'All men must die': or 'Valar Morghulis', as the traditional Essos
greeting is rendered in High Valyrian. And die they do - in prodigious
numbers; in imaginatively varied and gruesome ways; and often in terror
within the viciously unpredictable world that is HBO's sensational
evocation of Game of Thrones. Epic in scope and in imaginative breadth,
the stories that are brought to life tell of the dramatic rise and fall
of nations, the brutal sweeping away of old orders and the advent of new
autarchs in the eternal quest for dominion.
Yet, as this book reveals, many potent and intimate narratives of love
and passion can be found within these grand landscapes of heroism,
honour and death. They focus on strong relationships between women and
family, as well as among the anti-heroes, the 'cripples, bastards and
broken things'. In this vital follow-up to Winter Is Coming (2015),
acclaimed medievalist Carolyne Larrington explores themes of power,
blood-kin, lust and sex in order to draw entirely fresh meanings out of
the show of the century.