A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: Is the book, graphic novel, or series better?

The latest edition of <strong>A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms</strong> (Argo) is a solid "chunk" of a book that takes us to Westeros roughly 100 years before the events of Game of Thrones. We follow the fate of Duncan the Tall – a knight who might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but who cares all the more about knightly principles. Duncan's combination of a certain "dullness," clumsiness, and genuine heroism makes him an incredibly likable character you just have to root for.

Romantasy lovers… this book is not for you…

The book contains three interconnected stories.

The Hedge Knight is clearly the strongest of them for me. Watching Dunk at his first tournament, where his life turns upside down and he unintentionally influences history, was a ride – and that final duel? That was an absolute slaughter!

"Kill him, there he is, kill him, kill him, kill him!"

The second part, The Sworn Sword, appealed to me the least. The whole dispute over water felt a bit "petty" to me, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was reading a variation of Romeo and Juliet.

Fortunately, The Mystery Knight fixes everything. It takes us back to a tournament setting full of intrigue and twists, where the Targaryens cross paths with Duncan again. Here, I felt the weight of G. R. R. Martin's vast world for the first time – if it weren't for Egg's insights, I would have probably been totally lost in that flood of coats of arms and houses.

Martin, as usual, went wild with details and heraldry so much that my head was spinning from the excess of crests, but overall, it's a great read. Plus, even though I'm not a fan of illustrations in books, I enjoyed these from the Argo publishing house to the fullest. However, I would appreciate it if a potential reprint included drawings of all the coats of arms along with information on who they belong to.

I rate the book version 4.5 out of 5.

How do the graphic novels fare?

CREW publishing house released the first two stories in a reprint, in the form of graphic novels. Since I had no idea they existed (my apologies to the Seven), I had to rectify this ignorance and check them out too.

The comic book adaptation of the first two stories even surpasses the original in some ways.

With <strong>The Hedge Knight</strong>, I enjoyed the story much more, and I prefer classic books. The artist did a truly fantastic job, and at times I forgot to keep reading because I was admiring the individual scenes. They literally pulled me into the story. The characters' emotions stand out much more clearly here. I was a bit surprised by Duncan's appearance – I didn't imagine him as Prince Charming on steroids, but oh well. It surprised me that the scene with the smashed head and brains was quite dull in the comic, while it was much grittier in the book.

A total surprise for me was <strong>The Sworn Sword</strong>. While I didn't enjoy it in the book, the graphic novel breathed a new dimension into it. Thanks to the art, I could finally connect with the characters and understand their motives, especially regarding the memories of the Redgrass Field. And that duel in the water? The graphic novel won hands down here.

I rate both of these pieces 5/5.

Third time's the charm… we have the series!

Recently, HBO gave us the series version, and the casting is top-notch. Peter Claffey as Duncan and Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg (10/10 for me!) breathed a new dimension into the characters. The series Dunk was actually the most likable of all versions for me, and Egg's childlike soul and love for horses finally stood out properly.

As a reader, I was sometimes confused by the plot adaptation – the creators decided to omit some passages and replace them with others, which didn't make sense to me. For example, interrupting the climax of the Trial of Seven with a flashback from Flea Bottom felt unnecessary. There are many more such WTF moments here. The story (if we ignore all those long-winded descriptions of coats of arms and houses) is truly rich and doesn't need other stories forced into it.

The first season was only about the first story, and I'm curious how HBO will handle the other stories. I rate the first season 3/5 and will save a higher rating for future seasons, which will hopefully stick closer to the book original.

Warning! The series is 110% 18+, because there are scenes that could traumatize a younger audience – and surprisingly, it's not the scene with the brains.

All in all:

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a piece that shouldn't be missing from the bookshelves of Game of Thrones lovers. Even though those who know at least the series from the GoT world will have an advantage, you can easily dive into this world with this title. At times you'll be lost, at times you'll be biting your nails, cursing injustice, and damning the old gods and the new… but in the next moment, you'll be rejoicing, laughing, and toasting to our duo's health.