Межевой рыцарь

The Tales of Dunk and Egg #1

by George R.R. Martin, Наталья Виленская (translator)

A novella originally published August 25, 1998 in the Legends anthology, edited by Robert Silverberg. Set in the world of the Song of Ice and Fire series eighty-nine years before the events of the main cycle, the story relates the adventures of Dunk (eponymously called Ser Duncan the Tall) and his squire, Egg.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Short Stories, Novella, Epic Fantasy, Adventure, High Fantasy

112 pages, Hardcover

First published August 25, 1998

About the author

George Raymond Richard "R.R." Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.

Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: The Hero, sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.

In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.

As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.

In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.

Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.

Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story is so refreshing after the marathon that is ASOIAF. When I read this the first time, I had just finished up the first 5 books in a row. I was completely exhausted and not interested in reading anything else anytime soon. About a week went by and I found my curiosity about these prequel short stories couldn't be put at bay any longer.

In The Hedge Knight, we meet Dunk and Egg and go on a journey with them to a tourney. While the original books are absolutely amazing, they can be quite overwhelming at times. In comparison, this short story was full of sunshine, happiness and rainbows. I loved getting to meet a full family of Targaryens and experience Westeros while it wasn't in the middle of war. If you have finished the ASOIAF series, this short story is a must-read!

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

We’re back in Westeros! With the show arriving next year, it would hardly do GRRM justice for a devoted fan like me not to read this.

Unlike A Song of Ice and Fire, The Hedge Knight is a stark contrast to the grim, brutal, and harrowing tone that defines the main series. In comparison, this story feels cheeky and lively. This short tale is the perfect read for anyone wanting to delve back into GRRM’s saga. The story follows Dunk and Egg, both of whom arrives at a tournament solely dedicated to knights.

While I find this story fun and refreshing, the buildup felt a bit slow at the beginning. And, the sudden influx of characters can be tricky to follow, but that aside, it is a fantastic short story. The dynamic between the iconic duo? Absolutely chef’s kiss. I can’t wait to read more about them.

4.4 stars

[Edward Gwynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

And so my GRRM binging journey begins, and what a place to start. The Hedge Knight is such a wonderful story to begin with and you cannot help but adore Dunk and Egg, and feel excitement at what lays ahead...

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say that comic books, which are sometimes called graphic novels now, have become more sophisticated. Writers like Moore, Gaiman and Miller, among others, have brought complex and dark realism.



THE HEDGE KNIGHT is more of a medieval knight's tale with a great deal of enriched history to a fantasy world of great complexity.

In this tale, a knight with no lord to follow joins a tourney in the hopes of securing fame and fortune (i.e. winners in medieval tourneys sometimes got to keep the armor and horses of opponents which would be the value of a house today). He falls for a female woman who is being beat up by a man and his hirelings. After defeating them, he discovers him to be the grandson of the high king and in these regions it's death to touch such royalty.





His only hope is a trial by combat, and, in the tradition of their seven gods, there will be 7 on each side. The hedge knight must then find 6 others to fight in his name when he has absolutely no reputation.



If you have read neither, I would recommend the George Martin novelette first and then compare it to the comic.

Enjoy!

ARTISTIC PRESENTATION: B plus to A minus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: A minus; STORY/PLOTTING/EDITING: B plus to A minus; WESTEROS FOCUS: A minus; ACTION SCENES: B to B plus; OVERALL GRADE: A minus; WHEN READ: last read mid 2011 (third time).

[Ayman Gomaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

عمل اخر من اعمال جورج ر.ر. مارتن فى عالمه الخلاب عالم ويستروس الجميل الملئ بالمؤامرات و الدسائس و كل الخدع الحربية التى احيانا لا تقف اشياء مثل الشرف و النبل عائق امامها .

When it came to George R.R.Martin stories in Westores , u can easily expect conspiracies and intrigues that sometimes things such as honor and nobility don't stand impediment to them .

الاخ جورج ر.ر.مارتن هنا فاجأنى مثلما فاجأ الجميع انه استطاع انهاء قصة اخيرا بل و تخلى عن دمويته المشهور بها فى قتله شخصياته الرئيسية و انتهت القصل ب مقتل 2 فقط فى 100 صفحة و هذا عجيب و غريب بالنسبة للاخ جورج .

Finally u can see a story in Westores with an ending and surprisingly with just 2 kills ! so not bloody too and that's so rare .

