"On wings as black as pitch Balerion plunged through the night, and when the great towers of Harrenhal appeared beneath him, the dragon roared his fury and bathed them in black fire, shot through swirls of red."
It seems like just yesterday that I was awestruck by this book in one of the Crossword outlets and today I sit here, set to review one of the books I've so longed to read. If you're a fan of the entire Game of Thrones (GOT)/ A Song of Ice and Fire universe, (which I'm going to refer to as GOT henceforth), then you can imagine the excitement in the heart of a reader to learn how the Targaryen dynasty came into being, thrived and what ultimately caused their doom.
Now, if you're totally new to this universe, let me briefly welcome and introduce you to some things that you should know before we get to know the book. In the GOT universe, the Targaryens are one of the most powerful houses and Dragonlords of a rich and ancient lineage. In the kingdom of Westeros, they are portrayed as one of the houses that once held glory and might, but somehow became passive, the reason most precisely being that their dragons were long dead and the last known Targaryens of the world were across another nation.
Fire and Blood, a masterful story telling work by George R. R. Martin, is all about the Targaryen Kings of Westeros right from Aegon I (The Conqueror) till the regency of Aegon III (The Dragonsbane) as being a written work of Archmaester Gyldayn of Citadel of Oldtown.
The book takes the reader on an eventful journey right from the first Targaryens to ever step foot into Westeros and how their power came into being. A name not unfamiliar to a true fan, Aegon I Targaryen (also known as Aegon the Dragon) united 7 (somewhat 6) squabbling houses under one nation and his royal beast Balerion forged the Iron Throne with the swords of his rider's fallen enemies. However, forging the Iron Throne was one thing while successfully ruling the kingdom after the Conqueror's death was another. The book then takes on the story with the descendants of Aegon I along with his sister-wives Visenya and Rhaenys. Other compelling stories in the book are the Sons of the Dragons, the Heirs of the Dragons and most distressingly, the Dying of the Dragons.
Some observations that I would like to make here is the absolute astonishment for the author's creativity and skill in creating a universe so diverse in itself. There are so many more houses that I hadn't even known existed and so many stories among these. Apart from just giving an insight of the Targaryen lineage, the story also consists of some history of other powerful houses such as the Velaryons (also Dragonlords), House Stark and the Northern history, the conqueror's futile attempts to conquer Dorne and swear their legiance, etc. And of course, the mythical beauties who I could talk about all day long, my beloved dragons! Balerion, Vhagar, Vermithor and many others are no less than bone chilling beasts with an element of magic that you can only experience through this book.
The book might look a little intimidating because of its size but it consists of illustrations by Doug Wheatley that I think are a stupendous addition to the book. It is also surprisingly light in weight for 700 pages, although I must admit that it did not hold my interest as compellingly as before, towards the end, where for a brief period, the Regents reign. Thus, if you're not a fan, there's no assuring that you might enjoy the book just as much.
This book is a part of 2-book series, but fans can only wait for the 2nd to be published soon. As a fan of the GOT universe, I found myself most intrigued to read stories pertaining to dragons and some commendable Targaryen rulers, but if you're new to this world, I suggest that you either watch the show or read the Song of Ice and Fire series first, to help you develop a feeling of excitement for this book.
George R. R. Martin continues to rain fire through this laudable piece of art, Fire and Blood.
DETAILS
Name: Fire and Blood
Author: George R. R. Martin
Publication: Bantam Books
Date: 2018
Pages: 706
Wow what a spot on review Reema !! Am actually awestruck seeing how detailed and exciting this book is! Thank you soo much for putting it across.. this was much awaited! #GoT #drogon #memoriesrelished
ReplyDeleteThank you Pam! Only GOT fans would understand the excitement! :P
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