Ephemeris of the Mind (Book Review) A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms [Tales of Dunk and Egg]
Time to read: 3 min read
Book Cover
“Why?” he asked Pate. “What am I to them?”
“A knight who remembered his vows,” the smith said.
Previous A Song of Ice and Fire reviews:
Review
This book takes place before the main ASOIAF novels and is a collection of three novellas surrounding two characters: the inexperienced hedge knight Dunk (later to become the legendary Ser Duncan the Tall) and his young bald squire Egg (later to become King Aegon V). The novellas showcase what Westeros was like before the main events of ASOIAF, when the Targaryens still ruled.
The Hedge Knight
This book is the origin story of Dunk and Egg. Dunk, the squire of the recently deceased Ser Arlan of Pennytree, enters a tournament in hopes of winning renown and money. Dunk meets a young bald boy who wants to squire for him and the two get into a large misadventure.
This novella is peak Martin. The story is gripping and there are many moving passages. The world-building is amazing, even from such a localized perspective. Dunk and Egg are both such likeable characters and after reading the mainline ASOIAF books where they're merely mentioned, it's great to finally read their stories.
The Sworn Sword
This book follows Dunk and Egg's story. It's much more a classic chivalric story than the first novella. Dunk and Egg are embroiled in a land dispute between a minor noble family and a lowly landed knight.
The story is not nearly as moving or significant as that of the first novella. I like how the story delves into more historical Westeros lore, such as the Great Spring Sickness and the First Blackfyre Rebellion. Dunk and Egg's characters are further developed in this novella.
The Mystery Knight
Dunk and Egg are caught up in a political conspiracy when participating in a tournament on their way north.
This story dives deeper into the background of the Blackfyre Rebellions and features an interesting motley crew of hedge knights. I do like the mystery aspect of the story but it doesn't hold as much emotional sway as the first two novellas.
Out of the three novellas, the first is by far my favourite. Dunk is very relatable and I really liked how his origin story is so mundane. Like stories such as Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Dunk as a protagonist has no talent (except his unusual height) and he has to crawl his way up from the bottom through sheer willpower and his sense of honour.
Conclusion
A series of character studies with exciting stories.