|
|
| (4 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) |
| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| {{italic title}} | | {{italic title}} |
| {{infobox Book | | {{infobox Book |
| | name = ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' | | | name = ''Forsaken Saga'' |
| | image = [[Image:Bookset.jpg|200px]] | | | image = [[Image:Winds of Winter Cover.jpg|200px]] |
| | image_caption = US covers for the first five books <hr> ''[[A Game of Thrones]]''<br>''[[A Clash of Kings]]''<br> ''[[A Storm of Swords]]''<br>''[[A Feast for Crows]]''<br>''[[A Dance with Dragons]]''<br>''[[The Winds of Winter]]''<br>''[[A Dream of Spring]]''<hr> | | | image_caption = Online Cover for the first book <hr> ''[[Winds of Night (Book)|Winds of Night]]''<br>''[[Reign of Blood (Book)|Reign of Blood]]''<br> ''unnamed''<br>''unnamed''<br>''unnamed''<br>''unnamed''<br>''[[Tears of Dawn (Book)|Tears of Dawn]]''<hr> |
| | author = [[George R. R. Martin]] | | | author = [[Şafak Bayrak]] |
| | language = English | | | language = English <br> Turkish |
| | genre = [[w:High fantasy|High fantasy]], [[w:dark fantasy|Dark fantasy]], [[w:medieval fantasy|Medieval fantasy]] | | | genre = [[w:Low fantasy|Low fantasy]], [[w:High fantasy|High fantasy]], [[w:dark fantasy|Dark fantasy]], [[w:medieval fantasy|Medieval fantasy]] |
| | published = August 6, 1996–present | | | published = May 17, 2024–present |
| | media_type = print (hardcover and paperback)<br>audiobook<br>ebook | | | media_type = ebook<br>audiobook |
| }} | | }} |
|
| |
|
| '''''Forsaken Saga''''' series is an ongoing epic fantasy novel series written by Şafak Bayrak. The worldbuilding for the series began in 2015, with writing continuing since 2023. Designed to be a heptalogy, the first book, 'Winds of Winter,' is available online on ForsakenSaga.com, RoyalRoad, and Wattpad. The series is written in both English and the author's native Turkish. The second book is titled 'Reign of Blood,' and the final book is named 'Tears of Dawn.' | | '''''Forsaken Saga''''' series is an ongoing epic fantasy novel series written by [[Şafak Bayrak]]. The [[wikipedia:Worldbuilding|worldbuilding]] for the series began in 2015, with writing continuing since 2023. Designed to be a [[wikipedia:Heptalogy|heptalogy]], the first book, [[Winds of Winter (Book)|Winds of Winter]], is available online on [https://forsakensaga.com/ ForsakenSaga.com], [https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/86663/winds-of-night-the-forsaken-saga RoyalRoad], and [[Wattpad]]. The series is written in both ''English'' and the author's native ''Turkish''. The second book is titled [[Reign of Blood (Book)|Reign of Blood]], and the final book is named [[Tears of Dawn (Book)|Tears of Dawn]]. |
|
| |
|
| The narrative of the Forsaken Saga series unfolds in a fictional and fantastical world, primarily set on the western continent of Wesyrim, with plans to naturally integrate the eastern continent of Essyrium in later books. While primarily rooted in the low fantasy subgenre, certain sections carry elements of high-fantasy and grimdark themes. | | The narrative of the Forsaken Saga series unfolds in a [[wikipedia:Fiction|fictional]] and [[wikipedia:Fantasy_world|fantastical world]], primarily set on the western continent of [[Wesyrim]], with plans to naturally integrate the eastern continent of [[Essyrium]] in later books. While primarily rooted in the [[wikipedia:Low_fantasy#:~:text=Low%20fantasy%2C%20or%20intrusion%20fantasy,of%20rules%20and%20physical%20laws.|low-fantasy]] subgenre, certain sections carry elements of [[wikipedia:High_fantasy|high-fantasy]] and [[wikipedia:Grimdark|grimdark]] themes. |
|
| |
|
| The series is narrated in the third-person through the perspectives of various characters. The first part of 'Winds of Winter' features six main characters, with plans to increase this number to eight in the second part. These main characters are primarily witnesses to major events and some will directly shape the functioning of the fictional world in which the story takes place. | | The series is told in the [[wikipedia:Narration#Third-person|third-person through]] the eyes of a number of [[wikipedia:Narration#Point_of_view|point of view]] characters. The first part of [[Winds of Winter (Book)|Winds of Winter]] features six main characters, with plans to increase this number to eight in the second part. These main characters are primarily witnesses to major events and some will directly shape the functioning of the [[wikipedia:Fictional_universe|fictional world]] in which the story takes place. |
|
| |
|
| ==Back story== | | ==Back story== |
| A ''Song of Ice and Fire'' is set primarily in the fictional Seven Kingdoms of [[Westeros]], a large, South American-sized continent with an ancient history stretching back some twelve thousand years. A detailed history reveals how seven kingdoms came to dominate this continent, and then how these seven nations were united as one by Aegon the Conqueror, of [[House Targaryen]]. Some 283 years after [[Aegon's Conquest]], the Targaryens are overthrown in a civil war and King [[Robert I Baratheon]], backed primarily by his friend Lord [[Eddard Stark]] and foster father Lord [[Jon Arryn]], takes the Iron Throne. The novels, which begin fifteen years later, follow the fall-out from this event across three major storylines, set not only in Westeros but on the eastern continent as well.
