A Game of Thrones

A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1

By: George R.R. Martin

Narrated by: Roy Dotrice

Length: 33 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Now the acclaimed HBO series Game of Thrones - the masterpiece that became a cultural phenomenon

Winter is coming. Such is the stern motto of House Stark, the northernmost of the fiefdoms that owe allegiance to King Robert Baratheon in far-off King's Landing. There Eddard Stark of Winterfell rules in Robert's name. There his family dwells in peace and comfort: his proud wife, Catelyn; his sons Robb, Brandon, and Rickon; his daughters Sansa and Arya; and his bastard son, Jon Snow. Far to the north, behind the towering Wall, lie savage Wildings and worse - unnatural things relegated to myth during the centuries-long summer, but proving all too real and all too deadly in the turning of the season. Yet a more immediate threat lurks to the south, where Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, has died under mysterious circumstances. Now Robert is riding north to Winterfell, bringing his queen, the lovely but cold Cersei, his son, the cruel, vainglorious Prince Joffrey, and the queen's brothers Jaime and Tyrion of the powerful and wealthy House Lannister - the first a swordsman without equal, the second a dwarf whose stunted stature belies a brilliant mind.

All are heading for Winterfell and a fateful encounter that will change the course of kingdoms. Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea, Prince Viserys, heir of the fallen House Targaryen, which once ruled all of Westeros, schemes to reclaim the throne with an army of barbarian Dothraki - whose loyalty he will purchase in the only coin left to him: his beautiful yet innocent sister, Daenerys.

©1996 George R.R. Martin, (P)2003 Books On Tape, Inc., published in arrangement with Random House Audio Group,a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Locus Award, 1997

"Martin's trophy case is already stuffed with major prizes...He's probably going to have to add another shelf, at least." (Publishers Weekly)

"The first volume in Martin's first fantasy saga combines intrigue, action, romance, and mystery in a family saga." (Booklist)

"Grabs hold and won't let go. It's brilliant." (Robert Jordan)

"This novel is an absorbing combination of the mythic, the sweepingly historical, and the intensely personal." (Chicago Sun-Times)

5 stars for the book. 4 for the audio book.

I read the print version years ago and thought it was brilliant and still do. With the impending premier of the Game of Thrones television series and upcoming release of A Dance With Dragons a few months later, I wanted to reacquaint myself with this story. The second time around was nearly as good as the first. I couldn't give this performance a fifth star because of a couple of annoyances. Firstly, Dotrice was inconsistent with his pronunciations (saying Jeffrey instead of Joffrey or pronouncing Varys two different ways, etc.). A minor annoyance I know but the second was much worse: repeated sentences (a spoken sentence followed by the exact spoken sentence) would pop up repeatedly throughout the 33 hours and 53 minutes. Other than that, I found Roy Dotrice to be a masterful narrator.

Fair warning: Books 4 and 5 will disappoint you

Where does A Game of Thrones rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The first 3 books are amazing and it's all due to Roy Dotrice's narration. I would have to say out of all of the audio books I have listened to, the first 3 are the best.

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

My favorite character, as performed by Roy Dotrice, is without a doubt, Tyrion Lannister. Jon Snow and Arya Stark are my other two favorites.

Any additional comments?

Naturally, after listening to the first book, you want to hear more. The second and third books are amazing. However, the narrator changes in book 4. Trying to listen to book is like being read to by a kindergarten teacher. In book 5, they bring back Roy Dotrice as the narrator, however, most of the character voices change.

I will be waiting for HBO to catch up on their take on the series as well as waiting for the publishers to revisit books 4 and 5, and correct the issues in their audio book form....

Kept me spellbound

LOVED this book! Highly recommend! Can't say enough good things about it. Just downloaded book 2

Live at first listen

I absolutely loved this. The story, the narrator, everything. It was everything I wanted in a story and more. 1000/10

amazing

amazing story with so much intrigue & tragedy. any fan of the show should definitely read or listen to the original story as told by GRRM.

Needs different person reading

Started this right after the series finale and definitely not disappointed. Other than the narrator, great book.

Totally enjoyed it as a fan of the show

Having enjoyed the show and watched it in its entirety at least twice, I didn’t know how this book would strike me. I loved it.

You get to know and understand the characters so much better than you do in the show and the depth and layers of them and the plots that wind their fates together are all the richer for it.

Roy Dotrice’s performance here keeps the text fresh and engaging all the way through.

Incredible story, narration was questionable

This book was awesome, as many seem to agree. If you can stick it out through the narration I highly recommend it! Do the narrators audition? If so the decent people who select were off sick that day.

addictive story

the narrator was fabulous and really made the story come alive. I struggled with the brutality. I am an animal lover amd the battle scenes gabe me nightmares. not for the faint of heart.

Great Listen

This a great book read by great narrator. The story is amazing and very enjoyable especially if you've already seen the show. The narrator does a good job at making you feel as if you are in the world yourself (though there are a few pronunciation "errors")