Official ADWD Cover Blurb Released

[Werthead]

The countdown begins I'd be expecting to see the cover art in the next few months as well.

Dubbed "the American Tolkien" by Time magazine, George R. R. Martin's monumental cycle of epic fantasy, "A Song of Ice and Fire," has earned him international acclaim. Now the #1 New York Times bestselling author delivers the fifth book in his spellbinding landmark series-as both familiar faces and surprising new forces vie for a foothold in a fragmented empire.

In the aftermath of a colossal battle, the future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance once again-beset by newly emerging threats from every direction. In the east, Daenerys Targaryen, the last scion of House Targaryen, rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has three times three thousand enemies, and many have set out to find her. Yet, as they gather, one young man embarks upon his own quest for the queen, with an entirely different goal in mind. To the north lies the mammoth wall of ice and stone-a structure only as strong as those guarding it. There, Jon Snow, 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, will face his greatest challenge yet. For he has powerful foes, not only within the Watch, but also beyond, in the land of the creatures of ice. And from all corners, bitter conflicts soon re-ignite, intimate betrayals are perpetrated, and a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, will face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Some will fail, others will grow in the strength of darkness. But in a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics will lead inevitably to the greatest dance of all...

Time Magazine praised A Feast for Crows: "Of those who work in the grand epic-fantasy tradition, Martin is by far the best." "Mainstream readers…have a great treat ahead of them in Martin. A Feast of Crows is a fast-paced, emotionally complex, masterfully written adventure."-Newsday. George R.R. Martin sold his first story in 1971 and has been writing professionally every since. He's written fantasy, horror, and science fiction. In the mid-nineties he returned to prose, his first love, and began work on his epic fantasy series "A Song of Ice and Fire." He has been in the Seven Kingdoms ever since. Whenever he's allowed to leave, he returns to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he lives with the lovely Paris and two cats named Augustus and Caligula who think they run the place.

Bantam have also listed the book for October 2008. Don't believe anything until GRRM confirms it on his website though

 

[Culhwch]

I assume this would be the hardcover dust jacket blurb? Looks a bit long for even a trade paperback - I'd guess they'd just go for the middle paragraph, and leave the fawning reviews and bio for inside...

 

[Hilarious Joke]

I wouldn't be surprised if the first paragraph was also on it, in a bigger font/different colour.

 

[The Curious Orange]

Parris has two "r"s in her name, and Gus has recently left for the great scratching-post in the sky, but other than that, I'm excited. I feel like a little kid looking forward to Christmas. At least there are no silly errors like on the UK blurb for AFFC (which referred to Sansa as Joffrey's widow).

 

[Lubbock]

one young man embarks upon his own quest for the queen, with an entirely different goal in mind.


Sounds like Quentyn Martell to me, so maybe the new PoV is off him ?
GRRM had mentioned he just finished a chapter involving a wedding and Quentyn was sent out to get her hand in marriage.

 

[The Curious Orange]

Could be Quentyn, but both Victarion and Tyrion are on their way to see Dany too...

GRRM confirmed Quentyn as a POV some time ago.

 

[TK-421]

The "young man on a quest for the queen" could be Loras as GRRM has confirmed that he had added a new POV of one of the miniatures recently released. The choices are either Sandor, Melissandre or Loras.

 

[Boaz]

I was thinking of linking GRRM's ADWD update page on April 1st and announcing he'd finished. Some people may not take that as amusing... But mayhaps GRRM will beat me to the punch.

I do think it's been interesting how I (and many of you also) have developed a personally impersonal reltationship with Mr. Martin. I have learned to wait for his books. The primary reason for my patience is that I've learned to trust him. The man does not deliver second rate goods... he will not publish until he's achieved the very high standard that he holds for himself.

Aslo, what do you think A Dance with Dragons means? A Game of Thrones was obvious... the great lords of the realm (former realms) vie for political control of the empire. A Clash of Kings is also obvious... the claimants to the Iron Throne or lesser kingdoms battle. A Storm of Swords is a continuation of the war. A Feast for Crows tells of the bounty for scavengers that the civil war has left. On the surface, A Dance with Dragons seems to mean that Dany will train Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal as they mature. But is it more than that?

The thrones, kings, swords and crows were easy to guess before hand or else easily recognizable upon reading. Dragons are these powerful, fire breathing, giant lizards that we've seen so far. But dragons also represent the old Targaryen dynasty... yet the problem is that there is only one dragon left... Dany. Is this the book where GRRM finally reveals the other Targaryens? Will we finally find out who are the hidden legitimate Targaryens... i.e. Jon and Aegon? Will we finally find out who are the hidden illegitimate Targaryens... i.e. Tyrion, Cersei, Jaime, Varys, Littlefinger, Aurane Waters?

We've already seen the other houses claimants... Robb Stark, Renly Baratheon, Stannis Baratheon, Joffrey Baratheon, Tommen Baratheon, Myrcella Baratheon, Balon Greyjoy, Euron Greyjoy, Asha Greyjoy, Victarion Greyjoy, and Arianne Martell. Now it's time to see which Targaryens will step forward... Daenerys, Jon, Aegon, Aurane, Tyrion, Cersei, Jaime, Varys, Petyr... It's time for their dance.

The only other dragons in the series are the main coins minted under the Targaryens. Mayhaps the dance referred to is the economic maneuverings of Littlefinger, the Tyrells, the Lannisters, and the Greyjoys to control the trade routes and trading ports of Westeros.

 

[Werthead]

It's an echo of "The Dance of Dragons", the civil war between Aegon II and his sister Rhaenyra for the Iron Throne, roughly 180 years prior to the events of ASoIaF. This war resulted in the destruction of several lesser branches of House Targaryen and almost entirely wiped out the Targaryen dragons, leaving behind only the sickly runts who later died during the reign of Rhaenyra's son, Aegon III.

