This Beloved Fantasy Series Has a Protagonist Unlike Anything Else in the Genre

Fans of A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin can't get enough of the fire-breathing dragons that serve as House Targaryen's source of power. While there is no denying that Martin's dragons are well-realized in his world—acting as a stand-in for divine right to rule and the mutual destructive capabilities of nuclear weapons—they do feel less impactful than other dragons from fantasy fiction. A big reason is that Martin wanted them to feel more "natural," limiting them to four limbs because that's closer to a real animal, and though they have intelligence, they are far from the cunning intellect of Smaug from J. R. R. Tolkien'sThe Hobbit. Again, this approach fits the deconstruction of classical fantasy that Martin was going for, but it does leave a lot to be desired.