A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

A Song of Ice and Fire

By: George R. R. Martin

Narrated by: Harry Lloyd

Length: 10 hrs

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER •

Taking place nearly a century before the events of A Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms compiles the first three official prequel novellas to George R. R. Martin’s ongoing masterwork, A Song of Ice and Fire.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY LOS ANGELES TIMES AND BUZZFEED

These never-before-collected adventures recount an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living consciousness. Before Tyrion Lannister and Podrick Payne, there was Dunk and Egg.

A young, naïve but ultimately courageous hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall towers above his rivals—in stature if not experience. Tagging along is his diminutive squire, a boy called Egg—whose true name is hidden from all he and Dunk encounter. Though more improbable heroes may not be found in all of Westeros, great destinies lay ahead for these two . . . as do powerful foes, royal intrigue, and outrageous exploits. Featuring more than 160 all-new illustrations by Gary Gianni, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a must-have collection that proves chivalry isn’t dead—yet.

Praise for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

“Readers who already love Martin and his ability to bring visceral human drama out of any story will be thrilled to find this trilogy brought together and injected with extra life.”—Booklist

“The real reason to check out this collection is that it’s simply great storytelling. Martin crafts a living, breathing world in a way few authors can. . . . [Gianni’s illustrations] really bring the events of the novellas to life in beautiful fashion.”—Tech Times

“Stirring . . . As Tolkien has his Silmarillion, so [George R. R.] Martin has this trilogy of foundational tales. They succeed on their own, but in addition, they succeed in making fans want more.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Pure fantasy adventure, with two of the most likable protagonists George R. R. Martin has ever penned.”—Bustle

“A must-read for Martin’s legion of fans . . . a rousing prelude to [his] bestselling Song of Ice and Fire saga . . . rich in human drama and the colorful worldbuilding that distinguishes other books in the series.”—Publishers Weekly

©2015 George R. R. Martin (P)2015 Random House Audio

A Don Quixote of sorts in the Seven Kingdoms

Meet the Don Quixote of Westeros, Ser Duncan the Tall! A man that believe in Valour! Honour! Courtesy! and Chivalry! In three excellent novellas George R.R. Martin introduces readers to a very different Westeros through the eyes of this recently made hedge knight, who seems not to be able to break from his upbringing in Flee Bottom, King's Landing. Ironically he has a bald 10 year old boy as a squire, that is in some ways a real Sancho Pancha. Egg, as he is called affectionately by his family, also comes from King's Landing, but not from Flee Bottom. Thus we as listeners are introduced to a very odd pair. A big oaf and a little clever guy, almost like Asterix and Obelix, but with the difference that "Obelix" is in charge and "Asterix" has to dutifully obey. No wonder the refrain "Dunk the lunk thick as a castle wall" echoes every now and again in the novellas!

Martin turns the expectations that you might have of a knight on its head, making these stories very likeable. Yet, I have one qualm with the book, it ends with a promise, by George R.R. Martin... that more might be coming. That is the problem with these stories, they are like an introduction to an adventure that is not yet completed. When will Dunk and Egg get to the Wall for instance?

In every sense, this book is a typical George R.R. Martin book. It contains three excellent stories, but you can help feeling that it is currently still unfinished. There might be more coming and you the listener has to.... wait!

Harry Lloyd narrated the three novellas very well. I am not so used to his accent and voice, but after the first novella it became easier to listen to him. By not using Roy Dotrice, it helps to get a different view on the seven kingdoms.

For Song of Ice and Fire fans, this is a definite must listen. It is definitely not a waste of a credit. If you don't want to start reading or listening through the whole Song of Ice and Fire series, maybe this is a good place to start. This book comes highly recommended for its entertainment value and for answering some of the "historical" questions of a Song of Ice and Fire.

great story, poorly read

struggling to understand the narrator mumble under his breath throughout this novel was beyond frustrating

good sometimes great but...

Battle scenes excellent. Back story great. Characters awesome. however... very redundant in spots, slow moving in many places.
Narrator good characterizations, but voice level Inconsistent inconsistent. Extremely difficult to hear in many places, when you turn the volume up, and then it is blasting with next voice. overall enjoyable, but definitely could be improved to remove annoying things.

I only wish it were longer!

The narrator does a good job of pulling you in, while the story keeps you rewinding to make sure you didn't miss anything.

Loved it!

Was sad when the story ended. I was fond of the main character...a very likeable soul. The narrator was above average, which always adds to the enjoyment!

Narrators voice

Good accent, but voice too low. In some parts I had to turn the volume all the way up and still couldn't hear him clearly. This can be very frustrating when some parts his voice was good but in other parts seemed like he was whispering.

Brilliant

This has become both my favorite novel and my favorite audiobook. The performance is brilliant by Harry Lloyd and GRRM’s writing is absolutely vibrant.

I’ve listened to it probably 10 times and I’m not even close to tired of it. So looking forward to volume 2

so good!

I really loved this story, and can't wait for A song of Ice and Fire to continue. The Narration was great, and the story equal to that. It's worth a listen for sure!

so so

this book had it's moments of excitement. one or two battles worth talking about but on the whole a bit lackluster in comparison with some of the GoT world writing

loved it

I loved it, a good read. I couldn't put it down. maybe tomorrow I will