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)

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.

GRRM is a literary genius!

This is work of exquisite fiction is as close to a work of perfection as I have ever had the pleasure of reading or listening to. Roy Dotrice is so great a narrator that you are pleasantly drowned in the story as he speaks the characters to life. With A Dance With Dragons, George R.R. Martin has done it again.

Anxiously waiting book 6

Every book in this series ends in a cliff hanger. Book 5 is no exception. Roy Dotrice is the best narrator!!

great book great setup for book 6

this book was awesome! While this book that's a lot of things in motion for the next book , it is not without its on excitement and twists. this book does not disappoint

BOOK 5 - loved it! :)

love this author! love the plot, love the writing, love the pace, love the history, love the characters, love the action, love the love-story lol, and love love the narrator! can't wait for the next book!!!

Amazing

I loved the story and the reading was great for the most part. Some of the characters did not sound the same through the whole series. Like in books 1 and 2 little finger was exactly the he should sound. Then sounded like a brute of a man. But over all a definite buy if you have the other 4 books.

Great read

I thoroughly enjoyed listening and could not put it down. A fantastic read that was better than the show.

Narration is so bad it's distracting!

Would you consider the audio edition of A Dance with Dragons to be better than the print version?

NA

Would you be willing to try another one of Roy Dotrice’s performances?

No

Any additional comments?

The narration suffered from lack of continuity. Despite having narrated earlier books, the performance by Dotrice was abysmal. Voices constantly changing, and none of them ever really fit the character. Distractingly bad narration.

great book

I love Roy Dotrice even if he messed up some of the voices in the last two books

the best story I've ever heard

just love it can't wait for book 6 a wonderful storyline very exciting thank you