| | The initial chapters of the Forsaken Saga series predominantly discuss the kingdoms located on the fictional continent of [[Wesyrim]], which is nearly half the size of Asia and has an ancient history spanning over thirteen thousand years. These kingdoms include the [[Kingdom of Harrigton]], the [[Kingdom of Riverlands]], and the [[Kingdom of Aston]]. Previously, the continent was ruled under the dominion of the [[Wesyrim Empire]], but a new era began nearly three centuries ago following the empire’s collapse. The series begins in the 275th year of the [[Era of Salvation]], which started after the fall of the [[Wesyrim Empire]]. The kingdoms on the continent are ruled by King [[Andes Harrigton|Andes VI Harrigton]] of the [[Kingdom of Harrigton]], King [[Robert Lorance|Robert III Lorance]] of the [[Kingdom of Riverlands]], and King [[Anrah Ross|Anrah IV Ross]] of the [[Kingdom of Aston]]. |
|
| |
|
| The first storyline, set in the Seven Kingdoms themselves, chronicles a many-sided struggle for the Iron Throne that develops after King Robert's death. The throne is claimed by his son [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], supported by his mother's powerful family, [[House Lannister]]. However, Lord Eddard Stark, King Robert's Hand, finds out Robert's children are illegitimate, and that the throne should therefore fall to the second of the three Baratheon brothers, [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]]. The charismatic and popular youngest brother, [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]], also places a claim, openly disregarding the order of precedence, with the support of the powerful [[House Tyrell]]. While the claimants battle for the Iron Throne, [[Robb Stark]], Lord Eddard Stark's heir, is proclaimed King in the North as the northmen and their allies in the Riverlands seek to return to self-rule. Likewise, [[Balon Greyjoy]] also (re-)claims the ancient throne of his own region, the Iron Islands, with an eye toward independence. This so-called [[War of the Five Kings]] is the principal storyline of the first four novels; indeed, the fourth novel primarily concerns Westeros's recovery from it in the face of the coming winter and the political machinations of those seeking to gain in its aftermath. In the wake of the war, four of the five self-proclaimed kings have been killed, leaving Stannis as the sole survivor. The Iron Throne is currently held by Tommen Baratheon, allegedly Robert's son, but illegitimate too. His former regent, Cersei Lannister has been deposed and imprisoned in King's Landing by the Faith. Stannis and his army, having gained little support from the Great Houses of Westeros, are presently at the Wall, far to the north where Stannis seeks to protect the realm from the threat of invasion, and simultaneously win the favor of the northern strongholds. | | The first theme of the story describes events that shape the destiny of the royal family of the [[Kingdom of Aston]], [[House Ross]]. It has been twenty-three years since King [[Anrah Ross]], known as '<nowiki/>''Royalgriffin''<nowiki/>', ascended to the throne after ending his father's reign through a rebellion. Queen [[Alissa Pansymon]], for whom [[Anrah Ross]] started the [[Royalgriffin Rebellion]], has fallen ill for unknown reasons, has been in a deep sleep for weeks, and is on her deathbed. Princess [[Lena Ross|Lena]], their young daughter, is accompanying her mother. Meanwhile, King [[Anrah Ross|Anrah]]’s eldest son and heir, known as the '<nowiki/>''Exile Prince''', [[Rhael Ross]], is in exile in [[the Marches]] and is on his way back to the capital to potentially attend his mother's funeral. [[Anrah Ross|King Anrah]]’s eldest daughter, [[Miane Ross]], is dealing with her mother’s impending death in her own way, trying to come to terms with this reality. |
|
| |
|
| The second storyline is set on the extreme northern border of Westeros. Here, many thousands of years ago, a huge wall of ice and gravel was constructed by both magic and labor to defend Westeros from the threat of the [[Others]], a race of now-mythical creatures living in the uttermost north. This Wall, 300-mile-long, 700-foot-tall, is defended and maintained by the Sworn Brotherhood of the [[Night's Watch]], whose duty is to guard the kingdom against the Others. By the time of the novels, the Others have not been seen in over 8,000 years, and the Night's Watch has devolved into essentially a penal colony: it is badly under-strength, manned primarily by criminals and refugees, with only a few knights or men of honor to stiffen them, and spends most of its time dealing with the human "wildlings" or "free folk" who live beyond the Wall. This storyline is told primarily through the eyes of [[Jon Snow]], [[bastardy|bastard]] son of Lord [[Eddard Stark]], as he rises through the ranks of the Watch, learns the true nature of the threat from the north, and prepares to defend the realm, even though the people of Westeros are too busy warring to send support. By the end of the third volume, this storyline is somewhat entangled with the civil war to the south. | | The second theme takes place in the northwestern lands of the [[Kingdom of Aston]], within the [[Kingdom of Harrigton]]. A knight, commander of the [[Shadow Cloaks]]—a brotherhood sworn to King—[[Addamd Rowdark]] witnesses the clash of powers that govern the kingdom following the awakening of Prince [[Willian Harrigton]] from [[deepsleep]]. Prince [[Willian Harrigton|Willian]] is also rallying his supporters to defend the kingdom against the raiders known as ''the islanders'' or [[Morne Marauders]], who are invading [[Kingdom of Harrigton|Harrigton]]'s northern shores. In the only city of [[Harrigton]], [[Darkmare]], a group of friends made up of orphans and street children, led by [[Bugg]], [[Pate]], and [[Maslan]], are trying to survive amidst all this chaos. |
|
| |
|
| The third storyline is set on the huge eastern continent of Essos, across the narrow sea, and follows the adventures of [[Daenerys Targaryen]], the last scion of [[House Targaryen]] in exile and another claimant to the Iron Throne. Daenerys's adventures showcase her growing ability as she rises from a pauper sold into a dynastic marriage to a barbarian warlord to a powerful and canny ruler in her own right. Her rise is aided by the birth of three dragons, creatures thought long extinct, from fossilized eggs given to her as wedding gifts. Because her family standard is the dragon, these creatures are of symbolic value before they have grown big enough to be of tactical use. Though her story is separated from the others by many thousands of miles, her stated goal is to reclaim the Iron Throne. | | The third theme involves a noble, exiled knight, [[Seth Aldmont]], who, after the brotherhood he served as a mercenary for was massacred by the [[Morne Marauders]], is captured by the islanders. Enduring torture and humiliation, [[Seth Aldmont]] struggles to survive and live under the captivity of the raiders. |
| | |
| The eponymous song of ice and fire is mentioned only once in the series, in a vision Daenerys sees in ''A Clash of Kings'': "He is the prince that was promised, and his is [[the song of ice and fire]]", spoken by a Targaryen (probably Daenerys's dead older brother [[Rhaegar Targaryen]]) about his infant son named Aegon. It is implied that there is a connection between the song, the promise, and Daenerys herself. This is established more clearly in ''A Feast for Crows'', when Aemon Targaryen identifies Daenerys as the heir that was promised. The phrase "ice and fire" is also mentioned in the Reeds' oath of loyalty to Bran in ''A Clash of Kings''. However, the song and the promise are never mentioned again, and the song itself remains a mystery.
| |
|
| |
|
| ==Themes of the novels== | | ==Themes of the novels== |
| The books are known for complex characters, sudden and often violent plot twists, and political intrigue. In a genre where [[w:Magic (paranormal)|magic]] usually takes center stage, this series has a reputation for its limited and subtle use of magic, employing it as an ambiguous and often sinister background force.<ref>SFX Magazine #138 feature, Christmas 2005</ref> Finally, the novels do not (presently) center around a climactic clash between "Good" and "Evil"; plot lines have revolved primarily around political infighting and civil war, with only one or two storyline arcs even suggesting the possibility of an external threat.
