What Is The Series “A Song of Ice and Fire”?

The series a Song of Ice and Fire is currently made up of seven-book series with two more awaiting release. The first book is called Game of Thrones, the second Clash of Kings, the third Storm of Swords divided into two books, the fourth A Feast for Crows and finally books 6 & 7 A Dance of Dragons part one and part two.

The final two books awaiting publication are winds of winter and A Dream of Spring, providing the author doesn’t decide to expand the series due to the original outline being only three novel-length books between 500- and 1000-pages long.

The series is now 4,244 pages long, not counting the spin-off series tales of Duncan @ Egg which starts 80 years before Game of Thrones, and the historical novel Fire and Blood and A world of ice and Fire.

The genre of a Song of Ice and Fire

It best describes George RR Martin’s book series in two genres.

The first is a historical medieval fantasy by incorporates historical events like the Wars of the Roses and historical characters like Edward I of England into the book series a Song of Ice and Fire.

The second genre George RR Martin is influenced by Tolkien’s Lord of the Ring series except with several crucial differences.

For instance, the world of ice and Fire is set in a low fantasy universe, nothing like Warhammer or Warcraft.

What George succeeds in creating, in the words of the historian Dan Jones “is the perfect homage to the Wars of the Roses” with a high dose of fantasy and taking inspiration from historical characters and people, for example, the Mongol counterpart in a Song of Ice and Fire is the Dothraki horse lords.

 

The plot of the series and characters brief overview

I will try to keep the spoilers to a minimum, so the series starts in the first book, Game of thrones. This introduces two powerful families of the Starks and Lannisters fighting over control and influence over the new king who came to power having overthrown the previous Targaryen Dynasty.

As you can imagine, these two families started fighting over power.

Their personalities and beliefs were odd, with the Starks being idealists and virtuous and Lannister’s value in Real Power Politics.

The feuding between these two families started when Eddard Stark wanted the head of House Lannister due to being allegedly responsible for the murders of Elia Martell and their infant children Aegon Targaryen and Rhaenys Targaryen.

As you can imagine, the families are at odds due to Eddard wanting to punish the most powerful Lord in the Kingdom, Tywin, the Head of House Lannister.

 

Final thoughts:

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