It's been more than a decade since I read George R. R. Martin's work. I totally forgot what a great writer he is!
Watched the HBO TV show the day before yesterday, I'm so eager to find out what happens next, so I picked up the book.
Finished the first novel, The Hedge Knight, in one sitting last night. Took me about maybe 2 hours? It's soooooo intense, fast-paced, I can't put it down. Martin really knows how to make events happen: in this one, one event just took place after the other. The transitions are smooth, a lot of turns are unexpected but well-reasoned. It's like on one page I'm quite relaxed and the next page I got goosebumps. Now to think about it, Martin buries clues in the early phase, way before an event shows it.
I just love how he portrays these characters. Among all the princelings of Targaryens, Martin's managed to make them vastly different from each other with his own traits. Egg is just smart, bold, unsubmissive; Prince Baelor, oh, such an honorable man, that I almost cried at the end. Prince Daeron, he's got his own ways to deal with his life!
What I enjoyed and echoed most is the relationship between Ser Arlan of the Pennytree and Duncan. Rest in peace, Ser Arlan! Ser Duncan has grown into an honorable, strong man who took the knight oath by heart. You won't be disappointed.
by dongludi
4 Comments
Dude the Dunk and Egg stories hit different than the main series. Martin’s writing is so much tighter in these – probably because he’s not juggling 20 different plotlines across two continents lol
The trial by combat scene had me sweating, and yeah Baelor’s whole arc just destroys you. That man was too pure for Westeros
Yeah, he’s a master craftsman. He doesn’t get enough credit because his prose isn’t super elevated but his character work and narrative technique are top tier.
I did a reread a few years ago and i was shocked how quickly the first 3 books moved. Id forgotten how damn punchy Martin could be. The Dunk and Egg stories really nail the pacing as well.
there’s a reason game of thrones was as big of a hit as it was. and there’s a reason people are begging for the next book. martin is one of the all time greats of fantasy, let alone writers in general. that’ll be his legacy whether ASOIAF is finished or not