Fire and Blood: 300 Years Before A Game of Thrones

FIRE AND BLOOD serves as an essential record of the Targaryen dynasty in Westeros, taking place 300 years before the narrative in A Song of Ice and Fire. Written by Archmaester Gyldayn, it details the conquest that unified the Seven Kingdoms under Targaryen rule and the subsequent Dance of the Dragons, a civil war that nearly destroyed their lineage.

Authored by George R.R. Martin, the creator of A Song of Ice and Fire, which inspired HBO's Game of Thrones, this riveting account captivates with all the intensity readers expect from his work. This first installment of a two-part series explores the history of the Targaryens, the only dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria, as they settled on Dragonstone. Starting with Aegon the Conqueror, who forged the Iron Throne, Fire and Blood narrates the Targaryens' tumultuous reign, culminating in a civil conflict that shook their foundation.

The book delves into key historical questions: What unfolded during the Dance of the Dragons? Why did Valyria become perilous post-Doom? What atrocities did Maegor the Cruel commit? What was life in Westeros like with dragons as rulers of the skies? These and other inquiries find their answers in this meticulously detailed chronicle, featuring elaborations by a learned Citadel maester and enriched with over eighty new illustrations by Doug Wheatley.

With the expansiveness of Gibbon's The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Fire and Blood presents the ultimate game of thrones, offering a fresh perspective on the vibrant, bloody, and endlessly intriguing history of Westeros.