The Hedge Knight: The Graphic Novel

By: George R. R. Martin and Ben Avery

I have been a little burnt out on the Game of Thrones thing for a while now, and after getting bogged down midway through the third book, A Storm of Swords (really long, overly descriptive battle scenes are just not my thing, I found), I had almost given up on the series until much later, and was going to stick with the HBO series until I could face Martin’s series again.

But luckily, I don’t have to give up Westros entirely. This graphic rendition on the prequel story to A Song of Fire and Ice has renewed my interest and faith in the beautifully elaborate epic that has captured so man people’s attentions.

The illustrations are not ambiguous, as in some graphic renditions, and the relationships – although complicated (a trademark of the series) are clearly delineated. Another perk is the (also) trademark gore and deaths of the ‘good’ characters is not as prominent. There are deaths, but no more so than you would expect at a tourney in that type of era.

Some of the detractions to this book were the fact that it is almost a retelling of Chaucer’s A Knight’s Tale. So many similarities. But I will let you pick them out yourself. As a side note, my Army brother’s one professor detested the entire series declaring it a history rip-off. After seeing so many similarities, I can see his point, but rather believe that it can enrich and even create interest in certain historical events.

If you are looking for a place to start, or not sure if the elaborate tale is right for you, I recommend picking this up and dipping your toes in the water.