House of the Dragon was one of the best series of 2022, and viewers are desperate for the HBO offering to return for season two. Unfortunately, it might be a long wait for the fantasy offering to be back on screens. In the meantime, it could be a great option for fans of the show to read the source material, Fire & Blood.
Fire & Blood is a Stunning Achievement
After the success of Game of Thrones, HBO scrambled to start adapting other areas of George R. R. Martin’s work. The first spinoff was House of the Dragon, which centres on the period of Targaryen history known as the Dance of the Dragons. Martin went into great detail about this era in his fictional historical tome, Fire & Blood.
For people interested in expanding their reading, Fire & Blood is an excellent option to get started with. It’s available as a huge, printed version with pictures, but you could also pick it up as an audiobook or eBook. According to PIA, eBook sales are on the rise, and were worth more than $1 billion in 2020 alone.
The great thing about the book for people who have already watched House of the Dragon is that it provides a lot of useful background information about the Targaryen dynasty. The 2018 offering covers the entire history of Westeros’ ruling family, starting with Aegon the Conqueror’s conquest.
Fire & Blood spans 300 years of Targaryen history, but some of it is brushed over quickly. Martin focuses on key moments in the timeline, with a hefty portion of the offering dedicated to the subject matter of House of the Dragon.
This means that show viewers can read about the events that already happened in season one. They can also learn about what’s set to come over the next few years in the television offering created by Ryan Condal and Martin.
What do we Know About House of the Dragon Season 2?
According to an article in the Radio Times, House of the Dragon will most likely return to screens in 2024. That’s because production is set for summer 2023, and then postwork will take some time. This seems to be becoming the standard model for modern fantasies, with The Witcher on Netflix being another example.
Season one of House of the Dragon featured a lot of exposition and background detail on the key characters in the war to come. The harrowing ending will act as the catalyst to the events that follow, with Rhaenyra Targaryen set to wage war on the usurper Aegon II Targaryen. It will involve a lot of espionage and secrecy, along with a heavy amount of dragon-based action.
House of the Dragon has received excellent reviews, with Forbes lauding it. If you haven’t checked it out already, you really should. If you’re one of the millions waiting for season two, the best thing to do now would be to read Fire & Blood.
Published by HOLR Magazine.