A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms - George R.R. Martin & Gary Gianni

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

By George R.R. Martin & Gary Gianni

  • Release Date: 2015-10-06
  • Genre: Epic Fantasy
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 1,937 Ratings

Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY LOS ANGELES TIMES AND BUZZFEED • Taking place nearly a century before the events of A Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms compiles the first three official prequel novellas to George R. R. Martin’s ongoing masterwork, A Song of Ice and Fire. These never-before-collected adventures recount an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living consciousness.
 
Before Tyrion Lannister and Podrick Payne, there was Dunk and Egg. A young, naïve but ultimately courageous hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall towers above his rivals—in stature if not experience. Tagging along is his diminutive squire, a boy called Egg—whose true name is hidden from all he and Dunk encounter. Though more improbable heroes may not be found in all of Westeros, great destinies lay ahead for these two . . . as do powerful foes, royal intrigue, and outrageous exploits.
 
Featuring more than 160 all-new illustrations by Gary Gianni, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a must-have collection that proves chivalry isn’t dead—yet.

Praise for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

“Readers who already love Martin and his ability to bring visceral human drama out of any story will be thrilled to find this trilogy brought together and injected with extra life.”Booklist

“The real reason to check out this collection is that it’s simply great storytelling. Martin crafts a living, breathing world in a way few authors can. . . . [Gianni’s illustrations] really bring the events of the novellas to life in beautiful fashion.”Tech Times

“Stirring . . . As Tolkien has his Silmarillion, so [George R. R.] Martin has this trilogy of foundational tales. They succeed on their own, but in addition, they succeed in making fans want more.”Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Pure fantasy adventure, with two of the most likable protagonists George R. R. Martin has ever penned.”Bustle

“A must-read for Martin’s legion of fans . . . a rousing prelude to [his] bestselling Song of Ice and Fire saga . . . rich in human drama and the colorful worldbuilding that distinguishes other books in the series.”Publishers Weekly

Reviews

  • Great read

    5
    By Mrs.Manz
    Different take on some of the characters that we really don’t read to much about, and insight about before the Game of Thrones
  • Hard to put down

    5
    By Royal rooter
    An excellent read from cover to cover.
  • Riveting!!

    5
    By Nate15651
    GRRM truly is a master storyteller, I loved this from start to finish! It’s a perfect stand alone story in the GoT universe! Preview it and you’ll quickly see why
  • A Study of Chivalry in Westeros

    4
    By gentlemanj2016
    The first and last stories are the best in this collection. Martin gives an overview on the nature of Chivalry in his epic world. Lovable characters abound in this work.
  • Greatness!

    5
    By CHayesW
    Great collection of three stories, & I wish the rest of the books were already out!
  • Definitely a Must Read

    5
    By RŌBOY
    I’m utterly anxious to read more of Ser Dunk and Egg’s adventures. Even more though, I’m eager to hope for a series to be made to continue their story.
  • Dunk the lunk

    5
    By Smokescream
    Book was really good, mainly jus ab stories of a legendary hedge knight and his hard mouth squire
  • Good

    5
    By ksurbtmsivcf
    Good
  • Solid Novella collection

    5
    By S e finch
    A lot of people expected a lengthy addition to the world of A Song of Ice and Fire without realizing what this actually was: a collection of short and straight forward novellas that focus on a hedge knight and his squire during the Blackfyre rebellion, long before the events of Game of Thrones takes place. There’s still politics and it’s tied to the history and lore of the series -there’s always some Targaryen drama afoot - but it’s about the lowborn’s place in the game of thrones. The politics are there, but from an outsider’s perspective. Dunk is no lord or schemer, just a hedge knight trying to make it from one meal to the next. As a long time fan of the books I felt it was refreshing and interesting to have the POV of the small folk getting wrapped up in the drama of warring lords, kings, and usurpers. Not shocks or huge surprises if you know GRRM’s work and style, but a fun bite sized narrative. I hope we get more in this series eventually.
  • Short

    3
    By radbad66
    Generally a good read with strong characters and plots, as you would expect. But there’s mind-numbing repetition of some key phrases (eg, Dunk the lunk, over and over). And it’s astonishingly short—feels like a cheat, honestly.