TSJ Recommends A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS |

TSJ Recommends A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

HBO has outdone itself with this series.

NO Spoilers Below

First, just a bit of context. I enjoyed Game of Thrones, even the final season, which I felt provided symmetry to the entire show. Granted, things didn’t turn out as I’d hoped; there were some significant gaps in the narrative and some aspects were anticlimactic, but as a whole, the series was stellar. In particular, the episodes The Watchers on the Wall, The Rains of Castamere, and Hardhome were standouts and movie-quality stories for home viewing.

I started House of the Dragon and enjoyed it very much, but I’ve stalled in Season 1.

Further, Fantasy is not one of my preferred genres.

I decided to give AKOTSK a shot based on all the positive reviews, and I’m glad I did. Here is the IMDB description:

A century before GOT, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his squire, Egg, wandered through Westeros while the Targaryen dynasty ruled the Iron Throne, and dragons were still remembered. Great destinies and enemies await the incomparable friends.

There are numerous elements I enjoy about the show. In many ways, I like it more than the previous series I mentioned, which focus on political scheming and the rise and fall of kingdoms and kings. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, on the other hand, is a much smaller story, but it grabs you from the very beginning. Peter Claffey portrays Dunk, or Sir Duncan the Tall, who finds himself on his own in the first seconds of the show. Dexter Sol Ansell portrays Egg, the bald child you’ve seen on the poster.

The narrative focuses on their adventures. Circumstances push these two together early on, and their friendship develops rapidly. There are other characters who quickly become memorable as well, and all are exceptional in their roles. In particular, Finn Bennett as Prince Aerion, Danny Webb as Sir Arlan of Pennytree, and Daniel Ings as Sir Lyonel are all standouts.

So far there has only been one season of seven episodes. The positives would be extensive, and my list would include:

a tight, constrained, and confined story
amazing sets, set design, and visuals
great backstories for both Dunk and Egg
Ansell is a fabulous actor
layered characters who add a rich tapestry to the show, including friends, villains, those who betray Dunk, and all in a kaleidoscope of greys
a very simple story one wouldn’t think gripping, which abruptly turns electric
lots of humour to break up the drama of previous iterations
the action is wonderful and eye-popping

And I think I could go on. The only negative I might say is that the show is not long enough. Each episode is only 40 minutes or so, but that might actually be one of the reasons the show is so gripping — it leaves the viewer simply wanting more.

I want to single out Dexter Sol Ansell. I confess that I worry whenever a child is cast onscreen. Often things can go sideways in terms of acting and story … but in this case, the producers nailed the casting and Ansell is wonderful. Everything from his diction to mannerisms to barely-constrained enthusiasm are spot-on and fun to watch. Even his posture in scenes tells a tale, and the character’s backstory is rich for further development. I’ll leave it at that.

I urge you to watch this as soon as possible to avoid spoilers, because you will hit them out in the real world very soon, I’d imagine.

I highly recommend this richly-developed series, which adds immense texture to the world that George R.R. Martin has created. Kudos to everyone involved. It has been greenlit for Season 2, and I can’t wait to see what comes next. Check out the trailer, just below.

— Timothy S. Johnston

(HBO has hit it out of the park. I also recently binged The Pitt, and it is a near-perfect series which I highly recommend … but that’s for another post.)

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A Blanket of Steel by Timothy S. Johnston and from Fitzhenry & Whiteside, LTD. is the recipient of the 2024 GLOBAL Thriller Award GRAND PRIZE and the 2024 CYGNUS Award First in Category.

— Timothy S. Johnston, 2 March 2026

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Praise for Timothy S. Johnston’s A Blanket of Steel

“Fans of Clive Cussler’s NUMA Files will be delighted with Timothy S. Johnston’s undersea novels. Truman McClusky and Dirk Pitt are cut from the same adventurer’s cloth.” — Nick Cutter, author of The Deep and The Troop

“Action that ranges from close range combat to torpedo-fueled attacks. The result is a thriller that keeps moving from confrontation to confrontation … with constant danger and the vast depths of the ocean as a setting, there is always reason to keep reading.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Read the book and prepare to be blown away by one of the best writers I have ever had the pleasure to read. Timothy S. Johnston is simply amazing.” — FIVE Stars from Readers’ Favorite

“A Blanket of Steel is not simply a ‘daring do’ thriller … It’s prescient.” — Amazing Stories

“A priority selection. An action-packed story that is hard to put down. A Blanket of Steel is outstanding.” — D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

“Innovative technology, Mac taking risks no one else would dare and thinking his way through to brilliant solutions … But the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been before. This is it. The countdown to the final battle … Johnston does an excellent job of keeping the tension taut as he plays with the reader’s perceptions of characters we thought we knew and trusted …” — SFcrowsnest

“Expect to be left breathless. Trust me here. Please. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN.” — Michael Libling, author of The Serial Killer’s Son Takes A Wife and Hollywood North: A Novel in Six Reels

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A BLANKET OF STEEL is out now!

WATCH THE GRIPPING BOOK TRAILER HERE.

FOR PURCHASE OPTIONS CLICK HERE

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A Blanket of Steel from Timothy S. Johnston and Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Ltd.

Book Cover & Jacket Copy:

AN UNSTOPPABLE THREAT!

A mysterious assassin has murdered Cliff Sim, Chief Security Officer of the underwater colony, Trieste. Cliff was a mountain of a man, highly trained, and impossible to defeat in combat. And yet …

Someone brutally beat him and left his broken body in a secret Chinese facility at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

And included a calling card for Truman McClusky, Mayor of Trieste.

Taunting him.

Mac has led the underwater colonies in their fight against the world’s superpowers. Climate change has devastated the surface; nations suffer famine, drought, rebellion, rising waters, and apocalyptic coastal flooding. But now, as Mac leads the underwater colonies to freedom and independence, he’s faced with the gravest threat of his life: a Russian assassin, hellbent on killing Mac and everyone he cares for. Now Mac must uncover the identity of the killer, face him in combat, and at the same time lead people in battle against the largest underwater force ever assembled. It’s Mac’s final test, and to win the war, he must use every tool at his disposal, including the most surprising and devastating underwater weapons ever invented.

If Mac fails, all hope is lost for the future of human colonization on the ocean floors.

But the assassin could be anyone …

Watch your back, Mac.

A Blanket of Steel is the most gripping thriller yet in The Rise of Oceania.

FOR PURCHASE OPTIONS CLICK HERE

The other books in The Rise of Oceania series by Timothy S Johnston:

The War Beneath 9781771484718
The Savage Deeps 9781771485067
Fatal Depth 9781554555574
An Island of Light 9781554555819
The Shadow of War 9781554556007