Fire & BloodFire & Blood
Score Modern
What it's about
Set centuries before A Game of Thrones, the first volume of George R. R. Martin's history of the Targaryens tells of their conquest of Westeros, their dragons, their rulers and the conflicts that tore their dynasty apart, including the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons.
Why it's worth reading
It reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and spent 40 weeks on the lists. It inspired HBO's House of the Dragon.
You'll love it if you liked
A Game of Thrones
The Silmarillion
The Blade ItselfGood to know
It's written as a history, not a novel, so it reads like a chronicle. It's best for fans of the world.
By the numbers
- Readers41 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller73 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #187 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #682 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1288 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Epic
More by George R. R. Martin
If you like this, read next
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
The Fifth Season
Dungeon Crawler Carl
The Song of Achilles
House of Earth and Blood
Six of CrowsExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Fire & Blood worth reading?
Yes. It reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and spent 40 weeks on the lists. It ranks #1,288 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 70.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Fire & Blood about?
Set centuries before A Game of Thrones, the first volume of George R. R. Martin's history of the Targaryens tells of their conquest of Westeros, their dragons, their rulers and the conflicts that tore their dynasty apart, including the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons.
How long does it take to read Fire & Blood?
About 18 hours (706 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Fire & Blood?
If you liked it, try A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien or The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie.