HOTD Top 10 Differences Between Book and Series

Following the death of King Viserys in the show’s first season, the Greens enact a plan to place Aegon on the throne over Rhaenyra. In the book, they keep Viserys’ death a secret for days, planning Aegon’s coronation while trying to ensure the loyalty of other houses. And when the day comes, the crowning goes off without a hitch. That’s because Rhaenys and her dragon aren’t in King’s Landing when Viserys dies, they’re at their home in Driftmark. But in the show, Alicent has to break the news while keeping Rhaenys captive, in the hopes of swaying her to the other side. After breaking out, Rhaenys and Meleys interrupt Aegon’s coronation, erupting from below and taking the lives of many citizens.

When Corlys Velaryon was injured in the show, the succession of his home, Driftmark, was hotly debated. With Laenor and Laena already gone at this point, the claim went to Rhaenyra’s son, Lucerys. There were many who took issue with this, considering the true lineage of Lucerys, especially Corlys’ brother, Vaemond. In the book, his proclamation against Lucerys’ heritage brought an intense reaction from the Black Queen. She sent Daemon to capture Vaemond, remove his head, and fed his remains to her dragon. He also had five cousins who backed up his claims, who had their tongues removed by King Viserys because of it, forever becoming known as the Silent Five. However, show versions of the King and his daughter are a bit less prone to violence.

The showrunners decided to give at least one character a happy ending. In Season 1, Rhaenyra devises a plan that will work in both her and husband Laenor’s favor. She and Daemon conspire to fake Laenor’s death so that he can run away with his lover, Qarl. But in the book, there’s nothing fake about his demise; Qarl actually does kill him. Since some events are unclear in the book, rumors for his reasoning range from jealousy over Laenor falling for someone else to Daemon paying Qarl as part of a power play. Regardless, it’s a much more tragic end for the character. There’s no burned body to raise any questions either; Laenor is stabbed at a fair in front of multiple witnesses.

While the outcome of this battle is the same in both versions, the circumstances are quite different. In the show, Criston Cole sets a trap, with Aemond and Vhagar lying in wait for a dragon of Team Black to come to the rescue of Rook’s Rest. Everyone is surprised, though, when King Aegon and Sunfyre show up to battle Rhaenys and Meleys. However, the source material states Aegon was part of the surprise attack, not left behind in King’s Landing. The change is part of a greater divide between the King and his brother, who waits to join the fight until he can try to take Aegon out. However, the book makes it unclear which dragon burns him, as all three are fighting at once.

Upon arriving at Harrenhal in Season 2, Daemon had a pretty easy time capturing the castle. But he got more than he bargained for. Although the location had been described as haunted in “Game of Thrones,” this series showed the proof of it. Most of Daemon’s arc within the castle walls featured him experiencing strange visions that severely messed with his head. These included seeing a young version of Rhaenyra, whom he would later behead, and an incredibly uncomfortable, sensual experience with his own mother. Well, as twisted as Daemon also is in “Fire & Blood,” these hallucinations are a show-only invention. At the very least, if book Daemon did have visions, he never told anyone, as “Fire & Blood” is written from the perspective of historians.

The moment where Blood and Cheese take the life of young Jaehaerys is even more disturbing in the book. There, the two assailants break into Alicent’s bed chambers, who isn’t present in the show. They wait for Helaena to arrive with her children and give her an impossible choice. In the series, the duo is looking for Aemond, but settles for forcing Helaena to point out her son, as he and his sister are twins. However, in the book, she’s made to choose between Jaehaerys and the younger Maelor, who has been left out of the show. She chooses the younger prince, but Blood and Cheese take Jaehaerys’ life instead. This sends Helaena spiraling into madness, not standing to be around her remaining son for having chosen his death.

Just like “Game of Thrones,” “House of the Dragon” has altered the ages of several characters. The biggest change that came from this is the relationship between Rhaenyra and Alicent. In the book, Alicent was eighteen when she married King Viserys, himself also younger than his actor, Paddy Considine, at twenty-nine. Additionally, Rhaenyra was only around eight when this happened. The age divide means there was no childhood friendship in the book as seen in the show. The two actually got on well at the beginning of the marriage, with things souring when Alicent began having children. The change has offered a deeper connection between the characters, exploring the pains of a lost bond.

Within the lore of “Game of Thrones,” Aegon the Conqueror took over Westeros because he had the power to do so. However, “House of the Dragon” provides a different reasoning, and one that is never uttered in the source material. Aegon had a vision showing the decimation of the living by what viewers know to be the White Walkers. The only way to prevail would be to unite the kingdoms behind a Targaryen dynasty, and Aegon’s dream was passed down from ruler to ruler. Since there have been prophets within the Targaryen lineage, the inclusion makes sense. It was also author George R.R. Martin’s idea, to create a strong tie to the previous series while also looking at the Iron Throne as a burden.

Did you spot any other huge differences between “House of the Dragon” and its source material? Let us know in the comments and be sure to subscribe for more great videos every day!