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Fire and Blood
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Butterbumps@Home
Aug 6, 2019, 6:10:02 AM8/6/19
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I hadn't realised this book was out in the wild, but I found it by chance at a recent convention and have started reading it.
I'm currently 50 years into the Targaryen dynasty and enjoying it quite a lot. I'm starting to get a handle on which side is going to win any given fight. If the noble houses involved have names I recognise from the Song of Ice and Fire books, they're probably going to win the fight. If they have names I've never heard of before, they and all their offspring are probably about to get a dragon up 'em.
Anyway, it's quite a fun read.
I mentioned to Janica that it was a wonder anyone in Westeros ever wanted the Targaryens back, considering what they were like. I mean Aegon and Maegor straight-up sucked, but now I'm reading into the Conciliator's reign and he may be better.
She was like, "well yeah, *nobody* wanted the Targaryens back."
"What, so Varys was lying about the smallfolk supporting her?" I asked.
"*Duh*, yeah."
Okay, but there's still 250 years of history to read (although since this is Part 1 there may only be half of the timeline), so the smallfolk still have time to forget and go into Those Were The Days mode. Perhaps as many as two or three times over, judging by how short *our* memories are, and we're all basically literate.
If we can get nostalgic for segregation and National Socialist doctrine and isolationism, Westerosi peasants can get nostalgic for the days when you didn't need to lock your horse up at night and everyone drank out of the river and kids got beaten half to death and turned out alright and if a local lord wanted to bang your wife on your wedding night everyone was cool with it and also sometimes there were dragons. I mean sure. Maybe Martin's going for a long-game socio-political message there.
B@w
--
On topic, motherfuckers. On topic.
https://hatboy.blog/
I'm currently 50 years into the Targaryen dynasty and enjoying it quite a lot. I'm starting to get a handle on which side is going to win any given fight. If the noble houses involved have names I recognise from the Song of Ice and Fire books, they're probably going to win the fight. If they have names I've never heard of before, they and all their offspring are probably about to get a dragon up 'em.
Anyway, it's quite a fun read.
I mentioned to Janica that it was a wonder anyone in Westeros ever wanted the Targaryens back, considering what they were like. I mean Aegon and Maegor straight-up sucked, but now I'm reading into the Conciliator's reign and he may be better.
She was like, "well yeah, *nobody* wanted the Targaryens back."
"What, so Varys was lying about the smallfolk supporting her?" I asked.
"*Duh*, yeah."
Okay, but there's still 250 years of history to read (although since this is Part 1 there may only be half of the timeline), so the smallfolk still have time to forget and go into Those Were The Days mode. Perhaps as many as two or three times over, judging by how short *our* memories are, and we're all basically literate.
If we can get nostalgic for segregation and National Socialist doctrine and isolationism, Westerosi peasants can get nostalgic for the days when you didn't need to lock your horse up at night and everyone drank out of the river and kids got beaten half to death and turned out alright and if a local lord wanted to bang your wife on your wedding night everyone was cool with it and also sometimes there were dragons. I mean sure. Maybe Martin's going for a long-game socio-political message there.
B@w
--
On topic, motherfuckers. On topic.
https://hatboy.blog/
Will in New Haven
Aug 7, 2019, 4:04:16 PM8/7/19
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--
Will in New Haven
Titus G
Aug 7, 2019, 4:19:54 PM8/7/19
to
On 8/08/19 8:04 AM, Will in New Haven wrote:
> On Tuesday, August 6, 2019 at 6:10:02 AM UTC-4, Butterbumps@Home wrote:
>> I hadn't realised this book was out in the wild, but I found it by chance at a recent convention and have started reading it.
>>
>> I'm currently 50 years into the Targaryen dynasty and enjoying it quite a lot. I'm starting to get a handle on which side is going to win any given fight. If the noble houses involved have names I recognise from the Song of Ice and Fire books, they're probably going to win the fight. If they have names I've never heard of before, they and all their offspring are probably about to get a dragon up 'em.
>>
>> Anyway, it's quite a fun read.
>>
>> I mentioned to Janica that it was a wonder anyone in Westeros ever wanted the Targaryens back, considering what they were like. I mean Aegon and Maegor straight-up sucked, but now I'm reading into the Conciliator's reign and he may be better.
