From 2011 to 2019, my sacred Sunday tradition involved watching every new Game of Thrones episode as it dropped. The sense of excitement and anticipation in the air on a GOT episode day is one I’ll never forget. Since 2022, this tradition of mine has shifted to the prequel series, House of the Dragon, based on George R.R. Martin’s book, Fire & Blood, which covers the history of House Targaryen through the reign of Aegon V Targaryen. As I’ve followed this new series through the first two seasons and into the third season airing now, I’ve fallen in love with this show too.
While A Game of Thrones offered more breadth of characters and settings, House of the Dragon provides more depth. Instead of following a wide range of families across the country of Westeros and beyond, House of the Dragon zooms in on one family, the Targaryens, and examines their own fascinating and complicated dynamics and political intrigue. Though HOTD does ripple out into the affairs of other families and characters, it’s not to the same extent as GOT. I think this serves the show well.
Something else I love about House of the Dragon is the moral ambiguity of most of the characters. While Game of Thrones had some morally grey characters, like Jaime Lannister and his epic character arc, House of the Dragon takes this to a new level. Nearly every character falls somewhere in the space between good and evil. They make a mix of heroic, selfish, terrible, and chaotic decisions, and they spark lively debates on who to root for.
Speaking of characters worth rooting for, I’ve paired five main characters from the show with books to help you find your next read based on your favorite House of the Dragon character. While you debate which character is the best, I hope you enjoy these books that promise the vibes of these morally gray, fascinating figures in fantasy.
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Find Your Next Read Based on Your Favorite House of the Dragon Character
If Your Favorite Character is Rhaenyra Targaryen, Read:
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
All of her life, Rhaenyra Targaryen has dealt with challenging gender dynamics as the first woman named heir to the Iron Throne, as well as leading as a woman amongst many men in positions of power. This suspenseful epic fantasy by Shelley Parker-Chan also promises plenty of the political intrigue Rhaenyra faces, as well as commentary on gender and power dynamics. Parker-Chan’s novel retells the rise of the Ming Dynasty through a fantasy lens. When a girl from the Zhu family assumes her brother’s identity after his death, she’ll ignore her own ill-fate and attempt to achieve her brother’s fated greatness.
If Your Favorite Character is Alicent Hightower, Read:
The Girls from Corona del Mar by Rufi Thorpe
Alicent Hightower’s story is such a fascinating examination of tumultuous female friendship, chaotic love affairs, loss, and challenges in motherhood. This debut novel by Rufi Thorpe, the author of Margo’s Got Money Troubles, promises these themes as well. The story stars best friends Mia and Lorrie Ann and follows their turbulent and emotional relationship through the ups and downs of life, including abortions, motherhood, spousal loss, and the search for identity and agency. Like Alicent and Rhaenyra, readers will get a window into Mia and Lorrie Ann’s teenage friendship, as well as how their relationship changes in adulthood.
If Your Favorite Character is Daemon Targaryen, Read:
The Princess Stakes by Amalie Howard
Despite all of the controversy about his loose cannon character, there’s no denying the sex appeal of Daemon Targaryen. Especially in this new third season, as we watch Daemon fight so staunchly for the sake of his wife and her claim to the throne, he’s definitely got a swoony, husband-of-the-queen appeal. Plus, there’s been recent chatter online about how Matt Smith, the actor who plays Daemon, will narrate books on the erotica audio app Quinn. This delightful historical romance by Amalie Howard follows a princess in danger and the duke protecting her. Princess Sarani Rao is the daughter of an Indian maharaja and a British mother. When her father gets murdered, she’ll flee the country aboard the ship of her old flame, Captain Rhystan Huntley, Duke of Embry.
If Your Favorite Character is Aemond Targaryen, Read:
My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Combine complicated sibling dynamics with murderous tendencies and you’ve got the perfect read for fans of the tragic yet twisted Aemond Targaryen. This darkly comic novel by Oyinkan Braithwaite finds Korede getting roped into helping her sister, Ayoola, clean up the scene of a crime. Ayoola has killed her third boyfriend in what she claims was self-defense. Korede’s a bit unsettled by this growing pattern, though, especially when Ayoola starts dating Korede’s doctor coworker, the one she’s secretly in love with.
If Your Favorite Character is Corlys Velaryon, Read:
In Search of a Kingdom by Laurence Bergreen
This fascinating seafaring history by Laurence Bergreen explores the life of Sir France Drake and his service to Queen Elizabeth I. Corlys Velaryon, also known as the Sea Snake, has loyally served Queen Rhaenyra through many difficult times over the course of House of the Dragon. He has also proven himself to be an incredibly capable captain, especially after his epic showdown with Sharako Lohar and the Triarchy during the Battle of the Gullet in season 3. Reminiscent of Corlys’s storyline, this history offers exciting seafaring escapades and explores a complicated relationship with a queen as Drake circumnavigates the globe on a secret mission for Queen Elizabeth and faces the Spanish Armada on her behalf.
Before You Say Dracarys…
There are so many compelling characters in House of the Dragon, and not all of them made it onto this list. Which characters are your favorites? What books remind you of them? Whichever books you choose to read, I hope they give you those same feels that catching the newest episode of House of the Dragon on Sundays does for me.
If you’d like more fantasy books similar to George R.R. Martin’s Westeros adventures, you may also want to check out these fantasy reads for Game of Thrones fans, or these best fantasy books of the century so far. Happy reading, HOTD fans!
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