HBO's biggest hit **"Game of Thrones"** ended five years ago. First aired on HBO in 2011, Game of Thrones was popular for its diverse and complex characters, as well as its unpredictable plots and betrayals. The series' final episode, aired in 2019, was watched by 13.6 million households, making it **the most successful HBO series in history**.

However, the latter part of the series was a complete failure in terms of criticism. When it first aired in 2011, the production team had five novels to adapt. George Martin, the author of the original novels, seemed to be able to complete the novels before the TV series adapted the fifth book. However, the sixth book was not published until 2015, when the fifth season, corresponding to the fifth book, was aired. The sixth book **has not been published yet, even though 13 years have passed since the first episode of the series**.

In the end, George Martin told the series creators his intended ending. He also offered to write the script for the TV series if necessary. Martin believes that it would take 10 seasons to properly explain the ending of the series. As a long-time TV series writer, George Martin might have completed the script sooner than the novel. On the other hand, the producers seemed to be hesitant about dragging this large-scale series for 10 years. They decided to end the series with season eight.

Therefore, "Game of Thrones" without the original novel began with season 7. George Martin declared that he would no longer be involved in the TV series. The producers crammed all the stories and narratives into the ending that George Martin told them. The personalities of the characters, which had to change over several seasons, changed suddenly in just a few minutes. Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), who was popular for his eloquent speech, just mumbles meaningless words, and **Daenerys, who was the liberator of slaves, suddenly turned into a murderer**.

After the shocking ending of "Game of Thrones," HBO executives were in a dilemma. Because they had seen how lackluster the latter part was, despite the huge success of the series. HBO asked George Martin to write a novel that could be made into a spin-off series of "Game of Thrones." They also demanded that the novel **be a complete story**.

So, George Martin wrote a novel titled **"Fire & Blood"**. "Fire & Blood" is a novel, but it is written in the style of a historical book. The book is set up as a historical book written by a scholar in the world of "Game of Thrones" about events that happened in the past. (It seems that it would take a long time for George Martin to write it all as a novel, but it was much faster to write a rough outline like this in the historical book concept.) Therefore, the new HBO series based on this fake historical book is titled "House of the Dragon."

**Spoiler alert!**

"House of the Dragon" is set **170 years before** "Game of Thrones." The Targaryen dynasty, which had already fallen in "Game of Thrones," is at its peak during this period. Each member of the royal family has a dragon, and no one dares to challenge the Targaryen family who ride dragons. Until **the Targaryen family splits into two and starts a civil war**.

Princess **"Rhaenyra"**, the direct ancestor of "Daenerys Targaryen," played by Emilia Clarke in "Game of Thrones," was officially named heir by her father, "Viserys." However, a younger brother is born to her father and his young new queen, "Alicent." From that moment, Rhaenyra senses that her position is shaky.

Her bad premonition comes true when her father, King Viserys, dies. Queen Alicent puts her son, "Aegon," on the Iron Throne and proclaims him **the rightful new king**. Rhaenyra holds a coronation at **"Dragonstone," the old stronghold of the Targaryen family**, to claim the throne and declare that she is the true ruler of the kingdom.

Aegon and Rhaenyra each gather supporters from across the kingdom. The Stark family, the main protagonist in the previous series, is loyal to Rhaenyra, and the Lannister family supports Aegon. Both sides try to avoid a civil war between royal families who have dragons. However, **unexpected betrayals and conspiracies** could not be avoided even 170 years ago. The first season ends with the start of **"Game of Thrones"** once again in Westeros, along with a terrible death that no one expected.

The series, released on HBO Max in 2022, was watched by over 20 million viewers, making it a success comparable to "Game of Thrones." It is considered successful in bringing viewers back to this world who were disappointed with the final season of "Game of Thrones." While "Game of Thrones" lacked completeness in the latter part due to the incomplete original novel, this series is considered advantageous as the ending is already decided, reducing the likelihood of disappointment at the end.

If you enjoyed "Game of Thrones," there is no more captivating prequel than this. Milly Alcock's portrayal of young Rhaenyra is eerily similar to Emilia's Daenerys, making it a hot topic. The Iron Throne, the symbol of the series, also reappears in a more majestic form. In particular, the **"Song of Ice and Fire"** clue, which was not retrieved in "Game of Thrones," reappeared in this series. Will viewers finally get the answer to what **"Song of Ice and Fire"** is this time? The second season of "House of the Dragon" will be released in **Summer 2024**.