Book Review: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George RR Martin

Quick Thoughts

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a book that, in theory, shouldn’t work in the modern media landscape. Everything from the structure to the subject matter seems like a leftover from a bygone era of fantasy. A series of short stories about a man driven only by his ideals and his desire to live up to a legacy that is questionable in it’s very foundations, the book flies in the face of many modern conventions. However, this only makes the book that much more fulfilling. Where so many stories try hard to be clever and subvert one’s expectations, this book is earnest, straightforward, and to the point.

Centering around the odd couple pairing of Sir Duncan the Tall and his squire Aegon, or Dunk and Egg as they are known, the three short novellas that comprise this first book explore Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire World through an entirely different viewpoint. The world shaking politics and intricate scheming are supplanted by simple goals and concerns of honor, survival, and personal stakes. In this way, it is one of the most charming yet captivating pieces of modern fantasy I’ve read in quite a while. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in fantasy that is truly heroic, not for its scale, but rather for its heart.

Full Review

George RR Martin’s name will live on in the history of fantasy literature long after he’s gone, and for good reason. A Song of Ice and Fire is a legendary series, despite being unfinished, and it’s television adaptation, Game of Thrones, was a landmark in fantasy adaptations, no matter what your thoughts on the final seasons. Despite whatever controversy he may have directed his way by disgruntled fans, the man is a bonafide legend in the community and will forever by remembered as such. But despite this mountainous legacy, it may be that Martin’s greatest success lies not in the grand spectacle of Houses and Wars, Dragons and Crowns, but rather in a simple series of tales that celebrates the story of simple man trying his best.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms feels like a throwback to some older heyday of fantasy, like something out of Arthurian legends or classic fables, in the best possible way. It takes Martin’s familiar grimdark world and turns it on its head, focusing on the adventures of a lowly hedge knight as he navigates a world that is as complex as it is cruel. In this, we see Westeros through the eyes of the common people and the low-born, giving us an entirely different vision of what it means to live in this dark world. But rather than wallow in the misery, Martin plays up his protagonists good and honorable nature. He uses the world to highlight the simple beauty of a man doing his best to be good, no matter the scenario.

Ser Duncan the Tall, also by his much more fitting true name, simply Dunk, is a classic paragon hero figure. He is not as flashy as Superman or as prone to grandiose speeches as Captain America, but he a character defined by his ideals and his dedication to them nonetheless. The crux of each story in this collection is Dunk’s decision to stand by his morals when faced with easy outs and compromises. As a complement and somewhat foil to our main character is Egg, also known by his more fitting true name, Aegon. While Dunk spends most of these stories facing moral quandaries with his trademark stubbornly resolute nature, Egg’s journey is often about him learning to bend and adapt the rigid belief system of his past. It is a masterfully executed dual character piece that leaves the reader excited to continue on more adventures with the duo.

While I love a good grimdark or modern fantasy story, with their complex worldbuilding and magic systems and intricate plots and character journeys, there’s just something so satisfying about reading a simple, well told tale. While nothing in here is mindblowingly original or groundbreaking, these stories represent a very fun, rewarding type of storytelling that feels like it should be more common. With the recent rise of more hopeful genre fiction, maybe we will see more tales like this in the future. In the meantime though, I highly recommend you go out and pick up a copy of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

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