Game of Thrones | A Song of Ice and Fire

A Game of Thrones is written from the viewpoint of several different characters, in three main storylines. Here are some very brief introductions to the stories...

In the Seven Kingdoms:
The novel begins with King Robert Baratheon visiting Lord Eddard Stark in Winterfell, ancestral home of House Stark, a noble house of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and rulers of the North. Because he trusts him, King Robert asks Eddard to become the Hand of the King. Eddard agrees, against his instincts, and at the same time promises his wife to investigate the death of the previous Hand, Jon Arryn, who may have been the victim of political intrigue involving Robert's wife Queen Cersei and her powerful siblings of House Lannister.

On the Wall:
The Prologue of the novel introduces the northern wilderness beyond the Wall, an ancient 700 foot high, 300 mile-long barrier of ice fortifying the Seven Kingdoms, manned by the brotherhood of the Night's Watch. In the "lawless lands" north of the Wall, a small patrol of Rangers from the Night's Watch encounter the Others, and all but a single survivor are killed. Jon Snow, the bastard son of Lord Eddard, is encouraged by his uncle Benjen Stark, the First Ranger of the Night's Watch, to join the brotherhood and go to the Wall.

In the East:
Across the sea in the Free City of Pentos, Viserys Targaryen lives in exile with his thirteen-year-old sister Daenerys. He is the son and only surviving male heir of King Aerys II, who was deposed by King Robert. Viserys arranges to sell his sister in marriage to Khal Drogo, warlord of nomadic Dothraki horse warriors, planning to use Drogo's army to reclaim the Iron Throne of Westeros for House Targaryen. Among the wedding gifts are three petrified dragon eggs. A knight exiled from Westeros, Ser Jorah Mormont, joins Viserys as an advisor.

wikipedia article

For a newcomer to the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, the number and variety of knights, kingdoms, bastards, bannermen, and wildlings can be overwhelming. Author Martin has created a deep, rich world as the backdrop for his stories, and the characters are as colorful and complex as the landscape. Even the swords have names! To help you get a grip on some of the main families, their sigils (symbol) and words (motto), here's a quick guide. Good luck!

House Baratheon (Stag): "Ours is the Fury"
House Stark (Direwolf): "Winter is Coming"
House Lannister (Lion): "Hear Me Roar!"
House Tully (Fish): "Family, Duty, Honor"
House Targaryen (Dragon): "Fire and Blood"
House Arryn (Moon-and-Falcon): "As High as Honor"
House Greyjoy (Kraken): "We Do Not Sow"
House Tyrell (Rose): "Growing Strong"

beautiful artwork of Direwolves in the snow by Gold-seven

Thanks to modern cable television, a whole new cohort of fans have taken up the Game of Thrones banners! HBO has adapted George R. R. Martin's fantasy novels for the small screen, and the first season was a huge success! The network has also launched an excellent web site dedicated to its GoT programming.

Even if you don't have the HBO network, you can still dig into the story, characters, and of course, merchandise, on the site. I've put a sampling of the House wallpapers below. Just click the Polaroid to view/download the full size wallpaper image. Or go directly to the HBO Game of Thrones site to see everything there, including more wallpapers, avatars, Twitter page backgrounds, episode guides, and the online store.

George R. R. Martin is still writing the series "A Song of Ice and Fire." Here are the titles currently in the series, including a couple of volumes that have not been finished yet (as of summer 2011).


A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One

A Clash of Kings: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book Two

A Storm of Swords: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book Three

A Feast for Crows: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book Four


Not yet available:
- The Winds of Winter, forthcoming/Bantam Books
- A Dream of Spring, forthcoming/Bantam Books