Game of Thrones 4-Book Boxed Set (A Song of Ice and Fire Series) by George R. R. Martin | 2900345529052 | Paperback | Barnes & Noble® Overview A NEW ORIGINAL SERIES, NOW ON HBO. George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series has become, in many ways, the gold standard for modern epic fantasy. Martin—dubbed the “American Tolkien” by Time magazine—has created a world that is as rich and vital as any piece of historical fiction, set in an age of knights and chivalry and filled with a plethora of fascinating, multidimensional characters that you love, hate to love, or love to hate as they struggle for control of a divided kingdom. It is this very vitality that has led it to be adapted as the HBO miniseries “Game of Thrones.” This boxed set includes the following novels: A GAME OF THRONES Should I read the A Song of Ice and Fire book series before watching the HBO series Game of Thrones? - Quora Quora Should I read the A Song of Ice and Fire book series before watching the HBO series Game of Thrones? If so, should I just read the first one?

All of them? Written Dec 7 Thanks for the A2A! It depends on your own preference, but as one who’s seen the show and later on read the books I’d advise you to read the book first. Why? The shocking revalations and plot twists in the books often read like mystery novels - a good reader can often spot them before they come. It isn’t GRRM’s style to just dump a huge, unanticipated event on the reader’s head for shock value - foreshadowing is heavily featured in every single work in this book. Less so in the show - there’s less time for planting evidence, less time for the viewer to actually think about what’s happening because there’s already so much to drop. The books are written, from a plot and consistency perspective, much better. There many places in the show where the logic and reasoning of a plot was dropped in favor of providing actors with active storylines (Sansa’s adaptation into the Northern storyline comes to mind - no spoilers intended). The show is amazing in many, many ways - it’s filled with amazing cinematography, set design, costumes and more. The translation of GRRM’s world to the small screen in terms of “realness” is stunning.

Howeve, some things were justly dropped from the show (Tyrion’s ugliness for example) for practical reasons - first learning to picture the characters in the ways in which they were originally perceived would make the show much more engaging, I believe. If you do decide to read the books now, I’m hosting a reread blog here . Would love to hear your thoughts on mine. Cheers and good luck! Written Dec 7 Thanks for the A2A. I read the first and second books contemporaneously with the first couple of seasons. There was no way I was going to get through the complexities of the plot and characters without the written word. However (and this is a big deal for some folks) I never mind knowing the ending or spoilers. I often read the end of a book first. If spoilers bother you and would ruin the show for you, don’t read the books first. There is obviously a lot left out of the books that adds to your understanding of the characters & plots. Maybe watch, read, and watch again to get all the nuances, etc.

222 Views · View Upvotes · Answer requested by 1 person Game of Thrones: George RR Martin might add eighth book to Song of Ice and Fire series | The Independent Game of Thrones: George RR Martin might add eighth book to Song of Ice and Fire series The US author's editor has hinted that another novel could still be added Wednesday 4 June 2014 08:44 BST Click to follow The Independent Culture George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels are the basis for HBO's Game of Thrones Getty Images George RR Martin fantasy novel series, A Song of Ice and Fire, may be extended to eight books rather than the confirmed seven, reports suggest. The author’s editor Anne Groell hinted at the possibility during a Q & A session with fans, many of whom follow Game of Thrones , the hit HBO TV series based on the books. Groell recalled how Martin’s epic saga began as a trilogy, before evolving into a longer series after she pushed for “seven books for seven kingdoms”. Since then Groell has learned that, technically, there are eight kingdoms, “all having to do with who has annexed what when Aegon the Conqueror landed in Westeros”.

Groell discovered more about Martin’s imaginary setting while editing The World of Ice and Fire, a forthcoming companion book to help fans navigate the expansive areas described in the novels. Martin’s most recent instalment, A Dance with Dragons, was published in 2011, but Martin is famous for long gaps between releases. He has spoken previously of finding it hard to keep up with fans’ demands, while Groell has tried “multiple times” to encourage him to work on the road. “He is one stubborn man and very set in his ways,” she revealed.

