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)

Dotrice is still the best!

A Dance With Dragons yet another fabulous entry in the Song of Ice and Fire. Roy Dotrice is back with all your favorite voices (alas Dany is a bit off, but his Dolorous Edd and Victarion Greyjoy make up for it IMHO). Can't recommend highly enough. The best!

Next book in the compelling series.

the next compelling chapter in the tale of the 7 kingdoms. another enjoyable listen as the berries fashions fight for control of the room.

Long and stretched out but loved it nonetheless

First 80 percent of the book is really slow and moves at crawling speed. GRRM is excellent at what he does but with this book being the biggest, it just felt like forever. The last 15% does pick up good speed and cover a lot of characters but still not good enough to cover up for the slow beginnings.

The series was going great for the first 3 books and then it started going downhill. And this book takes it further down. Still better than a lot of fantasy books i have read. I expect wonders in the next installment considering the climax in this book.

I highly recommend it for people waiting for redemption from characters that seem to get away every time, so definitely worth a read if you have come so far. Roy Dotrice seems to not carry the same voice over from his earlier books he gave to every character, but that pinch feels only for a few chapters and then you get over it.

Wow

Fantastic. Well written. A masterpiece that rivals "The Lord of the Rings". Narration is excellent. I can't wait for the next one.

Quite possibly the best in the series!

One of the greatest cliffhangers in recent memory! The twists at the ends of each book, are as unforseen, as they are exciting. This one had me wishing for more chapters. Loved every moment of it.

to long

this is a good story but it drags on at times. It takes to long to get back to some characters and spend to much time on other

A good read if you’ve already invested in the series

As with the other books in this series, the characters and story lines are so detailed, numerous, and complicated, that the book can become a lot of work. It is ultimately worth it, but much easier if you could set aside a few days and read it straight through!

what can I say if I made it this far you know

as expected of this series I am in awe, I created it's conclusion, and I'm starved for more
the performance was well done. I am new to books. on tape and had no idea how a performer could make or break a book.

Very good reading!

This is my favorite show and my favorite book series so far. Very well read.

You can’t stop listening!

I have loved listening to this series of books! I have seen the show but I love how in depth the books go, this is a must listen!