الان فى عالم اخر عالم مغامرات الفارس "دنك" و المرافق له " إيج " هذا الطفل العنيد المشاغب الملئ بالاسرار و المفاجات .

دنك الطويل كان قد تم ذكره عل لسان جوفرى فى صراع العروش انه من الفرسان الاقوياء الذى كان له صيت فى عصره و استطاع ان يصبح بسبب نبله و شجاعته من الفرسان الذى استحقوا مكانتهم فى كتاب " كتاب الاخوان " المتعلق ب كل العظماء الذين انضموا الى حراس الملوك و لكن هذا فى قصة اخرى لاننا هنا نتكلم عن بدايته فقط .

احداث القصة القصيرة بدات قبل 100 عام من احداث صراع العروش اثناء ما كان التارجريان فى الحكم و لكن بلا تنانين لانتهائهم بعد الحرب الكبيرة التى سميت ب "رقصة التنانين " و الذى بها انتهت معظم التنانين ب قتلهم .

The story events in century before the known game of thrones events while the Targarians were in power, but without dragons after most of them died in " Dance of the Dragons war " .

القصة تدور حول دنك الذى يريد ان يثبت نفسه ك فارس جدير بالاحترام ف يتجه الى " آشفورد " لديخل فى مسابقة مبارزة مع فرسان من العائلات الكبرى و فى طريقة بقابل الفتى "إيج" و يتخذه كمرافق له و تبدا الاحداث عندما يصل هناك و يقع فى مشكلة عند الاعتداء على احد امراء التارجريان ليقع تحت المحاكمة و تبدا الاحداث فى اخذ منعطف دموى لكن به خيانة و شرف و صداقة و نبل بين الفرسان توضح معنى ان تكون فارس محافظ عل نذورك .

The story is about Dunk, who wants to prove himself as a worthy knight so He heads to Ashford to enter a duel competition with knights from great families , in his way he meets Egg and takes him as his squire , When Aerion Targarian attack some poor people , Dunk stood up to him and that lead to a trial and events begin to take a bloody turn .

Story about betrayal , honor , friendship and nobility that proves the meaning of being a true knight.

قصص ممتعة جدا و لا تخلو من المفاجأت و الخيانة كما هو الحال فى ويستروس دائماً .

So exciting about this adventures and Ser Duncan the Tall .

[Read By Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Are you mad? This man attacked my son!"
"This man protected the weak, as all true knights must."

Dunk the lunk, thick as a castle wall 🔥

Every time I read this, I like it more. Really stoked they're adapting it, unlike most things,I think fleshing it out could make it even more powerful.

[Wee Lassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read.

[Mohammed Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

"ومن يدري ماذا سيخبئ لنا الغد؟"

-السير آرلان عند كل غروب شمس.



- جوفري : هذا هو كتاب الأخوة الشهير كل البطولات العظيمة للحراس الملكيين العظماء.. السير آرثر داين "سيف الصباح" ... السير دانكن الطويل، أربع صفحات للسير دانكن! لابد أنّه كان رجلا فريدا
- جيمي لانستر : هذا ما يقولونه.

* الموسم الرابع من مسلسل صراع العروش الحلقة الأولى.




قبل 100 عام تقريبا من أحداث السلسلة التلفزيونية/الروائية المشهورة صراع العروش، تلك الفانتازيا الساحرة التي أدهشت الناس لسنوات عديدة، فجعلتهم يترقبون أحداثها بشغف كبير، ويتابعون التفاصيل حتى الصغيرة منها، يهتمون بأخبارها، حتى أن البعض وصف المسلسل المقتبس عن الروايات بأنه الأعظم في التاريخ.. قبل أن يقوم الكاتبان (الغبي والأغبى منه) بقتل المسلسل في المواسم الأخيرة.
..
تبدأ أحداث قصتنا هذه، قصة السير دانكن الطويل وبداية مغامراته مع الفروسية مع مرافقه الوفي إيغ.






قصة ممتعة أرشحها لمحبي عالم جورج ر ر مارتن الساحر.

[Shruti · Rating 5 out of 5]

After that joke of a series finale of one of my favourite shows (yes, Game of Thrones), I found my interest in Westeros's history—for the most part, the rule of the Targaryens and their puzzling family tree—growing. That's when I came across this series of novellas by GRRM detailing the adventures of Dunk, a Hedge Knight and Egg, his squire.