| | Unlike the typical [[wikipedia:Fantasy|fantasy]] genre, characters within the Forsaken Saga series are not classified as simply good or evil. This choice is made to allow readers to empathize with characters of varying characteristic structures and to analyze them more accurately. The novels are not narrated from a definite [[wikipedia:Narration#Third-person|third-person]] or omniscient viewpoint. Instead, the chapters are shaped by the perspectives of the characters themselves, as they perceive the world they live in. Therefore, the narratives are not absolute; two characters' perspectives on the same event, situation, or even location can contradict each other, and their memories and pasts may differ from one another’s viewpoints. |
| | |
| The novels are narrated from a very strict [[w:third person limited omniscient|third person limited omniscient]] perspective, the chapters alternating between different [[w:point of view|point of view]] characters. Martin's treatment of his characters makes them extremely hard to classify: very few can be labeled as "good" or "evil". The author also has a reputation of not being afraid to kill any character, no matter how major. | |
|
| |
|
| ==Concept and creation== | | ==Concept and creation== |
| {{See also|Themes in A Song of Ice and Fire}} | | {{See also|Themes in Forsaken Saga}} |
|
| |
|
| ===Background and Origins=== | | ===Background and Origins=== |
| Martin had a longtime love of miniature knights and medieval [[w:history|history]], but his early novels and short stories mostly fit into the [[w:science fiction|science fiction]] and horror genres; however, eventually several fantasy stories did appear, such as ''The Ice Dragon'', which he later turned into an illustrated children's book by the same name.<ref>Biographical author summaries in ''Dreamsongs''</ref> In the mid-1980s, Martin worked mainly in [[w:Hollywood|Hollywood]], principally as a writer or producer on ''[[w:The New Twilight Zone|The New Twilight Zone]]'' and [[w:Beauty and the Beast (TV series)|''Beauty and the Beast'']]. After ''Beauty and the Beast'' ended in 1989, Martin returned to writing prose and started work on a science fiction novel called ''Avalon''. In 1991, while struggling with this story, Martin conceived of a scene where several youngsters find a dead direwolf with a stag's antler in its throat. The direwolf has birthed several pups, which are then taken by the youngsters to raise as their own. Martin's imagination was fired by this idea, and he eventually developed this scene into an [[w:epic fantasy|epic fantasy]] story, which he first envisaged as a trilogy consisting of the novels ''A Game of Thrones'', ''A Dance with Dragons'' and ''The Winds of Winter''. Martin had apparently not been previously inspired by the genre, but reading [[w:Tad Williams|Tad Williams]]' ''[[w:Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn|Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn]]'' series convinced him it could be approached in a more adult and mature way than previous authors had attempted.
| | From 2016 to 2023, the author collected materials for the worldbuilding of the series and the world in which the story is set, gradually shaping its existence. During this time, the author wrote short stories to refine his writing style; while some of these stories are not part of the series, others are included in it. In addition, the author primarily wrote fanfiction set in the universes of [[wikipedia:A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire|Asoiaf]] and [[wikipedia:Dune_(novel)|Dune]], which he published on [https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook Facebook]. Some of his stories were published in a free fanzine called ''Fantastika''. At the same time, he began writing the '''Fallen Angel Trilogy''<nowiki/>' following an improvisational and literary [[RPG]] played with his group of friends. Although the writing of this series initially progressed concurrently with the Forsaken Saga, the ''Fallen Angel Trilogy'' project was later temporarily paused by the author. Although the series was initially designed as the ''House of Ross Trilogy'', the author found this design insufficient and completely revised it, extending the series into a [[wikipedia:Heptalogy|heptalogy]]. The writing style was changed from [[wikipedia:First-person_narrative|first-person]] to [[wikipedia:Narration#Third-person|third-person]]. |
| | |
| After a lengthy hiatus spent writing and producing a television pilot for a science fiction series he had created called ''Doorways'', Martin resumed work in 1994 on ''A Game of Thrones'' and completed it the following year, although he was only partway through his initial plan for the first novel. As a result, over time, Martin eventually expanded his plan for the series to include four books, then six, and finally seven, as the tale "grew in the telling," he said, quoting epic fantasy master [[w:J.R.R. Tolkien|J.R.R. Tolkien]]. Publication of ''A Game of Thrones'' followed in 1996. In the UK, the book was the subject of a fierce bidding war, eventually won by [[w:HarperCollins|HarperCollins]] for £450,000.<ref>[http://news.ansible.co.uk/a79.html#07 Ansible #79, February 1994]</ref> Pre-release publicity included publication of a "sample novella" called ''Blood of the Dragon'', which went on to win the 1997 [[w:Hugo Award|Hugo Award]] for Best Novella. To fit ''A Game of Thrones'' into one volume, Martin had pulled out the last quarter or so of the book and made it the opening section of the second book, 1998's ''A Clash of Kings''. In May 2005 Martin noted that his manuscript for ''A Game of Thrones'' had been 1088 pages long without the appendices, and ''A Clash of Kings'' was even longer at 1184 pages.<ref>[http://www.georgerrmartin.com/done.html GeorgeRRMartin.com]</ref>
| |
|
| |
|
| === Historic Influences === | | === Historic Influences === |
| Numerous parallels have been seen between the events and characters in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' and events and people involved in the [[w:Wars of the Roses|Wars of the Roses]]. Two of the principal families in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', the Starks and the Lannisters, are seen as representing the historical [[w:House of York|House of York]] and [[w:House of Lancaster|House of Lancaster]], respectively.
| | Within Forsaken Saga, some of the characters, events, and locations are directly inspired by history. The relationship between [[Anrah Ross]] and his son [[Rhael Ross]] is directly inspired by that of [[wikipedia:Suleiman_the_Magnificent|Suleiman the Magnificent]], the 10th Sultan of the [[wikipedia:Ottoman_Empire|Ottoman Empire]], and his son [[wikipedia:Şehzade_Mustafa|Şehzade Mustafa]]. The character [[Miane Ross]] is inspired by [[wikipedia:Umay|Umay Ana]], a figure from [[wikipedia:Tengrism|ancient Turkic beliefs]]. |
|
| |
|
| A similar reality-inspired conflict is the succession struggle called the [[Dance of the Dragons]] between two children Aegon II and Rhaenyra. A historical struggle (labeled [[w:The Anarchy|The Anarchy]]) between [[w:Empress Matilda|Empress Matilda]], daughter of [[w:Henry I of England|Henry I of England]], and her cousin [[w:Stephen of England|Stephen of Blois]], provides the inspiration. Each daughter is announced as her father's successor, but due to differing reasons, male rivals seize the crown and are anointed as rulers. During the dynastic struggle, the rival claimants are deposed and succeeded by the son ([[Aegon III Targaryen]] and Henry II of England respectively) of the original designated heir. Neither Empress Matilda nor Rhaenyra actually ruled in their own name.
| | The historical [[Griffon Wars]] in the series are inspired by the [[wikipedia:Ottoman_Interregnum|Interregnum]] that followed the [[wikipedia:Ottoman_Empire|Ottoman Empire]]'s decline after its war with the [[wikipedia:Timurid_Empire|Timurid Empire]]. Similarly, the father of the brothers who fought for the throne during the [[Griffon Wars]] is inspired by [[wikipedia:Bayezid_I|Bayezid the Thunderbolt]]. |
|
| |
|
| Martin is an avid student of medieval Europe, and has said that the Wars of the Roses, along with many other events in Europe during that time, have influenced the series. However, he insists that "there's really no one-for-one character-for-character correspondence. I like to use history to flavor my fantasy, to add texture and verisimilitude, but simply rewriting history with the names changed has no appeal for me. I prefer to re-imagine it all, and take it in new and unexpected directions." <ref>[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/SSM01.html So Spake Martin Report #1]</ref>
| | Although the overall theme of the series is early [[Western European]] history, the [[Asurhan]] People and cultures living in the eastern parts of the [[Wesyrim]] continent are inspired by the ancient Turks of Central Asia. Similarly, the [[Da’qa Natives]] in the southeast of the continent are inspired by the [[wikipedia:Kurds|Kurds]] living in southeastern [[wikipedia:Turkey|Turkey]] today, and their ancestors, the [[wikipedia:Medes|Medes]]. |
|
| |
|
| Martin has also said the [[w:Albigensian Crusade|Albigensian Crusades]] are an influence for the series.
