12/21/2015
The three interlocking novellas in this collection, all previously published, make for a rousing prelude to Martin's bestselling Song of Ice and Fire saga. Set 90 years before the events in A Game of Thrones, they chronicle the experiences of Ser Duncan the Tall, a humble hedge knight whose honorable comportment is often at odds with the schemes of the royals who rule the Seven Kingdoms. In "The Hedge Knight," Duncan is forced to fight a brutal trial by combat for defending a commoner against a cruel prince's son. In both "The Sworn Sword" and "The Mystery Knight," Duncan advances further toward fulfilling his destiny as a knight of the Kingsguard, foreseen in dreams throughout the stories. The stories are top-heavy with tournaments and bloody battles, but also rich in human drama and the colorful worldbuilding that distinguishes other books in the series. The appearance of youthful versions of characters who figure in the later novels makes this collection a must-read for Martin's legions of fans. (Oct.)
Over the past five years, our friends have had to learn a hard truth, lest they face our dragon-fire rage: don’t call us when a new episode of Game of Thrones is on. The show presents an immersive fantasy world that envelops you like no other, and the last thing we want is to be unexpectedly jolted out of […]
Being a fan of George R.R. Martin’s work is like entering a marathon you never trained for: eventually, you will cross that finish line—even if it takes hours, days, or years—but you’re going to require a bunch of breaks along the way. Game of Thrones has certainly helped us all while away the hours until the release of The Winds […]
For over a decade, Jim Killen has served as the science fiction and fantasy book buyer for Barnes & Noble. Every month on the B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog and Tor.com, Jim shares his curated list of the month’s can’t-miss new SF/F releases.
This week’s new SF/F releases are leagion. We highlight an astonishing 18 of them below. No time to dawdle—let’s get to it.
For over a decade, Jim Killen has served as the science fiction and fantasy book buyer for Barnes & Noble. At the end of each month, he’ll be sharing the lists of B&N’s bestsellers in the genre, from new hardbacks, to trade paperbacks, to mass markets and media tie-ins, to graphic novels and manga. These are the […]