Set nearly a century before the events of the Iron Throne succession struggle, this collection follows the travels of a towering, low-born hedge knight named Ser Duncan the Tall and his diminutive squire, Egg. Across three novellas—The Hedge Knight, The Sworn Sword, and The Mystery Knight—the pair navigates a Westeros still recovering from the Blackfyre Rebellion. While Duncan attempts to uphold a code of honor in a world of cynical sellswords, his companion conceals a secret identity as Prince Aegon Targaryen. Their partnership centers on jousting tournaments, feudal land disputes, and chance encounters with noble families whose descendants eventually drive the later histories of the Seven Kingdoms.
Fantasy readers who enjoy character-driven historical fiction find this a grounded alternative to high-stakes political epics. It offers a tactical look at the daily realities of chivalry, showing the physical risks of heavy armor and the social limitations of those without aristocratic titles. Readers walk away with a functional understanding of Targaryen genealogy and a perspective on how small-scale conflicts over water rights and local oaths eventually snowball into civil war. This volume provides a granular view of the continent's past through the eyes of commoners and exiled royalty.
Clear-cut and escapist; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Curious Generalist. Which reader are you?
- Publisher
- Bantam
- ISBN
- 9781101965887
- Language
- EN
