A review by theguildwriter
Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Great for anyone interested in the world of Game of Thrones and the history and politics that drive its story. That being said, this is not written as a novel; it is essentially a history book covering 136 years of Targaryen rule and is narrated as such. It is dense, there are many characters that rotate in and out of focus, and nothing you read is plain truth. All events are recorded by different maesters through their own observations or from eyewitness accounts. There are many incidents you are given several different versions of, leaving you as the reader to make heads or tails of it. Also, since this is being written by one of the maesters, you have to keep in mind that the events he narrates directly are biased as well. Was Maegor truly all bad and Jaeherys all good? Can you read between the lines of how actions are interpreted for you?

It is very fun for anyone who loves to dive into the grimy side of history, and it’s even more fun because there are dragons. But it is very dense and will not tie up neatly as a novel would.