| | The prevalent belief in the [[The Supreme]] in the lands of [[Kingdom of Harrigton|Harrigton]] in the west of the continent is also inspired by [[wikipedia:Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrianism]], a religion formerly believed in the [[wikipedia:Middle_East|Middle East]] and still having followers today. The conquest of the [[Wesyrim]] continent, also referred to as the [[Iron Invasion]] and the [[Iron Conquerors]], is inspired by the [[wikipedia:Norman_Conquest|conquest of England]] by [[wikipedia:William_the_Conqueror|William the Bastard]] and the [[wikipedia:Crusades|Crusades]]. |
|
| |
|
| === Literary Influences === | | === Literary Influences === |
| Line 55: |
Line 49: |
| ==Publishing history== | | ==Publishing history== |
| ===Overview=== | | ===Overview=== |
| Originally planned as a trilogy, the series now consists of five published volumes:
| | A list of the seven books planned for the series and their projected titles. The series is originally designed as a heptalogy. |
| | |
| * ''[[A Game of Thrones]]'' (1996)
| |
| * ''[[A Clash of Kings]]'' (1998)
| |
| * ''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' (2000): in some countries, published as two volumes: 1) Steel and Snow, 2) Blood and Gold.
| |
| * ''[[A Feast for Crows]]'' (2005)
| |
| * ''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'' (2011): in some countries, published as two volumes: 1) Dreams and Dust, 2) After the Feast.
| |
| | |
| The remaining two novels are provisionally titled:
| |
| | |
| * ''[[The Winds of Winter]]''
| |
| * ''[[A Dream of Spring]]'' (formerly known as ''A Time for Wolves'')
| |
| | |
| Additionally there are also three prequel novellas, set in the same world, roughly 90 years before the main events, commonly known as the "[[Dunk and Egg|Tales of Dunk and Egg]]" after their main protagonists:
| |
| | |
| * ''[[The Hedge Knight]]'' (1998)
| |
| * ''[[The Sworn Sword]]'' (2003)
| |
| * ''[[The Mystery Knight]]'' (2010)
| |
| | |
| ''The Hedge Knight'' is also available as a graphic novel from [[w:Dabel Brothers Productions|Dabel Brothers Productions]]; an adaptation of ''The Sworn Sword'' is forthcoming from the same company. The author has said that he would like to write a number of these stories (varying from six to twelve from interview to interview) covering the entire lives of these two characters. Further, a collection containing the first three published Dunk and Egg novellas called ''[[A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms]]'' was published in 2015.
| |
| | |
| Additionally there are also three novellas based on chapter sets from the books, previously in collected form in other outlets.
| |
| * ''[[Blood of the Dragon]]'' ([[w:Asimov's Science Fiction|Asimov’s]], July 1996) based on the ''[[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]]'' chapters from ''A Game of Thrones''. Received the 1997 [[w:Hugo Award for Best Novella|Hugo Award for Best Novella]].
| |
| * ''[[Path of the Dragon]]'' ([[w:Asimov's Science Fiction|Asimov’s]], December 2000) based on the ''[[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]]'' chapters from ''A Storm of Swords''.
| |
| * ''[[Arms of the Kraken]]'' ([[w:Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]] issue 305, August 2002) based on the Iron Islands chapters from ''A Feast for Crows''.
| |
| | |
| Furthermore, Martin released a "history compendium", a companion book to the main series, and has announced a second and third.
| |
| *''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'' (2014)
| |
| *''[[Fire and Blood]]'', to be released in two volumes, with the first being expected towards the end of 2018 or the start of 2019
| |
| | |
| ===First three novels (1991–2000)===
| |
| [[File:George R R Martin 2011 Shankbone.JPG|thumb|250px|George R. R. Martin at the 2011 ''Time 100'' gala.]]
| |
| | |
| George R. R. Martin was already a successful fantasy and sci-fi author and TV writer before writing his ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' book series.<ref name=ew_fantasy_king /> Martin published his first short story in 1971 and his first novel in 1977.<ref name=indigo_iv2 /> By the mid-1990s, he had won three Hugo Awards, two Nebulas and other awards for his short fiction.<ref name=grrm_iv_januarymagazine /> Although his early books were well received within the fantasy fiction community, his readership remained relatively small and Martin took on jobs as a writer in Hollywood in the mid-1980s.<ref name=grrm_iv_januarymagazine /> He principally worked on the [[w:The Twilight Zone (1985 TV series)|revival of ''The Twilight Zone'']] throughout 1986 and on ''[[w:Beauty and the Beast (TV series)|Beauty and the Beast]]'' from 1987 through 1990, but also developed his own TV pilots and wrote feature film scripts. Growing frustrated that none of his pilots and screenplays were getting made,<ref name=grrm_iv_januarymagazine /> he was also getting tired of TV-related production limitations like budgets and episode lengths that often forced him to cut characters and trim battle scenes.<ref name=nytimes_twisted /> This pushed Martin back towards writing books, his first love, where he did not have to worry about compromising the magnitude of his imagination.<ref name=grrm_iv_januarymagazine /> Admiring the works of [[w:J. R. R. Tolkien|J. R. R. Tolkien]] in his childhood, he wanted to write an epic fantasy but did not have any specific ideas.<ref name=grmm_iv_ew />
| |
| | |
| When Martin was between Hollywood projects in the summer of 1991, he started writing a new science fiction novel called ''Avalon''. After three chapters, he had a vivid idea of a boy seeing a man's beheading and finding direwolves in the snow, which would eventually become the first non-prologue chapter of ''A Game of Thrones''.<ref name=omnimag /> Putting ''Avalon'' aside, Martin finished this chapter in a few days and grew certain that it was part of a longer story.<ref name=grmm_iv_weirdtm /> After a few more chapters, Martin perceived his new book as a fantasy story<ref name=grmm_iv_weirdtm /> and started making maps and genealogies.<ref name=ew_fantasy_king /> However, the writing of this book was interrupted for a few years when Martin returned to Hollywood to produce his TV series ''[[w:Doorways|Doorways]]'' that [[w:American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] had ordered but eventually never aired.<ref name=nytimes_twisted />
| |
| | |
| Martin resumed work on ''A Game of Thrones'' in 1994, selling the novel as part of a trilogy to his agent,<ref name=nytimes_twisted /> with the novels ''A Dance with Dragons'' and ''The Winds of Winter'' following.<ref name=atlantic_sex_fantasy /> Shortly afterwards, while still writing the novel, he felt the series needed to be four and eventually six books,<ref name=nytimes_twisted /> imagined as two linked trilogies of one long story.<ref name=grrm_iv_infinityplus /> Martin, who likes ambiguous fiction titles because he feels they enrich the writing, chose ''A Song of Ice And Fire'' as the overall series title: Martin saw the struggle of the cold Others and the fiery dragons as one possible meaning for "Ice and Fire", whereas the word "song" had previously appeared in Martin's book titles ''[[w:A Song for Lya|A Song for Lya]]'' and ''Songs of the Dead Men Sing'', stemming from his obsessions with songs.<ref name=fantasyonline />
