There is a fresh battle for the Iron Throne in the new ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel, ‘House of the Dragon,’ for which Ryan Condal and George RR Martin, the creator of this entire world, share creator credits.
However, the contestants this time are all members of the same house: the Targaryens. The plot is based on a book by Martin called ‘Fire & Blood,’ which describes the Targaryen family’s origins and how they came to govern Westeros.
Unlike the original series, which was dizzyingly complex with hundreds of characters, ranging from high lords and ladies to lowborn, ‘House of the Dragon’ is a much smaller, focussed tale. And yet, this is the same world of Westeros and Essos, the neighhbouring continent with all the Free Cities and the Dothraki
The meticulous world-building that went into ‘Game of Thrones’ is incredibly helpful for ‘House of the Dragon’ as well. An imminent war between the living and the dead, as well as an existential threat from the far north, are briefly mentioned.
Old Valyrian, the language of Valyrian Freehold, a nation ruled by dragon lords of whom the Targaryens were only one family among many, is a language that is frequently used by characters.
The characters and the plot of ‘House of the Dragon’ are not nearly compelling enough to compete with the early seasons of ‘Game of Thrones,’ yet despite taking place in the same universe, it still feels new.
In addition, the stakes are larger than, say, in the first few seasons of ‘Game of Thrones.’ Following the fantasy version of dogfights (dragon-on-dragon battle), the following episodes should provide in the spectacle department.
Post Your Comments