George RR Martin just unveiled the first look of the prequel to the A Song of Ice and Fire series. (Photo Source: georgerrmartin.com)
As a prequel to the A Song of Ice and Fire book series that has been the driving force for HBO’s popular series Game of Thrones, author George RR Martin has announced that a prequel to the book will hit the shelves later this year. Titled Fire and Blood, the prequel is going to be a “hefty book, almost a thousand manuscript pages,” as Martin revealed in his blog.
Martin stresses in his blog how this is not going to be a novel. But it will play out as a history book, as an ‘imagined history’ book rather. However, the Game of Thrones author has not yet finished the novel which will follow 2011’s A Dance With Dragons in the series titled The Winds of Winter. Full of illustrations by Doug Wheatley, Fire and Blood is due November 20 via Ballantine Bantam Dell. The new and final season of Game of Thrones will only hit the screens in 2019.
Discussing the book, Martin further writes, “There’s a lot of reading there, and I hope you’ll enjoy it. This first volume covers all the Targaryen kings from Aegon I (the Conquerer) to the regency of Aegon III (the Dragonbane), along with their wives, wars, siblings, children, friends, rivals, laws, travels, and sundry other matters. For those not up on your Westerosi history, that’s Aegon I, Aenys, Maegor the Cruel, Jaehaerys I (the Conciliator), Viserys I, Aegon II (and Rhaenyra), and Aegon III (the regency). Oh, and there are dragons too. Lots of dragons.”
Martin also talked about whether HBO’s developing prequels to GoT will be based on Fire and Blood, “Oh, and I should also say… as most of you know, HBO is presently developing a number of different prequels to GAME OF THRONES. I know I am going to be asked whether those shows are going to be based on material from FIRE & BLOOD. It’s a logical question. The only answer I can give is… ah, well, no one is sure yet, and anyway, I am not allowed to say.”