A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R. R. Martin

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a collection of three short stories about Ser Duncan the Tall, a hedge knight in Westeros, and his squire, Egg.  It is the same setting as Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, but about 100 years before those events.

The first story is of Ser Duncan's first tourney and how Egg became his squire.  The second is about their service to an impoverished noble house dealing with a drought.  The third about another tourney to celebrate a wedding.  In each story there is, of course, a conflict and through each Duncan proves his valor as a Knight.  Given the author, I kept waiting for a hammer to drop, for something to go horribly wrong.  But each story ended happily ... or at least in a reasonable facsimile thereof.  The good guys win, anyway.

The book is well crafted.  Each story is its own, but with common themes throughout.  The characters are engaging and endearing.  The intrigues are fascinating.  The stories are fun and exciting.   I really enjoyed the book.  Whether or not you have read A Song of Ice and Fire, I recommend this one.