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)

Haven't had enough yet.

Unrivaled character arcs and speculative fiction storytelling. Narration is not on par with the souls of the characters voices.

the Sword of Light

Jon has the best story. I use to think he was Azor Ahai, but now I think he is Lightbringer.

Written to be read

These books lend themselves so well to narration you would think they were ment to be heard not read. Roy Dotrice performs the voices so well each with a different accent and cadence. Highly recommended for long listening trips.

win or lose...live or die!

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

Kudos and fanfare to George R.R. Martin for an especially refreshing fantasy series that will echo through the generations of geekery for years to come!

In a Clash of Kings, the second installment in the series of A song of Fire and Ice. George R.R. Martin outdoes himself yet again. Enthralling readers and breathes life and hope yet again back into the realms of the genre of Fantasy.

I personally am looking to more than a select few characters stories with baited breath as these heroes and villains rise and fall in this whirlwind of politics, war, fantasy, and intrigue.

of all the favorable and unsavory characters unite and, or back-stab each other in the worst of betrayals in this battle of wits and physical warfare. I cannot honestly say who I wish will win in the end. all I know is to quote the cliche that Cersei Lannister spits out from her poisonous mouth and drops like ominous stones towards Ned Stark in the HBO Series in season one when you play the game of thrones you win or you die! and all of us just have to sit back and let it play out and root for who we want not killed off in the worst of ways.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Clash of Kings?

Picking one would be a feat within itself and I am not one for divulging too much info and ruining books for others.

What does Roy Dotrice bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Voices and, which include too high falsettos that allow you discern different characters. and after awhile I would have to say this comes in handy and very much so as George R. R. Martin in my eyes is notorious for having a lot of characters in this series.

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

If I had, had the time to dedicate to listening to this in a straightshot, LOL I would have!

Any additional comments?

The HBO Series is worth a viewing and I would go as far as to say coughing up a hefty amount of Money to purchase as well.

Female heroines are re-stereotyped via narration

Overall a good book with many interesting details, characters, and events that were not in the HBO series. That is understandable though - it is much less expensive to write in castles, battles, and new characters than it is to make a movie of those things.

Although Dotrice gives a strong performance on the whole, I was disappointed by his portrayal of the female characters. GRR Martin didn't include many strong female heroines to begin with, but at times Dotrice reverts to his pleading Sansa impersonation for even the stronger women such as Brienne and Shae, who would never sing such bird songs in such a way.

I recommend the book for fans of the series. There are enough differences between the book and the series to make it seem like new but familiar adventures for the characters. If it weren't for the series I probably wouldn't find this as alluring - it didn't light up my interest the same way that Foundation or Neuromancer did.

Engaging

I love the narrator of these books his voice is easy to listen to . I love his interpretation of the characters , it never feels like he is just flatly reading a story. Great book can't wait to start the next

Love these books!

I'm really enjoying these books. It works for me to do them on audio because I commute a lot. I've already seen the TV show which is what got me into the books, so it's nice to have the visual story as well. I like learning new things from the books though.

Excellent Story!

I honestly couldn't get enough. Must listen if your a big Game of Thrones fan.

Narrator...

Great voice... but seriously lacking for a series built on character development. But I can only detect 7 destinctive accents, which kinda stinks...

1. Terion
2. Theon
3. Male voice
4. Female voice
5. Sloppy, nasal sounding accent
6. Raspy Male voice
7. High pitch child accent

Am I missing anything?

Dotrice is amazing!

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

I haven't read the print version. I use audio books for the convenience and time savings of getting the story while doing other things.

What did you like best about this story?

Wonderful plot twists and clearly motivated characters.

What about Roy Dotrice’s performance did you like?

What's not to like? The man is a master performer with an amazing range of vocalizations for his characterizations!

Any additional comments?

A highly evocative and entertaining story that engages the listener from start to finish.