Name: Fire and Blood
ISBN: 9781524796280

George R. R. Martin

The first volume of a definitive two-part history of the Targaryens in Westeros is set centuries before the events of "A Game of Thrones" and answers key questions about the dynasty's origins, conflicts and relationships with dragons.

Fire and Blood

Ariella

“Then the storm broke, and the dragons danced.”

“A ruler needs a good head and a true heart,” she famously told the king. “A cock is not essential.”

“When the gods are silent, lords and kings will make themselves heard.”

“Aegon had made the seven kingdoms one with fire and blood.”

“Dorne has danced with dragons before,” he said. “I would sooner sleep with scorpions.”

I was reading and was shocked…and then I got to gelded and thought…so I looked it up. Im double shocked. It means to castrate, and that makes this all worse!!! In front of her and while he’s alive…speechless

0cchi

The most infamous act of that bloody age occurred in 12 AC, when Wylof Wyl, the Widow-lover, arrived uninvited at the wedding of Ser Jon Cafferen, heir to Fawnton, to Alys Oakheart, daughter to the Lord of Old Oak. Admitted through a postern gate by a treacherous servant, the Wyl attackers slew Lord Oakheart and most of the wedding guests, then made the bride look on as they gelded her husband. Afterward they took urns raping Lady Alys and her handmaids, then carried them off and nlague. and CCDratedireoves o S) sold thenm to a Myrish slaver. 

Nkwachi Nwamaghinna

"We are as the gods made us," wrote Septon Barth, the wisest man ever to serve as the Hand of the King, "strong and weak, good and bad, cruel and kind, heroic and selfish. Know that if you would rule over the kingdoms of men."

Men may plot and plan and scheme, but they had best pray as well, for no plan made by man has ever withstood the whims of the gods above

300 Years Before A Game of Thrones, this tells the Targaryen history from Aegon the Conquerer to Aegon III. It is both the rise of the dragons in Westeros, as well as the beginning of decline.

Honestly I picked this up simply to stop having stuff spoiled for me online after each episode of season two of House of the Dragon. If I can see it online, or google the answer myself, I might as well just read the story.

The writing in this is just simply so superb that it blows my mind. It is so well done, so meticulous, so real. Each page is like a section of a textbook, each sentence like a piece of history. And with that, it has its climactic moments, as well as its tiring ones. The conquering of Westeros, while interesting, was one of the drier parts. I’m not sure if he was just getting started, or if that just wasn’t his focus. I’m not sure how that’ll become its own show, as the burning of Harrenhal, a part that seems so extreme, actually happened in a single night. I did like that he addressed the clash of religion with the Targaryen’s incestuous nature though.

At about 50% into the story, you finally get to the crowning of Viserys and to his children. Aka the start of HotD. At about 25%+ of the book itself, this is the largest story it has to offer. The dance of dragons is long, bloody, and absolutely spilling with betrayal. Truly the amount of times Rhaenyra gets betrayed is mind blowing. And while the show seems to want to drag out every single line of dialogue possible, the book has an awful lot of dragons flying into action and fighting. I won’t say more for spoilers-sake but the fact that the show writers keep changing things for no reason doesn’t make any sense to me. Same with their desire to connect so heavily into GoT itself. The two are not really related whatsoever.

While I really enjoyed this, and I get that he’s going for a ‘time-period based’ fantasy, I just wish he spent more time on the story than on caring so much about girls’ virginities.

C. J. Daley 

300 Years Before A Game of Thrones, this tells the Targaryen history from Aegon the Conquerer to Aegon III. It is both the rise of the dragons in Westeros, as well as the beginning of decline.

Honestly I picked this up simply to stop having stuff spoiled for me online after each episode of season two of House of the Dragon. If I can see it online, or google the answer myself, I might as well just read the story.

