Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin

 

This novel is related to the popular series A Game Of Thrones.  It takes place three hundred years before that series and relates the history of House Targaryen.  At that time, the Targaryens ruled Westeros and it was easy to understand why.  They had dragons and there were very few ways to stand up to dragons streaming fire and setting entire navies or cities alight.  

The Targaryens believed in marrying brother to sister to keep their bloodline strong.  That meant that when there was a power struggle it was brother against sister or nephew against uncle.  That made the bloody arguments even more bloodthirsty.  The first ruler to take control was Aegon I.  He was a wise and powerful ruler who united all of Westros and ruled with compassion and concern for those he ruled. When he died, his cruel brother took over and was eventually defeated by the young Jaehaerys.  Jaehaerys and his sister wife ruled for many decades since he took the throne at age sixteen and lived to be an old man.  

After his rule, however, there was conflict over the next ruler and a war broke out between two branches of the Targaryen family.  All of Westros was drawn into the war with brother fighting brother and death taking many of the family.  Many of the alliances and marriages made during this epic battle set the stage for the later series when the Targaryens had lost their power and other Houses ruled Westeros.

George R. R. Martin cannot write a bad book.  This one was intriguing and filled in another important part of his Westros world.  Fans of the series and the show will find much to enjoy in this book.  There is a companion book which is a tabletop illustrated copy showing all the characters in full color.  The new HBO series, House Of Dragons, is based on this book as well.  This novel is recommended for fantasy readers.