A Clash of Kings

A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 2

By: George R.R. Martin

Narrated by: Roy Dotrice

Length: 37 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. And from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war.

It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.

©1999 George R.R. Martin (P)2004 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

Locus Award, 1999

"A truly epic fantasy.... The novel is notable particularly for the lived-in quality of its world, created through abundant detail...for the comparatively modest role of magic...and for its magnificent action-filled climax.... [Martin] provides a banquet for fantasy lovers with large appetites." (Publishers Weekly)

"Fans of epic fantasy should appreciate this lavishly detailed sequel to A Game of Thrones." (Library Journal)

"Dotrice's range of vocal tones, from gravelly and commanding to silkenly dangerous, creates a mood of insistence that holds the listener captive throughout the epic story." (AudioFile)

"Grabs hold and won't let go. It's brilliant." (Robert Jordan)

loved the narrator!

I really enjoyed this audiobook, it was the next best thing to reading it myself..... but who has time for that anymore. haha

loved it

love the story love the reader love the little vocies he makes just amazing. cant wait till the next door

Suddenly Magic

Better than the first book by far. My only main gripe is how much magic is thrown into the series with no real reason. its like the author watched something with wizards and was like "yeah thats cool" and threw it in. the reader also still cant do female voices.

good review

did a great job this guy's in his voice with each character. my only complaint was he mispronounced some of the names

loved the book

only complaint is the narrator's characters all sound alike, some names were mispronounced, other than that it was well read

it's very long but it's amazing

Great book, though a bit long, but you are sad when it ends. Can't wait for the next one

good stuff

enjoyed it a lot. real good stuff going to the third one right after this

Slow and Not Sure I'll Continue After this Book

This book was slow for me, especially in the first half. I enjoy the many different story lines, but they drug a bit. It lacks strong forward motion for a while, and that left me with a feeling of random wandering. In return, my attention wandered, and I cheated on this book with other stories, which slowed my pace.

However, I do love many other things about the story lines, characters, and world, so I am still debating whether or not to continue reading this series. I think I need to take a break before moving on to book 3. I want to know what happens, but I feel exhausted.

Would you recommend A Clash of Kings to your friends? Why or why not?
Probably not, because it needed a lot more editing and has serious pacing issues. I still love the world, I am just struggling with the way it has been written.

What about Roy Dotrice’s performance did you like?
His expression and voices.

Great performance & story

What did you love best about A Clash of Kings?

I loved the way the narrator reads in various styles/voices for the different characters--it makes it easier to keep up with the huge number of characters and storylines. I moved between the audio book and the hard copy and enjoyed both!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Like most people, I enjoy the character of Jon Snow because of his courage and willingness to embrace his own story...I also enjoy Tyrion and Dani for many of the same reasons. Looking forward to the development and I'm guessing eventually meeting of these characters...I haven't watched the show, so the books are all new to me.

What about Roy Dotrice’s performance did you like?

Good speed, tone, and voice shifts for different characters--really captures their personalities

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no--way too complicated of a book for that--I listened an hour or two at a time so I could let it sink in

great story

good narration for the most part. great story. will definately be getting the next one.