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)

A MUST 4 GOT FANS!! ADDS 2 TV EXPERIENCE!

OUTSTANDING performance & story. I'm new to GOT series & have never seen the TV show. I LUCKILY started by listening to this audiobook FIRST. As I listened, the narrator brought the story to life with his AMAZING voices & inflections. I then watched TV show& found that the audiobook gives more amazing details than they are able to capture on show. HIGHLY RECOMMEND AUDIOBOOK SERIES TO GOT FANS TO MAKE THE SHOW SO MUCH BETTER TO WATCH!

Great Story

What made the experience of listening to A Game of Thrones the most enjoyable?

Since I've seen the series I could relate to the book and place faces with the characters.

What did you like best about this story?

I love the details of the story and how well it was written.

Have you listened to any of Roy Dotrice’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

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

No

Needs to be re recorded.

The story is great and after reading all of the books a few years ago I decided to listen to them to remind myself of the details. Sadly they really need to get someone else to record this audiobook because the reader frequently mispronounces names. The ones I found most annoying were when he said Joffrey half the time and Jeffrey the other, "Anya" Stark was occasionally used along with her mother "Katelyn", but by far the most irritating is "Petar" Baelish luckily he is mostly referred to as Littlefinger.

Harry Llyod did a great job with the Dunk and Egg stories I would love to hear a version with him.

Remarkable!

I watched the show first but listening to the book I am astounded how similar they are. The book paints a perfect picture of the World. It’s absolutely remarkable how well I can see the characters and what’s going on. Very well done.

AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY

Better than the show

My wife loves the show but I love listening to it rather than watching it. Just like a medieval soap opera with lots of killing and intrigue. GREAT. If you ever thought about but didn't, DO, you won't be sorry but you will be wanting more.

Excellent

After a brief struggle to invest in the complicated storyline at the beginning, I became engrossed in the dramatic story. A great book to listen to while spending hours in the car.

Amazing!

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

Detailed, exciting, epic

What did you like best about this story?

The author did not just hang on to his favorit charecters, he keeps you gussing about who will take on the lead role. So many good charecters to love and want more of. His attention to detail about the world and the people living in it are just amazing.

Which scene was your favorite?

Hard to chose, but when they beheaded Stark it made me hate George for a bit. But at the end of it all it was a big part of the story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, for sure!

Any additional comments?

Just get the book already :)

Roy Dotrice Slays

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a “fantasy” introduction. It will make you laugh, weep, love and hate. I hear all the time, “I don’t like fantasy.” This book and series will hook all audiences, not just those that already enjoy the genre. Thank you Roy Dotrice for the marvelous reading. You hit every mark and I’ll miss falling asleep to your voice. May you Rest In Peace.

Second time just as good

I finished the series initially in 2012 and have decided to redo it in anticipation of the book coming out in 2018.
Just as good the second time. Truly a literary classic.

Great book to get on audio

This a great book to get on audio because it really sucks you in, and it brings the story to life in a different way that reading these books does -- they are Linh and kind of hard to understand and keep up with, all the weird names, etc. it's a great prince for a nice long listen.

Occasionally this voice actor kinda bugs me, a small family of people will have accents from all different regions of the U.K., and he has about 10 voices that all get recycled so people end up sounding the same I know that's a kind of but picky, but there you have it. Other than that he has a nice voice to listen to. Looking forward to the second book :-)