Fire And Blood from George R.R. Martin

A NEW book by George R.R. Martin that is set 300 years before the events of A Song Of Ice And Fire promises to tell the definitive history of the Targaryens in Westeros.

Announced on Thursday, Fire And Blood is an unexpected treat for fans who are eagerly awaiting The Winds Of Winter, the sixth novel in the Ice And Fire fantasy series.

While the seven-year wait for that book isn’t over, at least they’ll be able to look forward to Fire And Blood, which the American author stresses is not a novel but a history.

“This is not a traditional narrative and was never intended to be ... let’s call this one ‘imaginary history’, instead,” he told fans.

“The essential point being the ‘history’ part. I love reading popular histories myself, and that’s what I was aiming for here.

“As for me, I’m returning once again to The Winds Of Winter.”

Fire And Blood is the first of two planned volumes and is said to chronicle the Targaryen civil war.

While parts of the narrative have previously appeared in The World Of Ice And Fire (the companion book to the main A Song Of Ice And Fire series) and various anthologies, this is said to be the first time Martin’s full history of the Targaryens is revealed.

The book is illustrated by Doug Wheatley with more than 75 black and white portraits and scenes. It is due for international release on Nov 20.

Here’s the full list of books in the Ice And Fire series: A Game Of Thrones (1996), A Clash Of Kings (1999), A Storm Of Swords (2000), A Feast For Crows (2005), and A Dance With Dragons (2011). The first book is the basis of the extremely popular similarly named HBO TV series. – AFP Relaxnews