I have spent hours scouring the web for A Song of Ice and Fire trivia and so I was surprised to see that Egg's identity is not known right away. Even then, the reveal was pretty spectacular.

I enjoyed this story so much! Unlike ASOIAF, where the Targaryens have been almost completely wiped out, this story takes place during the reign of Daeron II. It introduces us to the strong, kind and just Baelor Targaryen on the one hand, and the monstrous Aerion Targaryen on the other. This stark contrast reminds me of this Ser Barristan Selmy quote from A Storm of Swords—

"Every time a new Targaryen is born, he (King Jaehaerys) said, the gods toss the coin in the air and the world holds its breath to see how it will land."

Even when it comes to a short story, GRRM knows how to captivate readers. The story starts a little slow—if you've read GRRM before, you know this to be true of most of his works—and somewhere in the middle the pace quickens and before you know it, you're hooked. This books leaves you wanting more.

Dunk is an extremely likeable character. I thought he had a lot in common with Hodor and if this could have been some sort of life Hodor would've led had that incident never occurred.

Also, Egg is PRECIOUS. I can't wait to read the next books in the series.

In conclusion, I love the Targaryens.

[Belinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25 stars - Audiobook - enjoyed hearing it while picknicking on the Maas. New characters, new adventures but a known world, the same of game of thrones.

[boxer_dogs_dance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and uplifting.

[Carrot :3 (on a hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very entertaining and fun to read. I missed this world.

Really loved following the characters. I don’t have to say anything about the world building and the writing (it’s GRRM).

I shouldn’t have put off reading this. Fans of ASOIAF, you must not miss this.

[Terence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome one and all to The Hedge Knight book one of the remarkable prequel series to A Song of Ice and Fire. The Hedge Knight focuses on Dunk a young man whose master, friend, and mentor Ser Arlan of Pennytree has recently died. Dunk finds himself at a crossroads wondering if he should become a hedge knight like Ser Arlan or join a city watch for a simpler more stable life and future. Dunk decides to be a hedge knight. Dunk the Lunk as Ser Arlan affectionately called him took the moniker Ser Duncan the Tall and enters a tournament that ends up being far more important than any person could imagine.

I loved The Hedge Knight and the series title characters Dunk and Egg. They are really fun characters taking on the world around them from the point of view of a simple hedge knight and his squire. Dunk is a hard man not to like and his adventure starts with a bang. The tie ins from the main series are really enjoyable and it's interesting to see some famous characters rather than reading of their incredible reputation.

The Hedge Knight is a novella I'd recommend to any fan of ASOIAF.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never knew how much I needed this until now!!! I have missed westeros so much and this was such a great way to see it from a different perspective and time! Dunk and Egg are the duo we deserve, I love them and their dynamic so much! This story felt so meaningful and I truly adored it, looking forward to seeing what these two get up to!!

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting prelude to the Song of Ice & Fire series. I really liked the characters & it was interesting seeing the ancestors of other characters I've come to know so well.

[Markus Molina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps, I'm a bit biased, I can admit that. I love Westeros. I love A Song of Ice and Fire. I didn't give every book five stars, so I feel I'm reasonable enough. With that being said, I loved this short story.


My initial fear when I first heard of this story was that neither Dunk nor Egg, the two protagonists, would have anything to do with the main story in ASOIAF. That turns out to be not true, so I just wanted to put that out there. A lot of Daenery's great relatives make appearances and both the protagonists are actually some pretty important characters in the fictional history of this world. So that had me all smiles throughout my read.

It started off, and it felt very predictable, though still enjoyable, though in classic Martin fashion, he kind of flips everything on it's head and takes it all in a different, and way better direction than my simple mind could have imagined.


The one flaw is that there are a lot of names and it gets hard to keep track. If you're a big nut like me, it's handy to have a google tab open so you can look at sigils and family trees and see who is related to who and all that nerdy good stuff.


I can't wait to get started on the next one.

[Sinkuerda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Advertencia: Esta reseña contiene sentimientos. Muchos sentimientos.

—¿Por qué? ¿Qué ven en mí?
—A un caballero que recordó sus votos.

Es gracioso como, a veces, lo más simple tiene más encanto.

N, no estoy diciendo que es un cuento “simplón”, porque no lo es; solo me sorprende la capacidad de George R. R. Martin al mezclar figuras, tramas y arquetipos simples para convertirlos en un cuento de caballería capaz de dejarte un sentimiento tan agradable y esperanzador.