| |
|
| |
|
| The finished manuscript for ''A Game of Thrones'' was 1088 pages long (without the appendices),<ref name="Done 2005" /> with the publication following in August 1996.<ref name=pw_review_agot /> ''Wheel of Time'' author [[w:Robert Jordan|Robert Jordan]] had written a short endorsement for the cover that was influential in ensuring the book's and hence series' early success with fantasy readers.<ref name=ew_by_george /> Released for pre-release publicity, a sample novella called ''Blood of the Dragon'' went on to win the 1997 [[w:Hugo Award|Hugo Award]] for Best Novella.<ref name=scifi_magical_tale />
| | * ''[[Winds of Night (Book)|Winds of Night]]'' ''(2024-)'' |
| | * ''[[Reign of Blood (Book)|Reign of Blood]]'' ''(not published)'' |
| | * ''unnamed third book'' |
| | * ''unnamed fourth book'' |
| | * ''unnamed fifth book'' |
| | * ''unnamed sixth book'' |
| | * ''[[Tears of Dawn (Book)|Tears of Dawn]] (not published)'' |
|
| |
|
| The second book called ''[[A Clash of Kings]]'' was released in February 1999 in the United States,<ref name=pw_review_acok /> with a manuscript length (without appendices) of 1184 pages.<ref name="Done 2005" /> ''A Clash of Kings'' was the first book of the ''Ice and Fire'' series to make the best-seller lists,<ref name=nytimes_twisted /> reaching 13 on the [[w:The New York Times Best Seller list|''New York Times'' Best Seller list]] in 1999.<ref name=nytimes_bs990221 /> After the success of [[w:The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' film series]], Martin received his first inquiries to the rights of the ''Ice and Fire'' series from various producers and filmmakers.<ref name=nytimes_twisted />
| | ===== Forsaken Saga Side Stories ===== |
| | * ''[[The Widow of Mount Neqra (Book)|The Widow of Mount Neqra]] (not published)'' |
| | * [[Joal the Fox (Book)|Joal the Fox]] ''(not published)'' |
| | * [[Acorn King (Book)|Acorn King]] ''(not published)'' |
| | * [[Knight of Wood (Book)|Knight of Wood]] ''(not published)'' |
| | * [[Follower of the Shadow Trail (Book)|Follower of the Shadow Trail]] ''(not published)'' |
| | * [[The Innkeeper (Book)|The Innkeeper]] ''(not published)'' |
| | * [[Dagga and the Sinkwood (Book)|Dagga and the Sinkwood]] ''(not published)'' |
| | The planned 'history compendium,' a companion book to the main series. |
| | *''[[Years of Sunsted (Book)|Years of Sunsted]]'' ''(not published)'' |
| | *[[Lands of Blood (Book)|Lands of Blood]] ''(not published)'' |
| | *[[Dreamsongs (Book)|Dreamsongs]] ''(not published)'' |
|
| |
|
| Martin was several months late turning in the third book, ''[[A Storm of Swords]]''.<ref name=grrm_iv_januarymagazine /> The last chapter he had written was about the "Red Wedding", a scene notable for its violence two-thirds through the book (see [[Themes in A Song of Ice and Fire#Violence and death|Themes: Violence and death]]).<ref name=nydailynews_capture /> ''A Storm of Swords'' was 1521 pages in manuscript (without appendices),<ref name="Done 2005" /> causing problems for many of Martin's publishers around the world. [[w:Bantam Books|Bantam Books]] published ''A Storm of Swords'' in a single volume in the United States in November 2000,<ref name=pw_review_asos /> whereas some other-language editions were divided into two, three, or even four volumes.<ref name="Done 2005" /> ''A Storm of Swords'' debuted at number 12 in the ''New York Times'' bestseller list.<ref name=scifi_magical_tale /><ref name=nytimes_bs001119 />
| | ===First novel (2024-current)=== |
| | | Following the worldbuilding that has been underway since 2015, the first book of the series, 'Winds of Night,' began to be written in 2024. Although designed for traditional print publishing, the chapters are actively published on RoyalRoad, Wattpad, and ForsakenSaga.com. Two history compendium-type books, 'Years of Sunsted' and 'Lands of Blood,' written before 'Winds of Night,' are continuously updated during the series' writing process and have not yet been published. After a pause in writing, the series resumed online publication in 2024. The purpose of online publication is to allow the author to see readers' direct reactions and comments and to test whether the depth of the story is sufficient based on these comments. The book is being written simultaneously in both English and the author's native Turkish. Additionally, there are plans to publish the book and the series as audiobooks on YouTube. |
| ===Bridging the timeline gap (2000–2011)===
| |
| | |
| After ''A Game of Thrones'', ''A Clash of Kings'', and ''A Storm of Swords'', Martin originally intended to write three more books.<ref name=grrm_iv_januarymagazine /> The fourth book, tentatively titled ''A Dance with Dragons'', was to focus on Daenerys Targaryen's return to Westeros and the conflicts that creates.<ref name=grrm_iv_infinityplus /> Martin wanted to set this story five years after ''A Storm of Swords'' so that the younger characters could grow older and the dragons grow larger.<ref name=grrm_iv_locusmag /> Agreeing with his publishers early on that the new book should be shorter than ''A Storm of Swords'', Martin set out to write the novel closer in length to ''A Clash of Kings''.<ref name="Done 2005" /> A long prologue was to establish what had happened in the meantime, initially just as one chapter of [[Aeron Damphair]] on the Iron Islands at the [[kingsmoot]]. Since the events in Dorne and the Iron Islands were to have an impact on the book, Martin eventually expanded the kingsmoot events to be told from three new viewpoints since the existing POV characters were not present in Dorne and the Iron Islands.<ref name=gamepro />
| |
| | |
| In 2001, Martin was still optimistic that the fourth installment might be released in the last quarter of 2002.<ref name=fantasyonline /> However, the five-year gap did not work for all characters during writing. On one hand, Martin was unsatisfied with covering the events during the gap solely through flashbacks and internal retrospection. On the other hand, it was implausible to have nothing happening for five years.<ref name=grrm_iv_locusmag /> After working on the book for about a year, Martin realized he needed an additional interim book, which he called ''[[A Feast for Crows]]''.<ref name=grrm_iv_locusmag /> The book would pick up the story immediately after the third book, and Martin scrapped the idea of a five-year gap.<ref name=fantasyonline /> The material of the 250-page prologue for the beginning of ''A Feast for Crows'' was mixed in as new viewpoint characters from Dorne and the Iron Islands.<ref name=gamepro /> As these expanded storylines affected the others, the plot became much more complicated for Martin.<ref name=scifi_fowl />
| |
| | |
| The manuscript length of ''A Feast For Crows'' eventually surpassed ''A Storm of Swords''.<ref name=grrm_iv_locusmag /> Martin was reluctant to make the necessary deep cuts to get the book down to publishable length, as that would have compromised the story he had in mind. Printing the book in "microtype on onion skin paper and giving each reader a magnifying glass" was also not an option for him.<ref name="Done 2005" /> On the other hand, Martin rejected the publishers' idea of splitting the narrative chronologically into ''A Feast for Crows'', Parts One and Two.<ref name=nytimes_vile_hobbits /> Being already late with the book, Martin had not even started writing all characters' stories<ref name=guardian_gettingmore /> and also objected ending the first book without any resolution for its many viewpoint characters and their respective stories as in previous books.<ref name=grrm_iv_locusmag />
