A Song of Ice and Fire

A Song of Ice and Fire takes place in a fictional world in which seasons often last for years and can end unpredictably. Before the events of the first novel, the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros were united under the Targaryen dynasty, establishing military supremacy through their control of dragons. The Targaryens ruled for nearly three hundred years, continuing beyond the extinction of the dragons. Their dynasty eventually ended with a rebellion led by Lord Robert Baratheon, in which Aerys II "the Mad King" Targaryen was killed, and Robert was proclaimed king of the Seven Kingdoms. At the beginning of A Game of Thrones, 15 years have passed since Robert's rebellion, with a nine-year-long summer nearing its end.