Four contend for power over the Iron Throne and the Land of the Seven Kingdoms; alliances shift, and betrayal is always an option. House Lannister's head, Joffrey, rules uneasily. Joffrey's enemy, Lord Stannis, is disgraced and enthralled. Robb of House Stark still rules the North, implacable in his enmity towards his Lannister foes, even as they hold his sister hostage. And the exiled queen Daenerys, mistress of the world's last three dragons, makes...

"This special edition of A Clash of Kings--featuring twenty-two gorgeous, original black-and-white illustrations by Lauren K. Cannon--continues the series of anniversary releases of the iconic A Song of Ice and Fire novels that began with A Game of Thrones: The Illustrated Edition. A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. And from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions...

Set two hundred years before the events of Game of thrones, follows the Targaryens ruling over the Seven Kingdoms.

After the shocking developments at the end of season 5 -- including Jon Snow's bloody fate at the hands of Castle Black mutineers, Daenerys' near-demise at the fighting pits of Meereen, and Cersei's public humiliation in the streets of King's Landing -- survivors from all parts of Westeros and Essos regroup to press forward, inexorably, towards their uncertain individual fates. Familiar faces will forge new alliances to bolster their strategic chances...

Explores the myth, lore, and representation in popular culture of vampires and vampire legends from around the globe.