Mike

I liked it but didn't love it. I'm not sure the short novella format is the best fit for the story being told. It's an interesting setup for a series though and I'm going to read a couple more at least to see where it goes.

This was my first time reading George R. R. Martin. I haven't read any of the A Song of Ice and Fire books and I refuse to until they're finished. I really enjoyed all three novellas in this collection. The Hedge Knight and The Sworn Sword were my favorites, but The Mystery Knight was good as well. I liked the small focused story on Dunk and Egg rather than something sprawling and epic.

Overall I really enjoyed it. The beginning is a very slow burn as you're introduced to the characters, but the character work is really fantastic. Not a lot happens from a plot standpoint until the end of the book when things pick up a bit. I'm hoping Before They Are Hanged is a little more plot forward, but I'm definitely invested in these characters.