• 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 (144,231 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)

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What listeners say about A Game of Thrones

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This genre doesn't get better than this

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

It starts just a tad slow but is an amazing epic listen. Great story, characters and performance.

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This audible book is amazing!

The story and character relationships are easier to follow in the book, compared to watching the series! The voice actor was incredible, giving characters their own voices. Looking forward to the next book

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Loved it!!! Hard to put down.

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

This is one of the best audiobooks I have ever listened to. The narrator was not the best but he wasnt the worst either. I could tolerate him. The story is what was so great. I loved all the different people and their lives. Cant wait to listen to the next book in the series.

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made me appreciate more how well HBO did . love it

having watched the show first I was amazed to find how nearly word for word each scene stayed true to the book. I look forward to hearing about the parts the show left out in following books.

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Wonderful beginning to my favorite tale

I have followed the television series religiously and have always wanted to read the books but my vision is not as good as once. This has allowed me to hear my favorite tale and bring the story to life. Marvelous. I have enjoyed very much. Will begin book two right away.

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Great story good voice acting

Overall the narration was really good, although I didn't like the voice acting for a few of the characters. The story still pulls you in though, I really enjoyed it.

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Best Story Ever, Addictive!!

Narration was excellent!I love the story, lots of details,that helps me picture it all in my mind.I am anxious to continue with book 2.

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loved it

reader did a great job wish they had different readers for the different characters but the efforts of the reader to differentiate his voice between characters was great.

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From book to Audiobook

The narrator pronounced names wrong at times, but overall I enjoyed his pacing and narration. I read this series when I was in high school and now, 5 years later I wanted to reread it but dont have time like i used to so I decided to try listening to the audiobooks. So far I am not disappointed with my experience, although it is different to listen to a story versus reading it. You just have to get used to it.

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loved it

Loved it. took me a while to jump on the GoT wagon, but very enjoyable.

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