{"id":52464,"date":"2024-05-31T20:00:01","date_gmt":"2024-05-31T18:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=2048170"},"modified":"2024-05-31T21:18:41","modified_gmt":"2024-05-31T19:18:41","slug":"7-brutal-house-of-the-dragon-book-moments-we-need-in-season-2","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/7-brutal-house-of-the-dragon-book-moments-we-need-in-season-2\/","title":{"rendered":"7 brutal House of the Dragon book moments we need in season 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Dance of Dragons is getting even more brutal. <\/p>

By Jack Francis\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 31 May 2024 at 18:00 PM<\/p>

\n\n

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Fire and Blood.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When season 8 of <\/span>Game of Thrones<\/span><\/a> concluded in 2019 with The Iron Throne, it felt like the appetite for all things Westeros had been sated. <\/span><\/p>\n

Season 8 fell short of what we\u2019d come to expect from that series, and in doing so, raised a lot of questions about the potential success of <\/span>House of the Dragon<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then the spin-off became one of HBO\u2019s most successful shows, dominating television, and clearly demonstrating that season 8 didn\u2019t do the damage we all expected it might have done. <\/span><\/p>\n

Adapted from George RR Martin\u2019s anthology book <\/span>Fire & Blood<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>House of the Dragon <\/span>centres around the bloody Targaryen civil war, aptly named the Dance of the Dragons<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Much like its predecessor show, however, <\/span>House of the Dragon<\/span> has a lot of characters, events, battles and blood to cram into its run, and it\u2019s likely we see some truncation to the timeline to make it a more streamlined show. <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s unlikely the show will follow <\/span>Fire & Blood<\/span> beat-for-beat, so with that said, here are seven moments we need to see in <\/span>House of the Dragon s<\/span>eason 2\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Blood and Cheese<\/b><\/h2>\nGiven the announced episode title for season 2\u2019s opener, A Son for a Son, Blood and Cheese<\/a> are an inevitability. <\/span><\/p>\n
Fire & Blood<\/span> readers will be familiar with what those two words signify, standing as one of the darkest moments within <\/span>A Song of Ice and Fire<\/span>. With Prince Lucerys\u2019s death at the conclusion of season 1<\/a>, Rhaenyra\u2019s grief is understandably overwhelming, and Prince Daemon acts swiftly to avenge the loss of his stepson.<\/span><\/p>\n
He enlists the help of two contacts in King\u2019s Landing, a former City Watch officer named Blood and a rat-catcher named Cheese, who together use the Red Keep\u2019s secret tunnels all the way to Queen Helaena\u2019s bedchamber, where they offer her the choice of which of her sons will be killed. <\/span><\/p>\n
It\u2019s a barbaric moment, and it will be fascinating to see how it plays out on screen.<\/span><\/p>\n
$\"Matt$ \n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Ser Erryk and Ser Arryk die on each other\u2019s blades<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
Season 1 of <\/span>House of the Dragon<\/span> did an excellent job at showing just how divided the court was when it came to siding with Rhaenyra or Aegon, and that\u2019s never more evident than with knights of the Kingsguard \u2013 Ser Erryk Cargyll and Ser Arryk Cargyll. <\/span><\/p>\n
Erryk is fully aware of what Aegon II is, and defects from the Kingsguard to take his place in Rhaenyra\u2019s Queensguard, while his twin stays true to his oath. Being something from the mind of George RR Martin, however, you already know where this is heading.<\/span><\/p>\n
Lord commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Criston Cole, hatches an assassination plot for Rhaenyra Targaryen, dispatching Ser Arryk to Dragonstone to kill the queen, under the guise of his twin brother. <\/span><\/p>\n
As fate would have it, the twins cross paths on the former Targaryen seat of power before Arryk can complete his mission, and duel each other to death, each delivering a mortal wound to their twin. It\u2019s one of the more tragic stories within the Dance of the Dragons, and it feels nailed on to take place in season 2.<\/span><\/p>\n
$\"Elliott$ \n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Rook\u2019s Rest and the death of Princess Rhaenys<\/b>\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
It\u2019s highly unlikely we wait until the climax of season 2 for a major action set-piece, so the events of Rook\u2019s Rest and death of Princess Rhaenys seem like a perfect middle point for the season. <\/span><\/p>\n
Unhappy with Otto Hightower\u2019s effectiveness as Hand of the King, Aegon II removes him in favour of Ser Criston Cole, who swiftly launches a campaign against houses loyal to Rhaenyra\u2019s claim.<\/span><\/p>\n
Before Cole could take the castle of Rook\u2019s Rest, its lord \u2013 Lord Staunton \u2013 would get a message out to Dragonstone, which Princess Rhaenys responds to atop her dragon, Meleys. <\/span>Sadly for Rhaenys, she is killed by Cole\u2019s army, along with the arriving Prince Aemond and King Aegon II, atop Vhagar and Sunfyre, respectively. <\/span><\/p>\n
It\u2019s not all good news for the Greens, though, as Aegon is severely injured and burned during the Battle at Rook\u2019s Rest, his dragon Sunfyre loses a wing and is near-death, all the while the headstrong Prince Aemond assumes the mantle of Protector of the Realm.<\/span><\/p>\n
$\"Eve$ \n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>