“El Caballero Errante” se sostiene con las figuras y arquetipos más típicos de este tipo de lecturas, pero lejos de resultar predecible o aburrida, refleja a través de su protagonista los ideales de una forma humana, entendible y aplaudible, no como una lección moralina de índole paternalista. Aquí, con una narrativa tan agradable como sus personajes principales, carente de presunción, Martin privilegia el crecimiento de su protagonista tratándolo con una de esas dosis de realidad de su mundo, pero sin dejar de priorizar ese derecho reflexivo en su obra, tanto en sus personajes, como en sus lectores.

No sé si Martin es lector de Habermas, pero la neta, me alegro de leer una obra caballeresca que no tire a lo kantiano.

El libro comienza de una forma bastante simple: Dunk, el escudero de ser Arlan de Pennytree, entierra a su mentor para luego reflexionar si podría ser un caballero. Y aquí es cuando comienza la primera duda. ¿Dunk fue nombrado por el caballero o no? (Un acierto de la serie, por cierto, es meter flashbacks del pasado de Dunk, así podemos contrastar sus palabras a cómo ocurrieron las cosas en realidad) Sin importar la respuesta, él se dirige a Ashford con el fin de participar en un torneo en donde podría entrar a la casa de un señor y, muy importante, porque no sabe hacer ninguna otra cosa y no quiere terminar robando o siendo la imagen negativa de los caballeros errantes.

Desde el inicio, este rasgo de personalidad nos demuestra que Dunk, con cierta inocencia (algo que señalo por el contraste entre su tamaño y su personalidad), tiene ideales acerca de la caballería, sí, pero tampoco es alguien que no esté consciente ya de cómo es el mundo en realidad. Dunk decidió su camino desde el inicio, ir a Ashford es el momento en donde ya cruza el umbral, pues antes de que inicie la historia él ya tuvo el llamado de la aventura, un mentor.

Me gustó. Y tanto me gustó que lo enviaré a mi Highway Star.

Qué riqueza. Qué delicia. El cuento ya es muy bueno por sí mismo sin tener que leer la saga original; pero sumado a ella, enriquecen de tal forma este mundo en tantos niveles distintos que no puedo más que aplaudir al autor.

Con Dunk como punto de vista con un narrador equisciente, el mundo de Canción de Hielo y Fuego se enriquece en su construcción más profunda y personal, no solo con un lore vasto (que a veces cae en lo basto) en sistemas y construcción de un macromundo, sino en los aspectos más delicados del día a día, lo concreto sobre lo abstracto: Mostrar el mundo para que tú, como lector, lo descifres a cada paso, convirtiéndolo en un ente vivo.

Con Juego de Tronos, uno de los aspectos de los que me quejé, es que la historia solo se cuenta a través de la noble cuna, pues aunque se dan menciones generales para que yo, como lectora, adivine que es lo que pasaba en el pueblo común, al estar desprovista de sus puntos de vista, no puedo visualizar como conceptualizan el mundo, cual es su visión, su filosofía, sus limitaciones al estar carentes de conocimiento y contactos o privilegios para desenvolverse en el mundo; con “El Caballero Errante”, puedo explorar eso, puedo visualizarlo. Los detalles comunes, como la forma en la cual se aborda y explica el torneo en contraste con el celebrado para la nueva Mano, Nedito Estarc, son una forma precisa y elegante de meterle una descarga eléctrica a su prometeito.

Está vivo.

☛ e s t r u c t u r a

El cuento sigue una estructura narrativa clásica, de esas de toda la vida, que los más conocedores señalaran como una mezcla entre Aristóteles y Gustav Freytag; con un narrador en tercera persona equisciente y siempre sobre la perspectiva del protagonista, un gran acierto dado que nos permite acceder de esa forma a su psique, a sus emociones y a la forma en la que se enfrenta el mundo que le rodea con toda su complejidad, punto que sirve para poder entender y su evolución personal, vital para este primer cuento.

Siguiendo esta línea simple, nos encontramos también con los elementos característicos de este tipo de estructuras: una introducción en donde se establece el conflicto interno, un desarrollo para presentar a los antagonistas y aliados, un clímax simbólico y una resolución que se establece como la base de una historia que ya no solo se limita a las aventuras de Dunk y Egg, sino que son de gran importancia dentro del universo creado por George R. R. Martin para su el universo creado en su saga de Canción de Hielo y Fuego.

