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Is the text worth it, besides the artwork?


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In my opinion most of those reviews I have seen are just trollers. However I got to agree with the guy who said this book seams to have to much dragonspawn information, and a lack of Baratheon catering to be for Robert Baratheon or any of his heirs. That doesnt seam reasonable.

Probably becuase the Targaryens ruled for nearly 300 years until robert's rebellion...

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Probably becuase the Targaryens ruled for nearly 300 years until robert's rebellion...

250 years seams to be little in westeros history, but anyway Robert hates everything related to Targ, this doesnt seam like a book for him. I would expect lots of info about the storm kings. One thing is a citadel book for themselves, or even for westeros, and an other thing is one being done for Bob.

I havent read the book anyway, so dont take this critic to serious.

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There's some truth to the fact that it wasn't always easy to balance the conceit of the framing story with the material that we wanted to include. However, I think most of it can be explained in a satisfactory way. Yandel may have been intending to present the work to Robert, but his real grand hope was to make this knowledge about the world available to a wider audience to educate them. Given that Robert wasn't exactly the Mad King, he may have felt it was safe to report on the past in the way he felt was accurate, even if it ended up focusing a lot on the Targaryens. On the other hand, when Robert died and the power shifted from Baratheon to Lannister, he may have felt less certain about the lack of madness in those wielding the power. ;)


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There's some truth to the fact that it wasn't always easy to balance the conceit of the framing story with the material that we wanted to include. However, I think most of it can be explained in a satisfactory way. Yandel may have been intending to present the work to Robert, but his real grand hope was to make this knowledge about the world available to a wider audience to educate them. Given that Robert wasn't exactly the Mad King, he may have felt it was safe to report on the past in the way he felt was accurate, even if it ended up focusing a lot on the Targaryens. On the other hand, when Robert died and the power shifted from Baratheon to Lannister, he may have felt less certain about the lack of madness in those wielding the power. ;)

I have no problem to see it in that way. Giving it to the king was just an excuse for this maester to do his work, but probably he expects it to be a source of reference for years to come and might not want to be later dismissed as Barathebro propaganda.

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On the other hand, when Robert died and the power shifted from Baratheon to Lannister, he may have felt less certain about the lack of madness in those wielding the power. ;)

That's why the most recent parts are full with "Pycelle says" or "But Tywin never actually"...?

(those parts are unintentionally hilarious)

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250 years seams to be little in westeros history, but anyway Robert hates everything related to Targ, this doesnt seam like a book for him. I would expect lots of info about the storm kings. One thing is a citadel book for themselves, or even for westeros, and an other thing is one being done for Bob.

I havent read the book anyway, so dont take this critic to serious.

There is not much of a proTargaryen pov if that's what you're worried about. Robert might have hated the Targaryens, but there is no denial of Aegon I's great achievements or Jaeherys being one of the best Kings. He can't just make people to delete everything about them.

OTOH, maybe Yandel is simply a Targ. loyalist deep inside. Maybe we see him giving the book to Tommen just when Aegon is invading KL and he starts to tear off the pages of the Rebellion :lol:

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So I actually read the book a few months ago, but couldn't say anything until the official release.



But now... holy shit! This book has something for all ASoIaF fans: history, intrigue, dragon battles, absolutely amazing artwork.



It's filled with a lot of the history of the major house in the series, fun stuff about the Wall and the Others, and legends about lands even beyond where Dany has visited. At times, it reads like a fantastic travelogue, other times like a gaming campaign rules book, and then sometimes like a book of old myths. I was very intrigued by all the Dunk and Egg stuff in there. A nice balance as to giving us some bare-bones info, but leaving the readers hungry for those stories.



The only thing that adds to my total enjoyment of the book was that a lot of the layout/production was done at my very own office! (becker&mayer)


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The book does spend an awful lot of time on the Targaryens. it takes up a good 100 pages, as much as the combined regional histories of all of Westeros (North, Westerlands, Dorne, Reach, Vale, Stormlands Riverlands, Iron Islands, Wall and beyond) and aslo as much as the histories of Essos and beyond.



I get that they've been the ruling dynasty and yadda yadda, but we knew a lot of it already, I would have liked more ancient history like the tale of Nymeria and the Rhonyar. There's also precious little on very recent hisroty, albeit I guess that's understandable given ASoIaF.



Not a big complaint by any means, but I do think Martin focuses a bit too much on the Targaryens in his supplementary material.


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alguien,

Wow, did not know! Rosebud, Delia, and everyone else over there who worked on this monster did a fantastic job. We can't thank them enough.

If we're ever in the area, there'll be a standing invitation to a round or three of drinks on us. :)

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I was really, really sorry we couldn't get in more of Aegon III's regency. It'll be a treat to see it published in full, and hopefully with George filling out the rest of his reign. :)

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