by George RR Martin, 1998
Book 2 of A Song of Fire and Ice
4 different kings are vying for the kingdom: Stannis, Lord Renly, Robb, Joffrey.
Tyron the dwarf ends up saving King’s Landing but he’s badly wounded.
Robb is winning battles against the Lannisters.
Lady Catelyn is in the dungeon in Riverrun, about to kill Jaime Lannister, or is she. She learns he is the one who threw Brandon off the castle, but he didn’t hire the man who tried to murder him. Hmmm…
Jon is in the North beyond the Wall and has yielded to the Wildlings.
Sansa is still in the castle at King’s Landing – freed from being Joffrey’s wife but needing to escape.
Bran and Rickon are supposedly murdered by Theon Greyjoy but he ended up murdering 2 little boys that looked like Bran and Rickon – they escaped with Hodor, Osha, and the Meera and Jojen, the “reeds” by hiding in the crypt in Winterfell while Theon loses the Castle and hopefully his life.
Arya is in Harrenhall but has just escaped with Gendry (I think Robert’s bastard) and Hot Pie – I think she’s going to try to get to Riverrun.
Daenerys with her 3 dragons is still trying to get ships to take her across the sea with her Khaleesi and horses.
It’s a messy soap opera, very gory, but I can’t stop reading them now.