Part of Series
The second volume of a four-part, full-color graphic novel adaptation of the second book in George R. R. Martin's landmark Song of Ice and Fire series, the inspiration for HBO's Game of Thrones. As chaos grips Westeros, a flaming red comet continues to burn a crimson path across the sky. Some see this fiery herald as a sign of their impending victory. Others see it as a mark of the blood and terror that will soon engulf this divided kingdom. But one thing is certain: none of the six contenders who seek either the Iron Throne, or the lands their ancestors once held as kings, are willing to back down. And as factions scatter or come together, there are many witnesses to the unrest that is to come. Arya Stark finds herself in the heart of enemy territory at Harrenhal, while her mother is trapped between two brothers battling each other for their dead brother's throne. In the heart of King's Landing, Tyrion is busy ferreting out traitors as the Hand of the King, while Jon is beginning to comprehend the lawlessness of life beyond the Wall. New friends arrive in Winterfell for Bran, a forgotten son finds life in the Iron Islands quite different than he remembered, and the Mother of Dragons at last arrives in the fabled city of Qarth. But even as these would-be kings draw their lines of battle, it is the people of Westeros who will most suffer for their ambitions. For when kings clash, it is the commoners who bear the greatest cost.
Author
George Raymond Richard "R.R." Martin, born on September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey, is a distinguished fantasy and science fiction writer. Son to Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and Margaret Brady Martin, he grew up with two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten. Martin's passion for writing emerged early, selling monster stories to neighborhood kids, which later evolved into a keen interest in comic books during his high school years, where he also started writing fiction for comic fanzines. His first professional story, The Hero, was sold in 1970 at age 21 and published in Galaxy's February 1971 issue. After earning a B.S. and then a M.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Martin served as a conscientious objector with VISTA, tied to the Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation from 1972-1974, alongside directing chess tournaments and teaching journalism. His marriage to Gale Burnick in 1975 ended in divorce by 1979 without children. Martin transitioned to full-time writing in 1979, after a stint as writer-in-residence at Clarke College. In Hollywood, Martin contributed to Twilight Zone and Beauty and the Beast on CBS, later producing his own pilot, Doorways. Residing in Santa Fe, New Mexico, he's been actively involved with the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America and the Writers' Guild of America, West.
