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)

More please sir

Would you listen to A Dance with Dragons again? Why?

I would listen to this entire series over and over again. Over 250 hours of compelling drama. With dramatic and sometimes graphic descriptions of events, I was drawn to keep listening for the next step. Perhaps I missed something, perhaps I didn't cattch a subtle twist. Maybe, just maybe one of them isn't really dead. I can't seem to get enough. Please Mr. Martin - give us more and give us a resolution (if there is one). What of Bran, What of Ricon, Where is Jamey, who is the silent knight, will the wicked queen get her just reward,

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jon. So courageous. So young. So head strong yet full of hidden and unknown potential.

What three words best describe Roy Dotrice’s voice?

Lack of depth. His characters became confusing - possibly because there are so many. Hated his vocal on most of teh female characters.

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

When the queen takes off on the dragon! I could see it and feel her exhileration.

Any additional comments?

The hard copy books have appendicies which are helpfuk in keeping track of who's who and what's what. I think this would have been helpful for listening as well. I did not care for how the chapters were broken up on the audible. Book four is the only one that had it rightg.

excellent book

this is a good book to read, I'm just sad that the next book is not out yet

Much And More.....of the same excellent story line

Any additional comments?

I'm not usually a fan of this genre but I will def be looking at all of Martin's books, current aand future, to get my AWOIAF fix!My one pet peeve is an author overusing a single phrase and Martin took "much and more" to the point of making me cringe when I heard it. Just my own issue but maybe someone could actually count them for me. :-)

another one down

another great book can't wait for the next one, and here's to Roy Dotrice for another outstanding story telling

4 stars

Don't like the narrator's female voices, the rest was excellent. Great story line and a lively narration from Roy Dotrice

Excellent!

Others have complained that character voices seemed different, but it really didn't bother me at all. Great performance by the reader!

GRRM and Roy Dotrice do it again!

This book is intense, a bit slower paced than Clash and Storm, but packed with details that, in usual GRRM style, reward the repeat reader. Mr. Dotrice once again gives a stellar performance in reading this complex tale, giving rich dimension to each character he voices. I particularly enjoy the voices of Stannis Baratheon and Victarion Greyjoy. Superb!

Back to form

Roy is back and it's wonderful. Stepped up from book 4. Still seems like filler.

Fantastic

Epic story-telling, the narrator does amazing work reading the 40+ hour book, I hope he has plenty glasses of water!

This is one of my favorite books in the series

This is one of my favorite books in the series. It is a bit difficult to understand at times because the names and words are strange, but the narrator does an excellent job of portraying different characters and inner dialogue through voices and tones.