King Aegon I on Balerion the Black Dread. Image : Doug Wheatley

“You’re going to have to keep waiting for The Winds of Winter,” George R.R. Martin wrote back in April. No shock there. But in that same blog post, the Game of Thrones creator announced a different book: a detailed history of House Targaryen. It comes out later this month, and we’ve got an early peek.


Here’s what the author teased about Fire & Blood: 300 Years Before A Game of Thrones, which he notes is actually part one of two planned volumes:

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. Of course, the story doesn’t end with the regents of Aegon III. There is a lot more history to come, and Archmaester Gyldayn will get to all that too, in FIRE & BLOOD, Volume Two. But that one is a few years down the pike.


The book also contains 80 lovely (and occasionally gruesome) black-and-white illustrations by Doug Wheatley. We’ve got five exclusive images to share today, depicting some of the noble folks discussed above—the ancestors of Daenerys, everyone’s favorite Mother of Dragons. Keep scrolling to check out some additional illustrations, as well as the book’s cover, in a slideshow gallery as well.

Maegor I Image : Doug Wheatley

Aegon III Image : Doug Wheatley

Portrait of Queen Alysanne Targaryen, age 64, at Dragonstone. Image : Doug Wheatley


Prince Aemond on Vhagar chases Prince Lucerys on Varax. Image : Doug Wheately

Orys Baratheon slays Argilac the Arrogant. Image : Doug Wheatley


Here are a few more images (including more dragons and a glimpse at Maegor’s fate...hint: it involves the Iron Throne’s many “pointy ends”), as well as a look at Fire & Blood’s cover.

King Aegon I on Balerion the Black Dread Image : Doug Wheatley Maester Gyldayn Image : Doug Wheatley Queen Rhaenys riding Merexes Image : Doug Wheatley Maegor’s corpse impaled on the Iron Throne. Image : Doug Wheatley Advertisement You can skip ad after 1 second You can go to the next slide after 1 second Continue Viserys I Image : Doug Wheatley 1 / 6


George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood: 300 Years Before A Game of Thrones, with illustrations by Doug Wheatley, will be out November 20. You can pre-order a copy for yourself right here. The final season of Game of Thrones will air on HBO sometime in 2019; the release date of The Winds of Winter is still anybody’s guess at this point.

