House of the Dragon is the latest adaptation of George R. R. Martin's work, a prequel to Game of Thrones. Expanding on events only briefly mentioned in the show and A Song of Ice and Fire, House of the Dragon draws heavily from books like Fire and Blood and The World of Ice and Fire, bringing some of their events to the small screen.
There is plenty of information about the series already revealed between pre-release materials and the episodes already shown. However, with as much background as House of the Dragon has, there is a great deal that book readers are likely to know that television-only fans don't.
This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon.
10 It Only Adapts Part Of One Book
The eight seasons of Game of Thrones adapted five published books in A Song of Ice and Fire, as well as using author George R. R. Martin's notes on the remaining entries. The show had a huge amount of published material to cover, and faced accusations of rushing the story toward the end.
House of the Dragon has less to go off of. The bulk of its story is contained within Fire and Blood, and it isn't even the entirety of that book. Fire and Blood looks at the earliest Targaryens in Westeros as a whole, also covering events such as Aegon's Conquest and Maegor's wars with the Faith and his relatives. The Dance of the Dragons only comprises the last third.
9 Many Of Its Main Characters Haven't Been Born Yet
House of the Dragon is willing to cover a long period with its story, having significant time skips between and even within episodes. This is because it shows the Dance of the Dragons from its earliest roots, focusing on the cracks forming in King Viserys I's reign long before the fallout becomes clear.
A result of this is that several characters who will become integral to House of the Dragon's plot haven't yet been born. Although the third episode shows the birth of Aegon Targaryen, a future claimant to the Iron Throne, major figures like Aemond Targaryen or Lucerys Velaryon haven't even been conceived yet.
8 It Is Smaller In Scope Than Game Of Thrones
Book fans know that the Dance of the Dragons is one of the most significant civil wars in Westeros history, tearing many of the Seven Kingdoms apart as lords pledged their loyalty to one claimant or another. However, despite the continent-wide importance of its events, House of the Dragon promises to have a smaller scale than its parent show, Game of Thrones.
As well as focusing on King's Landing and surrounding areas, Game of Thrones also featured stories far in the east of Essos, and as far north as the Wall and beyond. House of the Dragon looks set to focus on the Crownlands, with action taking place in King's Landing, Dragonstone, and the Stepstones so far.
7 It's Adapted From Unreliable Material
Fire and Blood, as with most supplementary information to A Song of Ice and Fire, is presented as an in-universe document. It's written as the work of Archmaester Gyldayn, a member of the Citadel who frequently writes about House Targaryen. As such, it involves some of the innate flaws with historical writing, including competing sources and Gyldayn's own bias.
House of the Dragon is presented more straightforwardly, omitting the historical aspects of the show. However, the information it adapts is still unreliable, with several events in Fire and Blood being described in different ways by different sources. As such, it may present only one version of the Dance of the Dragons.
6 The House Of The Dragon Has Little Focus On Major Houses From Game Of Thrones
The politics of Westeros are ever-shifting, both in war and peace. Just like Game of Thrones focuses on the conflicts between the biggest houses of its time, so does House of the Dragon. Due to the differing timeframe, these major players are almost entirely different. Many major houses from Game of Thrones are big players.
Viewers will spend most of their time with the Targaryens, Velaryons, and Hightowers, with houses like the Lannisters and Baratheons playing a smaller part. In particular, the brief role played by House Stark may surprise some viewers, given their status as the main focus of Game of Thrones.
5 It Doesn't Even Cover The Last Civil War Before Robert's Rebellion
Robert's Rebellion is known as the war that set up the events of Game of Thrones, which tore apart most of Westeros. It was similar in scale to the Dance of the Dragons, and so fans may assume that there were some years of relative peace between these conflicts. However, this isn't the case.
The history of Westeros drips with blood, and the entire continent rarely knows peace. As such, House of the Dragon only covers one great civil war in a succession of them, with the most notable being the many Blackfyre Rebellions.
4 It Has Already Cut One Major Character From Its Source Material
So far, House of the Dragon has included most of the characters mentioned in Fire and Blood and has expanded on many events. It looks to be a fairly faithful adaptation, but one major character from Fire and Blood has yet to appear. Mushroom is a "dwarf jester" in Fire and Blood who serves as one of the book's primary sources, being privy to events nobody could see.
Although Mushroom's version of events is ribald, exaggerated, and often even outright false, he is occasionally considered a useful source as he's been present at major moments in the Dance of the Dragons. However, House of the Dragon hasn't included him, and rumors suggest that he has been cut entirely.
3 There Is Going To Be A Prodigious Death Rate
Among other things, Game of Thrones was infamous for its high death count, with major characters dying at a rapid pace. Although fans of that show may well expect this, House of the Dragon may well top Game of Thrones' death toll if it stays faithful to the source material. While plenty of people do survive the Dance of the Dragons, it is a very destructive conflict.
Consequently, the events see a staggering number of people die, including many main characters of Fire and Blood and House of the Dragon. While show fans may have predictions, only book readers know the true extent of the devastation of the Dance of the Dragons, and just whose fates are sealed already.
2 It May Surprise Viewers With Its Characterization Of Houses
Game of Thrones is a morally-gray, complex show. Its heroes and villains all have their own three-dimensional personalities, but there are still some broad characterizations. Viewers know the Starks to be honor-bound and stern, the Lannisters to be conniving and cunning, and the Baratheons to be glory-hounds and warriors.
House of the Dragon may surprise viewers. With its events taking place in the series' past, some houses act in different ways, and the differing perspectives can show their actions in new lights. From uncompromisingly ruthless Starks to loyal and sympathetic Lannisters, House of the Dragon may surprise viewers who think the houses are set.
1 It May Go Even Further Than Its Parent Show
Among the many ways it was a trailblazer for television, Game of Thrones was both applauded and notorious for its dark content. The show didn't shy away from graphic violence or pull its punches, creating a suitably brutal atmosphere. However, these moments were also controversial and were considered problematic or exploitative by many.
If it follows its source material, House of the Dragon may go even further. With details like the political assassinations of young children, or its unapologetically incestual Targaryens, House of the Dragon may top even Game of Thrones in controversy. Alternatively, the show may drop or downplay some of these aspects to avoid the contentious nature of such content.