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A Targaryen History

A Ascensão do Dragão: Uma história ilustrada da dinastia Targaryen – Volume 1

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A Ascensão do Dragão é um guia excepcional sobre a casa mais poderosa de Westeros, com 180 ilustrações inéditas dos Targaryen, de seus dragões e das tradições dos Sete Reinos.

Durante os séculos em que os Targaryen ocuparam o Trono de Ferro, seus dragões comandaram os céus. A jornada da única família de senhores de dragões que sobreviveu à Destruição de Valíria é o retrato de uma política tortuosa forjada por atos nobres e covardes, alianças e traições. Como no épico romance Fogo & Sangue, A Ascensão do Dragão retoma o surgimento dos Targaryen e sua chegada ao poder, desde a conquista de Westeros por Aegon Targaryen até a infame Dança dos Dragões ― a sangrenta guerra civil que quase destruiu de uma vez por todas seu reinado.

352 pages, Hardcover

First published October 25, 2022

857 people are currently reading
6492 people want to read

About the author

George R.R. Martin

1,506 books118k followers
George Raymond Richard "R.R." Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.

Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: The Hero, sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.

In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.

As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.

In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.

Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.

Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...

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5 stars
1,649 (45%)
4 stars
1,347 (37%)
3 stars
486 (13%)
2 stars
76 (2%)
1 star
29 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 29 of 376 reviews
Profile Image for Marquise.
1,958 reviews1,417 followers
July 30, 2024
For those wondering what's the difference between this book and Fire & Blood, the answer is: none in terms of content. It's the exact same book with the exact same story, no updates and no modifications. For a review of the story, here's mine.

The only new stuff in The Rise of the Dragon is the artwork, and nothing but the artwork. So, unless you like Fantasy art and would love to own an illustrated coffee table edition, you're not missing anything by not buying this one if you already own Fire and Blood. Rise of the Dragon contains 180 new illustrations (a stunning number, if you ask me; I didn't expect them to be this many!) done by 38 different artists. You can check the list of artists over at Elio & Linda's site, which also showcases some of their artwork so you can also appreciate a few of the illustrations on the artists' own pages if you don't want to buy this book or would like to check them out before ordering a copy.

I already knew almost all of the artists that worked on this either from previous work they did for ASOIAF or from my days at art sites, and only about 4 or so were new to me. I can say I wouldn't have hired a few of them, such as Magali Villeneuve, not because they're bad artists (they aren't, all of them are good and some are superlatively great) but because their style doesn't quite suit ASOIAF. Magali, for example, can't illustrate anything but supermodel-like gorgeous men & women and can't do anything but Vogue-style posey, overly produced characters that don't look natural; and that's not good for this kind of Fantasy world as we have in ASOIAF, which isn't some Tolkienesque gorgeousness where everyone is unnaturally beautiful as the Elves but a more brutal setting with plenty of horrible characters (I swear she can't draw ugly people, either, just look at how she interprets people that are canonically described as butt-ugly).

Others I was extremely glad to see back or for the first time, such as Marc Simonetti, Chase Stone, Ertac Altinoz, Mark Smylie, and René Aigner. Marc, Smylie, and Chase are superb and never disappoint, I've never seen anything from them I haven't liked. If it was up to me, these 3 would do all the illustrations, but 180 might be too much for their schedules.

So, the artwork is overall consistent in quality. Some artists are better and others needed more guidance and practice before attempting this dragon-filled world; but on the whole the art is impressive, especially the dragons and the castle scenes. The only ones I didn't like were the black & white ink drawings and some of the close-ups, as a matter of personal taste.

I'd say this is a better edition than Fire & Blood just for the art. I'd rate this 3 stars for the text and 4.5 stars for the artwork, and do bear in mind that whether you'll like the art or not is entirely subjective.
Profile Image for Nora.
173 reviews9 followers
Want to read
September 9, 2022
Soooooo anyone knows what's the difference between this and Fire and Blood? AND for the love of the old gods and the new, does he literally do everything except finish Winds of Winter!!!
But I'm sold 🤷🏽‍♀️
Profile Image for Mirta.
294 reviews107 followers
Want to read
March 17, 2022
I don’t get how this is different from Fire and Blood but.. ok.. I will read it 🤷🏻‍♀️
Profile Image for Tim.
2,497 reviews332 followers
November 4, 2022
Game of Thrones is easily the highlight for Mr. Martin as this lacks consistent interest. 3 of 10 stars
Profile Image for chantalsbookstuff.
1,048 reviews1,055 followers
October 27, 2022
A mouth full. I just stuck around to see what happens were the current TV series left off 😁
Profile Image for L.L. MacRae.
Author 12 books520 followers
June 18, 2024
The artwork is absolutely gorgeous!! It's the same content-wise as Fire & Blood (although less of it), but the illustrations make the book. Stunning!
Profile Image for Scot Glasgow.
45 reviews65 followers
October 28, 2022
A few things to note here:

