A hundred years before Daenerys Targaryen set off to retake the Seven Kingdoms, there was a particularly tall knight and his squire whose adventures paint a picture of Westeros and its history like we’ve never seen before. HBO’s latest prequel to the epic events of Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, has officially wrapped up its first season with roaring approval — and a second season with Dunk and Egg is promised to us smallfolk.

Instead of the thick drama we’re used to wading through when watching House of the Dragon or Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a refreshing new look at Westeros from the perspective of the common people. Instead of tension-heavy rooms filled with highborn nobles, we’re invited into much more casual scenes with the people the royals move around on their game boards: the smallfolk.

Per Variety, each episode of season one averaged nearly 13 million viewers and was extremely well-received for its faithful retelling of George RR Martin’s short tales. The fantasy author himself has praised the show, which hasn’t always been the norm every time his stories jump from the page to the screen.

Speaking of pages, if you can’t wait a year to meet Dunk and Egg again, you can read the rest of their story before the second season arrives in 2027. Martin wrote three short novellas about the dynamic duo, each published on their own before being compiled into one book back in 2015. It’s best to read them in the order they were published, so here’s how to jump in.

1. The Hedge Knight

Introductions and a tourney

We meet Ser Duncan the Tall — a young and largely untested hedge knight — who picks up his fallen mentor’s sword and shield to trek to a place called Ashford Meadow. There, he’s hopeful that a great tourney will help him carve out a name for himself, and maybe even give him the confidence he pretends to have all along.

Dunk picks up a stray along the way — a strange boy named Egg — who he takes as his squire. Upon arrival in Ashford Meadow, Dunk finds himself in a nasty tangle with highborn politics, hot royal personalities, and the rigid expectations of knighthood all at odds with his honor. The money prize isn’t the only thing at stake.

2. The Sworn Sword

A different kind of game

About a year later, the dynamic duo land themselves in the service of an old minor lord whose house isn’t quite prospering. In fact, his misfortunes are dire enough that tensions begin to rise between him and a neighboring house — and if peace should prevail, the burden is Dunk’s to bear.

Forced to navigate a conflict that seems tiny compared to the dragon wars and White Walker conflicts fans know well, The Sworn Sword gives us a more intimate look at the power, pride, and justice that comes when a knight is sworn to someone else — and how much he actually owes him in the end.

3. The Mystery Knight

Not just a game after all

The dynamic duo returns to their tourney roots for what should be a cheery wedding feast and tourney, but not everything is as it seems. Between private motives, old ties, and suspicious attendees, Dunk realizes that this isn’t going to be a run-of-the-mill celebration.

As wider conspiracies and conflicts make themselves known, Dunk and Egg find themselves right in the middle of the intrigue and must confront situations that pull them even deeper into the political games that made Westeros so famous in our eyes.