NOW THE ACCLAIMED HBO SERIES GAME OF THRONES

Here is the first volume in George R. R. Martin’s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R. R. Martin’s stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.

A GAME OF THRONES

Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. 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. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. 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.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.


From the Paperback edition.

The night may be dark and full of terrors, but they sure look incredible in this beloved calendar series. Inspired by the events, landscapes, and characters ofA Game of Thrones and the rest of George R. R. Martin’s extraordinary ongoing masterwork, A Song of Ice and Fire, the 2017 edition features twelve breathtaking originals from award-winning fantasy illustrator Didier Graffet. With the artist’s dark, transfixing style on complete display, these specially commissioned pieces make this calendar a treat for all seasons.
 
12 MONTHS OF ALL-NEW PAINTINGS!

In spettrali campi di battaglia e tetre fortezze in rovina, fra città tramutate in cimiteri e terre ridotte a ossari, la spaventosa guerra dei cinque re volge ormai al termine. La Casa Lannister e i suoi alleati appaiono vincitori. Eppure, nei Sette Regni, qualcosa ancora si agita. Mentre corvi in forma umana si raccolgono per un festino di ceneri, nuovi, temerari complotti vengono orditi e nuove, pericolose alleanze prendono forma. In questa apparentemente consolidata 'pace del re' forze inattese sono pronte a sferrare attacchi cruenti. Guidati dal famigerato re Occhio-di-corvo, gli uomini di ferro, eredi di un culto guerriero dimenticato da secoli, si sono lanciati all'invasione del sudovest del reame, costringendo la regina Cersei e il Trono di Spade ad affrontare un'inedita prova di forza. E dalle brume di una memoria lasciata troppo a lungo sepolta, un'antica, sinistra profezia potrebbe minacciare la stessa regina. Non sembra esistere una fine al banchetto dei corvi. E, forse, l'ora del destino sta per scoccare perfino per le prede più inattaccabili. Questa edizione presenta in un volume unico 'Il dominio della regina' e 'L'ombra della profezia', corrispondente al Libro quarto delle Cronache del ghiaccio e del fuoco, così come concepito dall'autore.

Il racconto che apre questa raccolta, che è il primo di due volumi che completano l'edizione italiana dei racconti di Martin, cominciata nel 2006 con la pubblicazione dei 'Re di sabbia' e proseguita l'anno successivo con 'Le torri di cenere'. I primi tre racconti, scritti negli anni Sessanta mostrano un Martin giovane ma già in possesso delle virtù di un grande scrittore, particolarmente a suo agio nello spaziare tra generi, dal fantastico di 'Solo i bambini' all'epico eroico della 'Fortezza', con un'insolita incursione nel politico (senza rinunciare a ironia e azione, ovviamente) con 'E morte il suo retaggio'. I restanti quattro sono stati scritti tra gli anni Settanta e gli anni Ottanta, veri e propri gioielli letterari, percorsi da una vena crudele e perturbante che avvicina Martin a maestri assoluti quali Edgar Allan Poe o, mutando forma espressiva, Roman Polanski o Alfred Hitchcock.

Westeros, novant'anni prima degli avvenimenti narrati nelle 'Cronache del Ghiaccio e del Fuoco'. Qui si muovono due nuovi grandi personaggi del pantheon di George R.R. Martin: Dunk, noto anche come ser Duncan, cavaliere errante poco avvezzo agli intrighi di corte ma abile nella lotta e nobile di cuore, e il suo giovane scudiero Egg, un soprannome dietro cui si nasconde, all'insaputa del mondo, Aegon Targaryen, principe della Casa dei Draghi e destinato un giorno a sedersi sul Trono di Spade. Alla morte del cavaliere di cui era scudiero, Dunk decide di prenderne le insegne e partecipare a un grande torneo che si svolgerà al Campo di Ashford. Sulla strada, in una locanda, incontra un ragazzino che afferma di essere orfano. Dopo un primo rifiuto, Dunk accetta di farne il suo scudiero: è il primo momento del sodalizio di una straordinaria coppia di eroi. Dal giudizio dei sette (una competizione in cui due gruppi di sette cavalieri si sfidano senza esclusione di colpi), passando per una storia di intrighi e tradimenti sull'Altopiano, fino alla misteriosa sparizione di un uovo di drago, Dunk ed Egg affrontano incredibili avventure attraversando i Sette Regni di Westeros dall'uno all'altro dei punti cardinali. Le loro gesta hanno luogo in un mondo più sereno rispetto a quello descritto nelle 'Cronache del Ghiaccio e del Fuoco', un mondo sfarzoso fatto di tornei, donne e cavalieri, in cui non mancano complotti e macchinazioni... Edizione illustrata da Gary Gianni.