While it is George's historical story, this edition is the work of Westeros.Org creators Elio M. Garcia and Linda Antonsson, just as The World of Ice and Fire illustrated encyclopedia was. Much like that edition, the primary reason to experience this is for the absolutely stunning artwork, and to spend some additional time with beloved historical characters. I can't give more then 4 stars, as everything here was already provided in Blood & Fire, but I can give exactly 4 stars due to the amazing artwork and strong narration of Harry Lloyd.
Profile Image for Raymond .
190 reviews200 followers
July 13, 2024
6 stars! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The fascinating drama between the different kingdoms & royal houses of Westeros were just so much fun to read. I love the added drama involving the dragons & the stories of what led up to their ultimate demise. There were hundreds of beautiful drawings & illustrations between the pages. I luv it! This is a must read for Games of Thrones fans & fans of the House of the Dragons.
Profile Image for Russell Ayre.
10 reviews1 follower
Read
October 4, 2022
Don’t bother, He is not going to finish this series either.
Profile Image for Lexi.
744 reviews551 followers
March 2, 2023
A cash grab with pretty art. Tell a new story George, we are all sick of the dragon people.
Profile Image for Terence.
1,169 reviews390 followers
September 11, 2023
Did you love the book Fire & Blood, but wish it was massive with better artwork?

If so you may be in luck. The Rise of the Dragon is exactly that book. A massive version of Fire & Blood with better artwork.


I'm not going to call it a cash grab, but the stories are the same as the ones in Fire & Blood. I have heard some are even condensed.

There is a small part of me that loves A Song of Ice and Fire and is still hoping for a true book ending. That part of me dies a little bit more each time a book like The Rise of the Dragon comes out (or even worse The Wit & Wisdom of Tyrion Lannister...a complete cash grab). George R.R. Martin isn't getting any younger and it has been a long time since there was a reasonable release in the A Song of Ice and Fire universe. It has mostly been world books covering history that has been covered multiple times. I'd love a new Dunk and Egg short story at the very least.

I could complain endlessly about this, but I'd like to end this with the beautiful artwork that is the best part of the book.

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Profile Image for benita.
642 reviews63 followers
December 9, 2022
I know this is probably another money grab, but I love everything from the Song of Ice and Fire and my favorite house Targaryen🔥🐲

(I’m not going to bother re-write what it’s about but copy what it says on the back:)

This lavish visual history—featuring more than 150 new, full-color illustrations—is a stunning introduction to House Targaryen, the iconic family at the heart of HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series.

This book was quite large, larger than I expected, and the illustrations were beautiful, and if you’ve read Fire and Blood where there are gray illustrations—this one has colored illustrations. And it doesn’t feel that overwhelming to read through either. As George R.R. Martin said it’s much like the book The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones.

If you are a big fan of the universe, this will be a great addition to your collection, as it is to mine. Now, let’s cross our fingers that he finish The Winds of Winter soon🤞

Happy reading!♥️
Profile Image for Matt.
748 reviews
November 28, 2022
The Rise of the Dragon: An Illustrated History of the Targaryen Dynasty Volume One is basically Fire & Blood Volume One but illustrated. One could say this was a money grab or that the previous book shouldn’t have been published and the material should have waited until quality illustrations like in this book were created or both could be true, it doesn’t matter. Of the two books, get The Rise of the Dragon for the simple fact that with the amazing illustrations the material is enhanced. But given the non-illustrated material is just a rehash from another book, I’m downgrading the rating of this book as a result to show my annoyance.
Profile Image for JOX ORTEGA.
19 reviews
August 3, 2024
Buenas imágenes si te gusta el fandom de ASOIAF, pero Fire and Blood está mil veces mejor y mucho más completo.
Profile Image for Natalia.
418 reviews26 followers
October 30, 2022
Don’t mind me, I am hardly objective about this series.

