The Lord Commander of the Watch, Jeor Mormont, assigns Jon Snow to a group sent to investigate Mance's aims, led by Qhorin Halfhand.

During the battle, Tyrion is attacked and injured by a knight of Joffrey's Kingsguard by the time Tyrion regains consciousness after the battle, Tywin has assumed the post of Hand of the King.ДЄ scouting party from the Night's Watch learns that the wildlings are uniting under 'King-beyond-the-Wall' Mance Rayder. Stannis's victory seems to be assured, until Tywin Lannister arrives with his army and the Tyrell forces, defeating Stannis. When Stannis's troops storm the gates, it falls to Tyrion to lead the Lannister troops into battle. Under Tyrion's command, the Lannister forces use 'wildfire' (a substance similar to Greek fire) to ignite the bay, and raise a massive chain across its mouth to prevent Stannis' fleet from retreating. Stannis's army launches an amphibious assault on King's Landing in a battle on Blackwater Bay. Jaqen gives Arya a mysterious iron coin and tells her to find him in the foreign city of Braavos if she should ever desire to learn his secrets. Arya leverages this offer to help Northern forces retake control of Harrenhal. For saving his life during the attack, a mysterious man named Jaqen H'ghar promises to repay Arya by killing three men of her choice. The recruits are attacked by Lannister forces, and the survivors are taken to the gigantic castle of Harrenhal, which is controlled by Joffrey's grandfather Tywin Lannister. However, the Bolton soldiers turn against the Stark and Greyjoy forces alike, burn Winterfell, slaughter its inhabitants, and take Theon prisoner.Д¬atelyn's daughter Arya is taken north posing as a new recruit for the Night's Watch. Stark supporters besiege the castle, including a force from the Starks' sometime ally House Bolton. When Bran and Rickon escape, Theon fakes their deaths. Theon betrays Robb and attacks Winterfell, taking the castle and capturing Bran and his younger brother Rickon. Against Catelyn's advice, Robb sends his friend Theon Greyjoy, Balon Greyjoy's son, to negotiate an alliance between the North and the Iron Islands. Robb wins several victories against the Lannisters while his younger brother Bran rules the Northern stronghold of Winterfell in his absence. Riots break out in the city due to Joffrey's cruelty and food shortages caused by the ongoing war. Catelyn's daughter Sansa, a hostage of the Lannisters, is regularly abused by Joffrey.

Learning of Renly's death, Tyrion sends the crown's treasurer Petyr вЂњLittlefingerвЂќ Baelish to win the Tyrells' support for Joffrey. Tyrion improves the defenses of the city while jockeying for power against Joffrey's mother, the Queen Regent Cersei. Tyrion Lannister, Joffrey's uncle, arrives at the capital city of King's Landing as acting Hand of the King, the senior adviser to Joffrey's reign. Melisandre uses magic to send a shadow to assassinate Renly after witnessing Renly's death, Catelyn and Renly's bodyguard Brienne of Tarth flee the scene. Robb's mother Catelyn Stark meets with Renly and Stannis to discuss an alliance against Joffrey's family, the Lannisters, but she is unable to reach an agreement with them. Renly is supported by the wealthy Lord Mace Tyrell, and has married Mace's daughter Margaery. He is supported by Melisandre, a foreign priestess who believes Stannis a prophesied messianic figure. Stannis Baratheon, publicizing the claim that Joffrey is a bastard, claims the throne as Robert's eldest brother and therefore heir. The war among these contenders is dubbed the War of the Five Kings. Two regions attempt to secede from the realm: Robb Stark is declared 'King in the North' while Balon Greyjoy declares himself king of the Iron Islands. However, his reign is far from stable, as both of Robert's brothers, Renly and Stannis, have claimed the throne as well. With King Robert Baratheon dead, his purported son Joffrey sits on the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, Daenerys Targaryen continues her plan to conquer the Seven Kingdoms.

A Clash of Kings depicts the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros in civil war, while the Night's Watch mounts a reconnaissance to investigate the mysterious people known as wildlings.

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