The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones

This is a welcome addition to the A Song of Ice and Fire and HBO’s Game of Thrones fantasy series. This beautifully illustrated volume is a comprehensive history of the Seven Kingdoms and beyond. This book adds depth and richness to the entire ASOIAF universe and transports the reader there with detailed accounts of long ago tales which continue to reverberate throughout the World of Ice and Fire. A must have for any fan of the ASOIAF series.George R. R. Martin has meticulously crafted an original and complex world for his fantasy master piece, and this book is a wonderful exploration of that world. An absolutely fantastic addition to my library. One of the best fantasy reference / companion books that I've ever read. Extraordinary world building and lavish illustrations.In the realm of fiction it is not easy to create such a vivid and complex fictional history which is occupied by such original characters, political intrigue and storylines that could only take place within the context of this fully developed world. I was looking for a good book to read while I awaited George R. R. Martin's next book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series and I must say, I wasn't the slightest bit disappointed. This will tide me over until The Winds of Winter is released. Thank you George, Elio and Linda.Bottomline, this is a wonderful fantasy compendium that just pulls you in from the very first page. It's a history of the known world of the A Song of Ice and Fire saga as recorded by a Maester of the Citadel for King Tommen. Therefore, this tome is an in-world history textbook, limited in scope, accuracy and gaps in knowledge of their world and past critical events. This is not a complete history of the known world written from an omniscient point of view. The information contained in this tome is limited to what a Maester of the time might be able to research, therefore I understand why there are gaps in the historical narrative, which mirrors our own historical narrative in some parts of out past. The rice detail of the text and the lavish illustrations contribute greatly to the world building of the ASOIAF universe. The world building is so complete and detailed that you sometimes feel as if you are actually reading historical fiction, not a fantasy. What is fascinating and true to life is the way the characters shape the world around them but at the same time their world shapes them. Above all this is a great read which is sure to bring you hours of pure unadulterated escapism.I don't usually write reviews but I saw so many negative reviews stating GRRM didn't write or have any part in creating this book. I just want to point out that the blurb on Amazon states, "100% all-new material, more than half of which Martin wrote specifically for this book." If that's not enough to convince you, GRRM even confirmed this on his blog: "Ah. actually, it was with Elio and Linda, sure, but there are tens of thousands of my words in there this "not written by GRRM" is misinformation."I'm not terribly sure why some critics and reviewers are bashing the writing style or quality of this book. I love the way this book is written. It is what it's advertised to be, it Is a know algae of the day history book of the A Song of Ice and Fire universe and I absolutely love it. My Christmas came early this year with the release of this beautiful book.

I’m so happy with this purchase. The book is amazing quality and is very durable. Nice quality pages and the hardcover has a nice weight to it. The book itself is so cool if you’re a game of thrones fan. So much to learn and read about to expand on the universe!The artwork is incredible in this book. I’m so happy with it! Great value for this price

Bought this book for my 20year old son who has read the entire series along with watching the entire series of course he thinks the books are better and had mentioned this book in conversation. I found it at the best price here on Amazon and made the purchase for Christmas. It is truly a beautifully made book which is encyclopedia sized in my opinion. My son loves this book and carries it around with him and it’s holding up nicely. Very informative and well written as well as excellently illustrated. A must have for any GOT fan! I was very impressed! It came as described in perfect condition with that wonderful “new book” smell and the spine was not cracked!! Another great purchase from Amazon!!

I pre-ordered a few months ago, not knowing what to expect. So unwrapping an oversized book of extensive production quality was a surprise, since I was expecting something that would line up on the shelf next to the five ASOIAF books. Note that you're getting an oversized book with very nice cover, page, and print quality, which helps the artwork stand out.As far as the text, which many of the reviews here are quick to slam or to praise, I felt the truth was in the middle and uneven would be the best word to describe. Some of the narratives are very well done - the "short story" of the Conquest, the reign of King Jaehaerys, and the history of the Vale in particular stood out as well done; the narrative flowed well, and the characterizations were very satisfying, but most importantly gave itself identity and value. As far as a common identifier of the best pieces, the text is at its best and finds a nice rhythm when it becomes character-centric as opposed to purely event-centric. When Martin et. immerse you in the rich characterizations of Nymeria, Aegon, Robar Royce, and Tywin, and let the history flow around them is extremely enjoyable.Other portions were frustrating - several histories of reigns and a couple of the Kingdoms really felt like obligated filler as opposed to a seized opportunity to provide rich lore, and all too often the "Untold History" teased on the cover produced only empty text containing no more than "going through the motions" summations of previously known information,providing no additional lore or color. It is understandable in areas where it's obvious that Martin isn't ready to show his cards; others such as the War of the Ninepenny Kings from a 10,000 foot view and the Greyjoy Rebellion being reduced to a couple paragraphs and passing on the opportunity to add color and depth as opposed to regurgitation due to necessity were a letdown.The choice of the maester as a point of view was overall a sound decision. The additional layer adds richness: bias is introduced, sources are referenced, and the environment of the ASOIAF novels needs to be taken into account by the reader - a very Martin-esque move. The "cop outs", where the decision to use a maester as the writer leads to lack of expansion or evasion were an unfortunate consequence.As far as the artwork, I expected the illustrations to be filler, almost an annoyance beside the lore. It was the exact opposite - the illustrations are impressive, most absolutely stunning. The amount of artwork, fantastic detail, and affording a quality template for the production really stood out. I'm not sold that AWOIAF will be a frequent reread or that the table of contents and index reference enough consistency in the text for it to serve as a reference, but there will definitely be portions worth a bookmark and others worth perusing at times, and the art is worth a complete page through anytime.

La mejor compra del mundo. Para los fans este libro es una joya. La portada da una sensación de piel y las hojas tienen un calidad excelente. Ilustraciónes súper padres y con demasiada información.Llegó antes de lo esperado. 2 días después de la compra. Muy satisfecha.

Love this book love this author

E um livro bem detalhado e cheio de ilustrações e um livro grande e chegou certinho

This book is extremely beautifu. The pages , the illustrations , the content everything is top tier.The history of ASOIAF is so intriguing and vast, it's full of misterys and wonder. I don't know when or if we will see the end of ASOIAF but still I am thankful that ASOIAF exists, and TWOIAF is an phenomenal edition to that.

I am very happy that I bought this book. 10/10Highly recommended.