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)

Incredible range of voices, well acted

I thought it was going to be a struggle trying to keep characters separate but each character was well done and very entertaining.

Very good book. Great start to series.

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

One of the best books I've read this year.

What other book might you compare A Game of Thrones to and why?

Reminded me of The Stand, or Lonesome Dove. A sweeping epic with many characters to learn.

What does Roy Dotrice bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His accents and voices bring the characters to life.

Performance

Excellent performance!!! I really enjoyed it. It felt like I was watching the show l!! Brilliant brilliant and flawless performance

Great. Through and through.

Roy Dotrice does a masterful job of illustrating the complexities of Martin's characters; his accents are entertaining and perhaps most impressively, they're consistent.

For those who are avid GOT fans it might take a period of adjustment to hear favourite characters with unfamiliar accents; that said, if you're a fan, you're a fan - and Roy Dotrice takes you along on George R. R. Martin's exhilarating journey of a Song of Ice and Fire.
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For those of you who have read the books and are avid fans of the series, I'd recommend that you listen to A Knight of The Seven Kingdoms and The World of Ice and Fire before restarting ASOIAF; it gives a wonderful contextual background to the story. Listening to it again has made the series far more interesting than it has been in previous attempts!

Proper good fun.

Wonderful narrartor

Would you consider the audio edition of A Game of Thrones to be better than the print version?

Absolutely! The narrator brings the story to life with many different voices and sounds.

Wow

I couldn't help but pick this one up after all of the good things I've heard about both the book and TV adaptation. I'd also heard some literary criticism of George R. R. Martin's writing style, which wile valid, were only relevant in the strictest sense of a scholarly English critique. The universe of Game of Thrones is one full of wonder and fantasy, with heroes and villains alike all imagined in vivid detail. Each house with their arms, ancestry, and decoration are presented for the reader's mind to envision. In that sense I have very much enjoyed the ride and the story itself has gripped me the entire way through.

Roy Dotrice has a great voice. Each character's annunciation comes to life with such range that I am never at a loss to know who is speaking. He has the perfect blend of rasp and masculinity for men, innocence and delicacy for children, and sternness and confidence for the leading women. I can't wait to hear more in the sequels.

Sound quality of the recording itself is very good. I feel no need to adjust the EQ settings while listening in my car. I am not an audiophile, but SQ is important to me and I am especially bothered by poor recordings. This product does not disappoint!

Roy Dotrice is painful to listen to at times.

Book was great, but I couldn't get past how awful Roy Dotrice was to listen to. He didn't have enough voices for characters and half of them ended up sounding like Hagrid from Harry Potter. I've listened to books narrated by amazing narrators who give a certain accent to certain areas in the story (as accents work in real life... geographicly). Roy Dotrice doesn't do that. Random men are Scottish. Women mostly sound like old hags...even young wives. About ten characters sound like Hagrid. He just pulls you out of the story. Sure wish Song of Ice and Fire, with all it's immense fan base, would invest in getting a new audiobook recording with someone better.

Good content

The book was a great story I felt like the narrator’s range was limited with the character which held back a powerful story.

great book. never had 33 hours go by so fast.

Great book. Never had 33 hours go by so fast. Roy Dotrice is one of the best narrators I have ever listened to. I can't wait to start book 2.

Well done over all!

I have enjoyed the show and now I am enjoing the books! I need to find the next one and keep it rolling