• 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 (144,187 ratings)

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A Game of Thrones  By  cover art

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: Everything You Need to Know Before You Watch House of the Dragon


Game of Thrones fans everywhere are eagerly awaited the release of House of the Dragon, the prequel series bringing viewers back to the epic fantasy world introduced in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. HBO's new show is based on Martin's Fire & Blood, a sweeping novel set 300 years before the first book in the saga. You can jump into Fire & Blood and enjoy this fantasy series without any prior knowledge of the books or television series.

What listeners say about A Game of Thrones

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    3 out of 5 stars

pretty good

It had a slow start. But it is understandable considering how many characters the author had to set up for the reader.

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Great Story but could use a better narrator

Maybe it's just me, but he made me want to fall asleep. Also, the way he did Kahl Drogo's voice early on was super grating

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a bona fide classic

dang, do I really need to explain? this book is probably one of the best first parts to a series I've read in a very long time

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I can listen to this book again and again.

I loved the narrator’s performance of the characters voices(changing his voice based on his imagination I presume) but it gives life to an other wise typical narrative of a book. But more importantly I love this story. I listen to this book when I’m missing the nights where I would be glued to the television waiting for new episodes of GOT. Long live this story.

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I’m a bit late to the party but…

What an amazing start to a story. I watched on hbo years ago and this experience with this audiobook has been absolutely 10 out of 10.

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Best series ever

I’m addicted. Must read this book. I’m gonna read the whole series again. I love it.

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This Book... be prepared...

So very well written, you have to remind yourself it is fiction. Love it!

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Awesome!!

Overall I enjoyed this book!! Time to go to the next one!! King of the North!!!

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an absolute classic

I love the Song of Ice and Fire series and read the books as they were released. Having a audio book version is great because it's so long and perfect for my commute. The narrator does a wonderful job minus some pronunciation inconsistencies. I am not 100% sure if there is an issue with my service or the recording but there are some rough edit spots that jump a bit forward. Otherwise the range of characters and performance is amazing.

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Crazy how much of the show lines up in this book!

I know in the last seasons the show strays because of GRRM not finishing the books yet, but if he had I think they would have stayed to the source material. Book is amazing, great details, and you definitely feel the characters growing through the story.

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