The war for the Iron Throne isn’t the only clash inHouse of the Dragon,it would appear. In a recent interview,Emma D’Arcy— who plays Rhaenyra Targaryen— made it clear that the HBO series won’t be steering back toward George R.R. Martin’s original text anytime soon, despite the author’s vocal dislike at the creative choices made on the show.
“I have this sort of foggy knowledge. I mean, I know where Rhaenyra is heading. Any sort of historical document tends to be deeply subjective and requires context for understanding. I feel that part of our job is to offer some of that context. But it’s funny, I wouldn’t go back to the book now, possibly until we finish this journey.House of the Dragonnow needs to run its course.”
That “course” is one that has already begun to drift fromFire & Blood, Martin’s history of House Targaryen. While Season 1 stuck fairly closely to the source, Season 2 started introducing significant changes — from altered character arcs (including D’Arcy’s Rhaenyra andOlivia Cooke’sAlicent Hightower) to reimagined plot beats. Season 3, D’Arcy confirmed, will push even further in that direction.
Does George R.R. Martin Like House of the Dragon?
Not everyone’s on board. In a now-deleted post on hisNot a Blog, Martin reportedly warned that such deviations could “bite the production back in the future.” While heshould have beenwritingThe Winds of Winter, the king of procrastination took to his blog and other interviews to state that he strongly argued against certainSeason 2 changes, cautioning that they might derail the narrative when the show inevitably returns to events laid out in the book.
It’s a familiar concern for Martin.Game of Thronesfamously began taking creative liberties midway through its run, ultimately charging into an ending that left many fans frustrated — a cautionary tale of how straying too far from an author’s roadmap can backfire. We’re still busy pretending that the last few seasonsnever happened.
For D’Arcy, though, the goal is to enrich the material with added depth and context, not to ignore it entirely. With Season 2 earning strong reviews, they seem confident the story’s new direction will hold. Whether that confidence will weather the seasons ahead — especially if history repeats itself — remains to be seen.
House of the DragonSeasons 1 and 2 are streaming now on HBO Max, with Season 3 currently in production.
House of the Dragon
The reign of House Targaryen begins with this prequel to the popular HBO seriesGame of Thrones.Based on George R.R. Martin’sFire & Blood,House of the Dragonis set nearly 200 years beforeGame of Thrones, telling the story of the Targaryen civil war with King Viserys.
