Fire & Blood

Aegon the Conqueror managed to gain and maintain power, while most of his descendants struggled to do so. Why is that? What distinguished his exercise of power from his descendants’?

What role do revenge and betrayal play in the Dance of Dragons? What overall point does Gyldayn make about the exercise of power driven by revenge?

The Iron Throne is a symbol of power and rule. Discuss how Martin uses the Iron Throne as a part of his characterization.

Using textual support, describe the rhetorical context in which Gyldayn is writing. What is the purpose of his text? Who is his primary audience? How do genre expectations shape what he writes? How different is this fictional rhetorical context from the one in which Martin is actually writing?

Gyldayn relies on multiple sources to create a history of Westeros. Compare and contrast two or more of those sources in terms of their credibility, objectivity, and how Gyldayn uses them. What do readers learn about Gyldayn as a narrator based on the choices he makes in constructing his narrative?

Discuss the impact of gender on power in Westeros. How do women amass and maintain power? How does Gyldayn’s attitude toward powerful women shape the representation of women?

Dragons are central to Martin’s worldbuilding. Consider how he represents the dragons. What do you know about them by the time you reach the end of the novel? Are they magical creatures, or do they fit into the scientific framework of Westeros?

What is the significance of Harrenhal in the novel? How does the curse surrounding it contribute to important themes such as revenge and betrayal?