Game of Thrones season four in pictures Game of Thrones season four in pictures 1/32 Game of Thrones Steward serving on The Wall and fan favourite Jon Snow HBO Arya continues on her journey through the North HBO 3/32 Game of Thrones After so long in King's Landing, Sansa sees snow falling at the Eyrie in the Vale, it reminds her of Winterfell HBO Daenerys looks contemplative as she walks down the steps of a pyramid in Meereen HBo Arya and the Hound meet an unwelcome visitor HBO Meera Reed, Bran and Hodor walk through the snow to find the three-eyed crow HBO Daenerys looks at a map as she considers her next move HBO Brienne of Tarth and Podrick Payne continue on their quest to find Sansa HBO Sam Tarly attempts to rally the men of the Night's Watch HBO Daenerys and Missandei survey the troops HBO The Wildlings get ready to attack HBO Jon Snow trains for battle against the wildings at Castle Black HBO A vulnerable family fall victim to the Hound HBO 14/32 Game of Thrones Mark Gatiss makes an appearance as Tycho Nestoris, an envoy of the Iron Bank of Braavos HBO Jaime begs his father

 Tywin for mercy for his brother HBO 16/32 Game of Thrones Daenerys rules in Meereen from on high as she listens to man seeking recompense for his slaughtered cattle and another asking for the burial of his crucified father HBO 17/32 Game of Thrones Tyrion Lannister goes on trial for the murder of Joffrey as the nobles of Westeros watch HBO Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon and Natalie Dormer as Margaery Tyrell HBO The 'Purple Wedding' shocked fans this month HBO Daario will be a new arrival in season 4 HBO The Hound strides the fields in heavy armour HBO King Joffrey and his smirk of contempt are back HBO Sansa and Tyrion have a heart-to-heart Channel 4 Ygritte and Tormund prepare for battle HBO Tywin wearing the Hand of the King brooch HBO Margaery and Olenna in the courtyard HBO Sam, a steward of the Night's Watch HBO Arya remains under the watch of the The Hound HBO Jaime and Cersai in heated discussions HBO Oberyn with Ellaria, mother of the four youngest Sand Snakes HBO Tyrion and Shae have words HBO A Song of Ice and Fire

 - A Wiki of Ice and Fire A Song of Ice and Fire From A Wiki of Ice and Fire A Song of Ice and Fire US covers for the first five books audiobook ebook A Song of Ice and Fire (commonly abbreviated as ASoIaF) is an ongoing a series of epic fantasy novels by American novelist and screenwriter George R.

R. Martin . Martin began writing the series in 1991 and the first volume was published in 1996. Originally planned as a trilogy, the series now consists of five published volumes; a further two are planned. In addition there are three prequel novellas currently available, with several more being planned, and a series of novella-length excerpts from the main Ice and Fire novels. The story of A Song of Ice and Fire takes place in a fictional world , primarily on a continent called Westeros but also on a large landmass to the east, known as Essos . [1] Most of the characters are human but as the series progresses others are introduced, such as the cold and menacing supernatural Others from the far North and fire-breathing dragons from the East, both thought to be extinct by the humans of the story.

There are three principal story lines in the series: the chronicling of a dynastic civil war for control of Westeros among several competing families; the rising threat of the Others, who dwell beyond an immense wall of ice that forms Westeros' northern border; and the ambition of Daenerys Targaryen , the exiled daughter of a king who was murdered in another civil war fifteen years before, to return to Westeros and claim her rightful throne. As the series progresses, the three story lines become increasingly interwoven and dependent upon each other. The series is told in the third-person through the eyes of a number of point of view characters. By the end of the fourth volume, there have been 17 such characters with multiple chapters and eight who only have one chapter apiece. Several new viewpoint characters are introduced by the conclusion of the fifth volume, setting the stage for the major events of the sixth novel. Contents 8 References and Notes Back story 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 , supported by his mother's powerful family, House Lannister . However, Lord Eddard Stark, King Robert's Hand, finds out Robert's children are illegitimate, and that the throne should therefore fall to the second of the three Baratheon brothers, Stannis .

