Westeros has a new hero in a hedge knight named Dunk, also known as Ser Duncan the Tall, and his young squire affectionately named Egg. HBO’s new series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, based on George R. R. Martin’s short stories, takes place between House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones.

What makes this series different is the time period it explores. The dragons are all but gone, reduced to a few small and scraggly creatures, and while the great houses of Westeros are still obsessing over power and the Iron Throne, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms turns away from massive political battles to focus on the simple life of a hedge knight.

If you’ve felt burned by where Game of Thrones eventually went, or disappointed with how House of the Dragon has been going, here’s why this story just might remind you of why you fell in love with George R. R. Martin’s world in the first place.

You can read the review below or watch the video review on YouTube:

What makes this series stand out is that it narrows in on what it means to live a good and honorable life in a world that doesn’t always reward honor with grace or glory.

We’re not watching the powerful lords of Westeros anymore, even though they are still there. But this time, they are the backdrop and we’re watching a man who has to earn his meals, earn his armor, and even earn his place in the world. I hate using the term “grounded” because it feels overused when talking about film and television, but that’s really the best word for why A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms feels different from most epic fantasy on screen. This series makes Westeros feel real in a way that often eludes even the most thoughtfully crafted fantasy worlds.

The first two episodes introduce us to Dunk as he buries his mentor, Ser Arlan of Pennytree. With nowhere else to go, Dunk decides to head to the town of Ashford to enter himself in the tournament, hoping to prove he is worthy of being called a knight and to start making a life for himself.

Along the way, he runs into a strange little bald boy who calls himself Egg. The boy questions just about everything Dunk does and challenges him in ways that are as funny as they are surprising. With no other options available to him, Egg follows the hedge knight to Ashford, deciding that he is now Dunk’s new squire … whether he likes it or not.

Watching their relationship develop is one of the highlights of the series. Dunk doesn’t quite know what to do with Egg or how to be a mentor, but he still tries to honor the memory of Ser Arlan by doing the best he can for the boy.

What I really love about this series is that we get a side of Westeros that feels more sincere and lived in than anything we got from either A Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon. We see the everyday life of a knight without a house and a tournament that is busting at the seams with knights, nobility, entertainers, vendors, armorers, and crowds or regular people. We finally get to see how regular people live in Westeros, creating an atmosphere of a real community instead of just a political drama with swords and dragons, despite the presence of swords and dragons.

A True Hero in a Broken World

The most compelling thing about this series is Ser Duncan himself. George R.R. Martin is known for writing morally complex characters and stories where no clear hero exists. Defying our expectations, we finally get someone in Dunk who genuinely wants to do the right thing.

One of the biggest differences here is that Dunk is a good man. He’s not overly complicated like most characters in a Game of Thrones, and we don’t see him playing any political games. While he’s clearly ambitious, Dunk isn’t blindly driven by his ambition, nor is he a victim of his own cleverness, desire, or greed. In a fantasy world that constantly rewards cruelty and power, following someone who is just a decent human being is a genuine pleasure.

Dunk is big, strong, and capable, but he’s also young and inexperienced. We get him at this transitional period in life when he’s figuring things out as he goes. He makes mistakes, he misjudges situations, and he’s not some perfect knight in shining armor … and that’s not just because he doesn’t have any armor. There is this sincerity to him that the feels like a breath of fresh air.

For the first time in a long time, it feels like George R.R. Martin is giving us a hero we can care about without hesitation.

Why This Series Feels Different

I will admit right up front that I am a little biased here, because these short stories are some of my favorite things George R.R. Martin has written.  They’re sharp, tightly constructed, and deeply character-driven stories that don’t pull their punches while showing us the world through Dunk’s eyes. That perspective casts everything we see through a lens of goodness without falling into the trap of naïveté.

What really gives me hope for this series is how closely involved George R.R. Martin has been in its creation.

With both a Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, George was heavily involved in the early seasons, which were often the strongest. As those shows moved further away from his direct influence, the storytelling became less coherent and more frustrating in different ways.

George isn’t new to Hollywood. He been writing and producing television shows since the early 1980s, long before he turned to writing fiction, and he has been very open about his frustrations with showrunners who come in wanting to put their own stamp on stories that already exist. They change characters and plot lines in ways that no longer reflect the original vision, and that’s something he’s talked about well beyond his own work.

With A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, he has made it clear that this series is his baby. He is holding onto creative control, and it shows even in the first few episodes. After watching so many of his stories drift away from his original vision and fan expectations, this feels like George stepping in and saying, “Not this time.” He’s protecting it, and in the words of one on the most heartbreaking moments from Game of Thrones, it feels like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is his way of standing in the breach and shouting “Hold the door” over and over again.

Because of that, everything about these first two episodes feels carefully paced, thoughtfully introduced, and focused on character development rather than shock and spectacle. The series eases us into the world of regular people while methodically introducing new characters only when we need to meet them, which allows the story to build toward moments that feel earned.

Who Is This Series For?

So, is this series for you?  Well, if you enjoy fantasy, medieval-style storytelling, tournaments, swordplay, and character-driven stories, I honestly think you are going to love this series. If you’ve ever been to a Renaissance fair and enjoyed the atmosphere, the people, and the sense of stepping into another time, there is a good chance this will speak to you. And, if you liked the early seasons of Game of Thrones, before things became more focused on shock value and spectacle, this feels much closer to that early style of storytelling.

On the other hand, if fantasy isn’t really your thing, if medieval settings aren’t for you, or if you prefer modern stories, science fiction, or crime dramas, this probably won’t be for you. This series embraces the fantasy genre in the most unapologetic way possible. It knows what kind of story it wants to tell, and it’s been a long time since I was this happy with a fantasy series on screen. While I can’t say for certain how it will hold up over time, it already feels like it’s in conversation with fan expectations.

Final Thoughts

For me, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms feels like a return to what made George R.R. Martin’s stories so compelling in the first place. So far, I have high hopes for where this series is headed, but enough from me. Now I would love to hear what you think.

Have you watched A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms yet? Have you read the Dunk and Egg stories? Does this kind of smaller, character-driven fantasy story interest you, or do you prefer the larger political epic fantasy stories? Let me know down in the comments.

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