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It seems too good to be true. After centuries of bitter strife and fatal treachery, the seven powers dividing the land have decimated one another into an uneasy truce. Or so it appears.... With the death of the monstrous King Joffrey, Cersei is ruling as regent in King’s Landing. Robb Stark’s demise has broken the back of the Northern rebels, and his siblings are scattered throughout the kingdom like seeds on barren soil. Few legitimate claims to the once desperately sought Iron Throne still exist—or they are held in hands too weak or too distant to wield them effectively. The war, which raged out of control for so long, has burned itself out. But as in the aftermath of any climactic struggle, it is not long before the survivors, outlaws, renegades, and carrion eaters start to gather, picking over the bones of the dead and fighting for the spoils of the soon-to-be dead. Now in the Seven Kingdoms, as the human crows assemble over a banquet of ashes, daring new plots and dangerous new alliances are formed, while surprising faces—some familiar, others only just appearing—are seen emerging from an ominous twilight of past struggles and chaos to take up the challenges ahead. It is a time when the wise and the ambitious, the deceitful and the strong will acquire the skills, the power, and the magic to survive the stark and terrible times that lie before them. It is a time for nobles and commoners, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and sages to come together and stake their fortunes... and their lives. For at a feast for crows, many are the guests—but only a few are the survivors.
Following the collapse of the War of the Five Kings, the power vacuum in the Seven Kingdoms invites a new, desperate scramble for control among the survivors. Cersei Lannister attempts to consolidate her grip on the Iron Throne as regent, while the remnants of the Stark family and other noble houses navigate a landscape defined by betrayal and shifting loyalties. The narrative employs a multi-perspective framework, tracking various characters across the continent as they contend with the physical devastation of war and the emergence of new, hidden threats. Each character must navigate the logical constraints of a world where political maneuvering is as lethal as open combat, and where the promise of stability is merely a precursor to further chaos.
This installment is widely recognized for its shift in scope, focusing on the political fallout and character-driven consequences following the explosive events of the previous volume. Critics and readers often highlight the deliberate pacing and the decision to split the narrative geographically, which allows for a deeper examination of the secondary characters. The work is frequently praised for its intricate world-building and the uncompromising nature of its political machinations. While some readers initially found the absence of certain central protagonists jarring, the consensus acknowledges the book as a vital bridge that expands the complexity of the overarching epic.
Page Count:
0
Publication Date:
2005-10-17
Publisher:
Yellow Silk
ISBN-10:
0007369212
ISBN-13:
9780007369218
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