Fantasy series: A
Song of Ice and Fire
by George R.R. Martin
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A Game of Thrones :
A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1 (Paperback)
August 4, 1997 |
Martin's Seven Kingdoms resemble England during the Wars of the
Roses, with the Stark and Lannister families standing in for the
Yorks and Lancasters. The story of these two families and their
struggle to control the Iron Throne dominates the foreground; in the
background is a huge, ancient wall marking the northern border,
beyond which barbarians, ice vampires, and direwolves menace the
south as years-long winter advances. Abroad, a dragon princess lives
among horse nomads and dreams of fiery reconquest.
There is much bloodshed, cruelty, and death, but A Game of
Thrones is nevertheless compelling; it garnered a Nebula nomination and won the 1996 Locus Award for Best Fantasy
Novel
"The major fantasy of the decade . . . compulsively readable."
--The Denver Post
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A Clash of Kings :
A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 2 (Paperback)
September 5, 2000 |
How does he do it? George R.R. Martin's high fantasy weaves a spell sufficient to seduce even those who vowed never to start a doorstopper fantasy series again (the first book--A Game of Thrones--runs over 700 pages). A Clash of Kings is longer and even more grim, but Martin continues to provide compelling characters in a vividly real world. |
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A Storm of Swords
A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3 (Paperback)
March 4, 2003 |
Is George R.R. Martin for real? Can a fantasy epic actually get better with each new installment? Fans of the genre have glumly come to expect go-nowhere sequels from other authors, so we're entitled to pinch ourselves over Martin's tightly crafted Song of Ice and Fire series. The reports are all true: this series is the real deal, and Martin deserves his crown as the rightful king of the epic. A Game of Thrones got things off to a rock-solid start, A Clash of Kings only exceeded expectations, but it's the Storm of Swords hat trick that cements Martin's rep as the most praiseworthy fantasy author to come along since that other R.R.
Like the first two books, A Storm of Swords could coast on the fundamentals: deftly detailed characters, convincing voices and dialogue, a robust back-story, and a satisfyingly unpredictable plot. |
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A Feast for Crows
A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 4 (Hardcover
November 8, 2005
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Long-awaited doesn't begin to
describe this fourth installment in bestseller Martin's staggeringly
epic Song of Ice and Fire. In the fourth volume of Martin's "A Song
of Ice and Fire" saga, the evil king is finally dead-and trouble is
starting to brew. |
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