The charismatic and popular youngest brother, Renly , also places a claim, openly disregarding the order of precedence, with the support of the powerful House Tyrell . While the claimants battle for the Iron Throne, Robb Stark , Lord Eddard Stark's heir, is proclaimed King in the North as the northmen and their allies in the Riverlands seek to return to self-rule. Likewise, Balon Greyjoy also (re-)claims the ancient throne of his own region, the Iron Islands, with an eye toward independence. This so-called War of the Five Kings is the principal storyline of the first four novels; indeed, the fourth novel primarily concerns Westeros's recovery from it in the face of the coming winter and the political machinations of those seeking to gain in its aftermath. In the wake of the war, four of the five self-proclaimed kings have been killed, leaving Stannis as the sole survivor. The Iron Throne is currently held by Tommen Baratheon, allegedly Robert's son, but illegitimate too. His former regent, Cersei Lannister has been deposed and imprisoned in King's Landing by the Faith.

Stannis and his army, having gained little support from the Great Houses of Westeros, are presently at the Wall, far to the north where Stannis seeks to protect the realm from the threat of invasion, and simultaneously win the favor of the northern strongholds. The second storyline is set on the extreme northern border of Westeros. Here, many thousands of years ago, a huge wall of ice and gravel was constructed by both magic and labor to defend Westeros from the threat of The Others , a race of now-mythical creatures living in the uttermost north. This Wall, 300-mile-long, 700-foot-tall, is defended and maintained by the Sworn Brotherhood of the Night's Watch , whose duty is to guard the kingdom against the Others. By the time of the novels, the Others have not been seen in over 8,000 years, and the Night's Watch has devolved into essentially a penal colony: it is badly under-strength, manned primarily by criminals and refugees, with only a few knights or men of honor to stiffen them, and spends most of its time dealing with the human "wildlings" or "free folk" who live beyond the Wall.

This storyline is told primarily through the eyes of Jon Snow , bastard son of Lord Eddard Stark , as he rises through the ranks of the Watch, learns the true nature of the threat from the north, and prepares to defend the realm, even though the people of Westeros are too busy warring to send support. By the end of the third volume, this storyline is somewhat entangled with the civil war to the south. The third storyline is set on the huge eastern continent of Essos, across the narrow sea, and follows the adventures of Daenerys Targaryen , the last scion of House Targaryen in exile and another claimant to the Iron Throne. Daenerys's adventures showcase her growing ability as she rises from a pauper sold into a dynastic marriage to a barbarian warlord to a powerful and canny ruler in her own right. Her rise is aided by the birth of three dragons, creatures thought long extinct, from fossilized eggs given to her as wedding gifts. Because her family standard is the dragon, these creatures are of symbolic value before they have grown big enough to be of tactical use.

Though her story is separated from the others by many thousands of miles, her stated goal is to reclaim the Iron Throne. 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. 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 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. [2] 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. Concept and creation See also: Themes in A Song of Ice and Fire Background & Origins Martin had a longtime love of miniature knights and medieval history , but his early novels and short stories mostly fit into the science fiction and horror genres; however, eventually several fantasy stories did appear, such as The Ice Dragon, which he later turned into an illustrated children's book by the same name.

[3] 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 . 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, while 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 birthed several pups, which are then taken by the youngsters to raise as their own. Martin's imagination was fired by this idea, and he eventually developed this scene into an epic fantasy story, which he first envisaged as a trilogy consisting of the novels A Game of Thrones, A Dance with Dragons and The Winds of Winter. Martin had apparently not been previously inspired by the genre, but reading Tad Williams ' Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series convinced him it could be approached in a more adult and mature way than previous authors had attempted.

