Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. Martin’s stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Martin’s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords.