"A Song of Ice and Fire" author George RR Martin has taken a swing at HBO's "Game of Thrones" and "House of the Dragon" for messing up the Targaryen house seal.

In a blog post, Martin shared his thoughts on the dragons in "Game of Thrones," emphasizing they should look realistic with two legs, just like bats, birds, and winged dinosaurs. “No animal on Earth has six limbs,” he stated. Thus, the Targaryen seal features a dragon with two legs and two wings (and three heads, symbolizing Aegon the Conqueror and his two sisters).

“At least they got it half right,” Martin commented. The series showed the correct two-legged dragon for the first four seasons and most of season five. But when Dany's fleet appeared, the sails displayed four-legged dragons. "Someone got sloppy. Or read just enough about heraldry to mess it up. Half-knowledge is a dangerous thing," he added.

The show's popularity led to new book covers featuring the incorrect Targaryen seal, a mistake that continued into "House of the Dragon."“They decided to align with ‘Game of Thrones’ but picked the wrong seal,” he said. "That sound you heard was me screaming 'no, no, no.' Those extra legs even infiltrated my book covers despite my strong objections."

Martin hopes this issue will be fixed in the subsequent spin-off, "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," expected in late 2025. The series will follow Ser Duncan the Tall and Aegon V Targaryen and is set 100 years before "Game of Thrones." He may also highlight the proper seal design in his next novel, "The Winds of Winter," exploring the relationship between dragons and humans.

As for when fans can read the new book, "The Winds of Winter," let's say it has become a saga more epic than the series itself. Despite being a decade behind schedule, Martin continues tantalizing with promises of progress.

In November 2023, Martin excitedly announced that he had written 1,100 pages of the much-anticipated book. However, it's worth noting that this page count was the same as he reported a year prior. Apparently, those pages are so good they're worth counting twice! Martin insists that writing involves more than just typing – rereading, rewriting, editing, and planning. So naturally, it's understandable why this masterpiece is taking longer to emerge than winter itself.

In October 2022, he assured fans the book was about three-quarters finished. Some characters' arcs are complete, while others are still "woven in." The weaving process seems as intricate and time-consuming as creating an actual tapestry. Meanwhile, the delays have become a beloved running joke in the fandom, with Martin himself playing along.

To add some context, when "A Dance With Dragons" was released in 2011, Martin optimistically predicted that "The Winds of Winter" would take about three years to complete, aiming for a 2014 release. Fast forward to 2024, and we're still waiting, watching the years pass like sand through an hourglass.

But don't worry folks! In the meantime, you can enjoy the existing books (soon with shiny new covers featuring the incorrect Targaryen seal) and "House of the Dragon," which, despite a minor inaccuracy, boasts the best dragon battle ever seen on screen. So, while winter might be delayed indefinitely, at least we have some dragon action to keep us warm.