☛ n a r r a t i v a

El estilo de George R. R. Martin reluce desde el primer instante; sin embargo, a diferencia de la saga principal, al ser cuentos y estar bajo un solo punto de vista limitado, esto se mantiene más íntimo y centrado, haciendo que junto con Dunk, descubramos el mundo en esta baja fantasía en donde lo que se prioriza es la desmitificación de la imagen de los caballeros desde el punto de vista de alguien de a pie que, a diferencia de los grandes señores, no cuenta con la formación ni la astucia para entender las argucias políticas; además, Martin desarrolla cada subtrama, desde los primeros guiños para decirnos que Egg no es un simple mozo, hasta el orden con el cual se nos presentan los personajes secundarios.

Posee además su estilo característico, una prosa ligera pero detallista que puede apreciarse sin que resulte ser demasiado pesada, pues su grueso está en el desarrollo de la trama.

☛ h i s t o r i a

Pasando directamente a los spoilers, algo que me ha encantado de este cuento es, precisamente, la historia; y no solo porque aquí se represente un hombre común en un sistema clasista, elevándose desde lo más bajo a través de su esfuerzo personal y recalcando la poca movilidad social de la época (incluso, me encanta que tenga elementos como su altura, pues hace un contraste con su personalidad pero, también, con la fuerza bruta del pueblo, algo que considero que Martin, a pesar de hablar de intrigas políticas en su saga principal, siempre mantiene reflejado con personajes como ser Davos). No, la razón por la cual me gusta es porque este suceso en particular es lo que da origen a toda su saga con algo magistral: la defensa de una marionetista desencadenando la muerte del heredero al trono, la mano del rey, un príncipe que por lo que se ve, podría haber hecho un gran contraste en Westeros en una época en donde la unión con Dorne era resiente y en donde los Targaryen ya habían perdido su mayor activo, los dragones.

Aunado a esto, y regresando a la desmitificación, Martin no romantiza la época hablándonos de las cosas más bellas en existencia (y aquí agradezco a la serie por cierta escena al inicio que no solo es una declaración de intenciones, sino que te muestra la suciedad de la época como parte de una rutina), sino que agarra y destroza la hipocresía de la caballería, la corrupción y el nepotismo.

☛ p e r s o n a j e s

Y, como siempre en la escritura de Martin, aquí tenemos un fuerte.

☛ Dunk. Ser Duncan el Alto. El personaje principal y desde cuyo POV se centra la historia, resulta ser un chico que, guiado por las enseñanzas de su mentor y al tener ideales bastante claros, emprende su camino como caballero en un mundo donde lo que importa es el nombramiento y no el ideal, haciéndole así frente a situaciones que le son completamente ajenas y en donde su carácter sale a relucir, no como alguien elevado que tome decisiones precisas a través de una estricta moralidad, sino haciendo uso del sentido común, ese que le permite decidir lo más simple: esto está bien, esto no.

Con su ingenuidad y cierta inocencia, se va abriendo paso por el mundo en un curioso contraste de altura e inseguridad, aprendiendo de la importancia de aceptarse en todas sus aristas, pues así como es ser Duncan, el caballero de Lecho de Pulgas; también es Dunk, el niño huérfano que sabe dar buenas zurras.

Me ha gustado el personaje porque siento que leerlo es lo mismo que hacerlo con un chico de esa edad, vamos, que bien este podría ser un libro para adolescentes y de verdad que lo disfrutaría.

☛ Egg. Príncipe Aegor Targaryen. Un chiquillo que en ningún momento se esconde tanto como dejarle a Dunk pensar lo más cómodo dentro de su mundo reducido. Me encantó el personaje porque muestra toda la viveza y la inocencia propia de su edad, a pesar de que este enturbiada por las acciones de una familia negligente. Es la voz de la razón en cuanto a las justas y su química con Dunk resulta ser el corazón del cuento.

☛ Baelor. Baelor Rompelanzas. Príncipe de Roca Dragón, Mano Derecha del Rey y Heredero a la corona. El príncipe y caballero ideal, el personaje incidental que ayuda al movimiento de la obra y que representa un punto de quiebre en este mundo pues, a su muerte, es cuando inicia la decadencia de una familia que en ese instante parecía, si no llena de la gloria pasada, al menos sí estable.

