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''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. The first volume of the series, ''A Game of Thrones'', was begun in 1991 and first published in 1996. The series has grown from a planned trilogy to seven volumes, the fifth and most recent of which, ''A Dance with Dragons'', took Martin five years to write before its publication in 2011. The sixth novel, ''The Winds of Winter'', is still being written. The story of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' takes place on the fictional continents Westeros and Essos. The point of view of each chapter in the story is a limited perspective of a range of characters growing from nine, in the first novel, to thirty-one by the fifth. Three main stories interweave a dynastic war among several families for control of Westeros, the rising threat of the supernatural Others beyond Westeros' northern border, and the ambition of Daenerys Targaryen, the deposed king's exiled daughter, to assume the Iron Throne. Martin's inspirations included the Wars of the Roses and the French historical novels ''The Accursed Kings'' by Maurice Druon.〔〔 ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' received favorable critique for its diverse portrayal of women and religion, and praise for favoring realism over magic. An assortment of disparate, subjective and sometimes inaccurate points of view confront the reader, and the reader may not safely presume that a favorite character will prevail, or even survive. Violence, sexuality and moral ambiguity frequently arise among a thousand named characters. As of April 2015, the books have sold more than 60 million copies worldwide and have been translated into at least 45 languages.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title='George RR Martin revolutionised how people think about fantasy' | Books | The Guardian )〕 The fourth and fifth volumes reached the top of ''The New York Times'' Best Seller lists upon their releases.〔 Among the many derived works are several prequel novellas, a TV series, a comic book adaptation, and several card, board and video games. ==Plot synopsis== The story of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' takes place in a fictional world in which seasons last for years on end. Centuries before the events of the first novel (see backstory), the Seven Kingdoms on the continent Westeros had been united under the Targaryen dynasty established by the first Targaryen King, Aegon I. As ''A Game of Thrones'' begins, it has been 15 years since the feudal lords led by Robert Baratheon killed the last Targaryen ruler, King Aerys II Targaryen, and made Robert king. The principal story chronicles a power struggle for the Iron Throne of Westeros after King Robert's death in ''A Game of Thrones''. Robert's son Joffrey immediately claims the throne with the support of his mother's family, House Lannister. When Lord Eddard Stark, King Robert's "Hand" (chief advisor) discovers that Joffrey and his siblings are the offspring of incest by siblings Jaime and Cersei Lannister, Eddard is executed for treason and Robert's brothers Stannis and Renly lay separate claims to the throne. Several regions of Westeros attempt self-rule: Stark's eldest son Robb is proclaimed King in the North, while Balon Greyjoy re-establishes an independent Kingdom in his region, the Iron Islands. This so-called 'War of the Five Kings' is in full progress by the middle of the second book, ''A Clash of Kings''. The second story takes place on the northern border of Westeros, where an 8,000-year-old wall of ice defends Westeros from the Others. The Wall's sentinels, the Sworn Brotherhood of the Night's Watch, protect the realm of Westeros (land of the seven kingdoms), whereas the "Free Folk" or "wildlings" are humans living north of the Wall. The Night's Watch story is told primarily through Jon Snow, who is introduced as the bastard son of Eddard Stark,〔 and who joins the Watch, rising quickly through the ranks. In the third volume, ''A Storm of Swords'', this story becomes entangled with the civil war. The third story is set on an eastern continent named Essos, and follows Daenerys Targaryen, isolated from the others until ''A Dance with Dragons''. On Essos, Daenerys rises from a pauper sold into marriage, to a powerful and intelligent ruler. Her rise is aided by the birth of three dragons from eggs given to her as wedding gifts: used initially as symbols, and later as weapons. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「A Song of Ice and Fire」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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