House of the Dragon season 3 is almost upon us and, by the looks of early reviews, the hit fantasy series is set for a triumphant return.

The upcoming instalment of the Game of Thrones prequel series, which is set to premiere on Sunday 21 June on HBO, will continue the ongoing civil war of House Targaryen, known as the Dance of the Dragons.

The review embargo for the series lifted on Monday and, at the time of writing, its score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes sits at 97 per cent based on 38 reviews – indicating a brilliant reception from critics.

In our own Radio Times review, we gave the season five stars, with sci-fi and fantasy editor Louise Griffin calling it an “explosive return”.

“The two episodes available to press are bookended with memorable series-defining moments,” she wrote, adding that the season storms out of the gate in “a blaze of glory”.

After building for two seasons, the Battle of the Gullet finally erupts between Team Black and Team Green in the season 3 premiere.

Speaking recently to Radio Times, Alicent Hightower star Olivia Cooke teased that the power dynamics are about to be flipped on their head.

Discussing Alicent’s relationship with Emma D’Arcy’s Rhaenyra Targaryen, Cooke said: “When they’re together, it’s like a flashback to their childhood. They’re sort of frozen in amber, but also so much has happened, there’s so much pain there, and betrayal.”

Alongside Cooke and D’Arcy, other familiar faces in season 3 include Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen and Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon, while new additions to the cast include James Norton, who’s joining the cast as Lord Ormund Hightower.

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House of the Dragon season 3 will arrive on HBO Max on 22 June in the UK. Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Sky and NOW – find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV.

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Authors

RadioTimes.com senior trends writer Molly Moss. She is sitting outside wearing a black top, holding a white teacup with a smily face on it to her mouth

Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.