☛ Aerion, Llamabrillante El antagonista que siendo príncipe no representa los altos ideales que Dunk tiene de cualquier caballero. ¿Qué podemos decir? Podríamos hablar de la necesidad de mantenerse en el poder cuando han perdido sus dragones, pero la neta es que a este le patina el coquito, porque nada tenía que ir a molestar a su hermanito pequeño queriendo castrarlo y convertirlo en “esposa”, así que el momento en el que le rompen la jeta es por demás satisfactorio.

☛ Daeron, el borracho. Básicamente es un vato puñetas. Que si, tenía sueños de dragón, pero eso no quita que fuera un cobarde miedica que bien merecía sus par de cachetadas guajoloteras.

☛ Raymun Fossoway. El verdadero caballero de esa casa a diferencia de su primo el nalgas meadas.

☛ Steffon Fossoway. El nalgas meadas.

☛ La Tormenta que Ríe, Lyonel Baratheon. En general, ganas tengo de hacerle edits en tiktok con canciones bien puercas. Es precioso como está ahí porque no se quiere perder la oportunidad pero, a la par, pregunta si algo será o no caballeroso.

☛ Tanselle. La chica que le gusta a Dunk pero cuya existencia marca toda la diferencia en su entendimiento, primero contando una historia, luego como la persona cuya integridad defiende, y luego la persona que le ayuda a formar su propia identidad con su escudo.

☛ Maekar. Otro puñetas.

☛ m i s c e l á n e a
☛ Sí, por supuesto que pensé en “A Knight's Tale”, la cual pudo (o no) haber sido influenciada por este cuento.
☛ El escudo como una forma de forjar la identidad de un personaje con elementos que hacemos visibles. (Un acierto aquí a que en la serie se le de entrada previa a Lyonel para decirle que sea alto.)
☛ La ironía. ¿Quién es el verdadero caballero?
☛ El mensaje social. Y yo que pensaba ese señor solo me iba a dar chisme de gente pudiente.
☛ El Juicio de Siete. Desde que se vea como Dunk no cuenta con el poder de comprar gente, como Aerion, hasta la forma en el que terminó inspirando a hombres mejores que él, como Baelor.
☛ También me gusta como Egg formó parte muy activa de esto, por su amistad y por lo que se convertirá en el futuro.
☛ La cosa más pequeña, como defender a una marionetista, puede cambiar el futuro de un reino.
☛ La justicia no es elegante, pero incluso los menos elegidos pueden derrotar a un dragón.

☛ r e s e ñ a s
☛ Juego de Tronos

[Sava (Fang Runin’s version) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭐️
I decided I will stop here. I am not interested in the characters and story enough to continue reading other novellas.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as part of Dreamsongs, although technically this is a reread for me as I have a very vague memory of reading this as part of the Legends short story collection (where it was originally published) a million years ago.

This is a prequel novella, and written in a (relatively) brighter, shinier, happier tone than you usually get in GoT. Martin is kind of doing a sleight of hand trick here by tweaking the tone like this. It’s still Ice and Fire with most of the themes and motifs that come with that, only instead of all that stuff playing out on a grand scale that effects entire kingdoms and continents the focus is instead limited to the world that Dunk can see directly around him. A good example of how this works is the Fossoway cousins. You can look at their story and see the regular GoT thing of powerful members of noble houses plotting against and betraying each other, but since we’re seeing all that through Dunk’s eyes it just becomes this thing of “Here’s two cousins who don’t get along, one of them just happens to be a real prick.” We’re seeing events that have real consequences for the people of Westeros (this is the beginning of the Fossoway feud, their House eventually splits and the two sides are fighting each other on opposite sides of wars by the time of the series proper), but we’re seeing them through the eyes of a guy who isn’t particularly interested in thinking about the big picture, and the blinkers that character is wearing allow Martin to present all this as just a fun adventure about knights having a tourney.

Martin spends the first half of the story or so doing medieval slice of life stuff, and for me at least that was the superior half of the tale. I would very happily read about Dunk planning his budget and figuring out how to keep his horses fed while talking to the local blacksmith about getting his armor repaired. It does get a little muddy once Dunk gets to the tournament though. It’s tough to keep all the Targaryens running around straight, and most of the knights are just various flavors of stock Westeros character types. The principal cast however (Dunk, Egg, the Fossoways, the blacksmith, The Evil Targaryen Who’s Name Is Probably Aegor Or Blargon Or Varnor Or Something Look There’s So Many Fucking Targaryens Here I Can’t Possibly Be Expected To Remember All Their Stupid Names) are all well fleshed out and fun to have around.

