The family names were designed in association with ethnic groups (see backstory): the First Men in the North of Westeros had very simply descriptive names like Stark and Strong, whereas the descendants of the Andal invaders in the South have more elaborate, undescriptive house names like Lannister or Arryn, and the Targaryens and Valyrians from the Eastern continent have the most exotic names with the letter Y. 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.

Nobles and commoners, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and sages, are coming together to stake their fortunes. Modeled on The Lord of the Rings, the story of A Song of Ice and Fire begins with a tight focus on a small group (with everyone in Winterfell, except Daenerys) and then splits into separate stories. Following on from The Folio Society’s wildly successful edition of A Game of Thrones, this unique two-volume set is packed with details that fans will love, including specially designed chapter headings and spectacular bindings.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.

He knows the ending in broad strokes as well as the future of the main characters, [28] and will finish the series with bittersweet elements where not everyone will live happily ever after. Registered office address: Unit 34 Vulcan House Business Centre, Vulcan Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE5 3EF.The Wheel of Timeauthor 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. Bloodthirsty, treacherous and cunning, the Lannisters are in power on the Iron Throne in the name of the boy-king Tommen. Neuware -The complete box set of George R R Martin's internationally bestselling series A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE, the greatest fantasy epic of the modern age. In 2011, Martin gave three years as a realistic estimate for finishing the sixth book at a good pace, [1] but said ultimately the book "will be done when it's done", [22] acknowledging that his publication estimates had been too optimistic in the past.