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A review by jtobin
Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin
3.0
Obviously meant to be his "Silmarillion", this reinforces a lot of my preexisting opinions of Martin as a writer. He can write very well on a prose level, understands how to make a compelling twist, and ultimately writes best in short arcs with unsavory but complex characters. He also has a talent for dropping short, evocative details about a person, place, or event that is not central to the story but helps build atmosphere and make the world feel bigger than the story you are following.
However, he also is really into making weird choices for no good reason, especially when the details are particularly horny or gruesome. This is particularly true for a prurient interest in underage relationships (where he gives way more detail than is necessary) and incest (where he goes way beyond historical examples). The latter is a feature of his writing more broadly; when there is a deviation from history that he is basing his world on, it is routinely to make things more awful than reality. There is a overwhelming interest in the horrific in a way that seems like truth-telling if you aren't actually familiar with how similar societies worked historically.
However, he also is really into making weird choices for no good reason, especially when the details are particularly horny or gruesome. This is particularly true for a prurient interest in underage relationships (where he gives way more detail than is necessary) and incest (where he goes way beyond historical examples). The latter is a feature of his writing more broadly; when there is a deviation from history that he is basing his world on, it is routinely to make things more awful than reality. There is a overwhelming interest in the horrific in a way that seems like truth-telling if you aren't actually familiar with how similar societies worked historically.