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)

I like the narration

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

I have read some reviews for the game of thrones series that are quite negative about the narration. I think it's great. The series has so many characters that I would imagine it is very difficult for a narrator to read this book. Having said that, my husband walked in the other day when i was playing the book through our speakers while house cleaning and he automatically said "I hate that narrator" Maybe I've gotten used to him, but like in many audio books the narrator sounds like a friend to me now. :)

Which character – as performed by Roy Dotrice – was your favorite?

Aria is always my favorite.

Roy dotrice

What a double edged sword, in some ways he is perfect.

Then he says Jeffrey, peh tire, and makes roose Bolton sound like a member of the lollipop guild.

All in all a great way to hear the books during a commute

Brilliant

What made the experience of listening to A Clash of Kings the most enjoyable?

The narrator is excellent and the story is engrossing.

Any additional comments?

You may want to take a look at the way you're dividing chapters in this digital version. Unlike A Game of Thrones, the back and forward options on here do not bring you to the previous or next chapter - in fact, more often than not, it drops you right into the middle of a chapter, which is frustrating if I'm trying to go back to the beginning of Bran's chapter because I missed something and instead find myself closer to the beginning or smack in the middle of Tyrion's chapter.

Just as good as the first

Great performance, and an interesting listen. They sure are long, but the story is captivating and it really makes the show more enjoyable.

Great story, okay reader

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

Never owned the print version, but probably not. Its really hard to understand the author when he does certain voices, and sometimes its hard to tell one character from another based solely upon the readers voice. This is really rough when there are no other indications as to who is speaking. For example (SPOILER ALERT) when Jaimie and Kat are talking while Jaimie is imprisoned at Riverrun.

What aspect of Roy Dotrice’s performance would you have changed?

Some of his voices are too similar to other characters, and others are really hard to understand. I understand that some people's voices are supposed to be weird, but he gets so spitty sometimes that its hard to know what is being said.

so happy i bought this on audible

I was simply entranced by this book, the entire series so far put on audible. A must have if you love fantasy, or simply a great captivating story. The reader couldnt have been better!

Dark and Depressingly Brilliant.

If you could sum up A Clash of Kings in three words, what would they be?

If I could sum up a Clash of Kings in three words, they would be as such:

1. Dark. This is a time of war. It is not a time for love. It is a time for loss, battle, difficult decisions and hideousness.

2. Depressing. Really....after my number 1 word above, I don't think an explanation is needed.

3. Brilliance. The storytelling as well as the performance of the reader is outstanding. Although the accents get mixed up every so often (Tyrion has a welsh accent but his family does not) it helped me sort out the myriads of characters in my head.

It is easy to get hooked on the first book...it is impossible not to read the second, even though at times you feel like you're in an abusive relationship with the author...there's a sweet glimmer of hope, and then suddently BAM, the author hits your with something you never saw coming.
As one previous reader told me, "don't get attached to any characters"..... these are tough times....and a story that will keep you reading. Dont miss is....but don't expect it to be easy!!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hodor. A breath of simplicity is lovely in this story.

What about Roy Dotrice’s performance did you like?

His assortment of voices helped me keep characters straight in my head (cuz there's a BEEHIVE full of them in this story!) His voice for the Onion Knight is hilariously pirate, but his mixing up of the regional accents can be confusing at times.

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

The children from Deepwood Motte

excellence

la la la la la la la la la la la la la la so I can leave a review

In love again

Once again George & Roy do not disappoint as author and narrator. My heart stayed in my throat again for the Starks. Great sequel! On to the third!!!!!

Great experience

I've read the story myself before but found this experience was on whole other level. Roy Dotrices voices and diversity of characters as he reads immerses you into the book in an engaging way. Enjoyed every minute of it. This is the book where I realized Tyrion was my favorite character