Within the often morally ambiguous world of A Song of Ice and Fire, questions concerning loyalty, pride, human sexuality, piety, and the morality of frequently arise. A Song of Ice and Fire received praise for its diverse portrayal of women and religion, as well as its realism.Īn assortment of disparate and subjective points of view confronts the reader, and the success or survival of point of view characters is never assured. Martin's inspirations included the and the French. Three main stories interweave: a dynastic war among several families for control of Westeros, the rising threat of the supernatural in the northernmost reaches of Westeros, and the ambition of, the deposed king's exiled daughter, to assume the. The of each chapter in the story is a perspective of a range of characters growing from nine, in the first novel, to 31 characters by the fifth novel. A Song of Ice and Fire takes place on the fictional continents and. The fifth and most recent volume of the series published in 2011, took Martin six years to write. Martin, who initially envisioned the series as a trilogy, has published five out of a planned seven volumes. He began the first volume of the series, in 1991, and it was published in 1996. (UK, Australia) Published August 1996–present Media type Print (hardback & paperback) audiobook A Song of Ice and Fire is a series of novels by the American novelist and screenwriter.