FIRE & BLOOD BY GEORGE R.R. MARTIN

#1NEW YORK TIMESBESTSELLERThe thrilling history of the Targaryens comes to life in this masterly work, the inspiration for HBOsGame of Thronesprequel seriesHouse of the Dragon

The thrill ofFire & Bloodis the thrill of all Martins fantasy work: familiar myths debunked, the whole trope table flipped.Entertainment Weekly

Centuries before the events ofA Game of Thrones,House Targaryenthe only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyriatook up residence on Dragonstone.Fire & Bloodbegins 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 Cruels 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-five black-and-white illustrations by artist Doug Wheatleyincluding five illustrations exclusive to the trade paperback edition.Readers have glimpsed small parts of this narrative in such volumes asThe 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 GibbonsThe History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Fire & Bloodis 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 forFire & Blood

A masterpiece of popular historical fiction.The Sunday Times

The saga is a rich and dark one, full of both the titles promised elements. . . . Its 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 theNights Watch, or simply meet an inventive and horrible end.The Guardian

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