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)

The best in the series so far.

The characters really come to life under the performance of the actor! It was much more intense under his reading, than my own. Great stuff!

Great book! I can't wait for Winds Of Winter!!

The narrator is perfect, Thank you Mr.Roy Dotrice. The story is amazing I listen to it all the time. Trying to figure out little things that I missed. Worth the time it takes to get thru. It'll leave you on the edge and wanting more.

Another win!

Loved this book! I got hooked, and had to have the whole series. Very happy I did, it has been so many hours of great entertainment :)

Talk about cliff hanger!

Just waiting for the conclusion now! Hope it comes soon. Some of the character voices were a little off, but another great narration of a captivating tale.

It begins.

This is where it all starts. All these years waiting for the dragons, the winter and the inevitable epic war that will change Westeros begins here.

Amazing book, I didn't want to stop listening.

I felt transported when I listened to this book. I could imagine myself there with all the characters.

Another great story!

Why must you write such good books George then keep us waiting for so long?! Ugh, the wait for the next book will be excruciating. Seriously though, great book and great reading!

Great Series - Needs to work on story ending

If you could sum up A Dance with Dragons in three words, what would they be?

Expatiations, numbing & disappointment

What was most disappointing about George R. R. Martin’s story?

I was stunned that such a good story teller couldn't find an ending that was equal to the whole story. I must say it was one of the worse endings that I personally have had to endure and to me that was a shame.

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

I pretty much enjoyed most of them, but I did notice a quality fall off in the later books. There were just too many to have a significant difference that would allow for a positive identitification of who they were while going through the books. He did a great job and deserves kudos for it.

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

There was potential for a great finish, but Martin's need for the never ending detail of a particular scene can wear one out. In reflecting on the whole story there were few really feel good points throughout, pretty much a disaster for one group or another. Really no real winners or true losers because in the end everyone lost.....

Any additional comments?

I was expecting the series to end in a furious climax but it turned out to be a fizzle and a big diasppointment to me. Perhaps most will like it, but for me it was too many loose ends and questionable ends for the different cast members that I followed throughout the story. He spun a great tale only to lose it at the end.

amazing

love these books have listened to every one of them would recomend them to every one

Finally the story continues

The wait for this book was long... we were delivered about 1/3 of it with A Feast for Crows, but the stories I most wanted to read are in this volume. Things are finally moving in the right direction.

As other reviewers have said, the choice of voicing for many characters - especially young and female characters isn't as good as it was in previous Martin books I bought from Audible - though some characters, such as Tyrion are perfect.