Summary
George R.R. Martin’s love forGame of Thronesprequelspin-offA Knight of the Seven Kingdomsis becoming hard not to notice after the author recently showered it with praise.
Sandwiched between the events ofHouse of the DragonandGame of Thrones,A Knight of the Seven Kingdomstakes place ninety years before the latterwhen House Targaryen still sat on the Iron throneand dragons were a recent memory. The series is an adaptation of the first of Martin’s three novellas,The Hedge Knight,and will tell the adventurous tale of Ser Duncan the Tall (Dunk) and his squire and heir to the Iron Throne, the bald Aegon V Targaryen (Egg).Showrunners have characterized the series as having a significantly lighter tone thanGame of Thronesor House of the Dragon, while filled with politicking and treachery. A specificrelease date forA Knight of the Seven Kingdomsis yet to be announced with only “late 2025” being pegged.
George R.R. Martin, on hisNot a Blogwebsite—one of his preferred platforms of communication—aired his thoughts on the upcoming series and its cast in a lengthy post, titled “Dunk, Egg, and a Few Random Mutterings.” And it was overwhelmingly positive.
I’ve seen all six episodes now (the last two in rough cuts, admittedly) and I loved them” read the post. “Dunk and Egg have always been favorites of mine and the actors we found to portray them are just incredible…it’s as faithful an adaptation as a reasonable man could hope for (and you all know how incredibly reasonable I am on that particular subject).
However, Martin also cautioned against anticipating the same levels of high-octane action seen inA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ predecessors:
Viewers who are looking for actin, and more action, and only action…well, this one may not satisfy you. There’s a huge fight scene here, as exciting as anyone could ask for, but there are no dragons this time around, no huge battles, no white walkers…this is a character piece, and its focus is on duty and honor, on chivalry and all it means.
This wouldn’t be the first time Martin has publicly endorsedA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.He had previously lauded showrunner Ira Parker’s work in September 2024, after stopping by on the Northern Ireland set. For fans ofA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, George R.R. Martin’s seal of approval means everything given his history of vocal criticism of past adaptations. The author publicly down-voted the infamous Season 8 ofGame of Thronesand had similarreservations aboutHouse of the DragonSeason 2.
ThatA Knight of the Sevenswill tone down or exclude large battles, dragon fire, and other fantasy elements is unlikely to deter most fans. What has long been the true appeal of the realm of Westeros is its character dynamics and era-breaking themes rather than magic. In fact, most of the highest-rated seasons ofGame of Thronesthrived on political intrigue and featured little to no dragon action. The relative underperformance ofHouse of the DragonSeason 2 might water down excitement forA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. But if doubters need any reassurance, it is that the inaugural seasons ofGame of ThronesandHouse of the Dragonare generally regarded as peak television.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdomswill be released in late 2025.
