Martin's Seven Kingdoms resemble England during the Wars of the Roses, with the Stark and Lannister families standing in for the Yorks and Lancasters. The story of these two families and their struggle to control the Iron Throne dominates the foreground; in the background is a huge, ancient wall marking the northern border, beyond which barbarians, ice vampires, and direwolves menace the south as years-long winter advances. Abroad, a dragon princess lives among horse nomads and dreams of fiery reconquest.

Sadie Kane: "Reading? You should talk to my brother the genius… Sometimes I read books about London and occasionally I try to learn new hieroglyphics, but mostly I’m too busy with trainees and trying to defeat Apophis.”

My Reading List:

•The Symbolic World of Egyptian Amuletsby Philippe Germond

•Treasures of the British Museumby Marjorie Caygill

•The Annotated Pride and Prejudiceby Jane Austen

•A Tale of Two Citiesby Charles Dickens

•The Adventures of Sherlock Holmesby Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

•City Secrets London: The Essential Insider’s Guideby Robert Kahn and Tim Adams

•The Importance of Being Earnestby Oscar Wilde

•Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptianby R.O. Faulkner

•Egyptian Love Spells and Ritualsby Claudia Dillaire

•Gone With the Windby Margaret Mitchell

Carter Kane:“I read a lot. That’s why Sadie calls me Mr. Wikipedia. My dad is a pretty big history buff, so I read classics and try to learn as much as I can about Egypt and my ancestors. It’s good research when you’re trying to saving the world.”

My Reading List:

•The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Civilizationsby John Haywood

•Falconry: The Essential Guideby Steve Wright

•The Adventures of Huckleberry Finnby Mark Twain

•The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., by Martin Luther King and Clayborne Carson

•The Egyptian Book of the Deadtranslated by Robert P. Winston and Wallace Budge

•Civil Disobedienceby Henry David Thoreau

•The Pharaohs of Ancient Egyptby Elizabeth Payne

•The LA Lakers: 50 Amazing Years in the City of Angelsby theLA TimesSports Staff

•Britannia in Brief: The Scoop on All Things Britishby Leslie Baker and William Mullins

•The Three Musketeersby Alexandre Dumas