The writing in this is just simply so superb that it blows my mind. It is so well done, so meticulous, so real. Each page is like a section of a textbook, each sentence like a piece of history. And with that, it has its climactic moments, as well as its tiring ones. The conquering of Westeros, while interesting, was one of the drier parts. I’m not sure if he was just getting started, or if that just wasn’t his focus. I’m not sure how that’ll become its own show, as the burning of Harrenhal, a part that seems so extreme, actually happened in a single night. I did like that he addressed the clash of religion with the Targaryen’s incestuous nature though.

At about 50% into the story, you finally get to the crowning of Viserys and to his children. Aka the start of HotD. At about 25%+ of the book itself, this is the largest story it has to offer. The dance of dragons is long, bloody, and absolutely spilling with betrayal. Truly the amount of times Rhaenyra gets betrayed is mind blowing. And while the show seems to want to drag out every single line of dialogue possible, the book has an awful lot of dragons flying into action and fighting. I won’t say more for spoilers-sake but the fact that the show writers keep changing things for no reason doesn’t make any sense to me. Same with their desire to connect so heavily into GoT itself. The two are not really related whatsoever.

While I really enjoyed this, and I get that he’s going for a ‘time-period based’ fantasy, I just wish he spent more time on the story than on caring so much about girls’ virginities.

Felt like a memoir, which in fairness it is. Enjoyed understanding the history behind the Aegon/s 

Uchenna Ukwu

despite the fact that it’s literally written like a history book, this was such a nice informative world building book!

This book was fantastic. I loved learning the entire history of the Targarian line...all of the messiness, chaos, betrayals, betrothals and more here in the perspective of Maesters & a fool. All the people that were close to the Kings and Queens and Highborn ladies and men, and smallfolk. The people who read more books than most could ever say on history and travel with the Kings and Queens to inform them on everything i.e. the language, customs and also they give council (whether it's good or not can be left up to you). The entire Dance of The Dragons had me on the edge of my seat, so so enjoyable. I'd heard mixed reviews about this book but personally I'd say if you want to understand the Westrosi world a lot more than this is the book for you. I personally read this after A Song of Ice & Fire but if you read before I think would be just as cool. The length is a bit daunting but so worth it.

George R. R. Martin's "Fire and Blood" is a comprehensive and detailed history of the Targaryen dynasty in Westeros. However, unlike his other books in the Song of Ice and Fire series, "Fire and Blood" can read like a textbook at times, which may be off-putting for some readers.

One of the biggest issues with "Fire and Blood" is the complexity of the Targaryen family tree. The Targaryens named their children the same five names, and with all the second, third, and first, it can be hard to remember who is who. This can make the book challenging to follow at times.

The book is told from the perspectives of a Maester, which adds a level of distance from the action that some readers may not appreciate. It's a history book, not a novel, so don't expect the same level of immersion as the other books in the series.

The book covers a lot of ground, detailing the rise and fall of the dragons and the Targaryen dynasty. While the illustrations are beautiful, a good part of the book could have been trimmed down as it can be quite long-winded and low-key boring in some parts.

Ultimately, the book focuses heavily on the Targaryen family, but not all of their extended family members are particularly interesting. This can make some parts of the book feel like they don't contribute much to the overall narrative.

Overall, "Fire and Blood" isn’t a worthwhile read for fans of the Song of Ice and Fire series who are invested in the world of Westeros. However, it's important to note that this book is more history than fantasy, and it can read like a textbook at times. If you're looking for a fast-paced and engaging novel, this may not be the book for you. But if you're interested in the detailed history of the Targaryen dynasty, "Fire and Blood" is a must-read, albeit with some reservations.

Ruthie C

George R. R. Martin's "Fire and Blood" is a comprehensive and detailed history of the Targaryen dynasty in Westeros. However, unlike his other books in the Song of Ice and Fire series, "Fire and Blood" can read like a textbook at times, which may be off-putting for some readers.

One of the biggest issues with "Fire and Blood" is the complexity of the Targaryen family tree. The Targaryens named their children the same five names, and with all the second, third, and first, it can be hard to remember who is who. This can make the book challenging to follow at times.

