Game of Thrones Author Reacts To More House of the Dragon Episodes

Ahead of the House of the Dragon premiere, Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin gives a nod of approval for the series, applauding the complex characters and action-packed drama that he has previewed. Following House Targaryen centuries before Daenerys Targaryen becomes the Mother of Dragons, the HBO prequel series will focus on the internal strife that afflicted the family in the fight for the Iron Throne. House of the Dragon will bring Martin’s Dance of the Dragon book to life with an all-star cast including Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Milly Alcock, Paddy Constantine, and Sonoya Mizuno.

HBO announced the project shortly after the conclusion of Game of Thrones, shifting focus from one fantasy kingdom to another. Picking up just as civil war breaks out within the Targaryen faction, the episodic promises the same dramatic flair and political scandal as its sister series. House of the Dragon will unfold over ten episodes like the original series, with Miguel Sapochnik and Ryan Condal taking the lead as co-showrunners. Martin continues to show his support as an executive producer for the series.

Publishing his reactions to a personal blog, Martin has given fans a reason to be excited by providing positive feedback for House of the Dragon. After previewing a few new cuts from the series, Martin shares his admiration for how the show brings rich, complex characters to life, ones that live in a gray area between good and evil. And in addition to the interpersonal conflicts carrying the story, the author says there will be plenty of fantasy battles and fiery dragons. Read more from Martin’s reaction below:

I saw rough cuts of a couple more episodes of House of the Dragon, and was just as pleased as I was with the earlier episodes. Ryan and Miguel and their cast and crew are doing great work. Those of you who like complex, conflicted, grey characters (as I do) will like this series, I think. There will be plenty of dragons and battles, to be sure, but the spine of the story is the human conflicts, the love and the hate, character drama rather than action/adventure.

HBO’s spinoff has been a hot topic of conversation since many fans were disappointed with the final season of Game of Thrones. Now, House of the Dragon carries the burden of restoring audience approval while delivering a completely new story. Fans of the original show initially worried that the prequel would fall short, but Martin’s approval is undoubtedly reassuring. Even Game of Thrones cast members shared their excitement for the spinoff but had their reservations about whether or not the prequel would merely be a money grab or attempt something original.

As fans await the premiere of House of the Dragon, hope continues to grow for the series each time Martin shares positive feedback for the new world. With brand new cast members and a tense premise, fans anticipate the presence of brutal emotional conflict just as intense as the epic action sequences full of dragons and destruction. After witnessing the downfall of Game of Thrones, HBO is certainly approaching the newest series with great caution to avoid the same negative backlash from audiences. House of the Dragon is set to premiere in August, so until then, fans will have to rely on the opinions of the internal production team to guarantee its success.