“He charged me to be a good knight and true, to obey the seven gods, defend the weak and innocent, serve my lord faithfully, and defend the realm with all my might, and I swore that I would.”

~~ Ser Duncan the Tall in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

The vow sounds archaic because it is. In the age of social media where everything is made public and performative, honour sounds like a word from a bygone era. Even “chivalry” is somewhat out-of-place for the present day. Like armour at a black-tie dinner: admirable but odd.

Yet, revisiting tales of knights-errant can be deeply restorative and soul-searching. George R.R. Martin’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a collection of three prequel novellas—“The Hedge Knight”, “The Sworn Sword” and “The Mystery Knight”—to his masterwork A Song of Ice and Fire, offers a wistful ode to the ideals of chivalry.

The book follows Ser Duncan the Tall, known as Dunk, a hedge knight of humble origin and limited experience, and his squire Egg, a boy hiding his royal identity. Together, the unlikely pair wander Westeros, a land plagued by rigid hierarchies, haunting memories and fragile codes of conduct. Their journeys are not the dragon-slaying epics we might expect. They are more about struggles in the head: the weight of loyalty and a moral reckoning. Though told in fantasy, their tales feel uncomfortably modern.

In “The Hedge Knight”, Dunk enters a tourney eager to prove his mettle, only to find himself caught up in a dilemma between personal safety and the moral duty to protect the weak. “The Sworn Sword” sets the pair against harsh realities in a drought-ravaged region, where local lords fight over scarce water, while Dunk grapples with serving an imperfect master. “The Mystery Knight” plunges Dunk and Egg into a treacherous world of disguises, secrecy and conspiracies.

As the stories unfold, it emerges that as inconvenient and costly as it is, chivalry is pure moral splendour. When standing up for a helpless puppeteer girl against a royal prince, Dunk risks everything for justice and principle. And that connects, directly, to the modern world, where people stand up to vicious online mobs or stand by colleagues facing unfair treatment. That, in the end, is where humanity is at its best manifested: not in grand speeches, but in decisions that cost us something.

The book makes much of the mentor-and-friend dynamic between Dunk and Egg, whose friendship is forged by shared hardships, mutual respect and light humour, highlighting our longing for closeness and steadfast loyalty in an age of fleeting digital ties and cold interpersonal relationships. True chivalry, as these stories reveal, starts with how we treat those who travel with us.

Martin has a knack for bringing stories to life with vivid detail. Readers can feel the sheer weight of a lance, smell the pleasant aroma of woodsmoke, and sense the heart-stopping tension before a joust. The book, lavishly illustrated by Gary Gianni, adds charm to the characters and storyline, bestowing a hopeful warmth that contrasts with the cold and dark tones of the saga.

For newcomers, this book is a welcoming doorway into Martin’s universe, which is less daunting than the sprawling epic series for which he is best known. For long-time fans, it offers a return of their beloved characters. Either way, the tales remind the reader of something simple: why knightly figures endure. In real life, we do not expect superheroes. What we do expect is the sight of honest effort towards a better world.

In an increasingly atomised world that moves at a breakneck pace, Martin invites us to slow down and ponder the anatomy of chivalry. By stripping away the epic scale of his other works, he suggests that honour does not require swords or lances. Instead, it manifests in the potentially costly choices to keep a promise, show basic decency, or defend the vulnerable. Far from lofty philosophies, these understated acts are the quiet but essential glue that holds our world together.

When the last pages turn, you may find yourself, like Dunk, a little taller—and more resolved to meet the world with courtesy and courage.