The author of the book that inspired the hit “House of the Dragon” television series on HBO—and who created the wider “Game of Thrones” universe—reportedly got more specific in his criticisms of the show in a since-deleted blog post, one week after promising to elaborate on claims there is a lot ‘wrong’ with the series.
Phia Saban as Helaena in "House of the Dragon."
Martin took to his blog last week to say he would write a future post "about everything that’s gone wrong with 'House of the Dragon,'" and on Wednesday, reportedly elaborated in a post that has since been deleted but was viewed by The Hollywood Reporter and Variety.
Martin's criticism, as described by The Hollywood Reporter, largely focused on a scene in the Season 2 premiere episode that was also critiqued by fans for its variation from the same scene in the book the show is based on—Martin’s 2018 book “Fire & Blood.”
The author says a choice by co-creator and showrunner Ryan Condal not to include the youngest child of Aegon and Helaena—Maelor—in the show’s first season drastically altered the "Blood and Cheese" scene, whereas in the book it was "crueler, harder, and more frightening."
Martin apparently wrote the elimination also left out a key piece of character development for Helaena, who in the book’s scene tries to offer her own life in exchange for one of her children, showing more "courage and strength" than was portrayed in the show, where she tries to bribe the killers after her family.
Martin said he acquiesced to the change after he was told Maelor could still be brought in later, but that somewhere down the line a "big change" was made to eliminate his character all together, which he said poses concerns for the show's future seasons.
Martin also warned that "there are larger and more toxic butterflies to come" if the show proceeds as currently planned.
Martin is listed as a series creator for "House of the Dragon" alongside Ryan Condal and is an executive producer on the show, but how involved he is in the plot decisions or other choices isn’t clear.
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“I argued against it,” Martin reportedly wrote of Maelor’s elimination. “I did not argue long, or with much heat, however. The change weakened the sequence, I felt, but only a bit. And Ryan had what seemed to be practical reasons for it.”
Condal has explained his reasons for changing the "Blood and Cheese" sequence in the past, saying the show is working on an abbreviated timeline when compared to the book and the focus was on making a "visceral television sequence."
"House of the Dragon” first debuted on HBO in the summer of 2022 and season 2 aired this year. The show focuses on the rivalry between perceived heirs to the Iron Throne—Rhaenyra Targaryen and her half brothers, Aegon II and Aemond Targaryen. The Season 2 finale of "House of the Dragon" was watched by 8.9 million people when it debuted in early August—14% more than the audience for the season's premiere. Condal confirmed during a press conference days after the finale that there will most likely be two more seasons of the popular show before it goes off the air.
Season 3. The next installment in the series is currently being written and will go into production in “earlyish 2025, Condal said. Martin is also working with HBO on a "Game of Thrones" prequel called "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms."
Martin has posted on his WordPress blog—titled "Not A Blog"—regularly dating back to 2005. His musings range in topic from the NFL to politics and local happenings near his New Mexico home, and the blog calls itself "the only place for official communication from George R.R. Martin."