After Game of Thrones’ highly divisive ending, HBO made good on its promise of producing a prequel series: House of Dragon premiered Sunday based on George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood.
Paddy Considine and Olivia Cooke star as rulers of two prominent houses from Westeros’ earlier history: Velaryons and Hightowers, respectively.
The Child Reader
The Reader is the child of one of the dragonkeepers. All their life, they have lived among dragons and witnessed all they can learn about them from them. At an early age, they would sneakily follow their parents into the pit where the creatures lived and be completely entranced by all that happened there – from watching how the dragons interacted among themselves to their ability to kill off beasts, they would be so mesmerized! When old enough, they’d love nothing better than keeping one as part of their job duties!
They may be mischievous at times but would obey their parents. Eventually, they’d grow into adults and begin their own lives with dragons as companions and best friends – hopefully becoming part of their daily routine and closest confidants.
It would be fascinating to observe how a Reader’s friendship with a dragon would impact their relationships with humans around them. They might find it surprising that dragons seemed drawn so strongly towards someone without a “blood of the dragon” bloodline and possibly surprised how well they got along with other humans as well.
Viserys and Aemond may take notice and be jealous that their enemies from House Dragon adore her so much, a potentially disastrous situation for them in Westeros.
House of Dragon, the prequel to Game of Thrones, takes place approximately 172 years before Daenerys was born and the Targaryen reign began in Westeros. Featuring an all-star cast including Paddy Considine as King Viserys I, Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen), Milly Alcock (Young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen), and Emily Carey (Young Alicent Hightower). Check out the trailers below!
The Adult Reader
I love the concept of Dragonkeeper! Reader is just another aspect of their job; simply watching how children interact with one another as part of his or her role is part of what is done and all they know for sure about what is happening around them. Even when they scold them or ensure their safety is guaranteed. That is simply part of their daily duties that have been their experience for as long as they can remember – all they know.
Viserys/Alicent would likely view the Reader with envy and admiration, having never known anyone like them before, their interactions with the dragons, how well the dragons took to them, and their assistance when needed by Viserys/Alicent.
House of the Dragon is a prequel to Game of Thrones set 172 years before Daenerys Targaryen’s birth and Aerys Targaryen’s reign as Mad King. Milly Alcock plays Young Princess Rhaenyra while Emily Carey portrays Young Alicent Hightower; both Milly Alcock and Emily Carey serve as Young Alicent Hightower in this project by Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik who were showrunners on Game of Thrones, respectively.
The Reader’s Family
The Reader comes from an extended family. His brother Aemond is the heir to House Baratheon, while Rhaenyra and Alicent Hightower are his two sisters. Although Aemond and Alicent often compete over their father’s affections, they remain best friends despite any potential differences.
House of Dragon’s debut season was met with much acclaim, garnering critical acclaim for its character development, visual effects, writing style, composer Ramin Djawadi’s score, and performances by Considine, Smith, and D’Arcy (especially Considine and Smith). Some critics, however, criticized its pace, dark lighting, and time jumps as shortcomings of this drama series.
House of Dragon is the second TV series in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire franchise. Created by Martin, its plot was drawn from portions of his 2018 book Fire and Blood; set 172 years before Game of Thrones occurred, Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik served as showrunners for its first season.
Though most characters in the show are well-known to fans, some unfamiliar houses have also been introduced, most notably the Hightowers and Velaryons; though viewers might not as easily recognize these families, they remain integral parts of the plot and play an essential role.
The Hightowers and Velaryons have both battled for the honor of House Targaryen, often with dramatic results. What distinguishes these houses is their ability to tame dragons – an extraordinary talent that helped the Targaryens build an immense dynasty but may lead to its downfall at any moment.
The Reader’s Friends
The Reader has been part of the Dragon family from an early age, never experiencing life outside their realm of dragons. Their parents taught them to trust that it’s the best place for them. I imagine as a child, they probably followed their parent into the pit at least once or twice and were absolutely stunned by what they witnessed there – perhaps they even managed to tame one! Such experiences would be immensely thrilling for young children.
The Dragons are an incredible clan that is adept at controlling dragons, which has enabled them to build an immense empire over Westeros. Unfortunately, as we’ve seen on Game of Thrones time after time, dynasties don’t last; their succession can become tenuous, leading to war and conflict among themselves. When Jaehaerys recognizes that a new ruler must be chosen, he convenes a council to select their successor. Still, two Targaryens emerge with strong claims: Viserys and Rhaenyra both come forward with viable claims against each other – Viserys being his grandson. In contrast, Rhaenyra comes forward to take charge as her brother or niece, respectively.
Unfortunately, Rhaenyra was left without an option after Viserys was selected as King by the council and forced into marrying an older man against her will. Rhaenyra eventually felt bitter about this decision she thought she had no say in.
House of the Dragon is a prequel to Game of Thrones based on George R.R. Martin’s book Fire and Blood. Featuring an all-female cast led by Miguel Sapohnik, who directed some of our favorite Game of Thrones episodes like Battle of Bastards” and Hardhome,” it mainly received positive reviews praising its writing, visual effects, score by Ramin Djawadi, as performances (especially Considine Smith D’Arcy Alcock), making audiences embrace this unique take on Westeros’ history.
Rhaenyra and Alicent’s clash is at the core of this show, yet showrunners rushed through its initial season to set up their war between their houses without providing much depth in regards to the motivations or tensions of either character, making it hard for viewers to grasp these characters’ motivations and pressures fully.
