As A Clash of Kings begins, the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros are locked in a bloody civil war. Joff Lannister, who is still a young boy, has recently become king, but Stannis Baratheon and Renly Baratheon both want the crown for themselves. Robb Stark, meanwhile, has recently taken the title of King of the North. Far to the north of this action, the men of the Night’s Watch leave the safety of the Wall to investigate the disappearance of the wilding people, enemies who live in primitive bands and villages in the vast wilderness north of the Wall. Meanwhile, across the narrow sea, Daenerys Targaryen leads her beleaguered band of Dothrakis in search of enough wealth and soldiers to return to Westeros and capture the Iron Throne.