Game of Thrones roughly follows the three storylines of A Song of Ice and Fire.

[6] Set in the fictional

Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, the series chronicles the violent dynastic struggles among the realm's
noble families for control of the Iron Throne. As the series opens, additional threats emerge in the icy
North and in the eastern continent of Essos.[2]

The novels and their adaptation derive settings, characters and plot elements from much of European
history.[7] A principal inspiration for the novels were the English Wars of the Roses[8] (145585)
between the houses of Lancaster and York, reflected in Martin's houses of Lannister and Stark. Most of
Westeros, with its castles and knightly tournaments, is reminiscent of High Medieval Western Europe.
The scheming Cersei, for instance, calls to mind Isabella (12951358), the "she-wolf of France".[7] She
and her family, as depicted in Maurice Druon's historical novel series The Accursed Kings, particularly
inspired Martin.[9] The series also combines such varied inspirations as Hadrian's Wall (which became
Martin's great Wall), the fall of Rome and the legend of Atlantis (ancient Valyria), Byzantine "Greek fire"
("wildfire"), Icelandic sagas of the Viking Age (the Ironborn) and the Mongol hordes (the Dothraki), as
well as elements from the Hundred Years' War (13371453) and the Italian Renaissance (c. 1400
1500).[7] The series' great popularity has in part been attributed to Martin's skill at fusing these
disparate elements into a seamless whole that appears credible on its own terms as an alternative
history.[7]

"The Sopranos in Middle-earth" is the tagline showrunner David Benioff jokingly suggested for Game of
Thrones, referring to its intrigue-filled plot and dark tone combined with a fantasy setting.[10] In a 2012
study, the series was listed second out of 40 recent U.S. TV drama series by deaths per episode, with an
average of 14.[11][12]