A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones / A Clash of Kings / A Storm of Swords / A Feast for Crows  (English, Paperback, Martin George R. R.)

From the imagination of the “American Tolkien” comes this stunning epic-fantasy series that will transport the readers to a different world. These books offer chivalry, honour, betrayal, loyalty, kinship, along with a plethora of distinct characters, which will blow any fantasy lover’s mind and leave him asking for more.

Summary Of The Book

This boxed set is a collection of the first four books of A Song of Ice and Fire series by the best-selling American author George R. R. Martin, whose works and writing are often compared to those of J. R. R. Tolkien - who is considered to be one of the finest of fantasy authors in the literary world.

The series is set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos. Initially, the author introduces the readers to human characters. However, as the story develops, the readers are introduced to the 'Others'- a race of supernatural beings residing beyond the ice wall to the North, and dragons that breathe fire and inhabit the East. The series revolves around three major story lines, which ultimately become interwoven: the first is the war for control of Westeros between families, the second is the perceived danger from the menacing and calculating others, and the return of the exiled princess Daenerys Targaryen with her dragons to claim her rights to the throne of Westeros as the heir and daughter of a king who was murdered 15 years ago in a civil war.

In the first book of the series, A Game of Thrones, we are introduced to a world of absurdities and darkness. In this world, sinister forces co-exist with noble hearts, and it is filled with danger and threats. As summers linger for ages and winters last forever, the land of Westeros falls into an imbalance of power and importance. As trouble brews in the North, the continent gets into a state of civil war.

The second book, A Clash of Kings, begins right where A Game of Thrones left off. While the seven families of the continent battle for the throne, few men who guard “The Wall” in the North, called the Night’s Watch, set out on a mission to the land of the Others for investigation and enquiry. Meanwhile, the ambitious Daenerys Targaryen is all set to make a comeback.

In A Storm of Swords, the initial war between the families continue. However, a few more internal wars have broken out. The common people are severely affected. The scenario has somewhat progressed as the Night’s Watch leads on and the raging princess looks to gather forces to win her personal war.

In the final book of the collection, A Feast For Crows, the war has lead to several crucial developments in the lives of the characters, and it also has a collective impact on each one of them. The plot gets more complex, but in an interesting way.

The books are written in a rather interesting fashion. Instead of picking a protagonist to tell the story in the form of a singular narrative, the author employs several narratives and gives the readers a range of perspectives on the story, which are insightful.

Unlike other fantasy series that focus mainly on magic and the supernatural forces, this one focuses instead on political intrigue, battles, and complex questions of the branding of characters as good and evil, for no character in his books are either black or white. Martin’s books are highlighted by violence, crumbling of morality, and sexuality - which have been lauded by the critics. He has also depicted feminism and dabbled with religion in these series.

The series came out in 1991. By 1996, Martin decided that he wanted to extend the trilogy. This 4-part book collection, which came out on March 22, 2011, has met with tremendous reviews, both popular and critical. While Denver Post called it the series of the decade, Publishers Weekly was all praises for the quality storytelling, real-to-life characters, and intriguing plot.

The series has been reprinted in more than 40 translations, USA Today reported. By 2011, according to Wall Street Journal the book had sold 6 million copies by May, while according to USA Today the sales had reached up to a booming 12 million copies by December.

The Home Box Office, commonly known as HBO, began to air a series based on these books in 2007. It went on to receive 13 Emmy Award nominations after the first series, including those for Outstanding Supporting Actor and Outstanding Drama. A second season came out in April 2012.

Boardgames, art works, and fantasy flight games have all been inspired by this popular series. A monthly comic of the series by Dynamite Entertainment came out in 2011.

About George R. R. Martin

George R. R. Martin is a popular American writer of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. He is also a screenwriter.

Other books by George R. R. Martin include Dying of the Light, Windhaven, Fevre Dream, The Armageddon Rag, Hunter's Run, A Song for Lya, The Skin Trade, Shadow Twin,  and Meathouse Man. He has also written The Ice Dragon Tales of Dunk and Egg series, which is set in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire. It includes the novellas The Hedge Knight, The Sworn Sword, and The Mystery Knight.

The plot is gripping, the story drips with political intrigue, the characters are moving and well developed, and the author’s narration is lucid. The narrative technique of employing different voices to describe and analyse the same event is the highlight of this series. The characters are complex and real, the story is sensational, and the mature themes are an added bonus.

His first story was nominated for a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award. He returned to writing in the 1990s, after working as a writer-producer in Hollywood, and started writing the series A Song of Ice and Fire. George Martin was called the Author of the Year for 2011 by USA Today, and he made it to Time magazine’s list of 100 Most Influential People of 2011. Martin stays in Santa Fe, Mexico.