“Iron, Fire, and Ice by Ed West is a historical analysis of the real-world events, figures, and conflicts that inspired George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series and Game of Thrones. The book explores medieval history, particularly the Wars of the Roses, the Hundred Years’ War, and the power struggles of feudal Europe, drawing parallels between historical figures and their fictional counterparts.”
This is a great and accessible starting point for those who are fans of George R.R. Martin’s universe and want to get into historical nonfiction. This book primarily follows Western medieval history, focusing mainly on English and French history. At times, I even forgot that this was supposed to be the real history that inspired Game of Thrones, as it focuses so much on historical details with only little tidbits about the series.
I did learn a lot, though, and I didn’t realize how much of the show, even little things like “The Rains of Castamere,” the song, are inspired by real European history. I do wish this book had been edited better. I would have preferred it to be told in a more chronological style because we would get to the 1400s, and then the next chapter would go back 200 years to the 1200s. It made me wonder why we didn’t get that information when we were discussing events based in the 1200s.
I also noticed a few typos, so I think this book needed another round of editing before being published. However, I would recommend this book if you are a fan of the Wars of the Roses or its fantastical counterpart, Game of Thrones. This is a good little book, and you’ll learn a lot!
Izzy Reads 