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)

Epic tale with a complex plot

Where does A Clash of Kings rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The structure of having the chapters attributed to a certain character is effective but disorienting at the same time. It usually took me about 2min to get back into the mind of the narration.

What did you like best about this story?

There were parts where I was absolutely lost in the story and there were parts where I was having difficulty keeping up with the names, recent events and locations. At times, I wish I could see the names and titles so I could remember them better - I am a highly visual learner and I listen to books on my commute to work.

Was there a moment in the book that particular moved you?

The sequence of Arya cunning the cunner was great fun.

I can't get enough

Great book, ending was a little dull but great none the less. Downloading part 3 as I write.

wen libro

muy bueno lo recomiendo ya quiero ver el siguiente de la saga . . .

Makes the series so much easier!

First time listening to a complete audio book.

The narrator does an awesome job with such a fantastic story!

loved it!

I loved it can't wait for the next. I puts the tv series to shame.

Great expansion on first book, same narration problems

It took me awhile to get into the first book, but now I'm totally hooked. I can't wait to see what happens with all the myriad characters and plot lines Martin has weaved so far.

My only (very minor) complaint is that the narration is a bit weird at times - Dotrice seems to weave between accents at some points, and totally misses the intended inflection of some sentences. I can hardly blame him, given the hours and hours of narration he had to perform, and it doesn't take away from the book. Just kind of annoying and preventable.

Absolutely great!

I'm on my second re-listening, after completing the series to date. There always seem to be details previously missed. Wonderfully narrated, intriguing characters and a great escape from the day to day grind!

interesting read, but allot of charactures

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

It is worth the read and yes I would recommend the book. You just have to be prepared to give it all of your attention to keep the characters straight.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The details to the dates, the era, the cloths, the means by which they spend their days.

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

way too long to listen in one sitting, and this is only book one of five

Any additional comments?

The narrator did an amazing job with the voices of all the characters.

Very good second book

Would you consider the audio edition of A Clash of Kings to be better than the print version?

I am not sure. I've not read the print version.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ariel (sp?) is my favorite. She's scrappy.

Have you listened to any of Roy Dotrice’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I listened to him read the first in this series. He's just as good in this one as the first.

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

Sort of. This book is long but I couldn't wait to hear what happened. I often listened for longer than intended.

Great book!

Great addition to this great series, just as captivating as the first book. I can't wait to start the next!