Fire & Blood: 300 Years Before A Game of Thrones (The Targaryen Dynasty: The House of the Dragon)

J. R. R. Tolkien labored at his mythology for a majority of his adult life, from the trenches of World War I until his death. He mostly thought it unpublishable. He was interested in the great histories, in the sweeping sagas, in the stories that were written not as modern novels, but as texts that might have jumped straight out of the world he created. Some of Tolkien's mythological material made it into 'The Lord of the Rings.' Much of it did not. He wanted to publish the histories--the Silmarillion saga--alongside the books we all know today, but the publishers turned him down repeatedly. He died without seeing any of that work published, and when his son Christopher tried to make one cohesive text from the massive amounts of material, much of it was bastardized. Only later did Christopher edit and release over a dozen volumes of original texts, showing us a bit more of the scope of the history Tolkien had imagined. Why am I telling you this about Tolkien in a review for GRR Martin? This should seem fairly obvious by now: GRR Martin has the same longing Tolkien did. He has the same love of the grand, sweeping historical epic. So far he has been giving us his 'Lord of the Rings,' his drama of the minutiae, but in the process he got caught up in the grand and glorious visions of the Targaryens, just as Tolkien was swept up into the glories of the First Age. It’s no mistake this book is being called the “GRRMillion.” Martin's popularity is granting him a chance that Tolkien unfortunately never had in his lifetime: To create his myth IN FULL. To give us the grand sweep of things in the greater world, beyond just the characters we know and love in 'A Song of Ice and Fire.' Please accept this book for what it is, rather than complaining about what it does not aim to be. And what exactly is it? An artefact from Westeros. It should be read not as a book Martin wrote, but one he transcribed, from the original text by Archmaester Gyldayn. It will require some work on the part of the reader. The lines have been drawn, and we are being asked to fill in the colors with our imaginations. This participatory reading is what can make history so engaging—it takes work, but the work pays off. We have two choices: We can claw after the next GoT book, complaining that the author hasn’t yet met our demands. Or we can allow the author a chance to fill out his universe. For my part, this stuff is more exciting than the series proper. We get to see the bigger picture that all of the Song of Ice and Fire is a part of. If you don't want this sort of thing, simply move on rather than ruining the experience for others. I remember what it felt like to sit down one day as a boy and open 'The Silmarillion.' I was holding the Bible of the Elves. It was a piece of that world. It was a text that might have been read by a scholar in Minas Tirith. It was magic. Martin has the chance to give us this now. Imagine being Samwell Tarly, sitting in the Citadel's library, opening up this ponderous and magical tome about the history of the Targaryens for the first time. Why now, though? Why not wait until he's finished telling the main story? For my part, I'd rather follow the passion of a writer than get mediocre work demanded by fans. Martin created this universe for us; let him follow his vision for how it should proceed. He was caught up in the glorious history of his universe as he was telling his story, and he wants us to have it in all of its rich complexity. I can only wish that Tolkien had had the same opportunity in his lifetime. We only see fragments of what that might have been. But Martin is giving us his own great mythology, in his own lifetime, whole and complete; and I am a boy again with wonder. This, my friends, is going to be a feast.

Bought as a gift. Came in mint condition. Great price for the hardback 🙏

I enjoyed this book, but it felt drawn out. I do recommend reading this book if you want to know how the targaryen dynasty started.

I have had this book pre ordered for months. I cleared my entire month of December to keep it open so I could read this behemoth. If truth be told, I am not a huge Targaryen fan. I personally prefer the Starks but I was interested in some of the tantalizing questions this book promised to answer. This book promises to answer what The Doom really was and the source of Daenerys’s dragon eggs. Spoiler alert, I still don’t feel like I have answers to those questions but I did learn a lot about Westeros and the Targaryen empire. Try as I might, I could not keep every one straight. Westerosi history can be so convoluted and confusing, but for the most part I’ve kept pretty up to date on the family lines etc. However, the Targaryen one always throws me for a loop because of all the inner marrying and way too many Aegon’s. I did pretty good up until the Dance of Dragons in this lengthy history book. I thought Martin did an excellent job trying to keep a very complicated history not only interesting but also understandable. This book does NOT read like the typical ASOIAF books, it does in fact read more like a history book but it’s way more exciting than any history book I’ve read recently. There is a lot of ground to cover in this book and a lot of characters to focus on. I was disappointed that this book is only part one of two. I was hoping that it would take us all the way up to Robert’s Rebellion but sadly we will have to wait to get all the juicy details until the original series is finished I would guess. I thought it was fairly easy reading with an interesting subject (Westeros is anything but dull) but after a while all the treason, marrying, killing, and political problems became overwhelming. I loved reading about King Jaehaerys and his sister queen, Alysanne. I thought Alysanne’s visit to The Wall offered a lot of intriguing possibilities for the rest of the books. I also loved learning about the swords Blackfyre and Dark Sister. I think that learning the history of these blades will somehow play a role in future books. Even though this book isn’t the long awaited book in the ASOIAF series, The Winds of Winter, but I thought it gave readers a little teaser for what is to come in the future book. I also hope that GRRM will write a book similar to this about the Starks. I think the Starks and the Targaryen’s arguably offer the most interesting and important histories in Westeros for the period in which the ASOIAF books are written.

