Game Of Thrones: Ranking George R.R. Martin's Westeros Books - Worst To Best

7. Tales Of Dunk And Egg €“ The Hedge Knight

The Tales Of Dunk And Egg series consists of three novellas set in the world of A Song Of Ice And Fire. They focus on Dunk (who later becomes the commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Duncan the Tall) and Egg (the future king Aegon V Targaryen). Though relatively flimsy in nature, the stories are enjoyable, and at novella length (generally sub-200 pages) they're a quick, satisfying read. The first in the series, The Hedge Knight, details the death of Ser Arlan of Pennytree, and how his squire Dunk attempts to become a knight at Ashford, under the name of Ser Duncan the Tall. The book is a fairly traditional fantasy story with a straightforward narrative: Dunk begins as a lowly squire, faces adversary through Prince Aerion, and ultimately comes out as the victor through trial by combat. As an origin story it's fairly compelling, and there's a decent amount of conflict and action. Not incredibly notable, but absolutely a fun little read. It may seem unfair to place the Tales Of Dunk And Egg series above A Feast For Crows, but given the context (a massive five year wait, the sheer length of the novel) that book demanded much higher expectations, and so the disappointment was much more intense.