The series is set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, near the end of a 10-year summer, and follows several storylines. The first concerns the war between noble families for the Iron Throne and the kingdoms of the Seven Kingdoms. The second storyline describes the approach of the Long Winter and the invasion of mythical creatures from the North, and the third storyline of the series follows the efforts of the children of the deposed king to reclaim the throne. The series revolves around issues such as social class, loyalty, corruption, civil war, and punishment through characters with ambiguous morals.