I'm not an expert. In the book universe, were there real "wizards" in the past? Not just people who knew how to use some specific spell, but someone akin to, I don't know, Harry Potter or Gandalf?
Spoilers Game Of Thrones’ Spinoff ‘House Of The Dragons’ ordered to series
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No, not really. ASOAIF is very much a "soft magic" universe. Even people with powers (like Berric Dondarrion being able to raise himself from the dead) aren't really sure why they have them, how they work, or how to expand them.
But sometimes in the series some maesters (sp?) said that in the past there were other maesters "specialized" in magic. I remember it wrong?
I believe that one of the maesters makes a comment that one of the links in their chain is essentially related to studies of the magic arts. However, it basically just means learning about magic from reading books. There's no evidence that any maesters can actually wield magic (discounting maybe some of the alchemy shown within the series, but this could be seen as technology, even though it doesn't align to the real world).
I believe this is true. There was certainly a higher level of magic in the days preceding the original series, particularly with the Children of the Forest, and there was a clear link between the existence of dragons and magic. When the dragons all died off, the magic died with them (although there is reference that it stopped after the Doom of Valyria). And it was still in existence in Essos, to some minimal extent. A Wiki of Ice and Fire has a write-up on it, as does the Ice & Fire Wiki. I forgot to mention that, immediately following the arrival of Dany's dragons, the Wildfyre "Substance" at King's Landing also increased in potency.
It has, admittedly, been many years since I read the books, so my memory on the details is very foggy.
GRRM approaches magic in the same vein as Tolkien.
Magic creatures: Dragon. Who doesn't have dragons?
Magic races: Children of the forest/Elves
The undead/specters: Walkers and Wights/Nazgul and Ghosts of the Mountain
Enchanted weapons: Valyran Steel/Elvish blades
Wizards/witches: the Warlocks of Qarth, faceless men of Braavos, red priestesses and wargs (among the Wildlings and Northmen like Bran and Jon). Gandalf, Sauruman, Radaghast and Sauron other Maiar.
The magic is supernatural in both Middle-Earth and Westeros. But certainly not superhero, like in Harry Potter or Doctor Strange.
Soft magic or passive magic is a good term for it.
Very few humans can do it. What they can do, isn't world shattering or even fit for sustained combat. Immortals unaffected by age and time, can still die by conventional weapons. Having magic in either universe is like having a "plus 1" to your abilities.
I've always been under the impression that the Maesters of the Citadel are not the biggest fans of magic or the supernatural. Likely because they cannot control/exploit it.
Magic creatures: Dragon. Who doesn't have dragons?
Magic races: Children of the forest/Elves
The undead/specters: Walkers and Wights/Nazgul and Ghosts of the Mountain
Enchanted weapons: Valyran Steel/Elvish blades
Wizards/witches: the Warlocks of Qarth, faceless men of Braavos, red priestesses and wargs (among the Wildlings and Northmen like Bran and Jon). Gandalf, Sauruman, Radaghast and Sauron other Maiar.
The magic is supernatural in both Middle-Earth and Westeros. But certainly not superhero, like in Harry Potter or Doctor Strange.
Soft magic or passive magic is a good term for it.
Very few humans can do it. What they can do, isn't world shattering or even fit for sustained combat. Immortals unaffected by age and time, can still die by conventional weapons. Having magic in either universe is like having a "plus 1" to your abilities.
I've always been under the impression that the Maesters of the Citadel are not the biggest fans of magic or the supernatural. Likely because they cannot control/exploit it.
When I first heard there was going to be a spinoff prequel to GoT, I hoped it would be about Duncan and Egg (I read a comic book adaptation years ago and loved it). Still, I was curious about this, especially as my husband has read the bits in Rogues and Dangerous Women. Plus, Matt Smith. 
I'm actually enjoying it. I think the actors are doing well with making the characters interesting and complex. Matt has really impressed me - Daemon is impulsive but not stupid, and his relationship with Rhaenyra is... complicated. Previous episodes convinced me that he loves his niece very much, even (possibly) to the point where he's convinced himself that marrying her would both save her from an unhappy arranged marriage and keep them from being enemies when the king dies.
Paddy Considine also deserves mention here. Viserys seems a good man in a position that he never wanted and isn't really suited for. He loves his daughter, and his brother, but they both frustrate the hell out of him.
I've also been impressed with both young ladies playing Rhaenyra. Definitely a difficult role.
I'm actually enjoying it. I think the actors are doing well with making the characters interesting and complex. Matt has really impressed me - Daemon is impulsive but not stupid, and his relationship with Rhaenyra is... complicated. Previous episodes convinced me that he loves his niece very much, even (possibly) to the point where he's convinced himself that marrying her would both save her from an unhappy arranged marriage and keep them from being enemies when the king dies.
Paddy Considine also deserves mention here. Viserys seems a good man in a position that he never wanted and isn't really suited for. He loves his daughter, and his brother, but they both frustrate the hell out of him.
