A Dance with Dragons

A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 5

By: George R.R. Martin

Narrated by: Roy Dotrice

Length: 48 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Dubbed the American Tolkien by Time magazine, George R. R. Martin has earned international acclaim for his monumental cycle of epic fantasy. Now the number-one New York Times best-selling author delivers the fifth book in his spellbinding landmark series - as both familiar faces and surprising new forces vie for a foothold in a fragmented empire.

In the aftermath of a colossal battle, the future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance once again - beset by newly emerging threats from every direction. In the east, Daenerys Targaryen, the last scion of House Targaryen, rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has three times 3,000 enemies, and many have set out to find her. Yet, as they gather, one young man embarks upon his own quest for the queen, with an entirely different goal in mind.

To the north lies the mammoth Wall of ice and stone - a structure only as strong as those guarding it. There, Jon Snow, 998th Lord Commander of the Nights Watch, will face his greatest challenge yet. For he has powerful foes not only within the Watch but also beyond, in the land of the creatures of ice.

And from all corners, bitter conflicts soon reignite, intimate betrayals are perpetrated, and a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, will face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Some will fail, others will grow in the strength of darkness. But in a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics will lead inevitably to the greatest dance of all.

Enchanted? Check out the rest of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series.

©2011 George R.R. Martin (P)2011 Random House

Critic reviews

"Filled with vividly rendered set pieces, unexpected turnings, assorted cliffhangers and moments of appalling cruelty, A Dance with Dragons is epic fantasy as it should be written: passionate, compelling, convincingly detailed and thoroughly imagined." (The Washington Post)

"Long live George Martin...a literary dervish, enthralled by complicated characters and vivid language, and bursting with the wild vision of the very best tale tellers." (The New York Times)

"One of the best series in the history of fantasy." (Los Angeles Times)

Second Best

I enjoyed A Dance with Dragons. There's so much going on that it pains me to have to wait so long for The Winds of Winter. I still feel like A Feast for Crows is my favorite book of the series .

A feast for the imagination

As with the pervious titles this installment was engrossing and as deep as the wall is tall. If only Roy would remember character names correctly and the voices he's created for them.

when is book six coming?????

awesome book. cant wait for the next one!! they just ended at a pivotal point!!!

great book, weird voices

the book was great but the readers voices were bizarre and offputting. only after reading other reviews did I realize he had done a fine job in earlier books but switched something up this time around. if true, he needs to go back to any other way but the way he read for this book.

Excellent Book. Beautiful narration.

This was a wonderful book. GRRM is a very thorough and comprehensive writer. No wonder Winds of Winter has taken so long. Roy Dotrice did a wonderful job. I am just saddened that he couldn't live to finish his work on this series. The next narrator will have large shoes to fill. RIP, Roy Dotrice.

waiting

enjoyed all 5 books. disappointed in having to wait for book 6. all read written. all well read.

Best GoT book

My favorite book. Has some of the best action and developments in all the stories. Am very glad I paid attention to previous books. Cannot wait for the next one. Narrator is spot on as always.

Outstanding

I loved it I can't wait until the next book in the series comes out

Good Story

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The accent used by the narrator was difficult to understand. I had to actually have the book up and accessible at various points to find out what word the reader was trying to say. I didnt really think that the performance was all that great. The narrator's voice was fairly monotone.

Any additional comments?

I chose to listen to the book because I could listen to it while I do other tasks. The narration made it almost impossible to do this.

PROOF THAT A GREAT STORY CAN GET EVEN BETTER!

What made the experience of listening to A Dance with Dragons the most enjoyable?

In Book 4 of SOIAF (Feast for Crows), Roy Dotrice was a little off on his character voices but in this Book 5, thankfully he is back! I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this reading as every twist and revelation was exciting and made even more so due to the author's vivid and often times graphic details.

What did you like best about this story?

The SOIAF is an amazing story all around and this Book 5 is happily more of the same. I am a fan of the many, highly-detailed, larger-than-life characters, locations and magical creatures/elements of George R.R. Martin's world. Daenerys remains one of my favorite characters and her dragons...well, they are sure to quench any fantasy seeker's thirst. It is more than obvious George R.R. Martin is a genius author and master storyteller.