Kaikkien on kuoltava

by James Hibberd, Antti Immonen (Translator)

Sen piti olla mahdotonta. Niin kirjailija George R. R. Martin kaiken suunnitteli. Tulen ja jään laulu ­-kirjasarja ei millään ilveellä taipuisi filmattavaksi. Toisin kävi.

Katastrofaalisen alun jälkeen Game of Thronesista kas­voi 2010­-luvun jättimenestys ja katsojien palvoma fantasiasarja. HBO:n tuottama tv­-sarja on tehnyt historiaa monella saralla: se on kerännyt ruutujen ääreen ennätysyleisön, se on kahminut Emmy­-palkintoja ja siitä on tullut paitsi populaarikulttuurin johtotähti myös kriitikoiden lempilapsi. Samalla Game of Thrones on luonut omalakista draamaa ja viitoittanut tietä tv­-sarjojen hui­malle nykysuosiolle.

Miten kaikkien aikojen menestynein tv­-sarja syn­tyi? HBO:n tuella tehdyssä Game of Thrones -kirjassa seurataan ikonisen tv-­sarjan tuotantovaiheita aina sen syntymästä loppuhuipennukseen saakka ja kuullaan mer­kittäviä tarinoita kulissien takaa.

Haastateltavien joukossa ovat Game of Thronesin fantasiamaailman luonut George R. R. Martin, tv-sarjan käsikirjoittajat David Benioff ja D. B. Weiss, näyttelijät Kit Haringtonista Emilia Clarkeen sekä koko tuotantotiimi. Kiehtovia käänteitä täydentävät ennenjulkaisemattomat valokuvat.

Genres: Nonfiction, Tv, Pop Culture, Memoir, Oral History, Adult, Audiobook

420 pages, Hardcover

First published October 6, 2020

About the author

James Hibberd is an award-winning entertainment journalist who has written thousands of stories covering the business of Hollywood across nearly two decades. He's currently editor at large at Entertainment Weekly and was previously TV editor at The Hollywood Reporter. Prior to covering entertainment, Hibberd made headlines in 2001 while a staff writer at Phoenix New Times when he risked imprisonment amid a legal battle versus county and federal authorities in order to protect a confidential source (and won). His freelance work has appeared in The New York Times, Salon, Cosmopolitan, Details, and Best American Sports Writing. He lives in Austin, Texas.

(source: Amazon)

Reviews

[Marquise · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would've appreciated a bit more objectivity and perhaps some answers to questions the showrunners never addressed, but here Hibberd just continues with the uncritical tone he displayed as a reviewer at Entertainment Weekly, letting the showrunners, actors, producers, crew, etc., talk to their heart's content and 'explain' (away) things, including the colossal fuck-ups they had, with little if any counterarguments or critique of his own. It's essentially like a court transcript type of book, in which the people involved in the making of the show are given a soapbox and a microphone to voice their thoughts, justifications, excuses, and explanations without challenge. And it's left up to readers to draw their own conclusion from all these transcripts.

But readers needed them complete and with at least a semblance of impartiality. Hibberd omitted some of Benioff & Weiss' most infamous declarations from this book, such as the 'creatively it made sense' gem, and he also walks on eggshells whenever he has to touch on the thorny plotlines the show had in good number, the most problematic of which is seen in the chapter dedicated to the show's most controversial creative decision (Sansa's arc in Season 5), in which Hibberd merely lets show insiders try to justify the unjustifiable without asking any hard questions or challenging them on their assertions, and, more problematic of all, he closes the chapter with a quote from Martin defending the portrayal of sexual violence in media as a reflection of the reality of medieval times when this was common. As if Martin had been talking about Sansa's case specifically, which he most assuredly wasn't and which he never agreed with as an earlier quote in the same chapter proves, but that Hibberd disingenuously placed in such a way that it looks like a defence of this case. There's simply no objectivity in this book.

Furthermore, Hibberd also let the showrunners and GRRM off the hook on the most important question fans wanted answers to, the reason a good number of them will buy this book: the finale season. The chapter dedicated to that is notorious for the absence of the Big Three's take, and instead we are treated to sentimental and teary-eyed goodbye and thank you speeches from cast & crew. There was already plenty of material and even a documentary made about the ending of GOT with this same mawkish tone, always walking around the issues, and this book had an opportunity to differentiate itself from the rest by including thoughts from the Big Three and being honest about issues with the finale, which even die-hard show watchers found difficult to defend. Way to ignore the 2,000-pound elephant in the room, Mr Hibberd.