I've also been impressed with both young ladies playing Rhaenyra. Definitely a difficult role.
We haven't seen Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra yet (I guess there was a voiceover in the first episode?) so I'm not sure what you mean by that, but Milly Alcock has been very good.
I thought it was definitely the best episode so far and you can see the difference between the sex scenes here with an intimacy coordinator and the "just do go for it!" sex scenes from early GOT.
I thought it was definitely the best episode so far and you can see the difference between the sex scenes here with an intimacy coordinator and the "just do go for it!" sex scenes from early GOT.
D'oh! Sorry, I thought we'd seen Emma already. Just ignore that...
Yes, I definitely agree with you about the sex scenes.
Another eh borderline episode for me. I like Daemon's shorter hair which I think better suits Matt Smith (I'm obviously biased). Sonoya Mizuno continues to have nothing to do. Rhaenyra's story is the only thing of interest and even that is starting to wane for me. Not much else to say except...
I certainly enjoy Disenchantment far more than House of the Dragon thus far.Sneaking out of the castle to party?!
Have we seen the second actor yet ?
The Maesters are an interesting concept, because they fit a lot of the stereotypes of wizards from other fantasy fiction (wear robes, dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, always looking for dusty old tomes, etc.) but they're really just scholars who are pseudo-regimented like a religious order.
Essentially they are Terry Pratchett wizards.
I wouldn't go that far. Discworld wizards have more direct access to magic than the maesters but it's lame and useless magic and they suck at it.
Don't know what else to say about this episode other than "things happened". 4 episodes in and there's really not all that much going on. If I saw it more as a straight forward drama then it's somewhat interesting but playing the game of thrones theme before each episode just reminds me of a better series that i'd rather be watching.
GoT was at its best as a royal court drama so I am liking this. I'll take HoD over the post Battle of Bastards action show version of GoT.
Other problem with GoT was it killed so many of its best actors early on so it's great to see top quality acting in Westeros again.
The books and the supplementary material give the impression that the world of SoIaF used to be a lot more magical in the past, before the Fall of Old Valyria and especially around the time of the first Long Night.
And even by the time of Game of Thrones there's still strong magic users, especially in Essos and many of them definitely seem to know what they are doing: Mirri Maz Dur and her blood magic, the face-changing Faceless Men, the undead ghouls Daenerys encounters in the House of the Undying, the many sources of prophecy, the greenseerers, skinchangers and children of the forest beyond the Wall, Mellisandre's shadow magic, Asshai by the Shadow...
Really it seems magic is doing quite well outside of the Seven Kingdoms, if often hidden.
The TV show just chose to downplay or downright omitt many of those things.
As to the question of Daenerys' Dragons and why the HotD era isn't more magical with more dragons around.
We actually have no evidence that Daenerys' dragons are causing the resurgence of widespread magic. That's just the theory of some people in Quarth.
I find the opposite to be more likely; the resurgence of magic power is both the reason for the Others gaining power and marching south, and was what enabled Daenerys to hatch dragons from petrified eggs. What exactly causes this resurgence in magical potency is probably something we will learn about in the final books, when and IF they are released.
The Targaryen Dragons in Westeros were probably coasting along on some sort of magical inertia left over from Old Valyria which was the broken when they were killed during and after the Dance. And even so it appears to have been waning; younger generations of Dragons in Westeros were said to have become smaller and weaker across the generations until the youngest had skulls the size of a dog's head.
And even by the time of Game of Thrones there's still strong magic users, especially in Essos and many of them definitely seem to know what they are doing: Mirri Maz Dur and her blood magic, the face-changing Faceless Men, the undead ghouls Daenerys encounters in the House of the Undying, the many sources of prophecy, the greenseerers, skinchangers and children of the forest beyond the Wall, Mellisandre's shadow magic, Asshai by the Shadow...
Really it seems magic is doing quite well outside of the Seven Kingdoms, if often hidden.
The TV show just chose to downplay or downright omitt many of those things.
As to the question of Daenerys' Dragons and why the HotD era isn't more magical with more dragons around.
We actually have no evidence that Daenerys' dragons are causing the resurgence of widespread magic. That's just the theory of some people in Quarth.
I find the opposite to be more likely; the resurgence of magic power is both the reason for the Others gaining power and marching south, and was what enabled Daenerys to hatch dragons from petrified eggs. What exactly causes this resurgence in magical potency is probably something we will learn about in the final books, when and IF they are released.
The Targaryen Dragons in Westeros were probably coasting along on some sort of magical inertia left over from Old Valyria which was the broken when they were killed during and after the Dance. And even so it appears to have been waning; younger generations of Dragons in Westeros were said to have become smaller and weaker across the generations until the youngest had skulls the size of a dog's head.
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Sozen's Comet making the multiversal rounds, clearly.