"Fire and Blood" by George R.R. Martin

Anais' Annotations

“House of the Dragon” is a spin-off of the hit TV series, “Game of Thrones,” which has had massive success over the last few years. It has taken over TikTok thirst edits and Wattpad fanfic accounts alike. Many people do not realize this addition to the “GOT” universe is based on a prequel novel written by George R.R. Martin, the creative mind behind both the original books and television show. 

“Fire and Blood” (2018) is a unique history of the world of Westeros that is perfect for any die-hard Targaryen fan. 

Fair warning: this book should definitely not be your first venture into the “Game of Thrones” world. I highly recommend reading the original series of books first. If you are truly averse to that for some reason, then as a last-ditch effort, you can also try watching the show. That said, I do not take responsibility for anything you think and feel about season four. 

The reason for this advice is I think everyone needs some groundwork before entering Martin's work. George R.R. Martin has spent literal decades crafting this universe. The lands, family lineages and general histories are so deep.  

“Fire and Blood” is written under the assumption that most people will already be familiar with the “Song of Ice and Fire” series, popularly known as “GOT” after the name of the first book. I went into this as someone who has read all the books, and I still got hung up in some areas, so I cannot imagine trying this out for a first read. 

My absolute favorite part of this book is its narrative structure. The entire piece is written like a found history, as if Martin is going in and translating the writings of fictional historians. It is a little bit more detached from the characters than most people are familiar with for genre fiction. There is no typical “he said this, she did that” format because the idea is that the important details need documenting, not the small conversations. Some people may find this boring, but I really enjoyed it.  

This novel is the first I have ever encountered with this type of structure, and I think it is a very interesting take. 

The structure is developed through the writings of three different historians, so there are several times when pieces overlap or differ. I personally thought this was absolutely genius on the author’s end. Having such widely varying stories makes the work seem more real.

Even though readers will always know that it is fiction, we know that real history is often full of contradictory information, so why would fictional history be different? 

Speaking of differences, something that struck me while reading this book is how different it is from the television show. I know that this always happens, but it is a more unique situation with this work. Because it is a tellingof history, there are a lot of areas that are not as fleshed out as typical fiction plots. For example, Alicent’s relationship with Ser Criston Cole is only very lightly hinted at in the books, never explicitly stated.  

The show took great liberties in making them a couple. I know this had to be done to really craft a plot for television, but it was major components like that relationship that really surprised me in their changes. 

Like all Martin works, the characters are incredibly deep and dynamic. My personal favorites were Jaehaerys and Alysanne, the king and queen duo. Their relationship is often talked about in other books as totally perfect, but “Fire and Blood” gives a new look at them. Jaehaerys and Alysanne indeed love each other deeply, but they also share the struggles that you may expect to see in partnerships. I felt like their love was so genuine, as was their partnership in ruling the kingdom. It was truly masterful in the writing of the dynamics between them. 

It should go without saying, but this is a grisly book in many ways. There are many graphic depictions of violence, assault and child abuse. These are normal elements of Martin's books, but if you have never read anything of his before, enter with caution. I would suggest reading a little bit about the themes online before starting, just so you feel prepared if you are unfamiliar with the series. 

“Fire and Blood” sets the stage for a greater understanding of the world behind “Game of Thrones.” George R.R. Martin really outdid himself in furthering the worldbuilding of this universe in such a unique and creative way.Because this book really blew my socks off in terms of its style and technique, I have to give it a 9.5 out of 10.