After a lengthy hiatus spent writing and producing a television pilot for a science fiction series he had created called Doorways, Martin resumed work in 1994 on A Game of Thrones and completed it the following year, although he was only partway through his initial plan for the first novel. As a result, over time, Martin eventually expanded his plan for the series to include four books, then six, and finally seven, as the tale "grew in the telling," he said, quoting epic fantasy master J.R.R. Tolkien . Publication of A Game of Thrones followed in 1996. In the UK, the book was the subject of a fierce bidding war, eventually won by HarperCollins for £450,000. [4] Pre-release publicity included publication of a "sample novella" called Blood of the Dragon, which went on to win the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Novella. To fit A Game of Thrones into one volume, Martin had pulled out the last quarter or so of the book and made it the opening section of the second book, 1998's A Clash of Kings.

In May 2005 Martin noted that his manuscript for A Game of Thrones had been 1088 pages long without the appendices, and A Clash of Kings was even longer at 1184 pages. [5] Historic Influences 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 the 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 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 Targaryen 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 re-imagine it all, and take it in new and unexpected directions." [6] Martin has also said the Albigensian Crusades are an influence for the series. Literary Influences When it comes to content, there are some major differences between the series and much of the high fantasy genre, but its structure has a lot in common with The Lord of the Rings : "Although I differ from Tolkien in important ways, I’m second to no one in my respect for him. If you look at Lord of the Rings, it begins with a tight focus and all the characters are together. Then by end of the first book the Fellowship splits up and they have different adventures. I did the same thing.

Everybody is at Winterfell in the beginning except for Dany, then they split up into groups, and ultimately those split up too. The intent was to fan out, then curve and come back together. Finding the point where that turn begins has been one of the issues I’ve wrestled with." [7] Martin has acknowledged his debt to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien , [8] Jack Vance [9] and Tad Williams , [10] but the series differs from Tolkien's inspiration in its greater use of realistic elements. While Tolkien was inspired by mythology , A Song of Ice and Fire is more clearly influenced by medieval and early modern history, most notably Jacobitism and the Wars of the Roses . [11] Likewise, while Tolkien tended toward romantic relationships, Martin writes frankly of sex, including incest, adultery, prostitution, and rape. As a result, illegitimate children play prominent roles throughout the series. This has led to the series being cited as the forerunners of a 'gritty' new wave of epic fantasy authors that followed, including Scott Lynch [12] and Joe Abercrombie .

[13] On his website, Martin has acknowledged historical fiction authors such as Bernard Cornwell and George MacDonald Fraser to be influences on the series. Martin has cited the cover blurb by Robert Jordan for the first book to have been influential in ensuring the series' early success with fantasy readers. [14] Publishing history The Mystery Knight (2010) 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. Additionally there are also three novellas based on chapter sets from the books, previously in collected form in other outlets. Path of the Dragon ( Asimov’s , December 2000) based on the Daenerys chapters from A Storm of Swords. Arms of the Kraken ( Dragon issue 305, August 2002) based on the Iron Islands chapters from A Feast for Crows. Also a companion volume for the series is in development by George R. R. Martin and co-authors Elio M.

Garcia, Jr. and Linda Antonsson, although no publication date has been confirmed as yet. First three novels (1991–2000) George R. R. Martin at the 2011 Time 100 gala. George R. R. Martin was already a successful fantasy and sci-fi author and TV writer before writing his A Song of Ice and Fire book series. [15] Martin published his first short story in 1971 and his first novel in 1977. [16] By the mid-1990s, he had won three Hugo Awards, two Nebulas and other awards for his short fiction. [17] Although his early books were well received within the fantasy fiction community, his readership remained relatively small and Martin took on jobs as a writer in Hollywood in the mid-1980s. [17] He principally worked on the revival of The Twilight Zone throughout 1986 and on Beauty and the Beast from 1987 through 1990, but also developed his own TV pilots and wrote feature film scripts.

Growing frustrated that none of his pilots and screenplays were getting made, [17] he was also getting tired of TV-related production limitations like budgets and episode lengths that often forced him to cut characters and trim battle scenes. [18] This pushed Martin back towards writing books, his first love, where he did not have to worry about compromising the magnitude of his imagination. [17] Admiring the works of J. R. R. Tolkien in his childhood, he wanted to write an epic fantasy but did not have any specific ideas. [19] When Martin was between Hollywood projects in the summer of 1991, he started writing a new science fiction novel called Avalon. After three chapters, he had a vivid idea of a boy seeing a man's beheading and finding direwolves in the snow, which would eventually become the first non-prologue chapter of A Game of Thrones. [20] Putting Avalon aside, Martin finished this chapter in a few days and grew certain that it was part of a longer story. [21] After a few more chapters, Martin perceived his new book as a fantasy story [21] and started making maps and genealogies.

