So, I feel like I just finished the Silmarillion. ( )

A book i wish i hadn't bought. This is more of a history than story and its told in rather dry way, very far from the good prose Martin used in the song of ice and fire books, and it feels like something that, in a much shortened form could have been an appendix to a story set in this world. That is to say a world 300 years before the song of ice and fire world. It is books like this that slowly make me lose respect for Martin. He did not finish Ice And Fire, and to be honest what is worse than a good story not finished?, and instead he has written an appendix to a story not even started, Martin has said for over 10 years now that the 6,th part of Ice and Fire soon would be finished. Then dont write this kind of nothing. Either admit that you have written yourself in a maze and cant find your way out when it comes to Ice And Fire or stop making promises you cant keep. This book is a total unnecessity, not wellwritten, far too long and taken up time for the author better spent elsewhere. ( )

A arrebatadora história dos Targaryen ganha vida neste novo livro de George R.R. Martin, autor de As Crônicas de Gelo e Fogo, série que inspirou a adaptação de sucesso da HBO, Game of Thrones.

Séculos antes dos eventos de A guerra dos tronos, a Casa Targaryen – única família de senhores dos dragões a sobreviver à Destruição de Valíria – tomou residência em Pedra do Dragão. A história de Fogo e sangue começa com o lendário Aegon, o Conquistador, criador do Trono de Ferro, e segue narrando as gerações de Targaryen que lutaram para manter o assento, até a guerra civil que quase destruiu sua dinastia.
O que realmente aconteceu durante a Dança dos Dragões? Por que era tão perigoso visitar Valíria depois da Destruição? Qual é a origem dos três ovos de dragão que chegaram a Daenerys? Essas são algumas das questões respondidas neste livro essencial, relatadas por um sábio meistre da Cidadela.
Ricamente ilustrado com mais de oitenta imagens em preto e branco assinadas pelo artista Dough Wheatley, Fogo e sangue dará aos leitores uma nova e completa visão da fascinante história de Westeros – um livro imperdível para os fãs do autor.

Borrowed from local library.

I am not a fan of Martin. That being said, Fire & Blood is a good, honest representation of his writing. It is professional, ultra-complex with twists and turns galore and filled with both bloody battles and intrigues and much fornicating and ribald/vulgar scenes in profusion. Granted this is a book of historical fantasy in a world with dragons and dragon-riders. In other words, not a thinly veiled picture of some actual historical period...unless someone knows otherwise?
But for my own tastes, Martin fails at one of the prime elements that I need to have to truly get wrapped up in any book: that is he does not have a protagonist who you can't help but cheer for. I have read much of his Game of Thrones series and did cheer for several characters at different points in the stories...I think he managed to kill each and every one of them with a handful of chapters.
Oh, Martin is a talented writer, don't get me wrong. F&B could easily become a hit on TV or in the movies, there is enough action, enough intrigue, enough death and gore and lots and lots of sex, most of it twisted (he seems to have chosen incest as his favorite form of intercourse to promote in both of these series...they are both set in the same universe/world so maybe that is the only connection...). Again, finding ways to gain support for incest is another reason I found this objectionable. I have read mysteries that have vigilante killers as "likeable" protagonists and hired assassins and other varieties of swashbuckling sexually active major characters, etc., but these all ultimately leave a sour taste in my mouth for one reason or another.
F&B may become a major day time action story that will run either as a regular show or in syndication. The biggest problem for that to happen is that the cast is too big, there must have been literally thousands of names over the 700 pages. But GRR Martin is a man of our time. His writing sells and sells big. Too bad there is no happy ending nor positive value being promoted. I guess he does promote integrity of character/action...but even men of integrity are often abandoned by those they protected.
Really, just not my cup of tea. ( )

Ok I didn’t really finish this book. I read one chapter and that’s all I could stand. It’s not really a narrative story so much as the worst, most boring textbook ever ( )