| |
| | |
| Since the characters were spread out across the world,<ref name=atlantic_sex_fantasy /> a friend of Martin suggested to divide the story geographically into two volumes, of which ''A Feast for Crows'' would be the first.<ref name=nytimes_vile_hobbits /> Splitting the story this way would give Martin the room to complete his commenced story arcs as he had originally intended,<ref name="Done 2005" /> which he still felt was the best approach years later.<ref name=atlantic_sex_fantasy /> Martin moved the unfinished characters' stories set in the east (Essos) and north (Winterfell and the Wall) into the next book, ''A Dance with Dragons'',<ref name=grrm_iv_consumerhelpweb /> and left ''A Feast for Crows'' to cover the events on Westeros, King's Landing, the riverlands, Dorne, and the Iron Islands.<ref name="Done 2005" /> Both books begin immediately after the end of ''A Storm of Swords'',<ref name=atlantic_sex_fantasy /> running in parallel instead of sequentially and involving different casts of characters with only little overlap.<ref name="Done 2005" /> Martin split Arya's chapters into both books after having already moved the three other most popular characters (Jon Snow, Tyrion and Daenerys) into ''A Dance with Dragons''.<ref name=grrm_iv_consumerhelpweb />
| |
| | |
| Upon its release in October 2005 in the UK<ref name=amazon_pubdate_AFFC /> and November 2005 in the US,<ref name=pw_review_affc /> ''A Feast for Crows'' went straight to the top of the ''[[w:New York Times|New York Times]]'' bestseller list.<ref name=nytimes_bs051127 /> Among the positive reviewers was Lev Grossman of ''[[w:Time (magazine)|Time]]'', who dubbed Martin "the American [[w:J. R. R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]".<ref name=time_american_tolkien /> However, fans and critics alike were disappointed with the story split that left the fates of several popular characters unresolved after the previous book's cliffhanger ending.<ref name=newyorker /><ref name=time_problem_power /> With ''A Dance with Dragons'' said to be half-finished,<ref name=newyorker /> Martin mentioned in the epilogue in ''A Feast for Crows'' that the next volume would be released by the next year.<ref name=globeandmail /> However, planned release dates were repeatedly pushed back. Meanwhile, [[w:HBO|HBO]] acquired the rights to turn ''Ice and Fire'' into a dramatic series in 2007<ref name="variety2007-01" /> and aired the first of ten episodes covering ''A Game of Thrones'' in April 2011.<ref name=variety_selling />
| |
| | |
| With around 1600 pages in manuscript length,<ref name=guardian_barbarians /> ''A Dance with Dragons'' was eventually published in July 2011 after six years of writing,<ref name=nytimes_twisted /> longer in page count and writing time than any of the preceding four novels.<ref name=ew_fantasy_king /><ref name=newyorker /> The story of ''A Dance with Dragons'' catches up on ''A Feast of Crows'' around two thirds into the book, going further than ''Feast'',<ref name=guardian_gettingmore /> but covered less story than Martin intended, omitting at least one planned large battle sequence and leaving several character threads ending in cliff-hangers.<ref name=ew_fantasy_king /> Martin attributed the delay mainly to his untangling "the Meereenese knot", which the interviewer understood as "making the chronology and characters mesh up as various threads converged on [Daenerys]".<ref name=time_problem_power /> Martin also acknowledged spending too much time on rewriting and perfecting the story, but soundly rejected the theories of his more extravagant critics that he had lost interest in the series or would bide his time to make more money.<ref name=newyorker />
| |
| | |
| ===Planned novels and future===
| |
| | |
| The sixth book is going to be called ''[[The Winds of Winter]]'',<ref name=dancingincircles /> taking the title of the originally planned fifth book.<ref name=grrm_iv_infinityplus /> In June 2010, Martin had already finished four chapters of ''The Winds of Winter'' from the viewpoints of [[Sansa Stark]], [[Arya Stark]] and [[Arianne Martell]].<ref name=dancingincircles /> In the middle of 2011, he also moved a finished [[Aeron Damphair]] POV chapter from the then unpublished ''A Dance with Dragons'' to the next book.<ref name=grrm_blog_200721 /> By the publication of ''A Dance with Dragons'', around 100 pages of ''The Winds of Winter'' were completed.<ref name=wsj_spill /> After a book tour and several conventions, he intended to continue his work on the long-overdue ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'' about the history and genealogy of Westeros, which he wanted to have finished by the end of 2011. He also intended to work on a new ''[[Dunk and Egg|Tales of Dunk and Egg]]'' novella that was to appear in an anthology called ''Dangerous Women'', but in January 2013 it was announced that that story was delayed and instead it had been replaced with "The Princess and the Queen", a recounting of the events leading up to and through the [[Dance of the Dragons]].<ref name=wsj_spill/><ref name=grrm_blogdangerous/> Having released a [[Theon Greyjoy]] POV sample chapter on his website in December 2011, Martin promised to release a second chapter in the back of the ''A Dance with Dragons'' paper-back edition.<ref name=nydailynews_sample_chapter/>
| |
| | |
| Martin hopes to finish ''The Winds of Winter'' much faster than the fifth book.<ref name=newyorker /> Having gotten in trouble from fans for repeatedly estimating his publication dates too optimistically, Martin refrains from making absolute estimates for book six.<ref name=ew_fantasy_king /> A realistic estimation for finishing ''The Winds of Winter'' might be three years for him at a good pace,<ref name=guardian_barbarians /> but ultimately the book "will be done when it's done".<ref name=atlantic_sex_fantasy /> Martin does not intend to separate the characters geographically again but acknowledged that "Three years from [2011] when I'm sitting on 1,800 pages of manuscript with no end in sight, who the hell knows".<ref name=grmm_iv_ew />
| |
| | |
| Displeased with the provisional title ''A Time For Wolves'' for the final volume, Martin ultimately announced ''A Dream of Spring'' as the title for the seventh book in 2006.<ref name=grrm_blog_060326 /> Martin is firm about ending the series with the seventh novel "until I decide not to be firm",<ref name=ew_fantasy_king /> leaving open the possibility of an eighth book to finish the series.<ref name=atlantic_sex_fantasy /> With his goal to tell the story from beginning to end, he will not truncate the story to fit into an arbitrary number of volumes.<ref name=indigo_iv1 /> Martin is confident to have published the remaining books before the TV series overtakes him,<ref name=grmm_iv_ew /> although he told major plot points to the two main ''Game of Thrones'' producers in case he should die.<ref name=grmm_iv_ew /> (Aged 62 in 2011, Martin is by all accounts in robust health.)<ref name=nytimes_sells_well /> However, Martin indicated he would not permit another writer to finish the series.<ref name=newyorker /> He knows the ending in broad strokes as well as the future of the main characters,<ref name=grmm_iv_ew /> which will have bittersweet elements where not everyone will live happily ever after.<ref name=scifi_magical_tale /> Martin hopes to write an ending similar to ''[[w:The Lord of the Rings|The Lord of the Rings]]'' that he felt gave the story a satisfying depth and resonance. On the other hand, Martin noted the challenge to avoid a situation like the finale of ''[[w:Lost (TV series)|Lost]]'', which left fans disappointed by deviating from their own theories and desires.<ref name=atlantic_sex_fantasy />
