Этот неофициальный перевод был осуществлен силами сообщества 7kingdoms.ru исключительно с целью углубленного изучения иностранного языка, не является коммерческим, не преследует извлечения прибыли и иных выгод. В переводе приняли участие: Xanvier Xanbie, Shtee, Айгер, Daenys, Thoros, el_bandito, Psyzoo, Daena, po6epm и Xenia. Кроме того, редактированием перевода занимались ЛедиЛёд, Sergey190168, SolarBless, NightScorpion, po6epm и Drezden.

The Seven Kingdoms have come apart. Joffrey, Queen Cersei's sadistic son, ascends the Iron Throne following the death of Robert Baratheon, the Usurper, who won it in battle. Queen Cersei's family, the Lannisters, fight to hold it for him. Both the dour Stannis and the charismatic Renly Baratheon, Robert's brothers, also seek the throne. Robb Stark, declared King in the North, battles to avenge his father's execution and retrieve his sister from Joffrey's court. Daenerys, the exiled last heir of the former ruling family, nurtures three dragons and seeks a way home. Meanwhile the Night's Watch, sworn to protect the realm from dangers north of the Wall, dwindle in numbers, even as barbarian forces gather and beings out of legend stalk the Haunted Forest.

In a world where the approaching winter will last four decades, kings and queens, knights and renegades struggle for control of a throne. Some fight with sword and mace, others with magic and poison. Beyond the Wall to the north, meanwhile, the Others are preparing their army of the dead to march south as the warmth of summer drains from the land. After more than a decade devoted primarily to TV and screen work, Martin (The Armageddon Rag, 1983) makes a triumphant return to high fantasy with this extraordinarily rich new novel, the first of a trilogy. Although conventional in form, the book stands out from similar work by Eddings, Brooks and others by virtue of its superbly developed characters, accomplished prose and sheer bloody-mindedness. Although the romance of chivalry is central to the culture of the Seven Kingdoms, and tournaments, derring-do and handsome knights abound, these trappings merely give cover to dangerous men and women who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. When Lord Stark of Winterfell, an honest man, comes south to act as the King's chief councilor, no amount of heroism or good intentions can keep the realm under control. It is fascinating to watch Martin's characters mature and grow, particularly Stark's children, who stand at the center of the book. Martin's trophy case is already stuffed with major prizes, including Hugos, Nebulas, Locus Awards and a Bram Stoker. He's probably going to have to add another shelf, at least. Major ad/promo.

The third volume of the high fantasy saga that began with A Game of Thrones and continued in A Clash of Kings is one of the more rewarding examples of gigantism in contemporary fantasy. As Martin's richly imagined world slides closer to its 10-year winter, both the weather and the warfare worsen. In the north, King Joffrey of House Lannister sits uneasily on the Iron Throne. With the aid of a peasant wench, Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer, escapes from jail in Riverrun. Jaime goes to the other youthful ruler, Robb Stark, to secure the release of Joffrey's prisoners, Robb's sisters Arya and Sansa Stark. Meanwhile, in the south, Queen Daenarys tries to assert her claim to the various thrones with an army of eunuchs, but discovers that she must choose between conquering more and ruling well what she has already taken. The complexity of characters such as Daenarys, Arya and the Kingslayer will keep readers turning even the vast number of pages contained in this volume, for the author, like Tolkien or Jordan, makes us care about their fates. Those two fantasy greats are also evoked by Martin's ability to convey such sensual experiences as the heat of wildfire, the chill of ice, the smell of the sea and the sheer gargantuan indigestibility of the medieval banquet at its most excessive. Perhaps this saga doesn't go as far beyond the previous bounds of high fantasy as some claim, but for most readers it certainly goes far enough to command their attention.

La storia di un pianeta che vive la sua ultima stagione di luce prima del buio intergalattico «Un vagabondo, un viaggiatore senza meta, una scoria della creazione: il pianeta Worlorn era tutte queste cose. Per innumerevoli secoli aveva continuato a cadere, da solo, senza scopo, precipitando tra i freddi e solitari spazi che si aprono fra le stelle. Ma lui non apparteneva a nessuna di quelle stelle. In un certo senso non faceva nemmeno parte della galassia, anche se rotolava attraverso il piano della galassia come un chiodo che attraversa la tonda superficie di un tavolo. Non faceva parte di niente...» Poi Worlorn passa vicino alla Ruota di Fuoco, la supercostellazione che gli darà qualche anno di luce prima che esso piombi di nuovo nella notte senza fine cui sono destinati i mondi senza sole. E nel momento in cui il pianeta solitario si avvicina, forse per l’ultima volta, al fuoco della vita, gli uomini decidono di trasformarlo per i loro fini riposti. La luce morente è una storia di superscienza, ma anche di esseri umani posti di fronte a un ennesimo simbolo dell’esistenza precaria che conduciamo, sul Margine dell’universo. É il primo romanzo di George R.R.Martin, un grande affresco spaziale del lontano futuro, dove tutto è azione, poesia, meraviglia.