Do not buy this book if you did not care about Targaryen history and related artwork.

If you do, you have probably ordered it already.
Profile Image for Read By Kyle .
586 reviews478 followers
February 26, 2024
Technically did not read this, because I read it all in Fire and Blood. However, I just went through and looked at all the gorgeous artwork and it absolutely deserves five stars for being beautiful. Looking forward to an abbreviated reread of F&B using this book instead.
Profile Image for rai.
52 reviews22 followers
July 5, 2024
my attachment to this freak family should be studied.
Profile Image for Karl Marberger.
275 reviews75 followers
November 28, 2024
Extremely entertaining fiction. We desperately need more written content from GRRM.
Profile Image for Nya Thryce.
Author 1 book7 followers
October 26, 2022
Some additional details not mentioned in the standard Fire and Blood. (I did compare and contrast). Classically, with some slight contractions and variations in the ‘tellings”. But more or less covering the same time period and telling the same stories…
Art work is pretty great. Wish the shows could have displayed dragonstone the same way the illustration is.
Profile Image for aPriL does feral sometimes .
2,198 reviews541 followers
February 19, 2023
I read Fire & Blood on an occasional basis and finished it. Because I bought ‘Fire and Blood’ at Apple Books, I was notified by them that another Martin book, ‘The Rise of the Dragon: An Illustrated History of the Targaryen Dynasty, Volume One’ was newly published, and would I like to get it? Fool that I am, I did. Why am I a Fool? Shut up. Anyway, I read both ‘Fire and Blood’ and ‘The Rise of the Dragon’ together, once I realized they were almost the same read, even if having different art drawings. Skimmed ‘The Rise of the Dragon’, actually. It is the duller of the two books to read. If you, gentle reader, really really want the backstory and history of the Targaryen Dynasty, I would read ‘Fire & Blood’. Unless you want to look at color drawings of dragons, lots and lots and lots of dragons!

Ok, then. ‘The Rise of the Dragon’ is ‘Fire and Blood’ redone but more concise, using much the same info as is in ‘Fire and Blood’. There are paragraphs exactly the same, but a lot of the scandals and rumors descriptions in ‘Fire and Blood’ are gone or extremely compressed down into a sentence. However, there are the gorgeous color drawings, entirely new ones, that are not at all in ‘Fire and Blood’. Even in an ebook, they are gorgeous! ‘The Rise of the Dragon’ is probably a better buy as a coffee table book. I like looking at the dragons, even if on my phone, passing the time…
Profile Image for Patricia.
49 reviews9 followers
August 21, 2023
Despite having just finished Fire & Blood, and then starting with this one, and it being the exact same story with a different narrative form, it was still super exciting to read and see the world come alive with the many beautiful illustrations because George R. R. Martin has me in a chokehold.
Profile Image for Darcel Anastasia.
245 reviews8 followers
November 4, 2022
I love anything to do with A Song of Ice and Fire, and I absolutely find the Westerosi lore fascinating...however, this book was just too similar to Fire and Blood, another companion book. I was expecting lots of new information and more chapters.
2 reviews
October 25, 2022
Dear George,

Please move your ass to do the real business.

All of Us
Profile Image for yurie.
75 reviews
January 18, 2024
Nie sądziłam że to tak szybko skończę but I did it. To samo co ogień i krew tylko trochę mniej szczegółowe?? No i oczywiście wydanie dojebane i ILUSTRACJE kocham je. Czekam na kontynuację bo wszystko do regencji Aegona III znam na pamięć a z resztą gorzej
Profile Image for Nashelito.
287 reviews273 followers
November 30, 2022
Історія Таргарієнів від часів Ейгона Завойовника та його появи у Вестеросі та до наслідків громадянської війни між представниками цього Дому, більш відомої за назвою Танець з Драконами.

Чудові ілюстрації від різних художників, котрі давно працюють з темою Пісні Льоду та Полум'я.

Прочитав англійською десь за три тижні.

Каєф 💜
Profile Image for Kim.
899 reviews42 followers
November 13, 2022
If you've read Fire and Blood, then you may just want to give this one a cursory glance, as it covers the same territory, but in a much more abridged fashion. The real star of this book, though, is its artwork. While F&B has several black and white illustrations, this one is chock full with gorgeous color illustrations that I definitely drooled over a bit. The writing, though, definitely lacked the polish of F&B. Still, not bad, just not anything new beyond the artwork.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 376 reviews

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