Genre: Novella, Fantasy
Rating: A
Set in the same world as George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, “The
Hedge Knight” is the first in a series of short stores (and graphic novels)
about Ser Duncan the Tall, or Dunk, and his squire Egg. “The Hedge Knight,” and
the other stories in the Tales of Dunk
and Egg are set about a hundred years before the events of A Song of Ice and Fire.
As mentioned, “The Hedge Knight” is the first in this series and
follows Dunk as he enters the Tourney of Ashford, following the death of his old
master, Ser Arlan of Pennytree. Dunk was
an orphan from Flea Bottom who entered into Arlan’s service as a boy, and was
knighted by Arlan shortly before his death.
While on his way to Ashford Dunk encounters a boy, Egg, at a tavern, who
sneaks away in order to enter into Dunk’s service and act as his squire. Not all is as seems with Egg, however, and
his true identity is one that alters the course of Dunk’s life.
I really liked this story. The complexity of it is nothing like that of the
books from which it is conceived, and within the story Martin reveals a lot
more of the world in which it’s based. It’s
rather nice reading something and not finding yourself constantly questioning
just what’s going on and who’s plotting what and who’s going to die next. Actually, that point alone is really nice –
the mantra for A Song of Ice and Fire
fans is to not get attached to any of the characters because you don’t know
when they’re going to die, but with Dunk and Egg this isn’t the fact. The story just follows the point of view of
Dunk and, if you’ve read Martin’s novels you already know how he dies, and it
certainly isn’t at Ashford. This
certainty doesn’t make “The Hedge Knight” any less exciting, it’s just more of
a comfortable journey. You get to know
the characters and you get to get attached to them, without that little voice
inside your head screaming at you saying ‘this is going to end badly.’ Really, when it comes down to it, “The Hedge
Knight” is something that I didn’t know I could expect from Martin.
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