[15] However, the writing of this book was interrupted for a few years when Martin returned to Hollywood to produce his TV series Doorways that ABC had ordered but eventually never aired. [18] Martin resumed work on A Game of Thrones in 1994, selling the novel as part of a trilogy to his agent, [18] with the novels A Dance with Dragons and The Winds of Winter following. [22] Shortly afterwards, while still writing the novel, he felt the series needed to be four and eventually six books, [18] imagined as two linked trilogies of one long story. [23] Martin, who likes ambiguous fiction titles because he feels they enrich the writing, chose A Song of Ice And Fire as the overall series title: Martin saw the struggle of the cold Others and the fiery dragons as one possible meaning for "Ice and Fire", whereas the word "song" had previously appeared in Martin's book titles A Song for Lya and Songs of the Dead Men Sing, stemming from his obsessions with songs.

[24] The finished manuscript for A Game of Thrones was 1088 pages long (without the appendices), [25] with the publication following in August 1996. [26] Wheel of Time author Robert Jordan had written a short endorsement for the cover that was influential in ensuring the book's and hence series' early success with fantasy readers. [27] Released for pre-release publicity, a sample novella called Blood of the Dragon went on to win the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Novella. [28] The second book called A Clash of Kings was released in February 1999 in the United States, [29] with a manuscript length (without appendices) of 1184 pages. [25] A Clash of Kings was the first book of the Ice and Fire series to make the best-seller lists, [18] reaching 13 on the The New York Times Best Seller list in 1999. [30] After the success of The Lord of the Rings film series , Martin received his first inquiries to the rights of the Ice and Fire series from various producers and filmmakers.

[18] Martin was several months late turning in the third book, A Storm of Swords . [17] The last chapter he had written was about the "Red Wedding", a scene notable for its violence two-thirds through the book (see Themes: Violence and death ). [31] A Storm of Swords was 1521 pages in manuscript (without appendices), [25] causing problems for many of Martin's publishers around the world. Bantam Books published A Storm of Swords in a single volume in the United States in November 2000, [32] whereas some other-language editions were divided into two, three, or even four volumes. [25] A Storm of Swords debuted at number 12 in the New York Times bestseller list. [28] [33] Bridging the timeline gap (2000–2011) After A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, and A Storm of Swords, Martin originally intended to write three more books. [17] The fourth book, tentatively titled A Dance with Dragons, was to focus on Daenerys Targaryen's return to Westeros and the conflicts that creates.

[23] Martin wanted to set this story five years after A Storm of Swords so that the younger characters could grow older and the dragons grow larger. [34] Agreeing with his publishers early on that the new book should be shorter than A Storm of Swords, Martin set out to write the novel closer in length to A Clash of Kings. [25] A long prologue was to establish what had happened in the meantime, initially just as one chapter of Aeron Damphair on the Iron Islands at the Kingsmoot. Since the events in Dorne and the Iron Islands were to have an impact on the book, Martin eventually expanded the Kingsmoot events to be told from three new viewpoints since the existing POV characters were not present in Dorne and the Iron Islands. [35] In 2001, Martin was still optimistic that the fourth installment might be released in the last quarter of 2002. [24] However, the five-year gap did not work for all characters during writing. On one hand, Martin was unsatisfied with covering the events during the gap solely through flashbacks and internal retrospection. On the other hand, it was implausible to have nothing happening for five years.

