Sibling rivalries are taken to the next gruesome level in Westeros

Most family feuds these days are largely played out across social media as threats and taunts are sent whizzing across the digital airwaves in real time.

- Neil Pickford

There is always the chance of some violence, but it is likely that the threats made are often idle.

Not so in the fantasy world created by George RR Martin.

A family squabble is likely to end in the gruesome demise of at least one, but often more, of those involved.

Brothers fight for power, sons kill fathers with crossbows, husbands and wives play political games behind each others backs as everyone plots their way to power.

For the uninitiated, Game of Thrones, which is based on George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, is a sprawling fantasy drama set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos.

It follows the brutal power struggles among noble families vying for control of the Iron Throne and the Seven Kingdoms.

Central to the story are the honourable Stark family, the cunning Lannisters, and the exiled Targaryens.

As political intrigue, betrayal, and shifting alliances unfold, characters like Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister navigate dangerous landscapes of loyalty and ambition.