Afterword: Playing, winning and losing the Game of Thrones: Reflections on female succession in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones in comparison to the premodern era

This chapter draws connections between the chapters in this collection, the female characters of A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones and historical examples from the premodern era. It looks specifically at female succession and examines the development of frameworks for accession which favoured male claimants in both the premodern era and in Westeros. It notes the ways in which Cersei Lannister, Danerys Targayen, Yara (Asha) Greyjoy and Sansa Stark both reflect and transgress historical examples of female succession as unique blends of inspiration from the past rather than a duplication of the experience of any specific premodern queen.