[34] After working on the book for about a year, Martin realized he needed an additional interim book, which he called A Feast for Crows . [34] The book would pick up the story immediately after the third book, and Martin scrapped the idea of a five-year gap. [24] The material of the 250-page prologue for the beginning of A Feast for Crows was mixed in as new viewpoint characters from Dorne and the Iron Islands. [35] As these expanded storylines affected the others, the plot became much more complicated for Martin. [36] The manuscript length of A Feast For Crows eventually surpassed A Storm of Swords. [34] Martin was reluctant to make the necessary deep cuts to get the book down to publishable length, as that would have compromised the story he had in mind. Printing the book in "microtype on onion skin paper and giving each reader a magnifying glass" was also not an option for him. [25] On the other hand, Martin rejected the publishers' idea of splitting the narrative chronologically into A Feast for Crows, Parts One and Two.

[37] Being already late with the book, Martin had not even started writing all characters' stories [38] and also objected ending the first book without any resolution for its many viewpoint characters and their respective stories as in previous books. [34] Since the characters were spread out across the world, [22] a friend of Martin suggested to divide the story geographically into two volumes, of which A Feast for Crows would be the first. [37] Splitting the story this way would give Martin the room to complete his commenced story arcs as he had originally intended, [25] which he still felt was the best approach years later. [22] Martin moved the unfinished characters' stories set in the east (Essos) and north (Winterfell and the Wall) into the next book, A Dance with Dragons, [39] and left A Feast for Crows to cover the events on Westeros, King's Landing, the riverlands, Dorne, and the Iron Islands. [25] Both books begin immediately after the end of A Storm of Swords, [22] running in parallel instead of sequentially and involving different casts of characters with only little overlap.

[25] Martin split Arya's chapters into both books after having already moved the three other most popular characters (Jon Snow, Tyrion and Daenerys) into A Dance with Dragons. [39] Upon its release in October 2005 in the UK [40] and November 2005 in the US, [41] A Feast for Crows went straight to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. [42] Among the positive reviewers was Lev Grossman of Time , who dubbed Martin "the American Tolkien ". [43] However, fans and critics alike were disappointed with the story split that left the fates of several popular characters unresolved after the previous book's cliffhanger ending. [44] [45] With A Dance with Dragons said to be half-finished, [44] Martin mentioned in the epilogue in A Feast for Crows that the next volume would be released by the next year. [46] However, planned release dates were repeatedly pushed back.

Meanwhile, HBO acquired the rights to turn Ice and Fire into a dramatic series in 2007 [47] and aired the first of ten episodes covering A Game of Thrones in April 2011. [48] With around 1600 pages in manuscript length, [49] A Dance with Dragons was eventually published in July 2011 after six years of writing, [18] longer in page count and writing time than any of the preceding four novels. [15] [44] The story of A Dance with Dragons catches up on A Feast of Crows around two thirds into the book, going further than Feast, [38] but covered less story than Martin intended, omitting at least one planned large battle sequence and leaving several character threads ending in cliff-hangers. [15] Martin attributed the delay mainly to his untangling "the Meereenese knot", which the interviewer understood as "making the chronology and characters mesh up as various threads converged on [Daenerys]".

[45] Martin also acknowledged spending too much time on rewriting and perfecting the story, but soundly rejected the theories of his more extravagant critics that he had lost interest in the series or would bide his time to make more money. [44] Planned novels and future The sixth book is going to be called The Winds of Winter , [50] taking the title of the originally planned fifth book. [23] In June 2010, Martin had already finished four chapters of The Winds of Winter from the viewpoints of Sansa Stark , Arya Stark and Arianne Martell . [50] In the middle of 2011, he also moved a finished Aeron Damphair POV chapter from the then unpublished A Dance with Dragons to the next book. [51] By the publication of A Dance with Dragons, around 100 pages of The Winds of Winter were completed. [52] After a book tour and several conventions, he intended to continue his work on the long-overdue The World of Ice and Fire about the history and genealogy of Westeros, which he wanted to have finished by the end of 2011.