This book is a very good read especially for GoT fans. This book offers you so much background history that sheds much light to the turmoil in the seven kingdoms as well as the "curse" of being a Targayren. Having dragons is one thing but having loyal humans is another and the latter is scarier. The book did well to highlight powerful women and their contributions to the Westerosi's history. This was particularly very refreshing. So much foreshadowing in this book its crazy and I get giddy everytime I pick up on these hints. This book had its own version of the characters from the GoT series we've all come to love. For instance there was a character similar to Lord Baelish who was even more cunning, destructive and consequential in the history of the Seven Kingdoms

Had Fire and Blood been marketed as a companion book, like a World of Ice and Fire, I imagine the reviews would be considerably higher. Unfortunately, while the book is certainly advertised as a ‘history’ of the Targaryens, the marketing was definitely geared towards, and led most of us to expect, a real piece of fiction. This is not that. At times, pages and pages go by without any dialogue. The writing isn’t necessarily bad, but it is difficult to digest the massive chunks of historical facts without any respite through action or conversation. The history is interesting, but it covers so many generations that as soon as you become invested in a character we’re briskly moved on to the next. This is definitely not a page turner, I’m fact it was difficult to get through at times. Paritcularly where information or a paragraph was repeated, reiterated or paraphrased for the third or fourth time within 10 pages. I’m not sure who edited this book, but they failed to bring it into one cohesive read. It is fractured, often with several iterations of one small story contained within one chapter, with each iteration bringing nothing new to the telling. Because of this, the book doesn’t flow as a textbook should let alone a piece of fiction. This is a difficult review to write, because I love the world that GRRM has given us. I still love to read about the Targaryens and I feel enriched having read the book. But, nonetheless, it was not a particularly pleasant ‘reading experience’. That fact is made all the more frustrating given the amount of time that GRRM has had to perfect and edit the work. I’m not giving a poor review because I’m frustrated about waiting for WOW. I’m disappointed in the execution of what could have been a richly painted history of the Targaryens, but in reality is a poorly constructed, and oft boring, texbook.

Excellent book, filled with great stories. I would have like it to go all the way to the end of the Targaryen line, but I guess other books will do that. Still, very, very good.