| |
| | |
| Martin does not rule out additional stories set in Westeros after the last book, although he is unlikely to continue in that vein immediately.<ref name=cnn/> He is fairly definite about only returning to the World of Westeros in context of stand-alone novels.<ref name=gamepro /> Having created a huge world in such detail, Martin sees the possibility of more stories to tell there. But instead of a direct continuation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', he would write stories about characters from other periods of history.<ref name=pw_talking /> He also wants to finish the ''Dunk and Egg'' project.<ref name=gamepro /> He will see if his audience follows him after publishing his next project. He would love to return to writing short stories, novellas, novelettes and stand-alone novels from diverse genres such as science fiction, horror, fantasy, or even a murder mystery.<ref name=grmm_iv_weirdtm /><ref name=ew_by_george /> Regarding ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' as his magnum opus, Martin is certain to never write anything on the scale of this series again.<ref name=gamepro />
| |
| | |
| ==Reception==
| |
| The series has been placed as the number 1 rated series at the [[w:Bibliographic database#Internet Book List|Internet Book List]] since a revision of the rating system in October 2005.,<ref>[http://www.iblist.com/list_by_rating.php?type=series list Internet book list rating ASOIAF], retrieved December 20th, 2006</ref> Additionally the individual books has won a number of awards:
| |
| * [[A Game of Thrones]] (1996) - Locus Award winner, Nebula and World Fantasy Awards nominee, 1997.
| |
| * [[A Clash of Kings]] (1998) - Locus Award winner, Nebula Award nominee, 1999.
| |
| * [[A Storm of Swords]] (2000) - Locus Award winner, Hugo and Nebula Awards nominee, 2001.
| |
| * [[A Feast for Crows]] (2005) - Hugo, Locus, and British Fantasy Awards nominee, 2006.
| |
| * [[A Dance with Dragons]] (2011) - Locus Award Winner, Hugo Award nominee, 2012.
| |
| | |
| ==Derived works==
| |
| {{Main|Derived works}}
| |
| | |
| The series is the basis of a great number of derived works, including the HBO TV series Game of Thrones, a card game, a board game, a role-playing game and two video games under development. It has also inspired several musicians, and an upcoming parody of A Game of Thrones.
| |
|
| |
|
| ==Pronunciation of names== | | ==Pronunciation of names== |
| {{Main|Pronunciation guide}} | | {{Main|Pronunciation guide}} |
|
| |
|
| Unlike J. R. R. Tolkien, who provided detailed instructions for the pronunciation of the [[w:languages of Middle-earth|languages of Middle-earth]], Martin has provided no canonical way of pronouncing Westerosi names, stating "You can pronounce it however you like." <ref>[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/SSM03k.html So Spake Martin Report #107]</ref> However, it is possible to establish some guidelines.
| | The pronunciation of characters' names within the series does not adhere to strict rules. Pronunciations are entirely left to the reader's desire and preference. However, some characters' names should be pronounced specifically, and the number of these characters is relatively fewer. |
| | |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
Forsaken Saga series is an ongoing epic fantasy novel series written by Şafak Bayrak. The worldbuilding for the series began in 2015, with writing continuing since 2023. Designed to be a heptalogy, the first book, Winds of Winter, is available online on ForsakenSaga.com, RoyalRoad, and Wattpad. The series is written in both English and the author's native Turkish. The second book is titled Reign of Blood, and the final book is named Tears of Dawn.
The narrative of the Forsaken Saga series unfolds in a fictional and fantastical world, primarily set on the western continent of Wesyrim, with plans to naturally integrate the eastern continent of Essyrium in later books. While primarily rooted in the low-fantasy subgenre, certain sections carry elements of high-fantasy and grimdark themes.
The series is told in the third-person through the eyes of a number of point of view characters. The first part of Winds of Winter features six main characters, with plans to increase this number to eight in the second part. These main characters are primarily witnesses to major events and some will directly shape the functioning of the fictional world in which the story takes place.
The initial chapters of the Forsaken Saga series predominantly discuss the kingdoms located on the fictional continent of Wesyrim, which is nearly half the size of Asia and has an ancient history spanning over thirteen thousand years. These kingdoms include the Kingdom of Harrigton, the Kingdom of Riverlands, and the Kingdom of Aston. Previously, the continent was ruled under the dominion of the Wesyrim Empire, but a new era began nearly three centuries ago following the empire’s collapse. The series begins in the 275th year of the Era of Salvation, which started after the fall of the Wesyrim Empire. The kingdoms on the continent are ruled by King Andes VI Harrigton of the Kingdom of Harrigton, King Robert III Lorance of the Kingdom of Riverlands, and King Anrah IV Ross of the Kingdom of Aston.
The first theme of the story describes events that shape the destiny of the royal family of the Kingdom of Aston, House Ross. It has been twenty-three years since King Anrah Ross, known as 'Royalgriffin', ascended to the throne after ending his father's reign through a rebellion. Queen Alissa Pansymon, for whom Anrah Ross started the Royalgriffin Rebellion, has fallen ill for unknown reasons, has been in a deep sleep for weeks, and is on her deathbed. Princess Lena, their young daughter, is accompanying her mother. Meanwhile, King Anrah’s eldest son and heir, known as the 'Exile Prince', Rhael Ross, is in exile in the Marches and is on his way back to the capital to potentially attend his mother's funeral. King Anrah’s eldest daughter, Miane Ross, is dealing with her mother’s impending death in her own way, trying to come to terms with this reality.
The second theme takes place in the northwestern lands of the Kingdom of Aston, within the Kingdom of Harrigton. A knight, commander of the Shadow Cloaks—a brotherhood sworn to King—Addamd Rowdark witnesses the clash of powers that govern the kingdom following the awakening of Prince Willian Harrigton from deepsleep. Prince Willian is also rallying his supporters to defend the kingdom against the raiders known as the islanders or Morne Marauders, who are invading Harrigton's northern shores. In the only city of Harrigton, Darkmare, a group of friends made up of orphans and street children, led by Bugg, Pate, and Maslan, are trying to survive amidst all this chaos.
