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House Of The Dragon season two is put to the sword as underwhelmed critics lambast its 'slow pace, weak characters and lack of humour' - despite viewers claiming it's 'off to a strong start'

Two years after HBO launched the first of several planned spin-offs, this sprawling show picks up directly where its predecessor left off.

Despite winning praise for its cinematography, the show - which details a bitter war of succession between two rival kingdoms and the subsequent fall of House Targaryen - has been criticised for its apparent lack of pace, weak dialogue and dull action sequences. 'It plods along, glumly emphasising the fact that war is bad, that the pursuit of vengeance leads to more gratuitous deaths, and that with weapons as mighty as dragons on each side, the only outcome is mutually assured destruction, which certainly is a parable for the renewed nuclear panic of the present. Aegon wants to take an aggressive approach toward the Riverlords - beginning at Riverrun with an effort aimed at Lord Tully - while Alicent and Otto seek to pull back the hostilities amid an already-tense situation.

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