Genre
Fantasy
Setting and Context
The novel is set in the fictional world of Westeros.
Narrator and Point of View
The narrator of the novel is the fictional historian Gyldayn, a maester based in the fictional city of Oldtown. It is told from a first-person perspective, but narrated in the tone of an objective history. Gyldayn often references and critiques other histories of the same periods he writes about, most notably that of Mushroom, a court fool.
Tone and Mood
The tone is dramatic and somber. The mood is tense and tragic.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonists of the novel are the Targaryen kings and queens of Westeros.
Major Conflict
The major conflict of the novel is the Targaryen family's struggle to hold onto control of the Iron Throne.
Climax
While the novel has many dramatic moments, its main climax is its depiction of the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons.
Foreshadowing
Gyldayn foreshadows the Dance of the Dragons when he remarks that the seeds of war are often planted during peacetime.
Understatement
N/A
Allusions
N/A
Imagery
N/A
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A
