I meant to finish this book before the premiere of season 8. One day late. But that’s okay! It’s definitely given me a different perspective on what is going on in GOT WHICH IS AWESOME. If you’re a huge GOT fan, then you should read this. If not, this book might be a bit tedious for you.

Understand before reading Fire & Blood that it's a fictional history book and not a novel, and you'll be fine. This massive 700+ page book takes commitment... but is definitely worth the effort.

Fire & Blood is a history of the reign of the Targaryens, starting at a point some 300 years prior to the beginning of A Song of Ice and Fire, as the first Targaryen king, Aegon the Conqueror, flies on dragon-back from Dragonstone to Westeros to claim a kingdom. The book takes us through the bloody, violent years from the conquest through the early period of the reign of Aegon III, leaving off with still over a century to go before the events that begin A Game of Thrones.

Don't even attempt to read this book without a strategically placed bookmark on the chart of the Targaryen Lineage at the back of the book. I must have flipped back to it at least once every 10 - 20 pages, from start to finish. The names are mind-boggling to try to keep straight. Among the Targaryens in this 130 year period are notable women such as Rhaenys, Rhaena, Rhaella, and Rhaenyra, not to mention Alysanne, Alyssa, and Alicent. Men's names are just as hard to keep straight, like Jacaerys and Jaehaerys, or the numerous Aegons, Aemons, and Baelons. Unfortunately, this book does not include a map of Westeros or a guide to the many dragons, but luckily I had a copy of The World of Ice and Fire on hand for quick reference.

Fire & Blood is a fascinating read. While I've read the five novels published to date in the ASoIaF series, I haven't delved much beyond these book in terms of additional histories and the myriad of supplemental materials out there in the fandom. As a first encounter with a Westerosi history, my reading experience was intense but ultimately enjoyable. I can't even begin to fathom the intricate working of George R. R. Martin's mind, to be able to come up with a world so complete that its history makes for compelling reading, with no details left unexplored.

While I sometimes felt like I'd be reading this book FOREVER, once I got into the rhythm of it, it didn't take me nearly as long as I'd imagined. Parts go more slowly than others, and there are a lot of lords and ladies, houses, bannermen, etc to keep track of. The most compelling (and horrifying) part of the book is the section about the war of succession known as the Dance of the Dragons. Lasting a relatively brief number of years, it inflicted devastation upon the kingdom and its people, and brought about the destruction of nearly all of the Targaryen dragons. Maybe it should be obvious from the title -- Fire & Blood is very heavy on war and death and horrible cruelty, and like any account of war, while the names remembered are those of the knights and the rulers who set the course of battle, it's the common people who consistently pay the largest price.

Fire & Blood is part one of a two-part history, and while I'm afraid that we'll end up waiting years for the next installment, I'm definitely committed to wanting to read part two. This was really an engrossing, rewarding read... and has had the added side-effect of making me even more excited for the final season of the GoT TV series. What a world George R. R. Martin has created! If you're a fan, don't miss Fire & Blood.

Flew through the first 500-or so pages, but lost a bit of interest in the last part of the book. However, I am keen for a sequel should this be granted to us!

This book is a history (written in the voice of another character) and not a novel and it feels as such. There are events after events (more like tragedies after tragedies) and a list of names and places and dates which can quickly overwhelm someone who is not really interested in them.

Since it covers over a century of history and several kings' lifetimes, a lot of events are brushed over and feels rushed. Since we only focus on significant events, and as most such events happen to be war of murder or both, most of the book feel tedious (especially Jaehaerys I's reign which we were given over to think as a time of peace, but which has the most such 'tragedies'. Not sure why Martin chose to write it as such). Since this is a history, it draws from multiple sources and some of them are funny (Mushroom especially), but a big portion of the book has sequences quoted from multiple sources and adds to the tedium. Some of the stories which added to the mystique of the Targaryen history in the novels seem a let down here (Especially the 'Hour of the Wolf' - this seemed like an event which read best as an aside in the novels, but when explained, lost some of its sheen).

The book really picks up AFTER the Dance of the Dragons (last quarter of the books). Alyn Velaryon's progress and

Spoiler

Viserys' arrival

were well written. The latter especially reminds you why people like Martin's writing. But this alone is not enough to leave a favorable impression in my mind. Although, I have to say that any fans of ASOIAF will find this a fun read. Just not that fun - Targaryens are not the most interesting of the families (discounting Aegon I and Aegon IV for totally different reasons) and I feel we didn't really need two books' worth of material on them. I, for one, would love to read more about the First Men, the Children of the Forest and the Andals. But, hey, Martin doesn't owe us anything. Happy to read what comes by.