Nella terra dove le stagioni possono durare intere generazioni, divampa la guerra tra la bella e corrotta regina Cersei Lannister e i lord dei Sette Regni fedeli ai coraggiosi signori di Grande Inverno. Intanto, nelle grandi pianure orientali, la principessa Daenerys Targaryen, ultima discendente della dinastia del Drago, si prepara con i suoi poteri straordinari alla riconquista del regno dei suoi avi. Ma la vera minaccia sono gli Estranei che avanzano da nord, esseri misteriosi, per secoli ritenuti a torto frutto della fantasia. Odiano la vita, il fuoco, il calore, l'estate, perché essi sono la morte, il freddo, il ghiaccio e l'inverno. La fine dell'estate è vicina e solo un nuovo prodigio potrà squarciare le tenebre.

Quinto volume dedicato a Feydeau che raccoglie testi di grande successo: 'Sarto per signora', 'A scatola chiusa', 'Occupati di Amélie', 'Léonie è in anticipo', 'La Signora Sganarello'. «Feydeau è - per molti versi - il creatore di quel genere di commedie che in Italia sono state battezzate col nome francese di 'pochade' e che in Francia, invece, si definiscono 'vaudeville'. [...] Una situazione burlesca, per lui, non può esistere se non in quanto ne debba generare un'altra ancor più ridanciana. Tutto sta ad entrare nel gioco, ma una volta presi nell'ingranaggio è impossibile non ridere».

Taking place nearly a century before the events of A Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdomscompiles the first three official prequel novellas to George R. R. Martin’s ongoing masterwork, A Song of Ice and Fire. These never-before-collected adventures recount an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living consciousness.

Before Tyrion Lannister and Podrick Payne, there was Dunk and Egg. A young, naïve but ultimately courageous hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall towers above his rivals—in stature if not experience. Tagging along is his diminutive squire, a boy called Egg—whose true name (hidden from all he and Dunk encounter) is Aegon Targaryen. Though more improbable heroes may not be found in all of Westeros, great destinies lay ahead for these two . . . as do powerful foes, royal intrigue, and outrageous exploits.

Featuring more than 160 all-new illustrations by Gary Gianni, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a must-have collection that proves chivalry isn’t dead—yet.

Let the secret history of the world be told-of the alien virus that struck Earth after World War II, and of the handful of the survivors who found they now possessed superhuman powers. Some were called Aces, endowed with powerful mental and physical prowness. The others were Jokers, tormented by bizarre mind or body disfigurements. Some served humanity. Others caused terror. And now, forty years later, as a gang war between the Shadow Fists and the mafia rages out of control in the streets of Jokertown, Aces and Jokers go underground-to wage their own war against the powers of the netherworld.

Here, in the fifth volume of the exciting series, ten of science fiction's most gifted writers take readers on a journey of wonder and excitement in an astounding alternate history.

Featuring the talents of John J. Miller, Roger Zelazny, Leanne C. Harper, Arthur Byron Cover, Melina C. Snodgrass, Edward Bryant, Stephen Leigh, Pat Cadigan, Walter Jon Williams, and George R. R. Martin.

Taking place nearly a century before the events of A Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdomscompiles the first three official prequel novellas to George R. R. Martin’s ongoing masterwork, A Song of Ice and Fire. These never-before-collected adventures recount an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living consciousness.

Before Tyrion Lannister and Podrick Payne, there was Dunk and Egg. A young, naïve but ultimately courageous hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall towers above his rivals—in stature if not experience. Tagging along is his diminutive squire, a boy called Egg—whose true name (hidden from all he and Dunk encounter) is Aegon Targaryen. Though more improbable heroes may not be found in all of Westeros, great destinies lay ahead for these two . . . as do powerful foes, royal intrigue, and outrageous exploits.

Featuring more than 160 all-new illustrations by Gary Gianni, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a must-have collection that proves chivalry isn’t dead—yet.