>>
>> She was like, "well yeah, *nobody* wanted the Targaryens back."
>>
>> "What, so Varys was lying about the smallfolk supporting her?" I asked.
>>
>> "*Duh*, yeah."
>>
>> Okay, but there's still 250 years of history to read (although since this is Part 1
Part II is well under way, almost finished really, and will be available
> On Tuesday, August 6, 2019 at 6:10:02 AM UTC-4, Butterbumps@Home wrote:
>> I hadn't realised this book was out in the wild, but I found it by chance at a recent convention and have started reading it.
>>
>> I'm currently 50 years into the Targaryen dynasty and enjoying it quite a lot. I'm starting to get a handle on which side is going to win any given fight. If the noble houses involved have names I recognise from the Song of Ice and Fire books, they're probably going to win the fight. If they have names I've never heard of before, they and all their offspring are probably about to get a dragon up 'em.
>>
>> Anyway, it's quite a fun read.
>>
>> I mentioned to Janica that it was a wonder anyone in Westeros ever wanted the Targaryens back, considering what they were like. I mean Aegon and Maegor straight-up sucked, but now I'm reading into the Conciliator's reign and he may be better.
>>
>> She was like, "well yeah, *nobody* wanted the Targaryens back."
>>
>> "What, so Varys was lying about the smallfolk supporting her?" I asked.
>>
>> "*Duh*, yeah."
>>
>> Okay, but there's still 250 years of history to read (although since this is Part 1
definitely before Xmas.
Xmas 2045.
Butterbumps@Home
Aug 8, 2019, 4:22:30 AM8/8/19
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keskiviikko 7. elokuuta 2019 23.04.16 UTC+3 Will in New Haven kirjoitti:
> Martin? What else has he written.
...Fire and Blood. Early history of Westeros covering the Targaryen dynasty.
> Martin? What else has he written.
B@w
--
https://hatboy.blog/
Butterbumps@Home
Aug 8, 2019, 4:23:39 AM8/8/19
to
keskiviikko 7. elokuuta 2019 23.19.54 UTC+3 Titus G kirjoitti:
> > Okay, but there's still 250 years of history to read (although since this
> > is Part 1
>
> Part II is well under way, almost finished really, and will be available
> definitely before Xmas.
> Xmas 2045.
Ooh, zing! Let's see if he has any announcements to make at Worldcon next week.
> > Okay, but there's still 250 years of history to read (although since this
> > is Part 1
>
> Part II is well under way, almost finished really, and will be available
> definitely before Xmas.
> Xmas 2045.
B@w
--
https://hatboy.blog/
Butterbumps@Home
Aug 30, 2019, 1:14:40 AM8/30/19
to
tiistai 6. elokuuta 2019 13.10.02 UTC+3 Butterbumps@Home kirjoitti:
> I hadn't realised this book was out in the wild, but I found it by chance at
> a recent convention and have started reading it.
And damn it all, coming up on 300 pages in and it's really a pretty good read. It's more long-view history and reads a bit like the Silmarillion, but that's not really a minus as far as I'm concerned.
> I hadn't realised this book was out in the wild, but I found it by chance at
> a recent convention and have started reading it.
And some of the stuff about Lost Valyria and other places is downright brilliant.
Now, if I could only figure out why he seems to have stopped making multiple-year winters and summers a thing. At least he's stopped mentioning them in favour of just having one summer and one winter per year, although he may just be leaving "over-all winter arc" unstated for some reason. There was a reference to the white ravens being sent out to herald a winter once but that winter seemed to be a normal winter. It may have just not made it through the editing.
*Or*, he's building up to something in the history that's going to *give* us the long seasons.
Butterbumps@Home
Sep 16, 2019, 5:55:12 AM9/16/19
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tiistai 6. elokuuta 2019 13.10.02 UTC+3 Butterbumps@Home kirjoitti:
> I hadn't realised this book was out in the wild, but I found it by chance at
> a recent convention and have started reading it.
I'm getting towards the end now, and have just arrived at the part where Elmo Tully is succeeded by Kermit Tully and the "even greener" Oscar Tully who, yes, is something of a grouch.
> a recent convention and have started reading it.
I admire the green joke, as well as the strong authorial implication that the Tullys are muppets. Because they totally are.
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