And finally, there was hope that there'd be revelations that would make this companion book worth the readers' time. But even that ended in disappointment, because aside one or three little tidbits of new information, such as that Sandor Clegane was considered to kill the Night King instead of who they eventually chose for that, there's nothing new that you couldn't have found on any regular "Inside the Episode" videoclip the show used to air after each episode, or even on Hibberd's own Entertaiment Weekly reviews. Hibberd himself doesn't know as much as he seems to be implying given his 'exclusive' access privileges, because a lot of the quotes he uses here aren't his own or firsthand but secondhand from other GOT companion books, or even third-hand. The great majority of the information this book contains will be already known to any dedicated show watchers for this reason, because they would already have read it elsewhere; but if someone needed a single place to have them all (and forget the more compromising declarations by the showrunners ever existed), then this book has its uses.

[fatherofdragons113 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I gotta admit that I had a lot of negative feelings towards the final season of Game of Thrones. I actually had come to terms with Daenerys's ending (she's my ultimate favorite character ever created) and even can say that I liked it. I had other feelings about other aspects of the show (Bran being king, Cersei and Jaime's deaths, Sam Tarly somehow surviving, the rushed tone) that were generally negative and while I still think I have my perfect ending in mind were I "showrunner", reading this book really helped me see the good in the show's ending.

I don't think people really consider the enormity of making a show like Game of Thrones. I think D and D did a tremendous job (I didn't before reading this book) with the limitations they were given, like budget, scheduling, and natural obstacles like weather. These characters were so revered and loved and even hated because they were so HUMAN and so beautifully portrayed by the actors.

This book made me feel like I was apart of the show's creation. It made me feel like I sat down with the cast and spoke with them directly. It reaffirmed my countless hours of reflection on the show's ending, especially about Dany's fate. The showrunners did not throw our characters away, they were characters they loved and nurtured for a decade and their endings all make sense, especially after reading this.

Again, I know how I wouldve have ended the show, but ultimately I was merely a spectator to Dan, David, and George's world and this book made me ever the more grateful.

If you were disappointed by the show's ending, you should read this book and perhaps you'll feel better about the whole thing. It wasn't fair the blowback that the showrunners and cast got, so much work went into this show. 55 consecutive nights of filming in relentless weather for the Long Night. Flying back and forth to dozens of sets all over Europe. They really gave us the best show they could with the tools they had and I'm eternally grateful for that.

Read this book if your a true Game of Thrones fan. It's a beautiful look inside the show we loved so much.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

rtc

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I imagine readers of this book may fall into two camps: those who go, “He’s a Dan and Dave apologist!” and those who go, “What a terrific behind the scenes look!” Count me firmly in the latter category.

I flew through this in three days, loved revisiting the show and discovering how it came about from a development standpoint, and loved learning about the obstacles faced by the show runners, cast and crew, particularly in terms of the comparatively low budget first two seasons (necessity really does breed invention...if not for inclement weather and an inability to stage onscreen battles, we’d have never gotten the glorious two-hander character-driven scenes that defined the show’s Shakespearean elements). I really enjoyed the insight into every aspect of production, from storytelling elements to casting and directing. Every key player both onscreen and off is interviewed with great depth and humor.

If you miss GoT, this oral history is a must-read.

[Pavel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Came here to learn more about dramatic structure, artistic choices and direction behind Game of Thrones show, first seasons of which I liked so much. What I've found is 90% of self-praise and narcissism. At some point it became disgusting.

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's mainly a light puff piece. There's very little new or unknown, it's *very* defensive over the ending and instead of telling the story of behind the scenes stuff, it more than once goes 'and I'm not going to tell you about that' (only a slight paraphrase).

Reminds me of how good the show once was and how good a majority of the cast were and so many moments but overall.... well I guess it needs an 'unofficial' version to actually be allowed write things up.

Oh well.

A slight title update might have helped: Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon: Game of Thrones and the Sanitised Untold Story of the Epic Series

[Adam Whitehead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Game of Thrones is the most successful show in the history of HBO, rising from humble beginnings in 2011 to become the biggest TV drama on the planet. In 2019 the show wrapped after eight seasons and 73 episodes to deliver one of the most negatively-received final seasons in recent memory. Journalist James Hibberd, who was allowed on set of the show every year from the second season onwards, has written a behind-the-scenes account of the commissioning, writing and making of the show, referring to hundreds of interviews he undertook whilst the show was on air and more undertaken since. Among the people he's spoken to are George R.R. Martin, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, and vast numbers of the cast, from the smallest bit-part player to leading actors Kit Harington, Peter Dinklage and Emilia Clarke. This is the oft-contentious story of the making of the show that changed television.

