George R.R. Martin praises House of the Dragon pilot as 'dark,' 'powerful,' and 'visceral'

Game of Thrones creator and author George R.R. Martin has seen a rough cut of House of the Dragon's first episode, and he's giving it his stamp of approval.

Martin sung the praises of the upcoming prequel series, premiering on HBO and HBO Max in 2022, through a post published on his Live Journal.

"I've seen a rough cut of the first episode. And loved it," Martin writes. "It's dark, it's powerful, it's visceral… just the way I like my epic fantasy."

Martin adds that showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik have done "an amazing job." He also hails the cast, which includes Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith, Paddy Considine, Steve Toussaint, and Rhys Ifans.

"Just as with Game of Thrones, most viewers will only have heard of a few of the actors, but I think you are going to fall in love with a lot of them. (Only to have your heart broken later when… but no, that would be telling)," Martin continues. "I think the Targaryens are in very good hands."

House of the Dragon adapts tales chronicled in Martin's book Fire & Blood, which unveils the history of the Targaryen empire. The series homes in on a particularly hostile period for the illustrious house of dragonriders: the Dance of the Dragons and the events leading up to it.

The Dance of the Dragons was the name the poets of Westeros gave to a bloody Targaryen civil war that broke out over succession of the Iron Throne hundreds of years before the events of Game of Thrones. D'Arcy stars as Rhaenyra Targaryen, daughter of King Viserys (Considine) and a major player in the war.

Other prominent figures include Alicent Hightower (Cooke), daughter of the Hand of the King, Sir Otto Hightower (Ifans); Prince Daemon Targaryen (Smith), Viserys' brother; and acclaimed and wealthy nautical adventurer Lord Corlys Velaryon (a.k.a. "The Sea Snake"), who's married to Viserys' dragon-riding cousin, Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best).

Martin hasn't been shy in the past about sharing his thoughts on what he liked and didn't like about Game of Thrones, which was based on his A Song of Ice & Fire books. He famously noted his criticism of the depiction of the Iron Throne, which, per the House of the Dragon trailer, now seems to more closely resemble its description in the book.

Though he admits in his Live Journal entry that he's "hardly objective" when it comes to House of the Dragon being his most eagerly anticipated series of the new year, his praise is a good thing — especially for fans left burnt from Game of Thrones' final season.

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

• House of the Dragon will have a 'different tone' from Game of Thrones
• House of the Dragon heats up with first teaser trailer for Game of Thrones prequel
• House of the Dragon unleashes first look at cast for Game of Thrones prequel