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House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel series, is finally here.

Set 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon returns fans to a Westeros just as bloodthirsty and treacherous – but with a lot more dragons.

Episode 1 was released at 9pm on Sunday (August 21), with hardcore viewers in the UK staying up until 2am to watch, and others waiting until a sensible time on Monday (August 22).

The reviews are in for the first episode of House of the Dragon, ‘The Heir of The Dragon’. Here’s what critics and fans had to say.

Syrax is Rhaenyra Targaryen's (Milly Alcock) dragon in House of the Dragon, HBO

House of the Dragon Episode 1: Reviews, how to watch Game of Thrones show in the UK