TV companion books are a bit of a dying art these days, with the Internet and its plethora of fan blogs and wikis making them feel a bit redundant. Game of Thrones is so huge - and controversial - that it can overcome that problem and James Hibberd is well-placed to write such a companion volume given his access to the writers, the sets and the actors (via his work at Entertainment Weekly covering the show). He starts at the beginning, with George R.R. Martin starting writing the Song of Ice and Fire novel series in 1991, and proceeds through David Benioff and Dan Weiss picking up the books, wooing Martin to letting them and HBO have the rights, and their difficult struggle to get a pilot made, and the difficult process of admitting that they'd messed up the pilot and had to hope that HBO would give them a second chance. From there things proceed roughly chronologically until the end of the show.

The first thing that has to be noted is that this is not an "unauthorised" guide to the making of the show, but a HBO-approved product (complete with HBO-provided photographs). If you're expecting to find dirt and gossip, you're not going to find it here. Anything majorly contentious has been finely exercised from the text. Hibberd also doesn't add much in the way of authorial opinion, letting events stand for themselves and quoting other critics in determining if a plot twist or story turn was successful or not.

Despite this, the book's fact checking clearly left something to be desired. On the very first page of the book we're told that the Battle of the Bastards was filmed in October 2014; it was actually a year later (my friend, who was a weary extra on the set of Hardhome, noted that was when they were filming that battle). A few pages later we're told that George R.R. Martin started writing A Game of Thrones in 1993 but it was actually in 1991. A few other, similar errors crop up through the book and it does feel like a bit more attention to detail would not have gone amiss.

Once that hurdle is overcome, there is much to enjoy. Hibberd is a solid writer who knows how to handle and place quotes, and how to interview subjects, and to his credit he does avoid repeating a lot of stories and information that close watchers of the show have heard a thousand times already. Some of the familiar anecdotes do get trotted out yet again but there's a lot more information here that I hadn't ever heard before, such as director David Nutter almost dying in Iceland when his car crashed during a blizzard on a location scout and it if had rolled in a different direction, it would have plummeted off a sheer drop. Other stories are less dramatic but amusing: the weather in Iceland during Season 2 was so bad that scenes were often shot right outside the hotel the cast and crew were staying in, with constructive camera angles being used to hide that fact and actors having to perform in full view of all the guests in the dining room. During Season 1 they didn't have any security and David Benioff had to personally stand guard over Robert Baratheon's tent to stop curious bystanders from making off with props. And so forth.

These stories are amusing bits of trivia but somewhat inconsequential. Meatier are the controversies. The book doesn't shy away from many of these, spending a surprising amount of time debating the merits of Daenerys and Khal Drogo's relationship at the start of the show with the writers and actors, and the different ways they approached it in both the pilot and the reshoot with different actresses, and on the depiction of the Sansa-Ramsay-Theon relationship in Season 5. There's also a lot of open discussion about the weak Dorne storyline in Season 5 and how it didn't work and they had to scramble to try to fix it later on. Other controversies are completely ignored though, with a particularly criticised Cersei/Jaime scene in Season 4 getting no mention at all.

Even more interesting are the moments when people get a bit too honest. It's clear from the writing that some of the producers encouraged something of a "fratboy" relationship with other cast and crew, and sometimes pushed things too far, resulting in tense moments on set. The most honest and outspoken actor in the book is Liam Cunningham, who cuts through the normal Hollywood PR banter (which to be fair most of the cast try to avoid, but sometimes fall into it by rote) to deliver some real honesty on some of the conditions of shooting. His pointblank refusal to film some scenes because he felt they betrayed his character and made Davos less of a relatable figure is quite startling. He also stands up for Stephen Dillane, who played Stannis Baratheon and had made some dismissive comments of the show (Dillane didn't take part in the new interviews for the book), noting that Dillane always did good work, had a strong work ethic and a withering sense of humour that didn't always come across well in interviews.

The thing most people will be interested in is the reception to the finale. Benioff, Weiss and Martin don't really talk about it, but plenty of the actors, several HBO executives and Bryan Cogman do, and note how things may or may have not worked as well as they'd hoped. However, there is a bit of a disappointing PR answer that maybe the ending will be looked upon differently in another ten years.

Hibberd has certainly written an above-average TV companion book here, with plenty of interesting stories and funny moments of trivia, but it's one that also has some glaring holes. Ramin Djawadi's memorable score (the one thing almost uniformly praised about the series) goes almost completely unmentioned, the work of Elastic and Angus Wall on the memorable title sequence is also disregarded and the CG teams tasked with bringing the locations and creatures to life are also not quoted. It's good to see the writers and actors being self-deprecating and owning various problems and mistakes, but there's also a few moments when it feels like the book pulls its punches and doesn't delve deeper into behind the scenes issues. The book's real achievement may be in getting Benioff and Weiss to admit what many had suspected all along: they really wanted to be making movies all along, they always planned to prioritise big battles and effects over character and theme (Benioff's daft assertion that themes are only for eighth-grade book reports is mentioned several times) and that without Martin's books to rest on, they lost confidence in how to proceed and struggled more without source material.

Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon (***½) is readable and fun, packed with fresh anecdotes and interesting trivia about the making of Game of Thrones. In some areas it is insightful and revelatory, getting further into why certain baffling decisions were taken, but in others it leans back and goes out of its way to avoid criticism or controversy. It certainly doesn't trouble the quality of The Deep Space Nine Companion, which twenty years after release still represents the gold standard of a TV companion volume. But it's certainly worth reading if you're interesting in what happened behind the scenes on the biggest show of the decade.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy these oral histories that walk you through the creation of some major movie or series, as described by the various projects' creators and actors - have read others on "Fury Road," "Purple Rain," and the "John Wick" films. And of course, half the fun is then - or simultaneously - rewatching the movies, knowing all of this new backstory. Usually, it's just spending a couple hours with a favorite film, (or with "John Wick," probably 9+ hours when you add in "Atomic Blonde" - which you have to do).

But rewatching "Game of Thrones"? That's 70+ hours…but over the past seven weeks I somehow pulled it off; and - my wife's exasperation aside - it was SO WORTH IT. Watching a few episodes (and HBO's post-credit "about the episode" extras), then reading the corresponding chapters (the preferred way for me, since if I read first it would spoil the plot - because rewatching this over a decade after it first began airing, I had forgotten A LOT), I got so much more out of this than I did the first time around…although that's usually the case with rewatching or rereading anything; the first time through, you're on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next, whereas the second time you can appreciate things with some foreknowledge of what's to come, and so enjoy the "okay, I see what he's setting up here" aspect of things.

So yeah, for me just a thoroughly enjoyable book in itself, but then a second 5 stars just for bringing me back to the show. It really holds up well - the CGI, the battles, the perfect dialogue and complex plotting. And while favorite characters remained favorite characters - Tyrion, Jamie, Brienne, Arya - I'd forgotten just how delightful and complex some of the second-tier roles and performers were - the Hound, Davos, Bronn, Podrick, Tormund, etc., etc.

A few final thoughts:

- Knowing how things turned out, it was interesting to watch Dany from the very beginning and realize so early on that "yup, she is one cold-hearted whackjob - how did everyone NOT see this coming?" And I eventually concluded that part of her problem was that - unlike the ultra-righteous Starks, who were brought up believing that "he who passes the sentence should swing the sword" - she never truly got her hands dirty. She ordered executions, she had her dragons burn people and entire cities - but she never "swung the sword" herself; and maybe that would have made a difference.

- Most heartbreaking relationships in the show (for me) were Tyrion and Shae, Brienne and Jamie, and then Stannis and his daughter. In fact, up until then the character of Stannis came off much better than I remember - he actually might not have made a terrible king. But as a father? Ultimately and absolutely the worst...totally deserved everything that happened from then on.

- And least heartbreaking? A tie between Jon Snow's two loves, as both of them were remorseless killing machines, which is always a red flag. Actually, it's just as well he's sentenced to celibacy at the end, because he just has shite taste in women…

HIGHLY recommended if you enjoyed the show, and ever have 100 hours to spare.

[Invader Gir · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't say anything we didn't already know. All cast, crew and especially D&D are under the delusion S8 will be considered "good" years from now. No.

[Catherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okayokayokayokayokay

What did I like about this book?
The beginning! I liked to hear how the show was brought to life originally, and I really did enjoy reading about how all of the actors became friends, how they began to really connect with their characters, and how they filmed certain things. That was fun insight!

What did I not like about this book?
The complete lack of information about the score. I think Ramin Djawadi did a phenomenal job with the music, and it elevates so many scenes I think it's criminal it's not even mentioned anywhere. Because the person who wrote this is mostly known for online content, there was a strange way of doing quotes.

Some of the quotes "were in actual quotations, and were credited to members of the cast.

Catherine: And other times it would just suddenly be a quote without any real connecting sentences.

It made the quote almost feel disconnected from the work that Hibberd was doing in between.

It was also strange to me that they called the pictures in the book "rare and stunning" when in reality, there are 83 pictures within the book, and of those 83, 61 are just screen grabs from the show. There are a couple of cool pictures here, there's one in particular of the "Magnificent Seven" (Lindsay Ellis called them this in her video about the end of the show and I'm stealing it because I think it's hilarious) and they're all sitting together and laughing and it's great! But when 3/4 of the pictures are things that I saw while I was watching the show, I don't see anything "rare" or "stunning" about them.

