Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin

Fire & Blood: 300 Years Before A Game of Thrones (The Targaryen Dynasty: The House of the Dragon) by George R. R. Martin 

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The history of the Targaryens comes to life in this masterly work, the inspiration for HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon

Centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones, House Targaryen—the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria—took up residence on Dragonstone. Fire & Blood recounts the legendary history of this powerful dynasty, beginning with Aegon the Conqueror, creator of the Iron Throne, and following the generations of Targaryens who fought to maintain their iconic seat of power, culminating in the civil war that nearly tore their dynasty apart.

This essential chronicle, as related by a learned maester of the Citadel and featuring over eighty illustrations by artist Doug Wheatley, answers many questions about Targaryen history. What truly transpired during the Dance of the Dragons? Why was it so perilous to visit Valyria after the Doom? What were the worst crimes committed by the Cruel Maegor? What was life like in Westeros when dragons ruled the skies? Readers have glimpsed fragments of this narrative in other works, but now, for the first time, the full tapestry of Targaryen history is revealed.

With the scope and grandeur of Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Fire & Blood is the first volume of the definitive two-part history of the Targaryens, giving readers a deeper appreciation for the dynamic, often bloody, and always fascinating history of Westeros.

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