The Hedge Knight does a wonderful job of contrasting Dunk's pure, steadfast insistence on doing what's right and upholding a knight's duty no matter the cost wi

The Hedge Knight does a wonderful job of contrasting Dunk's pure, steadfast insistence on doing what's right and upholding a knight's duty no matter the cost with the selfish meaningless insanity of the political machinations around him. I was really excited to dig into the whole series based on how well the author pulled different elements together into that overall structure. As I worked through the first book, I slowly realized "Oh. This is all about the meaningless sound and fury of political maneuver, backstabbing, and treachery, signifying nothing... along with an overdose of prurience." What would take me pages to do (and hours to revisit the story) is explain in detail all the things that work so well and come together to make The Hedge Knight's overall effect what it is, and then to explain just how much that element is missing in A Game of Thrones. I have absolutely no interest in revisiting A Game of Thrones in order to make this point thoroughly and well, so I doubt I'll ever write a full, detailed explanation of my disappointment.