The fifth volume, part two of A Song of Ice and Fire, the greatest fantasy epic of the modern age. The future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance.

In King's Landing, the Queen Regent, Cersei Lannister, awaits trial, abandoned by all those she trusted; while in the eastern city of Yunkai, her brother Tyrion has been sold as a slave. From the Wall, having left his wife and the Red Priestess Melisandre under the protection of Jon Snow, Stannis Baratheon marches south to confront the Boltons at Winterfell. But beyond the Wall, the wildling armies are massing for an assault…

On all sides, bitter conflicts are reigniting, played out by a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves. The tides of destiny will inevitably lead to the greatest dance of all.

The long-awaited and highly anticipated final volume in Penman’s trilogy of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine—a tumultuous conclusion to this timeless story of love, power, ambition, and betrayal.

Where the second novel in the trilogy, Time And Chance, dealt with the extraordinary politics of the twelfth century, climaxing with the murder of Thomas Becket and Henry’s confrontation with the Church and self-imposed exile to Ireland, Devil’s Brood centers on the implosion of a family. And because it is a royal family whose domains span the English Channel and whose alliances encompass the Christian world, that collapse will have dire consequences.

This is a story of betrayal as Henry’s three eldest sons and his wife enter into a rebellion against him, aligning themselves with his bitterest enemy, King Louis of France. But it is also the story of a great king whose brilliance forged an empire but whose personal blind spots led him into the most serious mistake of his life.

Sharon Kay Penman has created a novel of tremendous power, as two strong-willed, passionate people clash, a family divides, and a marriage ends in all but name. Curiously, it is a novel without villains—only flawed human beings caught up in misperceptions and bad judgment calls. Most devastating to Henry was not his sons’ rebellion but his wife’s betrayal in joining them. How could it happen that two people whose love for each other was all-consuming end up as bitter adversaries? That is the heart of Penman’s tale in Devil’s Brood.

A Guerra pelos Sete Reinos continua sem tréguas ou misericórdia. Com um golpe negro mágico, Stannis afastou do seu caminho o irmão rival Renly, e agora nada o impede de conquistar Porto Real, pela força, com a sua frota. Mas Tyrion, eleito a Mão do Rei, tem outros planos e, embora todos o subestimem pela aparência, prepara com sangue frio a defesa da cidade e a confrontação com Stannis numa batalha que se adivinha sanguinária.

No Norte, Winterfell encontra-se à beira do perigo e é alvo da cobiça dos Greyjoy, mas Bran nada consegue ver para além dos estranhos sonhos que o atormentam de noite e dia. Para lá da muralha, Jon oferece-se para acompanhar um grupo de batedores enviado para encontrar os selvagens, enquanto a principal força da Patrulha da Noite se fortifica junto às montanhas. Se quer sobreviver, Jon terá que aprender a ser tão cruel como a terra assombrada habitada pelos selvagens.

Mais uma vez, George R. R. Martin consegue manter-nos agarrados até à última página. Personagens que amamos são mortas sem dó nem piedade, personagens que odiamos conseguem conquistar o nosso coração. De Arya a Sansa, de Robb a Daenerys, todos terão um papel fulcral neste fabuloso quarto volume de As Crónicas de Gelo e Fogo.