

Jon Snow chooses to join the Night's Watch after his father departs for King's Landing and travels north with his uncle [[House Stark#Benjen|Benjen Stark]], the First Ranger of the Watch. At the Wall Jon finds that the Watch is beset with problems. A new [[King-Beyond-the-Wall]] has arisen in the northern lands to rally the wildlings to his banner. This man, [[Mance Rayder]], was once a brother of the Watch before fleeing to join the wildlings. Jon also learns that the Watch is grievously under strength, mustering barely a thousand men to cover the three hundred miles of the Wall, and its manpower is now made up of murderers and criminals who chose the Wall over execution or imprisonment. Some time after Jon's arrival, Benjen vanishes whilst on a ranging beyond the Wall.

Jon and many of the other younger men are remorselessly bullied by the master-at-arms, Alliser Thorne, but Jon concocts a plan for them to stand up to him. Jon wins the friendship of [[Samwell Tarly|Samwell Tarly]], a [[w:coward|craven]] but intelligent boy from the Reach, and also that of [[House Targaryen#Maester Aemon|Maester Aemon]]. Jon is startled to learn that Aemon is a member of House Targaryen, the grand-uncle of the now-deposed Mad King Aerys II, and the oldest man alive in Westeros.

The Lord Commander of the Watch, Jeor Mormont, is attacked by a corpse which suddenly comes back to life. Jon burns the [[w:wight|wight]], saving Mormont's life. Shaken, Mormont resolves to lead the Watch beyond the Wall in strength to test Mance Rayder's strength. Although news of his father's death causes Jon to doubt his calling, he decides his place is with the Watch.

===In the East===
In the Free City of Pentos, Magister Illyrio Mopatis and the exiled Prince Viserys Targaryen conspire to sell Viserys' thirteen-year-old sister Daenerys in marriage to [[Characters from A Song of Ice and Fire#Khal Drogo|Khal Drogo]] of the Dothraki. Drogo commands an clan of forty thousand mounted warriors whom Viserys plans to use to reclaim his homeland from the usurper Robert Baratheon. Among the wedding gifts are three stone dragon eggs from Ilyrio. Unexpectedly, Daenerys and Drogo find love as they journey east into the vast grasslands of the Dothraki sea, and Daenerys becomes pregnant with a son, to be named Rhaego after her dead brother. Ser [[House Mormont#Jorah|Jorah Mormont]], son of the Lord Commander of the Watch and a knight exiled from Westeros for dealing in slaves, joins Viserys' entourage as an advisor on the current state of the Seven Kingdoms.

Viserys becomes angry about how long he must wait before Drogo decides to invade Westeros and, in a drunken rage, insults Drogo grievously. Drogo decides to crown him right there— with molten gold. Daenerys picks up her brother's quest to reclaim the Iron Throne, but Drogo is just as obstinate with the moon of his life as he was with the Beggar King. The tables turn when a Westerosi assassin, in the pay of King Robert, nearly kills her and their unborn child; a furious Drogo agrees to invade Westeros. However, during a warm-up raid on the peaceful Lhazareen, Drogo takes a wound which festers. Daenerys loses both Drogo and her unborn son to the machinations of a Lhazareen witch, and has her burned in a pyre. Daenerys had previously felt the eggs and found them warm to her touch, but not to others'. Before she had placed them in a small fire and thought that the flames made something in the eggs alive. While the witch was being burned she placed the eggs in the very hot fire. Incredibly, the eggs hatch, and Daenerys Targaryen, the Stormborn, becomes mother to the first three dragons seen in the world for one hundred and sixty years.

==Viewpoint Characters==
All of the novels in the series use a system for the books where by each chapter concentrates on one character in a [[w:point of view (literature)|third person limited point of view]]. Thus, the chapter list for each book would read something like: "Bran", "Eddard", "Catelyn", "Eddard", "Tyrion", "Catelyn" etc, with the story flipping back and forth between the main characters.

The tale of ''A Game of Thrones'' is told through the eyes of 8 POV characters and a one-off prologue POV.

*Prologue: Will, a man of the [[Night's Watch]].
*[[House Stark#Eddard|Lord Eddard Stark]], Warden of the North and Lord of [[Winterfell]], Hand of the King.
*[[House Tully#Catelyn|Lady Catelyn Stark]], of [[House Tully]], wife of Eddard Stark.
*[[House Stark#Sansa|Sansa Stark]], eldest daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark.
*[[House Stark#Arya|Arya Stark]], youngest daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark.
*[[House Stark#Bran|Bran Stark]], middle of three sons of Eddard and Catelyn Stark.
*[[House Stark#Jon Snow|Jon Snow]], bastard son of Eddard Stark.
*[[House Lannister#Tyrion|Tyrion Lannister]], a dwarf, son of [[House Lannister#Tywin|Lord Tywin Lannister]] and [[House Lannister#Cersei|Queen Cersei]]'s brother.
*[[Daenerys Targaryen]], Stormborn, the Princess of Dragonstone and heiress to the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] throne through her older brother [[House Targaryen#Viserys|Viserys]].