What things did I hate?
The ending! (Much like I did with the show) I won't hate on any of the actors for saying they liked the ending, whether or not they actually do is of no consequence to me, because at the end of the day, they didn't really have a say in what was going to do down. Emilia Clarke was the only one who really had anything negative to say, and I appreciate that she was even allowed to say it.

What frustrates me is not that the people who created the show like the ending. That's not what I don't like. You can create pure garbage and be proud of it because you made it. That's fine! But to ignore valid criticism in favor of saying "The fans are mad because they don't want it to end" instead of actually addressing the problems that fans were bringing up.

I swear I read the "Everyone should have known Daenerys was crazy from the beginning because she watched her brother be killed without emotion" like yeah, by having her be emotionless as she watched the man who had clearly abused her throughout her life, told her that he would let all 10,000 men and horses f**k her if it meant he got his army, then sold her to Khal Drogo, became abusive, and never respected her as a person with agency is definitely foreshadowing her burning an entire city of people.

It makes me think that the writers think that if a woman is abused, the only way to channel it is by becoming violent. Which it what I sort of thought about Sansa and Ramsay. Like yeah, it was a really satisfying scene, but at the same time it was like "Alright so she's 'fixed' now? Now that she's been violent, she's allowed to be a person again?" So Daenerys burning innocents, after watching her do things like save the woman who would ultimately help kill her husband, free the slaves of Slavers Bay, and close the fighting pits because she deemed them to be violent and barbaric, seemed like they were trying to justify an ending that wasn't originally planned by trying to make the fans feel inadequate and short sighted. Oh, you couldn't see she was crazy? You just don't know what to look for you idiot. How could you not see it? We planned it since the beginning! You're just not good at TV shows. Trying to connect her watching Viserys being killed to her rampage of Kings Landing does not work for me for so many other reasons, but that's not what we're here to discuss.

I don't think James Hibberd needs to write another book. I think he is a perfectly fine Entertainment Weekly writer, but this book barely feels like a book. Instead of having an actual thread through the book, it feels like in order to justify the chapter that comes next he basically is like And then everything changed when the fire nation attacked at the end of some so that you know what's coming next.

Overall I would not read another book by James Hibberd, or even another book about the creation of Game of Thrones to be honest. But if I found myself with an Entertainment Weekly, I would probably look for his name, since in small doses, I can see why his writing would be interesting to read.

[Maryna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read James Hibbert articles about GOT, this book is a collection of his journey from the years of following all the making of this show.
It is made of the chapters that contain some of his own notes, and many pieces of the interviews of the cast and producers of the show, all put together in chronological order. There is some great photos too.
Reading it feels like watching a documentary about the movie production, there are many things I didn’t know, or didn’t know I need to know. For instance, what it takes to pour a melted gold on someone’s head or why horses are much easier to film when they move.
To see the other side of the coin was very interesting and entertaining.

[Zella Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this was an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the show, featuring interviews with almost all of the cast and many of the crew. I knew quite a bit of the material already from watching commentaries and reading articles, but I still gleaned some new facts, and the oral history aspect of it was well done.

I do think it might have benefitted from further distance in years from the show. There is a slightly defensive tone from the cast and crew and the writer in trying to defend the more critically maligned final seasons of the show. I think they made some valid points with it (especially in arguing that, contrary to public opinion, they put even more time and effort into the final season despite its shortened episode run). However, I also think the whole ordeal was still a little too immediate for anyone to have much perspective on.

Also, the best oral histories--like the SNL one I read last year--are pretty no-holds-barred and feature some zany stories and juicy gossip. I think the cast and crew on this show legitimately got along too well to generate too much dirt like that, so I was disappointed when little tidbits were glossed over. Again probably because people are more likely to spill the tea 10 years after the fact rather than 1. Namely, there is talk of an unnamed cast member who got mad about their character being killed and still complains about it on online forums. Who is that?!?!? Don't protect their dignity--tell me!

In any event, though, the book benefits from being put together by an entertainment reporter who had good backstage access and ties with the cast and crew and does a good job of clarifying why Game of Thrones was such a groundbreaking show in TV history.

[C.W. Schultz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Inaccuracies and pretentiousness galore! At least I could finish Season 8.

The interviews didn't really offer anything new or, more importantly, interesting. It was a bunch of self-congratulatory tripe. This isn't just applicable to the heavily criticized showrunners D&D, but also everyone else who nodded yes along the way (including the cast).

I finally had enough at page 96, when author James Hibberd says that Olenna Tyrell, Tormund Giantsbane and Walder Frey join the cast in Season 2. The former two joined in Season 3, while the latter was already present in Season 1, btw.