He also intended to work on a new Tales of Dunk and Egg novella that was to appear in an anthology called Dangerous Women, but in January 2013 it was announced that that story was delayed and instead it had been replaced with "The Princess and the Queen", a recounting of the events leading up to and through the Dance of the Dragons . [53] [52] Having released a Theon Greyjoy POV sample chapter on his website in December 2011, Martin promised to release a second chapter in the back of the A Dance with Dragons paper-back edition. [54] Martin hopes to finish The Winds of Winter much faster than the fifth book. [44] Having gotten in trouble from fans for repeatedly estimating his publication dates too optimistically, Martin refrains from making absolute estimates for book six. [15] A realistic estimation for finishing The Winds of Winter might be three years for him at a good pace, [49] but ultimately the book "will be done when it's done".

[22] Martin does not intend to separate the characters geographically again but acknowledged that "Three years from [2011] when I'm sitting on 1,800 pages of manuscript with no end in sight, who the hell knows". [19] Displeased with the provisional title A Time For Wolves for the final volume, Martin ultimately announced A Dream of Spring as the title for the seventh book in 2006. [55] Martin is firm about ending the series with the seventh novel "until I decide not to be firm", [15] leaving open the possibility of an eighth book to finish the series. [22] With his goal to tell the story from beginning to end, he will not truncate the story to fit into an arbitrary number of volumes. [56] Martin is confident to have published the remaining books before the TV series overtakes him, [19] although he told major plot points to the two main Game of Thrones producers in case he should die. [19] (Aged 62 in 2011, Martin is by all accounts in robust health.) [57] However, Martin indicated he would not permit another writer to finish the series.

[44] He knows the ending in broad strokes as well as the future of the main characters, [19] which will have bittersweet elements where not everyone will live happily ever after. [28] Martin hopes to write an ending similar to The Lord of the Rings that he felt gave the story a satisfying depth and resonance. On the other hand, Martin noted the challenge to avoid a situation like the finale of Lost , which left fans disappointed by deviating from their own theories and desires. [22] Martin does not rule out additional stories set in Westeros after the last book, although he is unlikely to continue in that vein immediately. [58] He is fairly definite about only returning to the World of Westeros in context of stand-alone novels. [35] Having created a huge world in such detail, Martin sees the possibility of more stories to tell there. But instead of a direct continuation of A Song of Ice and Fire, he would write stories about characters from other periods of history. [59] He also wants to finish the Dunk and Egg project. [35] He will see if his audience follows him after publishing his next project.

He would love to return to writing short stories, novellas, novelettes and stand-alone novels from diverse genres such as science fiction, horror, fantasy, or even a murder mystery. [21] [27] Regarding A Song of Ice and Fire as his magnum opus, Martin is certain to never write anything on the scale of this series again. [35] Reception The series has been placed as the number 1 rated series at the Internet Book List since a revision of the rating system in October 2005. [60] , Additionally the individual books has won a number of awards: A Game of Thrones (1996) - Locus Award winner, Nebula and World Fantasy Awards nominee, 1997. A Dance with Dragons (2011) - Locus Award Winner, Hugo Award nominee, 2012. Derived works Main article: Derived works The series is the basis of a great number of derived works, including the HBO TV series Game of Thrones, a card game, a board game, a role-playing game and two video games under development. It has also inspired several musicians, and an upcoming parody of A Game of Thrones.

Pronunciation of names Main article: Pronunciation guide 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." [61] However, it is possible to establish some guidelines. Game of Thrones (TV Series 2011– ) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error on Amazon Video ON DISC Nine noble families fight for control over the mythical lands of Westeros. Meanwhile, a forgotten race hell-bent on destruction returns after being dormant for thousands of years. Creators: Jon and Sansa face Ramsay Bolton on the fields of Winterfell. Daenerys strikes back at her enemies. Theon and Yara arrive in Meereen. 9.9 Tyrion advises Daenerys. Sansa forces Theon to tell her a secret. Cersei remains stubborn. Arya meets her first target.

