A Knight of the Kingdoms by George R. R. Martin

Almost a hundred years before there was a Ned Stark or Robert Baratheon, a simple hedge knight and his squire made their way through the Seven Kingdoms.  Their encounters with the high born and commoners alike left their mark on the land as well as this unlikely pair.

The Tales of Dunk and Egg, as they are most commonly known among fans of A Song of Ice and Fire series from George R. R. Martin, chronicle these events in a way that only Mr. Martin can.  Primarily seen from the point of view of Ser Duncan the Tall, readers are treated to a sort of history lesson of the Seven Kingdoms after the Blackfyre Rebellion.  If not much of that means anything to you but, you like knights, castles and magic, this book may interest you.

This is a story set in a fictional world that closely resembles the Medieval Period, that is, if that period had know real fire-breathing dragons and magic.  This book is an excellent jumping on point since it doesn't require any fore-knowledge of the series.  The reader gets to see a still young kingdom as it gets its feet under it.  The collection of stories are so well placed together, it's hard to realize that this is an anthology.

Through these stories, we get to really know Dunk and Egg from the beginning of their companionship.  We even get to learn a bit more about some of the Great Houses of Westeros as well as some of the lessor ones.  If you are a fan of the series, it's satisfying to finally meet some of the characters hinted at in the series.

This is an excellent addition to the series of A Song of Ice and Fire and the type of additional material I hope we get from George R. R. Martin.  It is very entertaining even if the language and violence puts this one deep into the PG13 rating.

 

Read More

by Tynga at Wednesday, October 28, 2015

 A Song of Ice and Fire, Bantam Dell, dragons, George R.R. Martin, Knights, Purchased, Review  1 Person left their mark

✎

Wild Cards I Edited by George R. R. Martin

I hope that nobody is getting too tired of my love affair with anthologies.  This one, however, is an anthology with a difference.  More than just stories along a common theme, Wild Cards is a single story but, from many mouths.  Martina and Dozois bring together the talents of many authors to tell  us a tale of many tales.  We get to see the genesis of a class of humanity.  We even get to meet the creator of this class and get a peek into it's intent.

Tracking character development is a rather tricky since, while it is a unified story, it's told in a patch work of tales and a variety of characters.  There are a few, such as Dr. Tachyon, who are fixtures throughout, but, some only have the span of a chapter or two.  With all of that, you can get a sense of the characters and their struggles.  Most do what they are meant to do, act as set pieces to chart the societal changes that this new class of people have instigated.

I said before that it is a patchwork of stories and though that is true, there is one central narrative that bonds all the short stories and makes it less obvious that there is more than one story teller.  If you see the subtle differences in the descriptions of scenes and circumstances as a way to highlight the differences in the point of view it's written from rather than differences in the writers, the story becomes even richer.

To me, this book brings to mind a mix of the old style comic books and the old pulp fiction novels.  There is a kind of back to basics 'earthiness' to the writing and stories themselves.  This makes them an easy yet entertaining read.

Whether taken strictly as a well formed story or as allegory for modern treatment of people with the differences, these stories are engaging and thought provoking.  If you enjoy old-style science-fiction with a few modern twists, this book will be a good addition to your collection.  This one is definitely for the more mature of audiences and lands deeply in the PG13 range because of violence and adult content.

Read More

by Tynga at Wednesday, May 20, 2015

 aliens, Dystopian, George R.R. Martin, Purchased, Review, Science Fiction, Tor Books, Wild Cards  2 People left their mark

✎

Daring You To Read… A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

I’ve recently become obsessed with A GAME OF THRONES by George R.R. Martin from the series A Song of Ice and Fire. Not only is the book amazing, but I think the HBO TV series is even more noteworthy. Since the third season will premiere on TV soon (March 31st), I thought it would be a great time to dare you to read this great fantasy book.

The storyline might be a little bit everywhere because of the amount of characters, but that’s to be expected with epic fantasy books. The characters are amazing and I think the combination of all of them really makes this book what it is.

If you’re new to epic fantasy novels this is something you cannot pass over. It might be frustratingly long but it’s definitively worth it. While it is a fantasy series, the paranormal aspects aren’t too present. While there are a few paranormal/magical elements, they don’t overpower the story and I think that’s what makes it so great. The series really is about the characters and I’m glad the TV show found so many great actors to portray them.

Please note that the story is quite dark and mature at times. While I believe anyone who can read a 800+ pages book (or more depending on the edition) is mature enough for this story, please be careful while watching the TV series around children. I mean, it is HBO… Their reputation speaks for itself…

Have your read A Game of Thrones? Have you seen the TV show? If so, let me know what you think!

Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Read an excerpt

Here is the trailer for Season 1:

The rest of the series:

   

Daring You To Read is a weekly feature here on Tynga’s Reviews where we dare you to read some of our favorite older releases (at least 6 months old). All the books/series we choose to feature are titles we adored and think you should give them a shot! We think it’s a super awesome way to discover that special book who might have slipped off your radar!

You’ve already read the book? Let’s us know what you thought!
You are accepting the dare? We’d love to know!
Have a dare of your own? Leave a comment ^^

Read More

by Unknown at Thursday, February 28, 2013

 Daring You to Read, Fantasy, George R.R. Martin, Random House  4 People left their mark

✎