The book is told from the perspectives of a Maester, which adds a level of distance from the action that some readers may not appreciate. It's a history book, not a novel, so don't expect the same level of immersion as the other books in the series.

The book covers a lot of ground, detailing the rise and fall of the dragons and the Targaryen dynasty. While the illustrations are beautiful, a good part of the book could have been trimmed down as it can be quite long-winded and low-key boring in some parts.

Ultimately, the book focuses heavily on the Targaryen family, but not all of their extended family members are particularly interesting. This can make some parts of the book feel like they don't contribute much to the overall narrative.

Overall, "Fire and Blood" isn’t a worthwhile read for fans of the Song of Ice and Fire series who are invested in the world of Westeros. However, it's important to note that this book is more history than fantasy, and it can read like a textbook at times. If you're looking for a fast-paced and engaging novel, this may not be the book for you. But if you're interested in the detailed history of the Targaryen dynasty, "Fire and Blood" is a must-read, albeit with some reservations.

I found the book to be somewhat dull. It was good , but the style of writing makes it somewhat uninteresting. Written from the perspective of a Maester (a historian), it details the rise and apex of Targaryen power in Westeros. Fire and Blood is sometimes boring to read, but when it is in full swing it is an utter delight. 

Noah Cross

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The history of the Targaryens comes to life in this masterly work, the inspiration for HBO’s upcoming Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon “The thrill of Fire & Blood is the thrill of all Martin’s fantasy work: familiar myths debunked, the whole trope table flipped.”—Entertainment Weekly Centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones, House Targaryen—the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria—took up residence on Dragonstone. Fire & Blood begins their tale with the legendary Aegon the Conqueror, creator of the Iron Throne, and goes on to recount the generations of Targaryens who fought to hold that iconic seat, all the way up to the civil war that nearly tore their dynasty apart. What really happened during the Dance of the Dragons? Why was it so deadly to visit Valyria after the Doom? What were Maegor the Cruel’s worst crimes? What was it like in Westeros when dragons ruled the skies? These are but a few of the questions answered in this essential chronicle, as related by a learned maester of the Citadel and featuring more than eighty all-new black-and-white illustrations by artist Doug Wheatley. Readers have glimpsed small parts of this narrative in such volumes as The World of Ice & Fire, but now, for the first time, the full tapestry of Targaryen history is revealed. With all the scope and grandeur of Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Fire & Blood is the the first volume of the definitive two-part history of the Targaryens, giving readers a whole new appreciation for the dynamic, often bloody, and always fascinating history of Westeros. Praise for Fire & Blood “A masterpiece of popular historical fiction.” —The Sunday Times “The saga is a rich and dark one, full of both the title’s promised elements. . . . It’s hard not to thrill to the descriptions of dragons engaging in airborne combat, or the dilemma of whether defeated rulers should ‘bend the knee,’ ‘take the black’ and join the Night’s Watch, or simply meet an inventive and horrible end.”—The Guardian

Fire & Blood

Annabella

I read this because HOTD time jumps were driving me nuts. It was unexpectedly interesting, I must say, even as someone whose favourite Westerosi family is the Stark clan. (I know R+L=J is basically common knoweldge by now, but still...)

Queen Visenya rose and stalked from the hall without the king's leave. That aright she mounted Vhagar ,.and returned`to Dragonstone. When her dragon passed before the moon, it turned as red as blood.

Fleur van Ravesteijn 

3.5

Was there ever an author who constructed a more intricate web of fictional and highly confusing lineages than main man George? I think not. I deeply respect and am very fond of George’s writing style, save for the sometimes (surely) unnecessary amount of detail, but reading this was a very different experience from the main series. 

This really does, as intended, feel like a history book, which makes for a tougher read than a novel (even one from the ASOIAF series). Certainly not every event recounted is by any means interesting or even very relevant, especially in the last 200 pages. Still, the House Targaryen is such a fascinating and unique invention, it literally haunted my dreams for several nights. Also, the illustrations are incredible.

