Fire and Blood (HarperCollins Publishers)

Set 300 years before the events in A Song of Ice and Fire, FIRE AND BLOOD is the definitive history of the Targaryens in Westeros as told aby Archmaester Gyldayn, and bronicles the conquest that united the Seven Kingdoms under Targaryen rule through to the Dance of the Dragons: the Targaryen civil war that nearly ended their dynasty forever.

The thrilling history of the Targaryens comes to life in this masterly work by the author of A Song of Ice and Fire, the inspiration for HBO's Game of Thrones. With all the fire and fury fans have come to expect from internationally bestselling author George R.R.

Martin, this is the first volume of the definitive two-part history of the Targaryens in Westeros. 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 and Blood begins their tale with the legendary Aegon the Conqueror, creator of the Iron Throne, and goes on to recount the generations of Targaryens who fought to hold that iconic seat, all the way up to the civil war that nearly tore their dynasty apart.

What really happened during the Dance of the Dragons$623 Why was it so deadly to visit Valyria after the Doom$624 What were Maegor the Cruel's worst crimes$625 What was it like in Westeros when dragons ruled the skies$626 These are but a few of the questions answered in this essential chronicle, as related żeby a learned maester of the Citadel, and featuring more than eighty all-new black-and-white illustrations by artist Doug Wheatley.

With all the scope and grandeur of Gibbon's The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Fire and Blood is the ultimate game of thrones, giving readers a whole new appreciation for the dynamic, often bloody, and always fascinating history of Westeros.

'A masterpiece' SUNDAY TIMES 'An epic take, viewed from soaring heights' DAILY MAIL 'A feast of pure imagination' SFX 'The sheer detail of the richly layered world has created is astonishing, with narrative twists and turns aplenty' SUNDAY EXPRESS PRAISE FOR A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE: 'Of those who work in the grand epic fantasy tradition, Martin is żeby far the best' TIME MAGAZINE 'Colossal, staggering...