==Allusions/references to other works==
One of Martin's earliest attempts at writing a fantasy story was 'Dark Gods of Kor-Yuban', which was never published. The two heroes of the short story are the exiled 'Prince R'hllor of Raugg' and his boisterous, swaggering companion 'Argilac the Arrogant'. In an abandoned sequel Argilac teams up with Barron, the Bloody Blade of the Dothrak Empire, to slay the winged demons who killed Barron's grandfather Barristan the Bold. Most of these names reoccur in ''A Game of Thrones'': R'hllor is the red god worshipped in the east (although not specifically named until ''A Clash of Kings''); Argilac the Arrogant was the last Storm King thrown down by the Targaryens; the Dothrak Empire became the Dothraki horse-riders of the eastern plains; and Barristan the Bold was recast as Ser Barristan Selmy of the Kingsguard. Martin covers the origin of these characters and names in his essay 'The Heirs of Turtle Castle' in ''[[Dreamsongs: A RRetrospective]]''.

==Editions==



In [[w:June|June]] [[w:2000|2000]] [[w:Meisha Merlin|Meisha Merlin]] released a limited edition of the book, fully illustrated by Jeffrey Jones.

===Foreign language editions===

* Bulgarian
* Catalan: Devir Contenidos (2006): ''La ma del rei''
* Chinese
* Croatian
* Czech
* Dutch: Luitingh-Sijthoff (1997): ''Het spel der tronen''
* Estonian: Varrak (2006): ''Troonide mäng''
* Finnish: Valtaistuinpeli (2003)
* French: Two volumes (hardcover: Pygmalion (1998, 1999); paperback: J'ai Lu (2001)) ''Le trône de fer'', ''Le donjon rouge''.
* German: Single volume, Fantasy Productions (2004): ''Eisenthron''. Two volumes, Goldmann (1997, 1998): ''Die Herren von Winterfell'', ''Das Erbe von Winterfell''
* Greek
* Hebrew
* Hungarian: Single volume, Alexandra: ''Trónok harca''
* Italian: Two volumes, Mondadori (hardcover: 1999, 2000; paperback: 2001): ''Il trono di spade'', ''Il grande inverno''
* Japanese
* Korean
* Polish: Zysk (1998): ''Gra o tron''
* Portuguese: Entre Letras Editora (2002): ''A Muralha''
* Russian: "Игра престолов"
* Serbian: "Igra Prestola" (2003)
* Slovenian: ''Igra Prestolov'' (2007)
* Spanish: Gigamesh (2002): ''Juego de tronos''
* Swedish: Two volumes, Forum: ''I vargens tid'', ''Kampen on järntronen''. Single volume, Forum (2005): ''Kampen om järntronen''
* Turkish: ''Buz ve Ateşin Şarkısı Serisi: - Taht Oyunları'' (2005)

==Literary significance & criticism==
*{{cite web | title=SF Reviews.Net | author=Wagner, T. M. | url=http://www.sfreviews.net/gameofthrones.html }}
*{{cite web | title=SF Site | author=Seidman, James | url=http://www.sfsite.com/09a/game16.htm }}
*{{cite web | title=SFF World | author=Silver, Steven H. | url=http://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/martin.html }}

==Awards and nominations==
*[[w:Locus Award|Locus Award]] – Best Novel (Fantasy) (Won) – (1997)
*[[w:World Fantasy Award|World Fantasy Award]] – Best Novel (Nominated) – (1997)
*[[w:Hugo Award|Hugo Award]] – Best Novella for ''Blood of the Dragon'' (Won) – (1997)
*[[w:Nebula Award|Nebula Award]] – Best Novel (Nominated) – (1997)
*Ignotus Award – Best Novel (Foreign) (Won) – (2003)

==External links==
*[http://members.aol.com/vbkorik27/summary/AGOT.htm#prologue Book Summary] by Vincent Briscuso

==References and sources==
{{EnWP|A Game of Thrones}}

[[Category:Books]]

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2008-01-15T06:06:52Z

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{{Navbox generic
| name = ASOIAF
| title = <big>''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' by [[George R. R. Martin]]</big>
| color = #ccc
| style = text-align:left;
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}}<noinclude>
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2008-01-15T06:05:45Z

Eleventh:

{{Navbox generic
| name = ASOIAF
| title = <big>''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' by [[George R. R. Martin]]</big>
| color = #ccc
| style = text-align:left;
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}}<noinclude>
[[Category:Infobox templates|ASOIAF]]

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