George R. R. Martin's fantasy masterpiece continues to unfold in dark words and darker deeds. Tyrion Lannister may be Lady Catelyn Stark's prisoner, but the Imp is still in possession of his most dangerous weapon: his devious mind. Yet even the sharpest brain is a poor weapon to pit against naked steel, as he is about to discover in the wild mountains below the Eyrie. Far away, in King's Landing, Tyrion's abduction is just one more complication in the life of Lord Eddard Stark, the King's Hand. But that title--and its attendant worries--may not be his much longer, for when a plot is hatched to assassinate Daenerys Targaryen and her unborn child, Ned must weigh his duty to King Robert against the claims of his conscience.