Jon and Tormund meet with the Wildling Elders. 9.9 Robb and Catelyn arrive at the Twins for the wedding. Jon is put to the test to see where his loyalties truly lie. Bran's group decides to split up. Daenerys plans an invasion of Yunkai. 9.9 a list of 34 titles created 27 May 2012 a list of 22 titles created 17 Jun 2014 a list of 49 titles created 21 Aug 2015 a list of 22 titles created 11 months ago a list of 22 titles created 5 months ago Title: Game of Thrones (2011– ) 9.5/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. See more polls » More About "Game of Thrones" View photos of the "Game of Thrones" stars in and out of costume, and learn more about the early careers of Gwendoline Christie and Rory McCann .

Plot is unknown at this time Most Recent Episode Cersei and Loras Tyrell stand trial by the gods. Daenerys prepares to set sail for Westeros. Davos confronts Melisandre. Sam and Gilly arrive in The Citadel. Bran discovers a long kept ... Previous Episode Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 223 wins & 375 nominations. See more awards » Videos A high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer turns to manufacturing and selling methamphetamine in order to secure his family's future. Stars: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn The Walking Dead (TV Series 2010) Drama | Horror | Thriller Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes leads a group of survivors in a world overrun by the walking dead. Fighting the dead, fearing the living. Stars: Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride House of Cards (TV Series 2013) Drama A Congressman works with his equally conniving wife to exact revenge on the people who betrayed him.

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Stars: Charlie Cox, Vincent D'Onofrio, Deborah Ann Woll 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.5/10 X Due to a political conspiracy, an innocent man is sent to death row and his only hope is his brother, who makes it his mission to deliberately get himself sent to the same prison in order to break the both of them out, from the inside. Stars: Dominic Purcell, Wentworth Miller, Amaury Nolasco Edit Storyline In the mythical continent of Westeros, several powerful families fight for control of the Seven Kingdoms. As conflict erupts in the kingdoms of men, an ancient enemy rises once again to threaten them all. Meanwhile, the last heirs of a recently usurped dynasty plot to take back their homeland from across the Narrow Sea. Written by Sam Gray All Men Must Die See more » Genres: 17 April 2011 (USA) See more » Also Known As: A Song of Ice and Fire See more » Filming Locations: Did You Know? Trivia See more » Crazy Credits The opening pictures on the revolving metal rings show part of the history of Westeros.

It begins with the conquest of Westeros by Aegon the Conqueror of House Targaryen, followed by Robert's Rebellion (where the Targaryens are deposed), and ending with the crowning of Robert Baratheon as King of the Seven Kingdoms. See more » Connections One of the most stunning shows on television 19 April 2011 | by paulday98 (Australia) – See all my reviews Do not believe any of those negative reviews. I honestly cannot understand why some reviewers have given this such a low rating. I think some people love the sound of their own voice and think their opinion is worth something and will be disagreeable simply for the sake of it. Having said that, this show is stunning. I have never read the books and now I want to. There is so much crap on TV that is renewed year after year (CSI, House etc.) which uses cheap gags, pointless and sometimes ridiculous plots, unbelievable and many times one dimensional characters and yet all the truly great shows get cancelled. There is enough brain-dead television. But once in a while a show comes along that transports you to another world and makes you believe in the magic of television again.

Game of Thrones is one such show. It is complex, multi-layered, surreal, vibrant, imaginative and it draws your eye in to the surprising level of detail, from the sweeping vistas, to the narrow dungeons, from the beautiful castles and magnificent trees, to the contrasting landscapes. It is worth watching just for the scenery alone. Yes the acting seems a little cold and even wooden at times, but this is perfectly in keeping with the medieval look and feel of the show. Yes it is dark and gloomy, but again in keeping with the narrative. The scripting is intelligent and well delivered by competent acting, led by Sean Bean perfectly cast as Lord Edard. Although Sean Bean is better known for brooding bad guys, he strikes the perfect balance between father, husband and Lord and soldier. He is well supported by other well known actors and many new to the scene. After watching and sometimes enjoying Camelot, this show makes that one look more like "Merlin" by comparison. And where Camelot lacks in depth and scripting, Game of Thrones strikes the perfect balance between brooding medieval angst and wonderful fantasy story telling. Even if you have never watched a fantasy show before, you should not miss this.

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Question: Which TV series is based on the ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ book series?
Answer: Game of Thrones