Race for the Iron Throne's Steven Attewell will be sharing some of his work on Tower of the Hand, offering his historical and political insights on A Song of Ice and Fire. Steve began with a five-piece analysis of the Hands of the King, and followed that with his five-part look at Hollow Crowns and Deadly Thrones. Now he turns his attention toward the great continent of Essos. In Part V: Old Volantis, Steve discusses Volantis, which is probably the second-most written about city-state, an important player in the politics of Essos by itself, and how it serves both thematically and politically as a half-way point between the Free Cities and the Slave Cities.

This post discusses the fifth book of the series, A Dance with Dragons (published 2011). If you've completed the book, set your scope above to ADWD. Otherwise, we advise you to avoid reading this post as it may contain spoilers.