I’ll also say that a thing this story does well is illustrate class and economic disparities in this world. We see it in the trial by combat, where Dunk is at the mercy of an almost comedically unfair justice system, and then further at the mercy of the whims of the disinterested and uncaring nobles overseeing that justice system. But we also see it when Martin talks about money and how much of it people have relative to each other. Dunk spends a lot of time worrying about money in The Hedge Knight. At one point he remarks that he’s got enough funds to live comfortably as a commoner for a year, but being a knight is so expensive that even with all that cash in his pocket, by the standards of the world he’s trying to break in to he’s essentially penniless and one bad day away from being priced out of being a knight forever.

Martin often makes similar points about inequality in the main series of Ice and Fire books, but it usually comes in the form of misery porn about commoners getting slaughtered, assaulted and starved by sociopathic nobles and their soldiers. He’s definitely taking a lighter touch with this stuff in The Hedge Knight but it works well enough, and also helps flesh out a lot of those slice of life segments of the story I mentioned earlier.

An entertaining read overall. I think trying to remember a million different knights and Targaryens who are all essentially different versions of the same three or four guys you get everywhere you go in Westeros drags the whole thing down a little, but that still leaves you with a four star story.

[Marianna Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need more Dunk and Egg stories, please, GRRM!
I just love these two so much, they heal something in me.
Re-reading this story felt like comfort food for the heart.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The A Song of Ice and Fire books are usually associated with epic, high fantasy storytelling, whether it's the huge, sprawling scope of the main series or the grand tales of the Targaryen dynasty in Fire & Blood . That's why it's surprising and refreshing to read The Hedge Knight, a more "street-level" Westeros story that is much smaller in scope but no less well-told. The novella (the first of a trilogy) is set between the first two Blackfyre Rebellions during the reign of Daeron II Targaryen and follows Ser Duncan "the Tall," a newly-minted wandering hedge knight (sort of the western version of a ronin) searching for glory and honor, and the little orphan boy that becomes his squire as they attend the faithful Tourney at Ashford Meadow that will change the course of the Targaryen dynasty and the realm in general.

"A hedge knight is the truest kind of knight, Dunk. Other knights serve the lord's who keep them, or from whom they hold their lands, but we serve where we will, for men who's causes we believe in. Every knight swears to protect the weak and innocent, but we keep the vow best, I think."

Throughout all the Westeros books, we see tales of famed knights like Jaime Lannister, Loras Tyrell, and Barristen Selmy, but in this, we not only get to see knighthood from the low-born perspective, but we see the ins-and-outs of tourneys and lists, and the daily work that it takes to be just a regular knight. And I couldn't help but love and root for Dunk and Egg, as they rub noses with legends and keep their dignity and honor. I'm a deep Ice and Fire fan, so I'm familiar with the time this takes place in, the events that this series surrounds, and the characters, but it's really cool to see it all dramatized, with simple but addictive writing. I liked it so much, I'm jumping directly into the next novella in the series!

"It may be that I've killed you with my lie. If so, I am sorry. I am doomed to some hell, I know. Likely one without wine."

He shuddered, and on that they parted, there in the cool soft rain.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read all of Martin's Song of Fire and Ice significantly faster than he's writing new ones, and considering he doesn't seem to be making much progress with the next one: four years between the last book and the next, I was at a bit of a loose end for my Westeros fix. Luckily Martin has already published a trio of prequel short stories. Prequel is stretching the definition as this first one is set approximately 100 years before the events of A Game of Thrones but the families and names from Westerosi history all sound a little familiar – the Targaryens are on the iron throne and the Baratheons are still glory-seeking tourney addicts.

The Hedge Knight is the first story of Dunk and Egg. Dunk, or Ser Duncan the Tall as he becomes known, is a hedge knight – so called because they are knights without land or master, generally poor, who often sleep in hedges – the final act of his own master, Ser Alan of Pennytree, was to knight his squire Dunk. As an otherwise unproven knight, he wants to make his fortune so he enters the tourney lists. Egg is the young lad who tags along after him, just wanting to be his squire. It doesn't take too long to work out Egg's back story.