The ultimate collector’s item for fans of the epic fantasy series that inspired HBO’sGame of Thrones—a gorgeous boxed set featuring conveniently sized, hand-holdable leather-cloth-bound editions of the first five novels!
 
An immersive entertainment experience unlike any other, A Song of Ice and Fire has earned George R. R. Martin—dubbed “the American Tolkien” byTime magazine—international acclaim and millions of loyal readers. Now the monumental saga gets the royal treatment it deserves, with each book wrapped in bound leather-cloth covers and packaged together in an elegant display case. This one-of-a-kind boxed set includes:
 
A GAME OF THRONES
A CLASH OF KINGS
A STORM OF SWORDS
A FEAST FOR CROWS
A DANCE WITH DRAGONS
 
“One of the best series in the history of fantasy.”—Los Angeles Times
 
Winter is coming. Such is the stern motto of House Stark, the northernmost of the fiefdoms that owe allegiance to King Robert Baratheon in far-off King’s Landing. There Eddard Stark of Winterfell rules in Robert’s name. There his family dwells in peace and comfort: his proud wife, Catelyn; his sons Robb, Brandon, and Rickon; his daughters Sansa and Arya; and his bastard son, Jon Snow. Far to the north, behind the towering Wall, lie savage Wildings and worse—unnatural things relegated to myth during the centuries-long summer, but proving all too real and all too deadly in the turning of the season.
 
Yet a more immediate threat lurks to the south, where Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, has died under mysterious circumstances. Now Robert is riding north to Winterfell, bringing his queen, the lovely but cold Cersei, his son, the cruel, vainglorious Prince Joffrey, and the queen’s brothers Jaime and Tyrion of the powerful and wealthy House Lannister—the first a swordsman without equal, the second a dwarf whose stunted stature belies a brilliant mind. All are heading for Winterfell and a fateful encounter that will change the course of kingdoms.
 
Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea, Prince Viserys, heir of the fallen House Targaryen, which once ruled all of Westeros, schemes to reclaim the throne with an army of barbarian Dothraki—whose loyalty he will purchase in the only coin left to him: his beautiful yet innocent sister, Daenerys.
 
“Long live George Martin . . . a literary dervish, enthralled by complicated characters and vivid language, and bursting with the wild vision of the very best tale tellers.”—The New York Times

All new and original to this anthology, the twenty-one stories in Dangerous Women include work by twelveNew York Times bestsellers, and seven stories set in the authors' bestselling continuities-including a new "Outlander" story by Diana Gabaldon, a tale of Harry Dresden's world by Jim Butcher, a story from Lev Grossman set in the world ofThe Magicians, and a 35,000-word novella by George R. R. Martin about the Dance of the Dragons, the vast civil war that tore Westeros apart nearly two centuries before the events ofA Game of Thrones.

Also included are original stories by Brandon Sanderson, Joe Abercrombie, Sherilynn Kenyon, Lawrence Block, Carrie Vaughn, S. M. Stirling, Sharon Kay Penman, and more.

Writes Gardner Dozois in his Introduction: "Here you'll find no hapless victims who stand by whimpering in dread while the male hero fights the monster...Instead, you will find sword-wielding women warriors, intrepid women fighter pilots and far-ranging spacewomen, deadly female serial killers, formidable female superheroes, sly and seductive femmes fatale, female wizards, hard-living Bad Girls, female bandits and rebels, embattled survivors in Post-Apocalyptic futures, female Private Investigators, stern female hanging judges, haughty queens who rule nations and whose jealousies and ambitions send thousands to grisly deaths, daring dragonriders, and many more."

It’s always the year of the dragon with this annual calendar featuring highlights fromA Game of Thrones and beyond. In the 2016 edition, Magali Villeneuve, whose dazzling artwork appeared in theNew York Times bestselling sensation The World of Ice & Fire, puts her spin on George R. R. Martin’s original saga with thrilling ambience and breathtaking naturalism. And, as a special treat, one of Villeneuve’s thirteen gorgeous, dynamic paintings depicts a scene from The Winds of Winter, the long-awaited sixth novel in A Song of Ice and Fire.

13 SPECTACULAR PAINTINGS—INCLUDING A SCENE FROM THE WINDS OF WINTER!