Sara's reading log

I am a book hoarder and reader. My main genre is SF, but I also love magic realism, fantasy and general fiction. Favorite authors are Iain M. Banks, Ursula K. LeGuin, Haruki Murakami, José Saramago, Isaac Asimov, Ben Aaronovitch and more. My rating system is based on five stars. I rate books based on my expectations and what a books aims to be. This means that the brilliant 'Fahrenheit 451' gets five stars because I thought it would be good, people said it was good, and it was good, but 'A Closed and Common Orbit' also gets five stars because in its series, in its style, I really enjoyed it and was not disappointed.

De hagenridder by George R. R. Martin

  • Started on: 2012-02-13
  • Finished on: 2012-02-13
  • Read in: Dutch
  • Rating: ****-
  • Genre(s): Fantasy

Last year I read all of George R. R. Martin’s ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ series with great pleasure. I loved the writing, the unpredictability, the intrigue, the politics. And as a bonus there was the HBO TV show to enjoy. So, when I saw this novella, taking place in the same world but about a century before the main books, I couldn’t help myself, I had to have it and immediately read it. And in comparison to the main books, it is pretty short with its 143 pages (2006 Dutch edition).
It is the story of Dunk, squire to a hedge knight (a hedge knight offers his sword to any master he pleases, and travels around looking for employment). His knight dies, and Dunk decides to take his equipment and enter a tournament himself, as a knight. On his way there he meets Egg, a stable boy with an attitude who wants to be a squire. The book covers their adventures at the tournament of Ashford. There they meet the ancestors of the characters we know and love (or love to hate) from the main books, such as Lannisters, Baratheons and of course the Targaryens, who are still ruling the kingdoms.
Even though this was a short story, it is a true George R. R. Martin story. Unexpected happenings (I loved the twists), nasty characters, politics, goodness, chivalry. I was glad to be back in Martin’s world, and wished the story was much (much, much) longer. Four out of five stars.

  • Started on: 2012-02-13
  • Finished on: 2012-02-13
  • Read in: Dutch
  • Rating: ****-
  • Genre(s): Fantasy

Last year I read all of George R. R. Martin’s ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ series with great pleasure. I loved the writing, the unpredictability, the intrigue, the politics. And as a bonus there was the HBO TV show to enjoy. So, when I saw this novella, taking place in the same world but about a century before the main books, I couldn’t help myself, I had to have it and immediately read it. And in comparison to the main books, it is pretty short with its 143 pages (2006 Dutch edition).
It is the story of Dunk, squire to a hedge knight (a hedge knight offers his sword to any master he pleases, and travels around looking for employment). His knight dies, and Dunk decides to take his equipment and enter a tournament himself, as a knight. On his way there he meets Egg, a stable boy with an attitude who wants to be a squire. The book covers their adventures at the tournament of Ashford. There they meet the ancestors of the characters we know and love (or love to hate) from the main books, such as Lannisters, Baratheons and of course the Targaryens, who are still ruling the kingdoms.
Even though this was a short story, it is a true George R. R. Martin story. Unexpected happenings (I loved the twists), nasty characters, politics, goodness, chivalry. I was glad to be back in Martin’s world, and wished the story was much (much, much) longer. Four out of five stars.