Author J.K. Rowling might have pioneered the art of crafting spin-offs from a bestselling series, but George R.R. Martin is never one to be left behind. Martin's new book, Fire and Blood, which will release in November, is set 300 years prior to the events of his iconic series Game of Thrones, which was adapted into a tele-series by HBO. Martin's latest, the first of a two-part series, narrates the history of the Targaryen kings who ruled the fictional lands of Westeros.
For Game of Thrones fans, Fire and Blood is a sure treat. Daenerys, the orphaned silver blonde princess and one of the most popular lead characters in the series, is the last of the Targaryens. The dynasty was founded by Aegon and his two sister wives, who arrived mounted on dragons, uniting all the lands of the Seven Kingdoms and beyond under one rule. It was a dynasty that ruled for three centuries, and populated by a variety of rulers—from Aegon the Conqueror to Maegor the Cruel, and the Mad King Aerys.
References to various Targaryens pop up consistently in the books, and it was only natural for Martin to craft spin-offs about them. Authors, who wish to cash in on the bestselling themes they create, resort to this gambit once the main series winds up. Stretched beyond a certain threshold, the series becomes tiring for both the author and reader, but spin-offs are a different matter altogether.
Rowling, after she penned the final Harry Potter installation, The Deathly Hallows, said the story was finished. However, she has penned a number of related works, such as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (made into a series of feature films, with the second edition, Crimes of Grindelwald, scheduled for a November release); Quidditch Through the Ages; Tales of Beedle the Bard, and Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide. Some of these books were written even while she was working on the Harry Potter series. Rowling was also part of the screenplay of the theatre production Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Martin, however, is still not done with the main series. The Winds of Winter, the sixth and the penultimate in the GoT series, is yet to be published. The author had become markedly slow in the later years, reportedly taking six years to finish A Dance with Dragons (fifth). The television series had to move forward on its own, instead of waiting for the book version first.
The Targaryen history is not Martin's maiden companion book on the GoT theme. He has written novellas which include The Tales of Dunk and Egg, The Princess and the Queen and The Sons of the Dragon.
For Game of Thrones fans, Fire and Blood is a sure treat. Daenerys, the orphaned silver blonde princess and one of the most popular lead characters in the series, is the last of the Targaryens. The dynasty was founded by Aegon and his two sister wives, who arrived mounted on dragons, uniting all the lands of the Seven Kingdoms and beyond under one rule. It was a dynasty that ruled for three centuries, and populated by a variety of rulers—from Aegon the Conqueror to Maegor the Cruel, and the Mad King Aerys.
References to various Targaryens pop up consistently in the books, and it was only natural for Martin to craft spin-offs about them. Authors, who wish to cash in on the bestselling themes they create, resort to this gambit once the main series winds up. Stretched beyond a certain threshold, the series becomes tiring for both the author and reader, but spin-offs are a different matter altogether.
Rowling, after she penned the final Harry Potter installation, The Deathly Hallows, said the story was finished. However, she has penned a number of related works, such as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (made into a series of feature films, with the second edition, Crimes of Grindelwald, scheduled for a November release); Quidditch Through the Ages; Tales of Beedle the Bard, and Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide. Some of these books were written even while she was working on the Harry Potter series. Rowling was also part of the screenplay of the theatre production Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Martin, however, is still not done with the main series. The Winds of Winter, the sixth and the penultimate in the GoT series, is yet to be published. The author had become markedly slow in the later years, reportedly taking six years to finish A Dance with Dragons (fifth). The television series had to move forward on its own, instead of waiting for the book version first.
The Targaryen history is not Martin's maiden companion book on the GoT theme. He has written novellas which include The Tales of Dunk and Egg, The Princess and the Queen and The Sons of the Dragon.
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