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)

Better voice acting

Voice acting is decent enough to enjoy the book. However, his pronunciation of names drive me crazy. He gets so many names wrong. I cringe every time he mispronounces Petyr.

Haven't watched the series yet, but OMG!!!

I have heard so much about the series so decided to give these books a try. It is so fabulous that I could not stop listening even when I was cooking.

Even though the style of story is not the same as Ken Follet, it reminds me so much of his books with quality of writing and very I depth storyline for each character. I would HIGHLY recommend anyone to listen to this book and series!!!!

Spellbinding

My favourite kind of fantasy....a world not completely unlike our own, filled with deep character development and a riveting plot. I've said that it is like The Tudors with dragons.

sooo good

Easily the most captivating and exciting audiobook I've listened to so far (and I listen to a buttload of audio books). In some the narration can be distracting, but in this I find myself completely immersed in the story as its told to me. I honestly look forward to my hour long daily commute with this series as my companion.

great read....classic

enjoyed it very much....listened to it while I lost 30lbs!! I recommend espcially if u already watched the show

Roy Dotrice brings immense skill to his readings.

The Narration of this book was expertly done. I have read all the books already out and decided to listen to them. I am happy I did because the way the story was delivered really fleshes out the characters I'm my mind and makes the world seem more alive.

Martin is f-ing incredible.

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

I haven't read the print version, but the narrator is absolutely brilliant, the writing is phenomenal, and the story is intense. The TV series is great, the Audiobook incredible, and I imagine the book is even better.

What did you like best about this story?

The author is confident and bold. He will kill off your favorite character knowing you'll find a new favorite - he's that damn good.

What about Roy Dotrice’s performance did you like?

Everything. He nails it - I listen to a lot of books, and it's rare to find a performance that actually helps you to get lost in the book. Brilliant.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Your days are numbered.

Any additional comments?

I'm an aspiring writer and it's books like this that give you the motivation to become better, to outdo yourself and reach a new level. Thanks to George R. R. Martin for the spark. I'm pretty convinced that he kills someone every time he gets stuck, and it has worked for me a couple of times now!

like a sprint, slow then speeds up then slows etc.

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

Nice Time Investment

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

don't know, it really is it's own style. But I don't read too much so I couldn't really answer

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

the voice work was pretty nice and with a wide range of voice changes, it helped to separate the characters apart when you miss who it is that is actually talking

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

yes, but unfortunately that is pretty much impossible

Any additional comments?

Nice read and worth the time you put into it, though you may need to speed it up to 1.5-2x speed to get the enjoyment, otherwise it will be too slow to really pay attention to

Wonderful

I've been meaning to read these books for a long time but haven't gotten around to it. I finally decided to listen to the audio book while at work and I could not recommend it enough! Fantastic story, and the narrator brings it to life in wonderful fashion.

As good as the hype

Tried it during the show hiatus and can totally see how it has the following it does. So many storylines but never loses momentum. My only issue is the enunciation of the reader, especially for Varys.