Some have taken the title to mean a second civil war between Targaryens, most likely between Daenerys and a possible pretender who turns up claiming to be Rhaegon's son, Aegon VI, who possibly survived the Sack of King's Landing and was smuggled to safety. His claim to the Iron Throne would superscede Dany's. However, it's also been pointed out that the civil war was the Dance of Dragons (between Targaryen and Targaryen), whilst this is the Dance with Dragons (between Targaryen and non-Targaryen?), which could refer to Dany's political maneuverings (with Victarion, Quentyn, Marwyn, the Meereenese and the Dothraki, among others?) or a war between Dany and some outside force (the Dothraki, most likely, or possibly an uprising in Meereen).

It used to be assumed that the title referred to Daenerys' invasion of Westeros, but that event is unlikely to happen in Book 5 due to the timeline issue. It's more likely to happen in Book 6, although Dany may set out for Westeros (or even possibly land there) right at the end of Book 5.

 

[DeannaBelle]

El yay! I like updates.

Boaz, you are evil for even entertaining that dirty trick on us in your mind!

I think the title A Dance with Dragons is literal. I mean, Dany is training them to help out in battle. I think that once again in Westeros it will be man against man as well as man against dragon. I can't see howit would mean more than that.

 

[Boaz]

The dragon has three heads. Aemon assumed that this meant more Targaryens. I think there are some out there... more than we know.

I love the idea of Tyraen Targaryen. I don't know if I was the first to propose this (I think I was, but then I've thought that before and was wrong), but I like it... I like it a lot. I think this is a major reason I keep reading and waiting... I want to know if I was right.

 

[lauren20062001]

The dragon has three heads is just in the realms, Martin doesn't have to make it true, in fact wouldn't that be a little cliche?

 

[Werthead]

I forgot the other popular theory:

Victarion uses the dragon horn to take control of two of the dragons and use them to do his bidding (probably involving kidnapping Dany). The remaining dragon (probably Drogon) has to fight them and probably kills them, leaving Dany with only one dragon before invading Westeros.

Why isn't Drogon affected by the dragon horn? He may not be around at the time Victarion blows it (or has it blown), or may simply be far too badass

 

[Hilarious Joke]

I can't quite remember, but doesn't Euron have the dragon horn? I'd completely forgotten about it though. Again and again, the complexity of Martin's plot amazes me.

 

[viZion]

Is this the book where GRRM finally reveals the other Targaryens? Will we finally find out who are the hidden legitimate Targaryens... i.e. Jon and Aegon? Will we finally find out who are the hidden illegitimate Targaryens... i.e. Tyrion, Cersei, Jaime, Varys, Littlefinger, Aurane Waters?

We've already seen the other houses claimants... Robb Stark, Renly Baratheon, Stannis Baratheon, Joffrey Baratheon, Tommen Baratheon, Myrcella Baratheon, Balon Greyjoy, Euron Greyjoy, Asha Greyjoy, Victarion Greyjoy, and Arianne Martell. Now it's time to see which Targaryens will step forward... Daenerys, Jon, Aegon, Aurane, Tyrion, Cersei, Jaime, Varys, Petyr... It's time for their dance.

The main problem I have with this theory is the fact that ADWD is supposed to occur simultaneously with AFFC with maybe a bit at the end moving the story forward. It's hard to imagine some Targaryens being revealed and that kind of information not making its way back to Westeros throughout all of AFFC. Unless Aurane comes out at the very end of ADWD, I doubt we'll be seeing him at all in ADWD since he was definitely in Westeros throughout AFFC.

It could be theorized that with the absence of Varys from King's Landing that news from the East comes over much more slowly or maybe not at all. GRRM had to get rid of Varys so that he could tell his story about two different parts of the world in two different books and make it believable that the West wouldn't hear about what's going on in the East in AFFC. However, that breaks down when you think that GRRM's original intention was to write one book not two. Also, unless he's lying, Qyburn seems to have a good handle on being the master of spies and seems to have pretty much taken controls of all of Varys' little birds.

Long story short: We must keep in mind that we have to rewind our timeline when thinking of ADWD and not consider it as an advancement.

 

[Werthead]

I can't quite remember, but doesn't Euron have the dragon horn? I'd completely forgotten about it though. Again and again, the complexity of Martin's plot amazes me.

He lent it to Victarion. Euron having the dragon horn when he's (supposedly) thousands of miles from the dragons would seem a bit counter-productive

As for the timeline issue, ADWD's timeline extends some time after that of AFFC. I understand that's providing some problems as to how the timelines will be reconciled in The Winds of Winter (which will have all the POVs back in one book again), but IIRC GRRM has said that he could see ADWD ending some 3-5 months after AFFC does. The assumption seems to be that this is to allow people like Victarion and Marwyn - who departed Westeros very late in AFFC - time to get to Meereen and take part in the action.

 

[the smiling weirwood]

How effective could a horn that burns out the lungs of whoever sounds it be? Assuming you have to be the one to sound the horn to gain control of a dragon who hears it, it's pretty worthless. I have a feeling a Valyrian could use it, perhaps one who can walk through a funeral pyre unburnt...

 

[devilsgrin]

The only other dragons in the series are the main coins minted under the Targaryens. Mayhaps the dance referred to is the economic maneuverings of Littlefinger, the Tyrells, the Lannisters, and the Greyjoys to control the trade routes and trading ports of Westeros.

i actually like this theory. its the least obvious, and thats usually what George prefers - to keep us guessing.
Its rather obvious that Dany will try to train her dragons. Its even obvious that there will be people who are or who are claiming to be Targaryens involved in the book.
I like the money theory though... thats a little beyond the blatant.