“Then the storm broke, and the dragons danced.”

   As the second season of “House of the Dragon” arrives, I am increasingly curious about the extent to which the actual story has been romanticized for the audience. I have always wanted to delve into the entire lore created by G.R.R. Martin, and it seems like the perfect time to do so, especially with all the ongoing discussions. I must say, delving into the history glossing over several generations of Targaryen rule has been quite a brutal and devastating read. I am particularly struck by how awful and devastating is the period of the Dance of the Dragons in contrast with the period of Jaehaerys’s rule.

   While the TV show aligns me with the blacks, reading the book makes it much harder to support either side. There are no winners and no rights, just a pointless and violent bloodshed that dealt a devastating blow to the Targaryen line, overshadowing everything Jaehaerys achieved during his wise and peaceful rule. Both sides lost everyone they loved, caused the deaths of many civilians, and led to the demise of all the dragons.

    I wouldn't say that this book is something special, but it is certainly impressive how deeply the author has thought through the history of the world he created. However, it does read like a history book and can be quite monotonous and daunting. Overall, it helps to gain a deeper understanding of the setting of A Song of Ice and Fire, which I will start reading right away.