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

Drawing inspirations from War of the Roses, A Song of Ice and Fire currently holds the title “rock star” of the fantasy genre. This series attracted a wide readership, telling an epic tale set in a rich, expansive world alive with colorful, vividly portrayed characters. Characters who engaged in power struggles triggered by political storms and court intrigues. Up to date, this series' author, George R.R. Martin, has released 5 books. According to rumors, this series will conclude at book 7.

Four years has gone by since book 5 was released. Yet, the coming of book 6 is no where in sight. While readers around the world eagerly awaits for Mr. Martin to finish writing book 6, in the black of night, a new book has trodden into the stables of our local bookstores. This new book serves as a prequel to A Song of Ice and Fire. This is a tale about chivalry, a tale in three parts. This gorgeous book, is called A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

Synopsis:

Songs and poems in Westeros remember Tales of Dunk and Egg. Standing 7 feet tall, Dunk was a naive but chivalrous hedge knight known as Ser Duncan the Tall. What Dunk lacked in skills and finesse was compensated by his towering height and brute strength. Riding along Dunk was his squire, Egg, a peculiar looking boy of 10 with a shaved head, whose true origin, if revealed, was bound to attract white hot attention as luminous as the light reflecting off his bald head.

Riding on the backs of their steely mounts, this knight-squire duo tread the seven kingdoms of Westeros. They journeyed from the searing deserts of Dorne up to the frozen Wall in Winterfell, where extra-oridnary encounters prepared them for an extra-orindary destiny.

My thoughts on this book:

Firstly, I wish to draw people's attention to the artworks in this book. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a beautiful book. Publishers don't usually make beautiful books like this one anymore. 160 illustrations, drawn by award-winning artist Gary Gianni, accompany the texts in this book. I think book illustration is a dying art. These days, when you buy an “illustrated book”, you will be lucky to see 3 or 4 black and white illustrations in it. A Knight of the Seven Kindgoms, however, is lush with beautiful illustrations. Even if you have already read Tales of Dunk and Egg, I would still recommend getting this book for its artistic values. ( In my review article, I attached a few illustrations from the book as examples)

In terms of its contents, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms collects three novellas; The Hedge Knight, The Sworn Sword, and The Mystery Knight. These novellas follow the adventures of Dunk and Egg in the chronological order. Each novella measures approximately 120 pages in length, so naturally they do not feel as epic as A Song of Ice and Fire novels. However, these novellas do have charms of their own, and George R.R. Martin wrote briskly and powerfully in this book.

The most valuable and interesting aspect in this book, in my opinion, is that we are finally getting the perspectives from the common people in Westeros. Let me explain; A Song of Ice and Fire novels narrate the story from the perspectives of high lords and ladies in Westeros, who were major players in the power struggle for the Iron Throne. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, on the other hand, narrates the story from the perspectives of common people. In this book, readers explored the bleak and violent world of Westeros, and its ongoing, political-military conflicts through the eyes of Dunk, an orphan who crawled out of Flea Bottom to become a humble hedge knight. Dunk reminded me of Brienne of Tarth, who is one of my favorite characters from A Song of Ice and Fire series. 

Furthermore, Dunk has an interesting, and at times, heart-warming relationship with his squire, Egg (whose true identity I will not reveal here). I really enjoyed reading their adventures. Meanwhile, the stories also featured a cast of supporting characters; varying from farmers, village merchants to lowly soldiers, these character gave readers insights into how “normal folks” in Westeros viewed the ongoing power struggles waged by their rulers.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is meant to serve as a prequel to A Song of Ice and Fire series. Without spoiling the story, let me just say this book shed light into the background history of some major houses in Westeros. If you are a fan for A Song of Ice and Fire, then A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a must read for you.

I really liked A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the 3 stories from this book are ripping yarns. George R.R. Martin portrayed both Dunk and Egg so vividly that they struck me as two of the most memorable characters in the saga of Westeros. Those who are fond of A Song of Ice and Fire novels will definitely like this book. If you have yet to read A Song of Ice and Fire novels, then this is probably a good entry point to start reading the series. I also think this book deserves a spot on a fantasy lover's bookshelf. It is worth owning for Gary Gianni's beautiful artworks alone, and the price for this book is quite reasonable considering its good quality. Until that day when Mr. Martin finally unleashes The Winds of Winter upon us, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will quench your thirst for adventures in Westeros.