Read Yes
Length 706
Quick Review The Targaryens came to Westeros. Aegon I united the seven kingdoms and began a three hundred year dynasty leading to the events being played out in the beloved show Game of Thrones.
I love the HBO show Game of Thrones based off George R.R. Martin’s series A Song of Ice and Fire. I’m sad to see it go tomorrow night. I’ve been holding off reading the books until the show is over. I didn’t hesitate to read this prequel, though.
I started watching Game of Thrones the show in its second season. I don’t read fantasy because I don’t like it. The exception being Harry Potter, everyone should read that; it’s culturally important. Game of Thrones is one of those series that has gripped the world. It’s incredibly well done, but I haven’t read the books. I finished George RR Martin’s first prequel (there will be two) Fire & Blood, and it was not what I thought it would be.
I don’t know what I expected out of this book, but this wasn’t it. I liked it, but it was boring. Like really boring. I love history books, I think they’re far more interesting than novels to be honest. I’m the kind of person that enjoys reading textbooks. Fire & Blood read like an incredibly dry history book. In all honesty, it kind of is.
Fire & Blood is the first of a two part prequel documenting the 300 year reign of House Targaryen over Westeros until their demise leading to the storyline played out for the world to watch on HBO. The Targaryens came to Westeros after the Doom of Valeria and resided on Dragonstone for awhile. Then, Aegon I decided to hop on his dragon and conquer/unite the seven kingdoms of Westeros WITH his sisters Visenya and Rhaenys, which Arya points out to Tywin Lannister in season 2 episode 7. FYI, Aegon’s sisters are his wives. This is totally normal and fine for the Targaryens, which could be more pointed out in the show. The book follows the ruling Targaryens in Westeros for a good 150 odd years. Including the Dance of Dragons.
After reading the prequel, things happening in the show made a LOT more sense. Names and stories from history made in passing during the show come to life within the 700 pages of Fire & Blood. The dialogue is a little rudimentary and clunky at times: “But not so high as to keep out dragons. Dragons fly.” Not so riveting. There is a lot in this book. Dorne is probably my favorite. Yay strong warrior women and female leaders.
Martin has an incredible mind. History is made up of people who actually lived, breathed, and did stuff. Creating that kind of intricacy in an imaginary world really deserves a great deal of applause. The book might be a bit dry, but the amount of information he comes up with and gives background to is truly remarkable. I love history, so it’s fun to find the historical parallels. Martin also has a great deal of respect for women. The female characters are incredibly powerful and probably more dimensenial than the male characters. That said, Martin doesn’t shy away from the difficulties facing women historically and documents the expectations, violence, cruelty, and blatant overlooking of their existence within the pages. The illustrations throughout Fire & Blood are quite beautiful. What is interesting is the fact the men age, but the women stay young and beautiful when illustrated. (Unless they are old and mean to begin with. Old being a relative term.)
It took me awhile to read the book because a) it is a big book b) it reads fairly dryly. Over all, I really enjoyed Fire & Blood as a whole. The story and Martin’s imagination are quite fantastical. I would suggest it, but it can get a bit dry at times. I love being able to watch the show and understand the history and the references much better than I did before.
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Memorable Quotes
“The game of thrones takes many a queer turn…”
“And in songs, as ever, love conquers all. The truth, we submit, is a deal less simple.”
“Save my wife, you should have said, but what are wives to men like you.”
“…no plan made by man has ever withstood the whims of the gods above.”
Title: Fire & Blood
Author: George R.R. Martin
Publisher: Bantam Books (Penguin Random House)
Copyright: 2018
ISBN: 9781524796280