The third theme involves a noble, exiled knight, Seth Aldmont, who, after the brotherhood he served as a mercenary for was massacred by the Morne Marauders, is captured by the islanders. Enduring torture and humiliation, Seth Aldmont struggles to survive and live under the captivity of the raiders.
Unlike the typical fantasy genre, characters within the Forsaken Saga series are not classified as simply good or evil. This choice is made to allow readers to empathize with characters of varying characteristic structures and to analyze them more accurately. The novels are not narrated from a definite third-person or omniscient viewpoint. Instead, the chapters are shaped by the perspectives of the characters themselves, as they perceive the world they live in. Therefore, the narratives are not absolute; two characters' perspectives on the same event, situation, or even location can contradict each other, and their memories and pasts may differ from one another’s viewpoints.
From 2016 to 2023, the author collected materials for the worldbuilding of the series and the world in which the story is set, gradually shaping its existence. During this time, the author wrote short stories to refine his writing style; while some of these stories are not part of the series, others are included in it. In addition, the author primarily wrote fanfiction set in the universes of Asoiaf and Dune, which he published on Facebook. Some of his stories were published in a free fanzine called Fantastika. At the same time, he began writing the 'Fallen Angel Trilogy' following an improvisational and literary RPG played with his group of friends. Although the writing of this series initially progressed concurrently with the Forsaken Saga, the Fallen Angel Trilogy project was later temporarily paused by the author. Although the series was initially designed as the House of Ross Trilogy, the author found this design insufficient and completely revised it, extending the series into a heptalogy. The writing style was changed from first-person to third-person.
Within Forsaken Saga, some of the characters, events, and locations are directly inspired by history. The relationship between Anrah Ross and his son Rhael Ross is directly inspired by that of Suleiman the Magnificent, the 10th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and his son Şehzade Mustafa. The character Miane Ross is inspired by Umay Ana, a figure from ancient Turkic beliefs.
The historical Griffon Wars in the series are inspired by the Interregnum that followed the Ottoman Empire's decline after its war with the Timurid Empire. Similarly, the father of the brothers who fought for the throne during the Griffon Wars is inspired by Bayezid the Thunderbolt.
Although the overall theme of the series is early Western European history, the Asurhan People and cultures living in the eastern parts of the Wesyrim continent are inspired by the ancient Turks of Central Asia. Similarly, the Da’qa Natives in the southeast of the continent are inspired by the Kurds living in southeastern Turkey today, and their ancestors, the Medes.
The prevalent belief in the The Supreme in the lands of Harrigton in the west of the continent is also inspired by Zoroastrianism, a religion formerly believed in the Middle East and still having followers today. The conquest of the Wesyrim continent, also referred to as the Iron Invasion and the Iron Conquerors, is inspired by the conquest of England by William the Bastard and the Crusades.
Regarding content, there are some major differences between the series and much of the high fantasy genre, but its structure has much in common with The Lord of the Rings. Martin states, "Although I differ from Tolkien in important ways, I’m second to no one in my respect for him. If you look at Lord of the Rings, it begins with a tight focus and all the characters are together. Then by end of the first book the Fellowship splits up and they have different adventures. I did the same thing. Everybody is at Winterfell in the beginning except for Dany, then they split up into groups, and ultimately those split up too. The intent was to fan out, then curve and come back together. Finding the point where that turn begins has been one of the issues I’ve wrestled with."[1] Martin has acknowledged his debt to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien,[2] Jack Vance[3] and Tad Williams,[4] but the series differs from Tolkien's inspiration in its greater use of realistic elements. While Tolkien was inspired by mythology, A Song of Ice and Fire is more clearly influenced by medieval and early modern history, most notably Jacobitism and the Wars of the Roses.[5] Likewise, while Tolkien tended toward romantic relationships, Martin writes frankly of sex, including incest, adultery, prostitution, and rape. As a result, illegitimate children play prominent roles throughout the series. This has led to the series being cited as the forerunners of a 'gritty' new wave of epic fantasy authors that followed, including Scott Lynch[6] and Joe Abercrombie.[7] On his website, Martin has acknowledged historical fiction authors such as Bernard Cornwell and George MacDonald Fraser to be influences on the series. Martin has cited the cover blurb by Robert Jordan for the first book to have been influential in ensuring the series' early success with fantasy readers.[8]
A list of the seven books planned for the series and their projected titles. The series is originally designed as a heptalogy.
Forsaken Saga Side Stories[edit | edit source]
The planned 'history compendium,' a companion book to the main series.
First novel (2024-current)[edit | edit source]
Following the worldbuilding that has been underway since 2015, the first book of the series, 'Winds of Night,' began to be written in 2024. Although designed for traditional print publishing, the chapters are actively published on RoyalRoad, Wattpad, and ForsakenSaga.com. Two history compendium-type books, 'Years of Sunsted' and 'Lands of Blood,' written before 'Winds of Night,' are continuously updated during the series' writing process and have not yet been published. After a pause in writing, the series resumed online publication in 2024. The purpose of online publication is to allow the author to see readers' direct reactions and comments and to test whether the depth of the story is sufficient based on these comments. The book is being written simultaneously in both English and the author's native Turkish. Additionally, there are plans to publish the book and the series as audiobooks on YouTube.
The pronunciation of characters' names within the series does not adhere to strict rules. Pronunciations are entirely left to the reader's desire and preference. However, some characters' names should be pronounced specifically, and the number of these characters is relatively fewer.
Template:GRRM works
Template:ASOIAF
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "ew_fantasy_king" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "grrm_iv_januarymagazine" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "nytimes_twisted" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "grmm_iv_ew" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "omnimag" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "grmm_iv_weirdtm" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "atlantic_sex_fantasy" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "grrm_iv_infinityplus" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "fantasyonline" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "Done 2005" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "pw_review_agot" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "ew_by_george" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "scifi_magical_tale" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "pw_review_acok" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "nytimes_bs990221" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "nydailynews_capture" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "pw_review_asos" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "nytimes_bs001119" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "grrm_iv_locusmag" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "gamepro" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "scifi_fowl" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "nytimes_vile_hobbits" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "guardian_gettingmore" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "indigo_iv2" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "grrm_iv_consumerhelpweb" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "amazon_pubdate_AFFC" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "pw_review_affc" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "nytimes_bs051127" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "time_american_tolkien" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "newyorker" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "time_problem_power" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "globeandmail" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "variety2007-01" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "variety_selling" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "guardian_barbarians" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "dancingincircles" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "grrm_blog_200721" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "wsj_spill" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "grrm_blogdangerous" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "nydailynews_sample_chapter" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "grrm_blog_060326" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "indigo_iv1" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "nytimes_sells_well" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "cnn" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
Cite error: <ref> tag with name "pw_talking" defined in <references> is not used in prior text.
This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original content was at A Song of Ice and Fire. The list of authors can be seen in the page history of A Song of Ice and Fire. As with Forsaken Saga Wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
