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)

So so so good!

I loved Game of Thrones and this is more of the same excellent storytelling by both author and narrator. If you love the characters by now and are consumed with what happens next, rest assured that Martin pulls out all the stops and thrills his readers as the story goes on. It starts a bit slow because new characters and story arcs are added, but since book one left more than a few burning questions unanswered Martin holds his readers at bay just long enough to get you foaming at the mouth to know what happened to Arya and the rest. This one has stome heart-stopping moments that will leave you wanting more.

Wonderful

The reader was nice sounding and the story, wow the story. The intrigues between the various Lannisters is almost enough for a book of its own. I would like to hear more about Daneryres (the dragon queen).

Much like the first book, a tedious but good story

The second book in A Song of Ice and Fire is gripping in its chaos. Martin yanks the reader through several intertwined story lines without any regard for how much he portrays a character as likeable or dislikeable. You'll follow a character for several chapters, become engaged in his or her story, then suddenly find yourself across the sea in a somehow related (though mostly unclear how) story. But that's Martin's style and if you enjoyed the first book, the second book is on par.

This book, like the first, has a high death toll. Fewer favorite characters die, which is refreshing. Martin tricks the reader a few times, which makes for a tantalizing treat for listeners who pick up subtle details.

As with the last book, Roy Dotrice provides an amazing performance. His ability to distinguish between the dozens of character voices is nothing short of amazing. Good thing, too, because that's the only way to really keep track of them all in audio format.

I would recommend the second book in the series for those who enjoyed the first. It feels longer, so be prepared for that. Overall, I'm glad I finished the book and will (after a break, because the second one wore me out) listen to the third.

Some voices don't fit

I think some of the voice choices distract from the narrative. Most women are a miss for me but other voices are spot on.

If you love Dickens, give Ice and Fire a try!

This continuation of the Ice and Fire series does not stand alone--readers who haven't read Game of Thrones will be lost in the incredible breadth and scope of the world created by Martin, who approaches Charles Dickens in his ability to create and populate a vast and convincing world. Roy Dotrice ably meets the challenge of creating a distinctive voice for an enormous range of characters, his abillity brings this fascinating world to life as well as the HBO series did. Martin's river battle scene is so compellingly written, that I forget this was fiction, and was holding my breath to see how it would play out. Martin is such a breath of fresh air--he creates complex characters (no formula heroes OR villains) and holds nothing back in contriving situations that challenge and threaten them. The plot continually twists and turns, and though events are surprising and unpredictable, they flow logically out of the situations and characterizations he has created. Keep writing, Mr. Martin! Keep reading, Mr. Dotrice!

Love Roy Dotrice

This entire series by George RR Martin is magnificent, but the audible books even rise above the print due to the wonderful voice range of Roy Dotrice. He should get an award for these books, and the characters that he makes come alive. Every character is so unique,..I especially love Jaqen H'ghar. Unfortunately, he has been replaced in A Feast for Crows.

Great listen happy I heard it

Best narrator ive personally heard on audible. story draws you in like nothing else

Good

I disliked the continued use of the N word but other than that it was amazingly written.

Narrator

The narrator does really odd voices for the characters. This review requires a minimum of 15 words

A Clash of King Wannabes

Five kings battle each other in A Clash of Kings. But four of them are either self-proclaimed or merely making a claim, and the only actual king does not actually have a valid claim and as a child does not really reign. Nevertheless, the dearth of actual kings does not make A Clash of Kings any less than what it is: a lengthy entry in the vast world of A Game of Thrones that inches along its minimal plot while immersing us in a fascinating array of characters.

The complete plot of this book can be (and has been) summarized in less than a thousand words. Yes, there are a couple of battles, a fair amount of political intrigue, and a whole lot of death and destruction. And the world of Westeros is sketchily built -- what is the economy based on other than the default fantasy setting of medieval Europe, what is the basis in this world's reality of shifting alliances where no motivation other than spite is in evidence, and how is there any sort of remaining population in a world where people die so often and so young?

But the genius of George R.R. Martin is in developing character. Everything in his fantasy world is filtered through one of his main characters -- Tyrion, Daeny, various and sundry Starks, and a few others. Even straight exposition conveyed in dialogue reads well because it is interpreted via a character point of view, even as the character continues to develop. These books could be shortened to a quarter or a third of their length and the action beefed up significantly, but as is, it remains most satisfying because of these great characters and how well Martin develops them.

So clearly there is not enough of Daenerys in this book, and there is no justice for either the good (for whom death is often preferable to the tortured hell they are forced to live in) or the wicked (who live in a tortured hell of their own making even when they get what they want). But this is still great stuff -- with lots more to come (the ending not even written yet).