Fire & Blood

Well this book was not what I expected… Fire & Blood actually reads more like a text-book than an actual novel. There is very little dialogue in this book, and no traditional plot with a beginning, middle and end. Instead, this book is a series of descriptions of historical events, people and places. The chapters are extremely long, with no natural breaks. The history described in this book only covers about 100 years of Targaryen rule. From the conquering of Aegon the First, to the rule of Aegon the 3rd, the events in this book end about 100 years before any of the events that we would recognize in A Games of Thrones. Therefore, the history in this book has little to no impact on the more current events in the books and/or TV show.

Now for the good - This book is full of fantastic information about the history of Targaryen rule in Westeros. The amount of time it probably took to outline this royal family over the years, plus their allies and enemies, is impressive. If you are already familiar with “A Song of Ice & Fire” or the Game of Thrones TV series, then you will be sure to recognize the names of many great houses that play a part in various events throughout the book. So, if you are a history buff, then this book may be for you. But if not, there are so many names and places that you will most likely forget them as soon as you put the book down.

I should also mention that the artwork in this book is beautiful. My only complaint is that I wish there was more of it. Overall, the book was a bit of a disappointment for me, although if there is another book released outlining the rest of the Targaryen rule, then I would probably not be able to resist adding it to my collection.