‘Game of Thrones’: George R.R. Martin Reacts After Watching ‘House of the Dragon’ Episode 1

Author George R.R. Martin has seen the first episode of the Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon, and he has a promising review for fans. Martin posted on his personal blog on Wednesday to report that he had seen “a rough cut of” the pilot episode for himself. He had some incredibly on-brand praise for the upcoming HBO show.

Martin’s new post included a link to IMDb’s “most anticipated shows of 2022,” which had House of the Dragon in the number one spot. Martin was excited to be there, noting that it was an honor to share the list with other fantasy shows he was a fan of. He wrote: “I am anticipating House of the Dragon pretty eagerly myself, for what it’s worth. Okay, I am hardly objective. And I know a lot of what you will be seeing. (I, um, wrote the book). Also… Mum’s the word now, don’t tell anyone… I’ve seen a rough cut of the first episode.”

“And I loved it,” Martin continued. “It’s dark, it’s powerful, it’s visceral… just the way I like my epic fantasy. [Showrunners Ryan Condal] and [Miguel Sapochnik] have done an amazing job, and the cast… Just as with Game of Thrones, most viewers will only have heard of a few of the actors, but I think you are going to fall in love with a lot of them. (Only to have your heart broken later when… But no, that would be telling).”

“I think theTargaryens are in very good hands. Anticipate away. I do not think you will be disappointed,” Martin concluded. The post awakened Martin’s not-so-dormant fandom on social media at once, inspiring new speculation about House of the Dragon and comparisons to its source material, Fire & Blood.

House of the Dragon is a prequel to Game of Thrones, set about 180 years before the events of the main series. It draws from stories laid out in Martin’s fictional Westerosi history book Fire & Blood, so it already has a completed story to adapt. However, the book uses the unreliable narrative voice of a historian working with questionable primary sources, leaving room for the show to go more in-depth and tell a more personal version of the same tales.

House of the Dragon stars Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, heir-apparent to the Iron Throne; Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Rhaenyra’s stepmother looking to put her own sons in power; Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, a headstrong warrior with a lust for power and Paddy Considine as King Viserys I Targaryen, the aging king regarded as kind and decent by his subjects. Unlike the main series, this show will have over a dozen dragons, and when war breaks out (spoilers) there will be winged beasts on both sides.

You can get a sneak peek at the story for yourself in Fire & Blood, available now in print, digital and audiobook formats. House of the Dragon is expected to premiere sometime in 2022, but an exact date has not yet been set.