'Colossal, staggering... Martin captures all the intoxicating complexity of the Wars of the Roses or Imperial Rome in his imaginary world... one of the greats of fantasy literature.' SFX 'Fantasy literature has never shied away from grandeur, but the sheer-mind-boggling scope of this epic has sent other fantasy writers away shaking their heads... Its ambition: to construct the Twelve Caesars of fantasy fiction, with characters so venomous they could eat the Borgias.' Guardian 'Truly epic... An extraordinarily rich novel... with its magnificent action-filled climax, it provides a banquet for fantasy lovers with large appetites... The book stands out from similar work by virtue of its superbly developed characters, accomplished prose and sheer bloody-mindedness.' Publishers Weekly 'A vast, rich saga, with splendid characters and an intricate plot flawlessly articulated against a backdrop of real depth and texture.' Kirkus
George R.R. Martin is the author of Fevre Dream, the ultimate science fiction horror novel, several collections of short stories and numerous scripts for television drama. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.