Wonderfully written. The author managed to immerse me in this fantasy world. 

MereCivilian

GEORGE. Please FINISH YOUR STORIES. I have been reading this forever and yet never noticed the “part 1” anywhere. Now I am heavily invested in two of your Westerosi epics that have no ends in sight. 

Mariane Ferrantino 

Aditi

Really impressive but I'm just not a history nerd and this was a lot to get through. I do want to reread it though so maybe it wasn't as bad of a reading experience and I'm remembering.

Amir M 

I'll come back when I'm 60+ years old and will update my review, but for now, It was a long boring fake history book to me. I'm not saying it's badly written (to be fair, it's flawless), but to appreciate this book fully, to find hidden clues and connect the dots, you need to invest months and months into this and the preceding books. That wasn't my intention. therefore, the 2 star rating is based only on my experience.

Robin M Cabana

There's a family tree in the back of the book. Add a bookmark or Post-It to the page. It will help you navigate the twisted, intertwining history of the Targaryens. This was a fascinating history of the dragon-riding clans' rise to power - at least the first half of it - and is written like a historical record from the world of Westeros. This book could also have used a family tree of dragons because there are tons of them. There's lots of battles, politics, interesting side characters, and adventures. I think it also helps illustrate how the GOT series ending made sense, and it also suggest how Dani's eggs came to Essos. It's a long book, but I found it hard to put down. 

I'm hoping GRRM has time to write about the next 100+ years of Targaryen history, among the the other books he's working on.

Maria

я: надо быстро почитать книжку на русском, чтобы нагнать челлендж
тоже я: *беру читать 700-страничную историю дома Таргариенов в Вестеросе*

на удивление увлекательное чтение, надо сказать, несмотря на то, что написана она не в формате романа, а в формате исторической хроники. в который раз упиваюсь детализацией, огромным количеством персонажей, бескрайним миром и вообще колоссальным каким-то потенциалом. я бы почитала отдельные романы и при Эйегона с Рейенис и Висеньей, и про Нимерию с ройнарами, и про колдунов из Асшая. а какой шикарный роман можно было бы написать про принцессу Таргариен, сбежавшую из дома в Лисс и ставшую там богатой куртизанкой. жаль, сам Мартин уже вряд ли что-то такое успеет - он и так-то жалуется, что старость не радость, и работать стало тяжело, а впереди еще две книги основной саги

Nickie Mohler

I really enjoyed this. It took me a while to read it because it is very dense, but the history is fascinating. It just wasn't a quick read. I will definitely pick up the next one.

Ash Anderson

This was not the book I thought it was going to be. I received this as a gift and finally got round to picking it up. To my surprise 'Fire and Blood' is written as if it is a historical text. That in itself, is a very interesting idea. In saying that, this was a very dense and dry read. I ended up listening to the audiobook as I read. There were some stories I really enjoyed (Ageon I, Jaehaerys I and parts of Ageon III). There were very interesting and compelling characters within this book (I was very invested in Jaehaerys and Alysanne - they were by far my favourites). Lots of death and dragons. The parts I enjoyed were exciting and in some cases I couldn't put the book down. However, the last 30% of the book was a bit of a struggle to get through (I considered DNF'ing it). But I am glad I didn't as I found some more enjoyable stories amongst some that I couldn't have cared less about and I found particularly boring. Overall, I did enjoy most of 'Fire and Blood'. 

Also, I have to mention Doug Wheatley's illustrations were incredibly captivating and beautiful.

Set 300 years before the events in A Song of Ice and Fire, FIRE AND BLOOD is the definitive history of the Targaryens in Westeros as told by Archmaester Gyldayn, and chronicles the conquest that united the Seven Kingdoms under Targaryen rule through to the Dance of the Dragons: the Targaryen civil war that nearly ended their dynasty forever.

