Fire & Blood (HBO Tie-in Edition)

300 Years Before A Game of Thrones

By: George R. R. Martin

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 26 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The thrilling 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—including five all-new illustrations exclusive to this edition. 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.

Includes a bonus PDF of illustrations from the book

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

“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

©2018 George R. R. Martin (P)2018 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“A masterpiece of popular historical fiction.” (The Sunday Times)

“[Fire & Blood] explores the dragon-fueled secrets upon which the current saga is built." (Hollywood Reporter)

“[There are] treasures hidden in this new Targaryen history.” (Vanity Fair)

"Martin has done it again.... [Fire & Blood is] a beautiful weaving of the wars, marriages, deaths, dragons, and politics that shape the world Martin has created, leaving the reader feeling like this is a true history rather than a piece of fantasy. This is a masterpiece of world-building.... Beyond Martin’s legions of fans, anyone with a taste for richly, even obsessively detailed historical fiction or fantasy about royalty will enjoy this extraordinary work.” (Booklist, starred review)

“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)

meh

history text not stories so much can be tough to follow at times just average

Arrrghhh! Another unfinished work.

I probably could have avoided the shock if I spent time on the fan sites. But I don't do that so I was surprised when the story was abruptly cut off half way through.

More Needed

I thought I was getting the previous 500 years prior to the current series. of course I was left wanting more

Harder than Valyrian steel

I enjoyed George's book, but it was a lot like a high school history class. Lots of names, dates and places. And if I had to take a test after listening to this book, I'm not sure I'd get a passing grade.

However, I am a big fan of Game of Thrones, and so I get the feeling that this book is the strawman for the future screenplays that will be the next George Martin series. my guess is that it's going to be called the Targaryens. don't beat me up if my spelling is bad. I was using voice to text. Enjoy the book!

Great History Book!

if you love everything a song of ice and fire, then you will love this book. yes, it is written like a history book, but it is done so well and so interestingly.

Well spoken and riveting content

I got exactly what I was wanting. I was looking for an intro to the House of Dragons series on HBO. I got that and so much more. Targaryn dynasty from from the Conquest is an amazing story. Those new to the GOT world might not find this as intriguing because this is all back story for us info nerds. 26 hours felt like 12.

That was awesome! Didn't want it to in!

george R.R. Martin In my opinion is the greatest Story teller ever to live! To be able to come up with a whole new world as awesome as this one is incredible!

Another great read from George R R Martin!

loved it! Such an amazing story writer! keeps you glued to the pages from beginning to end!

the R.R. stands for Arrrgh!

a good story; certainly entertaining. but only george could end a history on a cliffhanger!

Great read

Absolutely loved it and it helped me understand the books better. Eagerly awaiting the next book!