It's one thing to have to read through the simplistic quotes of cocky actors, who actually offer nothing more than what's already portrayed on the screen. It's another things when the writer can't get even the easiest facts straight—information that's quickly accessible at any fan site, let alone a Google search. So, if even simple research can't be done, why am I to trust anything else Fire Cannot Kill A Dragon has to offer?

[Micaila Blankenship · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can probably count on one hand the number of tv shows I love. I’m just not a tv show kind of person, but Game of Thrones... I was OBSESSED with it. It’s by far my favorite show of all time (except the 8th season which I am really conflicted about).

So, I was extremely interested when I found this book in the store and it didn’t let me down. Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon gives a ton of interesting behind the scenes information on the filming, cast, and crew and showed some of the interesting challenges they had to work through (particularly with a terrible original pilot and a small budget for the first two seasons).

A great read for any GOT fan!

[Roos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had so much fun reading this!
And now I want to rewatch this series al over again :)

[Gedankenlabor · Rating 5 out of 5]

>>Du hast vielleicht nicht meinen Namen, aber du hast mein Blut.<< - Das sagte Ned Stark zu John Schnee, als er ihn in einer der wichtigsten und mitunter tragenden Szenen innerhalb der Serie „Game of Thrones“ verabschiedete... was diese Trennung bedeuten sollte, wurde erst im weiteren Verlauf klar und stellte für beide eine gravierende Wende in ihrem Leben dar.
„Feuer kann einen Drachen nicht töten“ von James Hibberd ist ein so so grandioses Buch ergänzend zur Serie und auch zu der Buchreihe, wie ich finde, es hat mich wirklich so so sehr begeistert! Ich selbst bin großer GoT Fan und konnte hier durch die vielen Interviews von George R.R. Martin selbst, aber eben auch von Schauspielern und Produzenten so viele Details zusätzlich erfahren, es hat mich echt unheimlich begeistert!😍 Nicht zuletzt ist das Buch für mich einfach auch eine unheimlich tolle Einstimmung für das nächste Jahr gewesen, denn ab Januar werde ich gemeinsam mit meiner lieben Leilani die Buchreihe rereaden 📚🤗💖

[Carlos J. Eguren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un imprescindible. Si te gusta Juego de tronos o el arte de contar historias, es tu libro. Espero hacerle pronto una buena reseña.

[Joana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an high four stars, because this book was just super fun and a joy to read!!! You just fully immerse yourself in this world once again and you get to see it through a different perspective!!!! I LOVE how many different interviews and voices you get, I especially enjoyed the words from the stunt people, which honestly I don't think I have heard from previously (yes, I've previously watched a lot of interviews and commentary with cast and crew) - the cast continues to be awesome and I adore them and it's so much fun to read these bits and pieces I had never heard before, and the same goes for the crew, while as lot of people I had some troubles with the direction of the show, the stunt work, set and costume design, sound work and so many more were always so on point!!!!
Now my only criticism of the book was how it handled criticism of the show itself... and I know it's a book uplifting the show, but when he still decides to mention some of the most serious problems with the show, the response being treating it as "crazy fan behavior" or just making excuses is a bit disheartening - I've truly realized from listening to other writers and creators that when I see they understand why people dislike or find something harmful and have this conversation about it, it becomes way more clear to me, that I want to watch more work from them, while here I don't know if I would pick up another D&D show... Though I'll very much say, this book helped me understand a bit better why they made certain choices they did, it does not mean I agree, but I see where they were coming from, which was certainly interesting (do I get that they understood why it failed with the audience? not as much...)
Once again, definitely recommend this book to fans of this world, that are interested in learning more, even independently of your thoughts on the show by its end, I still think it's a very good and entertaining read!!!!

[Jaclyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ page 200
Boring!!!! Where was all the juicy drama? And why was there no talk about things the show cut and did badly? This was such a "game of thrones was the best show ever 😍😍😍" book and I didn't like that.
There was barely any talk about criticism against the show, and if anything, it was glossed over like "yes every show gets criticized" when most criticism was entirely valid.
Also there was nothing new in this book, Hibberd almost exclusively used previous interviews, most of which were not his own! Hibberd is clearly such a D&D fan that they can't do anything wrong and it was low-key disgusting to see their behaviour glossed over as if it wasn't a big deal.
D&D had no clue what they were doing, they and HBO allowed actors to get injured on set, have outsiders watch them during nude scenes, and just didn't have any kind of safety in mind. But of course, this is the biggest show ever so that's all okay.
I'm just very disappointed with this book, I can't be bothered to finish it and read more of the same "guys wasn't this great!" silliness.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

reading this book is like watching game of thrones. At first you’re like “oh wow!!! this show WAS good at the beginning!!! maybe I should rewatch???” And by the end you’re like “THE HUBRIS OF THESE MEN” (you are also like that at the beginning. I’m glad I read it, it made me laugh out loud at points and the actors are all delightful. But there is so much to unpack in the things that were said (and now said) about a lot of the stuff that happened.

