The Lands of Ice and Fire
By MARTIN, George R. R..; and ROBERTS, Jonathan , 1997
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The Lands of Ice and Fire: Maps from King's Landing to Across theNarrow Sea.

  • Author: MARTIN, George R. R..; and ROBERTS, Jonathan
  • Publication place: New York,
  • Publisher: Bantam Spectra,
  • Publication date: 2012.
  • Physical description: 12 lithograph folding maps, printed in colours, printed card case.
  • Inventory reference: 22138

Notes

A comprehensive cartographical record of 'The Lands of Ice and Fire'.

The Books
A recent addition to the canon of high fantasy, George R. R. Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series is based in a world of bloodshed, intrigue and magic. The fictional continents of Westeros and Essos form the stage for the adventures of a host of characters from whose perspectives the story is told. Their history, politics and conflicts resemble those of Medieval Europe, while the geography of Westeros in particular echoes that of the British Isles.

In addition to its shape, features such as The Wall, built (with the help of magic) to protect the lands to the south from the dangerous and violent beings of the north, and the political and economic capital of King's Landing, where royalty live alongside those in poverty amid the dense urban sprawl, have clear counterparts in Medieval Britain. The Hundred Years' War and the War of the Roses also provided inspiration for Martin's portrayal of an extended and bloody struggle for power.

Across the Narrow Sea, the continent of Essos is also influenced by a blend of real-world cultures and history. The nomadic Dothraki people dominate a vast grassland much like the Central Asian steppe; with its canals, large harbour and the Iron Bank, the Free City of Braavos shares many similarities with Renaissance Venice; the fallen empire of Valyria, once preeminent in warfare and technology, could be compared to a number of fallen historic superpowers.

Martin thus enriches his fantasy world with echoes of reality, although dragons, prophecies and wights make it quite clear that we have entered a new and fantastical universe.

The Maps
The entire fictional world of 'A Song of Ice and Fire' is presented in the 12 maps in this collection:
1. A complete map of the known world.
2. Westeros, both North and South.
3. The Dothraki Sea and the Red Waste.
4. Qarth and the lands in the Further East.
5. The West, featuring Westeros, the Free Cities and the Summer Isles.
6. Central Essos.
7. King's Landing.
8. Braavos.
9. The lands beyond the Wall.
10. The Free Cities in western Essos.
11. Slaver's Bay and surrounding regions.
12. A travel map showing the routes taken by all the major characters. The map of Braavos was drawn by George R. R. Martin himself while writing 'A Feast for Crows', in which he intended to include it, but, naturally, he did not have it finished in time!

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