Reflection on Fire and Blood by George R.R. Martin

               As Game of Thrones comes to a close, I had to pick up this book. Fire and Blood reads very differently from the A Song of Ice and Fire series; it is more like a history book than the novels that Martin usually writes. There’s actually a page in the front that says the book is written by Archmaester Gyldayn and transcribed by George R.R. Martin. I liked that. The book covers the period from Aegon’s Conquest until the end of the regency of Aegon III, about 140 years later and about 150 years before the events of A Game of Thrones.

               I learned some interesting things. For example, before Aegon conquered Westeros, House Hoare was the paramount house of the Iron Islands and they had conquered the Riverlands. There is also a potential explanation for how Daenarys’ three dragon eggs came into the possession of Magister Illyrio of Pentos. During the reign of King Jaeharys, three eggs are stolen and sold off somewhere in Essos. Martin writes, “’They may not hatch,’ Benifer said. ‘Not away from Drangonstone. The heat… it is known, some dragon eggs simply turn to stone.’
               ‘Then some spicemonger in Pentos will find himself possessed of three very costly stones.’ So that was a cool reference. There is also a mention of the dragon Vermax leaving a clutch of dragon eggs at Winterfell, meaning that there may be no end to the number of dragons who can be born, they just need to hatch somewhere. Heat is mentioned by the Maester Benifer, which might have had to do wtith Danaerys’ miracle. Septon Barth also claimed that dragons “change sex at need” being “as mutable as flame.” Another interesting moment as when Queen Alysanne attempted to bring her dragon Silverwing beyond the wall but the dragon refused. Did the dragon know what could happen north of the wall as would happen to Vysarion [sp?] so many years later? There’s also a funny little aside that says, “but his son Davos always said he died content, smiling at the rotting hands and feet that dangled in his tent like a string of onions,” a pretty clear reference to Davos Seaworth, The Onion Knight who served as Hand to Stannis Baratheon in ASOIAF.

               In sum, this was a good book and I guess it was worth GRRM writing it even if that meant more time not having released Winds of Winter. The book educates you about the Targaryens and the other houses they dealt with in their early years. I really enjoyed the parts about the “Dance of the Dragons” and thought it was a very good read.