300 Years Before a Game of Thrones (a Targaryen History)

Elizabeth Raines

I finally finished this beast. My only complaint was it dragged at parts but other than that it was great!

Neveen Badr

Rebeca Keren Nuñez

Muy bueno. Es tal cual como un libro de historia. Muy recomendado para seguir luego de los de la Saga de canción de hielo y fuego. Vale la pena!

Kaitlyn Krna

I really enjoyed this book. I know that most Martin fans are all desperate for him to finish Winds of Winter, but don't let your frustration that this isn't the book you want keep you from reading this. I thoroughly enjoyed this deep dive into the history of the Targaryen dynasty. Martin has developed such a rich world, and I am thankful that we get to experience more of it through Fire & Blood.

Through this book, Martin expands the rich lore of his world as he presents readers with the histories of the kings and queens of old. The Targaryens of old were diverse. There were some who were heroes, some who were cowards, some who were king, some who were cruel, some were noble, and others were selfish.

I would compare this to Tolkien's The Silmarilion in that both books expand the lore and history of the respective worlds. In my opinion, this is a fantastic addition to Martin's cannon.

Hope Lenzen

I find myself continuously caught up in this world that Martin has created and have since the beginning had a fascination with the Targaryens and their ways. When I realised that this book had been released I jumped at being able to read it and was not disappointed but I will say this. I need more.

Janne Janssens

"I will take what is mine with fire and blood."

Dutch review below. / Nederlandse recensie onderaan.

'Fire and Blood' is a history book written by Archmaester Gyldayn of the Citadel of Oldtown. His work will be a duology about the 300 year history of the Targaryen Kings of Westeros. 'Fire & Blood' tells from the Conquest by Aegon I (The Conqueror) with his dragon Balerion - accompanied by his two sisters Visenya and Rhaenys with their own dragons - up to the regency of his descendant Aegon III (the Dragon Slayer) more than 130 years after the Conquest. During the rule of the Targaryens, times of peace are rare. War and intrigues dominate the western world.

'Fire and Blood' is more a recorded history than a story. The book covers more than 130 years of history. Consequently, the events are told fairly briefly. This will not bother you if you're a fan of the series 'The Song of Ice and Fire', but I suspect it will be very boring if this is your first book about the world of ice and fire. I therefore recommend that you first read the series 'The Song of Ice and Fire' before you pick up this book.

The history is so extensive that I am very impressed that G.R.R. Martin even remembered all the relations and could link them time and time again as history unfolded itself. Secondly, despite their brevity, the descriptions still contain many details that make the stories very interesting.
G.R.R. Martin makes the historiography credible by keeping some events mysterious. In the long course of time information simply gets lost. I certainly did not find these mysteries disturbing, although it often made you curious to know what had really happened. But those mysteries will in all probability never be revealed.
In addition, at certain times there were several versions of the facts. Sometimes one sounded more credible than the other, sometimes you had no idea what to believe. But this also made the stories all the more interesting.

The visual works that complete this book really add value. Not only are Doug Wheatley's illustrations beautiful. They are also a welcome alternation from the sometimes long chapters. The illustrations enabled me to read more from drawing to drawing than from chapter to chapter.
The family at the back is very useful. The Targaryen family is very extensive. Moreover, they have the tradition of naming children after famous ancestors, and even if the name is unique, it is still often similar to another. I had to regularly consult the family tree to stay informed of their relationships to others.
I did miss the map of Westeros. Many places I know by heart but for some it would be useful to be able to refresh their location with the map.

I am a huge fan of 'A Song of Ice and Fire', so I was very excited when G.R.R. Martin announced the publication of 'Fire and Blood'. Now I really feel like rereading 'A Song of Ice and Fire' and searching for links with 'Fire and Blood'. 
Because I liked the series 'The Song of Ice and Fire' more (rated 5 stars) and this book is an interesting addition to the series, it gets 4 well deserved stars.

