A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a gentler Game of Thrones prequel, review says

The Guardian review of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms says the new Game of Thrones spin-off, adapted from George R. R. Martin’s novellas, centres on the endearing partnership of Dunk (played by Peter Claffey) and Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) in Westeros about 100 years before Game of Thrones.

The reviewer notes that Dunk, formerly squire to the hedge knight Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb), buries his mentor and sets out as a hedge knight seeking a lord, and that he meets Egg in a tavern, who offers to be his squire as they travel toward a jousting tournament. The piece points out that the Targaryens are on the Iron Throne in this era and familiar surnames appear elsewhere.

The review describes the series as much gentler than Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon: episodes run at about 30 minutes, less happens in each instalment and the emotional focus is the growing friendship between knight and squire. It also warns that the show is not for children, noting swearing, graphically described tortures, some full‑frontal male nudity and an episode the reviewer deemed too gory for unsupervised non‑Eggy children.

The critic questions who the target audience is—neither children nor hardcore A Song of Ice and Fire fans—and suggests the series does not carry enough weight to set the fan world alight.

Key Topics

Culture, Westeros, Iron Throne, Peter Claffey, Dexter Sol Ansell