The next Game of Thrones spinoff seems like it’s on the right track to avoid the issues that have plagued House of the Dragon. Love it or hate it, House of the Dragon season 2 was undoubtedly divisive, and there are solid arguments for and against its decisions. Even George R.R. Martin, author of the A Song of Ice & Fire book series, took to his blog to offer his critique on the adaptation of his books, seemingly justifying those who’d shared their complaints about the TV series’ many story changes. Luckily, there are more Game of Thrones spinoffs in development at HBO.
2025 will see the premiere of HBO’s next Game of Thrones prequel series, titled A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The show is based on Martin’s Dunk & Egg novellas, which explore the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall and Aegon “Egg” Targaryen, set roughly 70 years after House of the Dragon and 100 years before Game of Thrones. In a recent interview, Martin expressed his excitement for the new series, stating, “Dunk and Egg look as if they walked out of the pages of my book. My readers are going to love them.”
GRRM’s Praise Is A Good Sign For A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms After HOTD Criticism
Martin Is Encouraged The New Prequel Will Be A More Faithful Adaptation
After George R.R. Martin’s brutal House of the Dragon criticism, his praise of the new TV series is a promising sign. While he did praise the first season of HOTD and even had some positive affirmation for season 2, and anything is possible to change in the final product, it still feels important that he’d express his encouragement now. Not to mention, the manner in which he’s praised the show is relevant, as it specifically pertains to criticisms of HOTD, in that he mentions that the new series feels like a faithful representation of his writing.
There will always be changes in adaptation, but maintaining the essence of his narrative is vital for his approval.
Despite the long wait for The Winds of Winter, George R.R. Martin is still one of the most prolific fantasy authors of all time, and audiences trust his perception. His perceived ill-notions toward Game of Thrones were indicative of the show’s decline, and his feelings toward HOTD have aligned with many of his readers. Martin wants what many TV fans want: to see his stories, which have proven to be effective in literature, translated effectively to screen. There will always be changes in adaptation, but maintaining the essence of his narrative is vital for his approval.
Why A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Can Avoid House Of The Dragon’s Problems
The Dunk & Egg Novellas Don’t Leave As Much For The Reader To Interpret
Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon pose different issues in their adaptations. The former wasn’t a complete story and relied on its television writers to piece together an ending. The latter is a complete story, but primarily offers a blueprint for its writers to fill in the details of. Fire & Blood is a massive book, but only a few hundred of its pages examine the Dance of the Dragons, and it reads like a historical text would. Thus, HOTD relies significantly on the invention of its writers to fill in many blanks, which has been hit or miss.
On the other hand, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based on completed, beloved stories. These novellas are much shorter and far less dense than the average A Song of Ice & Fire novel, so while seasons will be shorter, they should offer more direct representations of Martin’s stories. The Dunk & Egg novellas are heavily character-driven, leaving far less for the writers to have to interpret. Plus, given the smaller scale and lack of dragons, the show likely won’t run into as many budget issues that might deter its narrative.
A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Could Have Its Own Book Problems
The Dunk & Egg Novellas Aren’t Done
While A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms shouldn’t run into the same issues as House of the Dragon, it’s not out of the question that it could have its own batch of issues. The Dunk & Egg novellas are rather short, and even trying to scrape a six-episode TV season out of them might be a stretch. Not to mention, they don’t have the same tone as what audiences are used to with Game of Thrones, and it’s possible the show might not receive the same level of traction without the political drama and romantic intrigue..
Possibly the biggest risk with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is that George R.R. Martin hasn’t finished the novellas. Each story works as its own narrative, so there wouldn’t be as much rush to complete the series as there was with Game of Thrones, but the series is still somewhat reliant on Martin getting words on paper. While he’s never struggled with getting Dunk & Egg novellas out, the issue is that he’s claimed he won’t release any other books until The Winds of Winter is out.