[Anna Rodenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Книга про те, як знімався серіал «Гра Престолів» шикарно написана, з нею ви детально, в хронологічній послідовності зможете пройти по всім сценам серіалу з коментарями творців. Мій відгук ви можете детально подивитися на сторінці https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDr8mf...

[Kerstin Rosero · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Game of Thrones, both the book and TV series. To be perfectly transparent going into this review, I loved seasons 1-4 the most. 5-7 were still fun, and I did not like 8. Overall, the series was epic and a joy to watch, and it meant a lot to me being able to watch it over the course of 10 years.

Regardless of how I felt about the ending, the series was still a colossal effort to make. Even before reading this book, I knew scenes were filmed in different (often unforgiving) locations. It was a tremendous effort on both cast and crew to create and collaborate on such a huge project, and I don't mind that the book focuses on everyone's pride in creating it. It does focus on the triumphs and setbacks of creating the show from multiple perspectives (as opposed to answers about why X decided to do Y), so readers should be aware of that going in.

Interviews are also arranged chronologically in terms of GoT events, so it starts with season 1 and takes the reader along every season. I really enjoyed this blast from the past (I think I watched season 1 with friends after just finishing college, because I couldn't afford a TV, lol. And HBO), and I blasted through the book in a couple of days!

[Mercedes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sencillamente,maravilloso. Entrevistas,como empezó la idea de hacerlo una serie, los casting, si cambiaron o no de actores,anécdotas,las dificultades que habían para hacer los capítulos y muchas cosas más. Este libro es una obra de arte me ha hecho revivir la serie y seguir pensando que será la mejor serie de la historia de toda la eternidad.

[Santiago · Rating 1 out of 5]

un periodista de espectáculos que acompañó la producción de todas temporadas hace un rejunte de anécdotas, curiosidades y entrevistas. Un libro puro y exclusivo para fans de la serie y los libros, fans que lo mas probable no encuentren NADA que ya no sepan sobre el mundo de Canción...
Lo que me dejo sin palabras es la obsecuencia del autor. Deja la sensación de ser un libro por encargo solo para tratar de glorificar a los creadores de la serie que quedaron muy mal parados de cara a los fans despues de la temporada final. El nivel de lame botas es increíble.

[Chloe]

It turns out my feelings about Game of Thrones are still far too complicated to give this book a real review

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some books that when you pick up and you can feel the weight of its contents, the passion, the history and the legacy that it leaves behind. Sure Fire Cannot Kill A Dragon is a hefty book physically but when you flick through the pages you can sense the sheer magnitude of effort it took to bring Game Of Thrones to a television audience.

Before I get into my review I just wanted to give acknowledge the fact that James Hibberd thoroughly explored both the unbelievable highs and the soul-crushing lows of the entire Game Of Thrones history when putting this book together. James could easily have just done a tone-deaf fan piece but instead we get a well rounded insight into the thoughts and experiences of the cast, crew and creators. As well as a feel for how the audience responded to wide variety of character moments, controversies and plot lines.

Fire Cannot Kill A Dragon is the ultimate account of how Game Of Thrones, a show dubbed impossible to translate to TV, changed the landscape of entertainment for decades to come. It is a rich, satisfying deep dive into how the show, its many characters and its mind blowing set pieces were brought to life, along with big chunky sections of glossy photos that get you even more immersed in the tale of GOT’s production. Despite opinions of the quality, I think we can all agree that it took a tremendous and unforgiving amount of dedication to bring this show to air and Fire Cannot Kill A Dragon details just how true that is.

Chronicling events from conception (D&D’s conversations with G. R. R. Martin and HBO) to its devastating close through interviews, quotes and anecdotes, all threaded together by a journalist who really understood, and cared about, what everyone involved were feeling any given time during writing or production. James Hibberd regularly walked the sets, spending time around the cast and creators, interviewing them, watching them work and reflecting on each pivotal stage of the shows evolution. There was no one more perfect to orchestrate this book as it was easy to see that he was as dedicated to GOT as anyone who was working on it at the time.

The book is packed the rafters with all the actors that we know and love. Sharing their thoughts on becoming those characters, what they went through (Kit Harrington and Masie Williams are warriors) and how their characters changed and adapted to survive. We hear from nearly everyone and it’s great to see. I especially enjoyed the casting stories as it was so interesting to see how each role was filled. I also liked hearing about the pranks, shared experiences, the people who didn’t get along and of course the crazy fans.