I rarely bother posting a review of a book with nearly a hundred reviews. For one, neither the book nor the prospective buyer need my thoughts in order to make an informed decision. And second, for me it requires some soul searching and a good deal of thought when I am trying to shed some light that others might find of interest. In other words, I cannot simply state, "Loved it," or "Hated it," and call that a review. And, further, I abhor reviews that tell us all the intricate details of a plot and then go on and try to read the novel. Okay, now you know, I am a stubborn curmudgeon. If that annoys you, at least you can't say I didn't warn you... My review of Fire & Blood is sure to be a different take than any other review. In such light,. My review may be the least helpful to most readers. Why? I have not yet successfully read any works of Mr. Martin, because I find them a daunting challenge. Note that I state challenge, not that his writing is unappealing or uninteresting. What I mean is, I greatly respect his ability to weave great yarns. I just have difficulty in immersing myself into the worlds he creates. Anyway, I decided to approach his works from a different angle. I chose to read the history he prepared, then I will move on to Game of Thrones. I mention all this so you can skip my review if you are already a Martin fan, because what little light I might shed on the topic probably will be of little use or interest to you. On with my review… BLUSH FACTOR: You probably won’t want to read this story to your children aged 13 and younger due to three eff-words and a reference to men and sheep. Unless, that is, you have raised your children to on a farm and providing you have a sense of humor regarding sheep and find them prettier than the local maidens… Okay, I am parroting Martin’s humor at location 5406. POV: Third person. WRITING & EDITING: Readers tend to gage the writing of history somewhat differently than fiction. At least I do. With a history I don’t expect quite the same sort of flow. With “Fire & Blood” we don’t get the same flow as with, say, Game of Thrones. But, since we don’t expect to, we can more readily accept such ebb and flow as exists in “Fire & Blood.” ADVENTURE: Yes, there is plenty of adventure, even if it is not as layered through as creative writing would be in an epic story of conquest. To better show the adventure and character building that does exist in “Fire & Blood,” please refer to the below excerpt. EXCERPT ‘…his summons. Lastly he descended upon the seat of House Doggett, reducing it to ash. The fires claimed the lives of Ser Joffrey’s father, mother, and young sister, along with their sworn swords, serving men, and chattel. As pillars of smoke rose all through the westerlands and the riverlands, Vhagar and Balerion turned south. Another Lord Hightower, counseled by another High Septon, had opened the gates of Oldtown during the Conquest, but now it seemed as if the greatest and most populous city in Westeros must surely burn. Thousands fled Oldtown that night, streaming from the city gates or taking ship for distant ports. Thousands more took to the streets in drunken revelry. “This is a night for song and sin and drink,” men told one another, “for come the morrow, the virtuous and the vile burn together.” Others gathered in septs and temples and ancient woods to pray they might be spared. In the Starry Sept, the High Septon railed and thundered, calling down the wroth of the gods upon the Targaryens. The archmaesters of the Citadel met in conclave. The men of the City Watch filled sacks with sand and pails with water to fight the fires they knew were coming. Along the city walls, crossbows, scorpions, spitfires, and spear-throwers were hoisted onto the battlements in hopes of bringing down the dragons when they appeared. Led by Ser Morgan Hightower, a younger brother of the Lord of Oldtown, two hundred Warrior’s Sons spilled forth from their chapterhouse to defend His High Holiness, surrounding the Starry Sept with a ring of steel. Atop the Hightower, the great beacon fire turned a baleful green as Lord Martyn Hightower called his banners. Oldtown waited for the dawn, and the coming of the dragons. And the dragons came. Vhagar first, as the sun was rising, then Balerion, just before midday. But they found the gates of the city open, the battlements unmanned, and the banners of House Targaryen, House Tyrell, and House Hightower flying side by side atop the city walls. The Dowager Queen Visenya was the first to learn the news. Sometime during the blackest hour of that long and dreadful night, the High Septon had died. A man of three-and-fifty, as tireless as he was fearless, and to all appearances in robust good health, this High Septon had been renowned for his strength. More than once he had preached for a day and a night without taking sleep or nourishment. His sudden death shocked the city and dismayed his followers. Its causes are debated to this day. Some say that His High Holiness took his own life, in what was either the act of a craven afraid to face the wroth of King Maegor, or a noble sacrifice to spare the goodfolk of Oldtown from dragonfire. Others claim the Seven struck him down for the sin of pride, for heresy, treason, and arrogance. Many and more remain certain he was murdered…but by whom? Ser Morgan Hightower did the deed at the command of his lord brother, some say (and Ser Morgan was seen entering and leaving the High Septon’s privy chambers that night). Others point to the Lady Patrice Hightower, Lord Martyn’s maiden aunt and a reputed witch (who did indeed seek an audience with His High Holiness at dusk, though he was alive when she departed). The archmaesters of the Citadel are also suspected, though whether they made use of the dark arts, an assassin, or a poisoned scroll is still a matter of some debate (messages went back and forth between the Citadel and the Starry Sept all night). And there are still others who hold them all blameless and lay the High Septon’s death at the door of another rumored sorceress, the Dowager Queen Visenya Targaryen. The truth will likely never be known…but the swift reaction of Lord Martyn when word reached him at the Hightower is beyond dispute. At once he dispatched his own knights to disarm and arrest the Warrior’s Sons, amongst them his own brother. The city gates were opened, and Targaryen banners raised along the walls. Even before Vhagar’s wings were sighted, Lord Hightower’s men were…’ Martin, George R. R.. Fire & Blood (A Song of Ice and Fire) (Kindle Locations 1270-1300). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. BOTTOM LINE I enjoyed this fiction that felt like a true history. I confess that I enjoyed the Audible edition a bit more than the Kindle edition, but, for me, that is becoming the case with most reading. I read the Kindle edition when I can, and listen to the professional narration edition while commuting or otherwise enjoying the countryside in what “The People’s Almanac” referred to as ‘The Empty Quarter.” Listening to “Fire & Blood” while cruising through these wind-blown prairies, I found myself speculating that perhaps, just perhaps, when the ancient ones entered these lands several eons ago, they may have slew dragons and brute goliaths to wrestle the Upper Midwest free from some precursors of the human race…THAT is one mark of a good writer of fantasy, the learned one some refer to as George R. R. Martin. The one downside of this epic history is that this book is only the first volume and the author himself admits that he has other pressing epics to bring forth before he can get around to writing the conclusion. In that sense, this book ends without being complete. An annoyance to me and, I’m certain, many other readers. At least now I can tackle “A Game of Thrones.” Four stars out of five. I am striving to produce reviews that help you find books that you want, or avoid books that you wish to avoid. With your help, my improvement will help you and me improve book reviews on Amazon. Together, you and I can build a great customer review process that helps everybody. Will you join me? It is people such as you who have helped me improve over the years. I'm still learning, and I have a great deal yet to learn. With your help, I'll improve every day. One request: Be respectful and courteous in your comments and emails to me. I will do likewise with you. Thank you so much for indicating if this review helped you, or for your comment. for indicating if this review helped you, or for your comment.