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  • 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
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (145,880 ratings)

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A Game of Thrones

By: George R.R. Martin
Narrated by: Roy Dotrice
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Editorial review


By Seth Hartman, Audible Editor

A GAME OF THRONES IS A MASTERFUL START TO AN EPIC DARK FANTASY

I wasn’t properly introduced to A Song of Ice and Fire until my freshman year in college. My roommate at the time was a bona fide superfan of the series—when I told him that I hadn’t yet given it a try, he could barely contain his excitement. A week after this discovery, I had already watched the first season of the television series and was hungry for more. Instead of binging the remaining seasons, I elected to crack open the first book in order to get the "definitive" experience. Even at the time, I could already tell that this series would leave a strong impact on me.

A Game of Thrones mostly follows House Stark, a noble family controlling the northern portion of the great kingdom of Westeros. Ned, the Lord of House Stark, is asked to join his old friend King Robert Baratheon in court as his new right-hand man. Shortly after arriving in the royal capital, Ned begins to unravel a conspiracy involving Queen Cersei Lannister and her family. Far to the North, Ned’s bastard son Jon Snow joins the Night’s Watch, a group of banished soldiers tasked with defending The Wall, a massive chunk of ice that keeps the mysterious White Walkers confined. To the East, a young girl named Daenerys Targaryen, the last of her line and heir to the previous regime, begins her bid for the throne with little more than a couple of dragon eggs.

While this series becomes increasingly complex book to book, the first entry is delightfully streamlined. Rather than introducing a million characters and locations, A Game of Thrones focuses on the three major families in the series, devoting a lot of time to fleshing out the main cast. On my first read, I was struck by the subversive nature of Thrones. Despite its setting, this is not a triumphant tale of knights and dragons. Rather, George R.R. Martin has created a world of betrayals and backstabs, one that values information and subterfuge far more than swords and shining armor. Veteran voice actor Roy Dotrice brings his highly adaptable voice to the audiobook, giving even more color to Martin's writing.

Continue reading Seth's review >

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)

Featured Article: The Best Fantasy Audiobooks to Take You Out of This World


Few audiobooks provide as much of an escape as those in the fantasy genre. Each of the best introduces us to an entirely new world (or a new version of this one), a diverse cast of complexly constructed characters, and a story so mesmerizing we’re reluctant to return to real life. But because the genre is so full of talent, it can be difficult to know what to listen to next. Look no further than this list of the best fantasy audiobooks to get you started.

What listeners say about A Game of Thrones

Average customer ratings
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Griping and fascinating!!!

Great book to listen to. After watching the series, the book added more depth to an already great story. The faces and stories seemed real after watching the series and now listening to the events unfold. Great book and I will continue with the audio series.

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Amazing!

I was hesitant to listen to this after watching the entire series, but DO NOT WORRY it is so entertaining that I ignored other hobbies and obligations to listen to it. The narrator is a true talent, and having seen the series it was so easy to follow along and know the plethora of characters. Absolutely would recommend!

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Stunning narrating makes the epic story come alive

Stunning narrating by Roy Dotrice! He makes the epic story come alive as vividly as the series.. even more so! I can sense the caracters so much better with their thoughts from the story, and the different personalty in the voices Roy perform. Awesome listen! :)

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Great Book! Great reading.

Roy Dotrice is amazing reading this book. I’m already a Game of Thrones fan from the shows and I really wish I had read the books first. I miss that intensity you get from not knowing what’s going to happen.

I definitely recommend this book and you’ll enjoying listening with Roy Dotrice as narrator. I’m in Sales all over Southern CA & This was perfect for my long drives sitting in traffic.

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Great story. Great narration!

If you could sum up A Game of Thrones in three words, what would they be?

I was familiar with the story from the HBO series but the books were even more detailed and descriptive.

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

His performance, was the best example of what audiobooks have to offer. The voices for the characters gives you an experience you can't get from a print version!

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sic

this book was awesome.Can not wait to listen to the other ones. hell yeah I fully Xscape to reality and fell into fantasy

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Great except for performance

Hi I love this book even though I'm 12 bad preformance though so to bad my guy

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One of the best audio books

Really amazing narration of a fantastic story. I've listened to many audio books, and this is one of the best.

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Very good

This book is long but very worth it part 2 will be my next selection.

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Fantastic!

I've already watched the tv series send still enjoyed this immensely. If you have some time to kill, this is a great way to do it.

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