There is a lot of heart and intensity here. And as I mentioned before it is not all positive or chill. Now. I have to give a heads up that a lot of this book is not new information. It is a compilation of impressions given by the cast and crew at any given time during the making of the show. As well as the wider media reporting on public reactions of every nature. That said, there are some new stories here and there that I loved. But it is the comprehensive and fluid execution of documenting the history of the show that is so irresistible. It’s all in one place in Fire Cannot Kill A Dragon and knowing I can return to it, like I can the show, if I want to lose myself in that world again is an added bonus.

Do you need to be a fan to enjoy Fire Cannot Kill A Dragon? Unless you are interested in film or TV production, I would say yes. Though if you aren’t a fan and you read this then you might become one! But to reach full appreciation of the contents I would say that you need to be connected to the characters and story arcs involved. Game Of Thrones is huge and it changed TV forever. The mythology behind the making of the show is fascinating and I couldn’t get enough. It was a show that had a shot and blew it. It was only the potential of everyone involved that gave them a gold ticket opportunity to have another go and ultimately make some of the best TV ever created. Loved by so many despite a controversial last season.

Thank you to everyone who worked themselves to the bone day in and day out to make Westeros and beyond so immersive and unforgettable. Will TV ever reach this height again? Who knows…

[JJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

James Hibberd ofrece una mirada detallada al proceso de creación de la serie, desde las primeras temporadas hasta el tan debatido final, con entrevistas y anécdotas detrás de cámaras que son, en su mayoría, interesantes.

Lo positivo: Sin duda, lo mejor del libro es el acceso a entrevistas exclusivas con actores, directores y guionistas. Se siente que Hibberd realmente estuvo presente en momentos clave de la producción, lo que le permite contarnos detalles que no conocíamos sobre cómo se hicieron algunas de las escenas más icónicas. Para los que seguimos la serie fielmente, hay mucho que disfrutar en estas revelaciones y anécdotas.

Lo negativo: Aunque el libro es entretenido, me dejó con ganas de un análisis más profundo, especialmente sobre las últimas temporadas. Hibberd se mantiene bastante neutral, lo que a veces se siente como una falta de crítica hacia algunos de los aspectos más controvertidos de la serie. En especial, el final de Juego de Tronos es tratado de una manera demasiado superficial para mi gusto, sin entrar en el verdadero debate que rodea su recepción por los fans.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Auch wenn ich länger gebraucht habe für das Buch - es ist wirklich toll. Ich bin froh es gelesen zu haben.
Man erhält Einblicke hinter Game of Throne. Was die Menschen, die daran gearbeitet haben, gedacht und gefühlt haben.

Erläuterungen, wieso Szenen genau so und so gedreht wurden, was George R.R. Martin eigentlich davon hält und dazu sagt, und wieso Game of Thrones genau DIESES Game of Thrones geworden ist.

Das Buch lässt einen die Welt (Serie und auch Bücher) nochmal Revue passieren, drüber nachdenken und alte Emotionen hochkommen.
Beim lesen hatte ich teilweise Gänsehaut.

Und was unter anderem auch für viele spannend sein könnte - wieso wurde die achte Staffel und damit auch das Ende der allseits beliebten Daenerys und der Ausgang der Serie so gewählt.

Für mich - die noch einmal viel über die Serie nachgedacht hat - ist alles jetzt viel mehr nachvollziehbar.

Ein Muss für alle Fans von GoT!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I miss Game of Thrones so very much (and yes I loved the last season). Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon was a delightful easy read where I got to feel like I was listening to the cast chat. I think Hibberd was wise to make so much of the book lengthy direct quotes, because it was more interesting (no offense to him, I'd say this about any author) to engage with what the cast and creative team actually said than it would be to have it written with their words woven into a traditional narrative. It was easy to hear their voices in my head as I read it, which made me enjoy it even more. True, the book doesn't offer any form of earth-shattering insight, but that wasn't what I was looking for here. I wanted to spend more time in the world and get a glimpse into how the people who made it felt about what they created and to hear some of their experiences on set. I got exactly that and I am happy.

[Daniel Pitterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike the many millions, I didn’t spend the decade with GOT. I finally just watched it this year and holy shit did I love it! I had been told that the ending wasn’t so great but I have to say I didn’t think it was awful. Whatever your thoughts about the ending, it was one hell of a ride.

This book is like looking at a photo album of a favorite vacation. It brings back so many memories and emotions. I loved reading it. Obviously it is biased towards the positive aspects of the show but, ya know what? This world needs a little positivity. If you loved the show and want to relive it a bit in a pleasant fun way, read this book. You will love it. If you are looking for controversy or negativity, this isn’t the right book for you.

Enjoy!