In true Martin style, it doesn't take too long for fights to break out and trouble to kick off. Before you know it the tourney is over and Dunk's sense of honour has led him way out of his depth and having to duel against proper knights – he could almost be a Stark. The story is self-contained – although there are already two follow on stories that feature the same characters, there's no need to worry about Martin not writing the sequel in seven years time.

[Hamad Al-Failakawi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aha... If this was meant to prove something; it would *certainly* be that I'm doomed to sink deeper and deeper into the world of A Song of Ice and Fire. This short novella carries everything I loved in the series. Starting with the romanticism and the silky-smooth narrative, then the complex characters, great plot and the serenity that hovers when you finish up a great story.

[Mehrnaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

قصد نداشتم این کتاب را بگیرم/بخوانم، اما به اصرار همراهم که می‌خواست برام هدیه بگیره، گرفتمش.
فکر کنم در کمتر از پنج صفحه اول، جذبم کرد. واقعا نثر جذاب و روانی داشت. تصویرگری‌های زیبا هم به جذابیت داستان اضافه کرد. تجربه‌ی خواندن یک فانتزی با تصویرگری‌های مرتبط و زیبا، واقعا لذت‌بخش است. خیلی سریع خوانده شد.

[محمد على عطية · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice piece of art about Chivalry, Nobility, Courage, Prowess and Passion . The accidents taking place here are about 100 years before what we read in (A Song of Ice and Fire). I really liked it and did love the spirit it was written with as it goes in complete harmony with the other books and with (The World of Ice and Fire).


This story is about how Dunk (Ser Duncan the Tall) met Egg (Aegon V afterwards) the Son of Maekar I and the Brother of Maester Aemon :). and How they started their journey in the world of chivalry.


I liked also the sketches in the book, after starting reading it i discovered that there is also a comic book about the same story and it seems that it'd be the next thing to search for and read.

[Yannis Karatsioris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great one-day read.
In the medieval setting of Westeros -about a century before Ice and Fire- Dunk, the hedge knight, aspires to be acknowledged as equal to other knights of the realm. He takes part in a tournament where renowned knights of the Seven Kingdoms, the Kingsguard and royalty (we get to see Targaryens at play) compete as well.
Amidst the jousting and the acts of bravery on the field, a minor quarrel escalates to a sentence of death, which finds the hedge knight in its center. The trial of the seven is the way things will be resolved, with unexpected results for everyone.

I've enjoyed it a lot and would recommend it to fans of the author, as well as to those of medieval fantasy in general. Although knowledge of the Houses' names can be helpful, the reader can easily follow the narration without it.

[Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love ASOFAI so this biased review should be taken with a pillar of salt.

Loved it. More knights of Westeros and a jousting tourney made for a great read. This is the first of three novellas about Aegon Targaryen aka Egg and his squiring for Ser Duncan a hedge knight.

Fun read and an absolute must for fans of the series. Not sure why I waited so long.

[Yvonne Mendez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I get the appeal Sansa Stark feels when reading of tales from chivalrous Knights and their brave deeds, even the brutal battle scenes seems magical and romantic. With Dunk aka Ser Duncan the Tall, I get what a "True Knight" is supposed to be like, even though he's nothing more than a Hedge Knight, he is tall and handsome and brave and protects the weak and so dreamy!

The tale is based in the land of Westeros, 100 years before the tales of Ice and Fire began, when the Targaryans were the masters of the realm. Dunk is the underdog, newly made Knight in search honest work and at least one victory in a tourney. This particular tourney attracted all the noble families - Lannister, Baratheon, Dondarrion and even the Targaryen Princes. Overall it was Dunk from Fleabottom's innocence and strong belief in what a Knight should be that won him the friendship and admiration of the High Born and a very special squire.

Love this tale!!

[Nimrod Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook version of The Hedge Knight, and it's worth mentioning that the narrator did a really good job.
The first half was somewhat slow, though it was just the build up for the rest of the story. After the first half the storyline gears up until the very end with lots of intrigues. All in all I can say that I enjoyed reading this short story, and I plan on reading the other dunk and egg's adventures.

What I'd probably remember from the book is the following quote - "Dunk the lunk, thick as a castle wall" :)

4/5

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I miss reading his books, so this is a great find. All the old favorite house names brought to life again, House Targaryen, House Baratheon and many more. Lots of action, a great little story. On to the next one in the Tales of Dunk and Egg :)