The War of the Five Kings is over. The Iron Throne is now under the control of the Lannisters, but the Seven Kingdoms are paying the price of the bloody conflict.

As after every battle, the vultures descend to feed on the smoldering plains. And from the ashes, new disputes arise...

The fourth book of the epic series, which has been honored with three Locus awards, has been translated into more than twenty languages and has sold millions of copies worldwide.

"Magnificent, thrilling... In his fantastical world, Martin captures all the intoxicating complexity of the Wars of the Roses or the Roman Empire... His writing is always rich and full of power."
("SFX")

"Characters dark and with such intense passions, surpassing even the Borgias."
("Guardian")