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  • Fire and Blood

  • A Song of Ice and Fire
  • By: George R.R. Martin
  • Narrated by: Simon Vance
  • Length: 27 hrs and 15 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (850 ratings)

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Fire and Blood cover art

Fire and Blood

By: George R.R. Martin
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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Publisher's Summary

Centuries before A Game of Thrones, an even greater game began, one that set the skies alight with dragon flame and saw the Seven Kingdoms turned to ash.  

So began the Targaryens’ bloody rule, with fire and blood. Setting brother against brother, mother against daughter, and dragon against dragon. Chronicled by a learned maester of the Citadel, this thrilling and bloody history of Westeros tells the story of where the battle for the Iron Throne began....

This audio edition now includes an exclusive interview between George R.R. Martin and historian Dan Jones.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2018 George R.R. Martin (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about Fire and Blood

Average Customer Ratings
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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A treasure trove for any lore fans

I've come to understand that this book has become divisive among fans of A Song of Ice and Fire, or should I rather say, fans of George R. R. Martin. Many are outraged that the man is working on, or indeed doing anything other than writing The Winds of Winter. The few reviews I've read of Fire and Blood thus far has said as much, and finding the style and prose of this work dry, dull and ponderous.

I was intrigued from the first when I heard Martin was writing a history of the Targaryen dynasty in the manner of non-fiction history, and as I relished the accounts he had already put forth concerning the Dance of the Dragons, I wished for more of the same. And that's exactly what has been laid before us.

It's not high fantasy, apart from being set in a high fantasy setting and containing dragons. Don't expect any elucidation on the higher mysteries from this book. However, you can expect massive amounts of intrigue, scandal and much and more sundry information about the Targaryen dynasty and their courts and associates, from the time of Aegon I until Aegon III, almost 150 years of Westerosi dynastic history with many tangents and tons of lore.

All of which the narrator presents sublimely. In my head, just spent a lot of hours with Archmaester Gyldayn himself. The narrator's voice, presentation and inflection were supremely well suited for a work like this, and I applaud the producer that made this happen. Indeed, he may in large part be the reason I found this book as engrossing as I did. Kudos to you all for this happy match.

If you're passionate about the world of Ice and Fire and share the author's enthusiasm with fleshing out the world and constructing a living, breathing fantastical universe, I heartily recommend this book. If you're a fan of the television show and you're looking for something cool with dragons, you'll probably agree with the detractors within a few pages (or in this case, a few minutes).

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29 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

One hour in and the names are killing me

This isn’t a narrative. It’s a list of names with a few sequenced events. So boring. Not another 24 of this !

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Bearable at first, unbearable after a few hrs

Yeah. I just sat and listened to a man recite the Westerosi phonebook for 5 hours. Name after name after name after name. Couldn't take it anymore. There's no dialogue, no plot, just a writer who has decided, for reasons best known to himself, to kill stone dead his fabulous earlier work with a lot of tedious and totally unnecessary history. Bearable at the beginning, unbearable after a few hours of it. The reader is good, but if anyone thinks I'm going to listen to TWENTY SIX HOURS of that...
scuse me a sec...
chik chik BOOOOM!

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

do not waste your time

why why why why why? what an absolutely pointless "book" filled with irrelevant names and the places of names in fact if they were removed you could probably cut the thing in half. i feel like mr Martin is taking the piss out of me as a fan 2011 ive been waiting for the next book for 8 years! 8 effin years George ffs why waste your time and mine with this nonsensical obvious money grab? if your cant be arsed finishing your series for what ever reason other than to abuse your fans why not write about the war with a young ned and rob? why not the building of the wall? why not expand on the white walkers? instead you give us this s^*t!
I hated this book seriously hated it it pained me and left me angry it clears nothing up only leaves you with more questions and frustrations and the fact that it will never be cleared up EVER just makes it all the worst. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME ON THIS

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Expecting a story!

This really is a history and is not entertaining. If you are a hard core GoT fan, maybe it will satisfy. I thought I was getting a story to entertain in the holidays.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
  • GT
  • 04-02-2019

Textbook

Written from a Maesters perspective as a history. Extremely dry but narrator worked hard to breath life into it.
Should have been left as background notes.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

It's just so bad!

Gave up after 2 hours save your money. It's not a story it's a fantasy history lesson.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

It’s good if you’re after a list of names.

Bring a pen and notebook to keep track of the names that you might want to add to the family trees of Westeros but don’t come to this boon expecting the intrigue and storytelling of GOT.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Know What You’re Getting Into

Just remember that this is an account of Targaryen history and not some tightly sewn together story. Yes hearing about Aegon’s conquering and the Dance of Dragons is cool but there is so much more. And by more I don’t mean good. Many chapters are devoted to slow, boring happenings in and out of King’s Landing along with the listing of names, so many names.

I’d honestly recommend having a Targaryen Family Tree next to you as you listen because every bloody Targaryen has similar sounding names and it gets VERY confusing. They recycle the same 5 damn names every generation. Targaryens may have had dragons but they’ve got zero originality in naming their own kin.

There are definitely good and exciting elements but overall the book is a bit of a drag. This is a George RR Martin novel after all so I should have expected it.

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4 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great

Its almost like a giant wikipedia page about Targaryens and there rule over Westero s

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2 people found this helpful

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