Nederlandse recensie

'Vuur & Bloed' is een geschiedenisboek opgetekend door de aartsmaester Gyldayn van de Citadel van Oudstee. Zijn werk zal een tweeluik vormen over de 300-jarige geschiedenis van de Targaryan-familie in Westeros. 'Vuur & bloed' verhaalt vanaf de verovering van Westeros door Aegon I (De Veroveraar) met zijn draak Balerion - vergezeld door zijn twee zussen Visenya en Rhaenys met hun eigen draken - tot het regentschap van zijn afstammeling Aegon III (de Drakendoder) meer dan 130 jaar na de Verovering. Wanneer de Targaryens aan de macht zijn, zijn er maar weinig periodes van vrede. Oorlog en intriges domineren de westerse wereld.

Het is meer een opgetekende geschiedenis dan een verhaal. Het boek beslaat meer dan 130 jaar geschiedenis. Bijgevolg zijn de gebeurtenissen vrij beknopt verteld. Dit stoort niet als je fan bent van de serie 'Het Lied van IJs en Vuur', maar ik vermoed dat het erg saai zou zijn als dit je eerste boek is over de wereld van ijs en vuur. Ik raad dus ook aan om eerst de serie 'Het Lied van Ijs en Vuur' te lezen, alvorens je aan dit boek te wagen.

De geschiedenis is zo uitgebreid, dat ik ten eerste onder de indruk ben dat G.R.R. Martin zelfs alle onderlinge relaties kon onthouden en keer op keer kon linken naarmate de geschiedenis zich verder ontvouwde. Ten tweede bevatten de beschrijvingen ondanks hun beknoptheid toch veel details die de verhalen toch enorm interessant maken.
G.R.R. Martin maakt de geschiedschrijving geloofwaardig door enkele gebeurtenissen mysterieus te houden. In de lange loop van de tijd gaat er nu eenmaal informatie verloren. Deze mysteries vond ik zeker niet storend, al maakte het je vaak ook wel nieuwsgierig om te weten wat er gebeurd was. Maar die mysteries zullen naar alle waarschijnlijkheid nooit onthuld worden.
Daarnaast waren er soms meerdere versies van de feiten. Soms klonk de ene geloofwaardiger dan de andere, soms had je geen idee wat te geloven. Maar ook dit maakte de verhalen des te interessanter.

De visuele werken die dit boek aanvullen zijn een echte meerwaarde. Ten eerste zijn de illustraties van Doug Wheatley prachtig. Ze zijn een welkome afwisseling met de soms lange erg hoofdstukken. De illustraties zorgden ervoor dat ik meer van prent tot prent kon lezen dan van hoofdstuk tot hoofdstuk.
De stamboom achteraan is erg handig. De Targaryenfamilie is erg uitgebreid. Bovendien hebben ze de traditie om kinderen naar bekende voorouders te vernoemen, en zelfs als de naam uniek is, lijkt deze vaak op een andere. Ik moest regelmatig de stamboom raadplegen om op de hoogte te blijven van hun onderlinge relatie.
Ik miste wel de kaart van Westeros. Vele plaatsen weet ik uit het hoofd liggen maar voor sommige zou het handig zijn hun ligging te kunnen opfrissen met de kaart.

Ik ben een grote fan van 'Het Lied van IJs en Vuur' dus ik was enorm enthousiast toen George R.R. Martin 'Vuur en Bloed' aankondigde. Ik heb nu veel zin gekregen om de serie 'Het Lied van IJs en Vuur' te herlezen en naar links met 'Vuur & Bloed' te zoeken. Omdat ik de serie 'Het Lied van IJs en Vuur' toch beter vond (beoordeeld met 5 sterren) en dit boek eerder een interessante toevoeging is tot de serie, krijgt het 4 welverdiende sterren.

Ilia Markov

I like it. It's a historical chronicle about a *wholly made up* world/kingdom, which is a testament to Martin's imagination. Also, it's pretty long and if you lose the thread once, it's hard to get back on track.