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 Masterpiece of fantasy!

Roy Dotrice does a masterful job of narrating Martin’s genius work of fantasy, intertwined with intricate plots for survival and power. A must read for any fantasy fiction writers.

better than the show!

The characters have far more depth and their motives are far clearer than the show.

Amazing

Don't know what took me so long to get to this but phenomenal. The audiobook is the only way I could get through the first book and now I'm taking on the series the traditional way. The story comes to life. Well worth it!

Engrossing!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is a wonderfully well-written book. Dotrice does an amazing job making the characters come alive and keeping the reader interested. I don't typically do well to just listen (I prefer to read) so I was skeptical of using audio books at first, but I found that I had difficulty stopping the book!

What did you like best about this story?

The way the characters lives intertwine yet somehow they each get their own chapters.

Which character – as performed by Roy Dotrice – was your favorite?

Tyrian Lannister. I'm not sure he is my favorite because of Dotrice or because he's one of my favorite characters in the series/show.

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

No, way too long! But I often listen while running and some runs last as long as 2-3 hours. I listen the entire time and sometimes don't want to stop.

Wonderful narrator

I couldn't stop listening! I usually try to pace the books and only listen during my commute, but the narration was so captivating! I can't wait to "read" the next one!

Power of Kings and Land

Eddard "Ned" Stark has been made Hand of the King. A job that he really doesn't want but he cannot refuse the King Robert Baratheon anything. Ned doesn't know what the future holds for House Stark but one thing is sure~he will do his best for King and land. Ned Stark's children find young Direwolf pups and they are shared among the children. Ned Stark is trying to keep peace among the houses yet there is so much in fighting amongst them. Robert Baratheon, King of the seven kingdoms, knows that war is loaming over his kingdom yet doesn't see how to avert it. Ceresi Lannister, wife and queen to Robert Baratheon, wants to see House Stark in ruin and doesn't care how it happens just that it does. Tyrion "The Imp" Lannister befriends Jon Snow, Ned Stark's bastard son, on the road to King's Landing. Jon Snow is going for training to be a Knight in the Night's Watch. Daenerys Targaryen also known as Stormborn is living in exile along with her brother Viserys. Viserys marries Daenerys to Khal Drogo of the Dothraki in the hopes of an alliance. Daenerys is frightened of her brother and does as he commands. She love Khal Drogo and understands the Dothraki people better than her brother does thanks to Ser Jorah Mormont. What will Ned Stark do? Is Robert Baratheon a fit king? Will Ceresi get her way? How does Jon Snow fair in training? Will the Targaryen reclaim their home? What part does the Dothraki play? Can they all play the game of thrones? Your answers await you in A Game of Thrones.

Great Book read Expertly

Narrator does a good job choosing voices for characters and you rarely get them mixed up. A few characters were a little more comical than I thought they should be but still great to hear.

Great book and a promising start to a series

Given the TV hype and such, I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this book, but I found it to be very enjoyable. There's a great diversity of well done characters, good action, and an intricate and engaging plot.

The narration is good, with a pretty good diversity of voices. However, there are a few, brief occasions where it seemed like the narrator forgot which voice to use for a given character, but those were just minor hiccups.

While the book does include discussions of sex and such, it wasn't salaciously done and the overall profanity was kept at a semi-reasonable level.

Amazing story and worth every penny...

Wonderful story. Even better than the show. GRRM's writing is vivid and beautifully descriptive. The narrator is first rate. Excellent listening experience.

Amazing just amazing

This was amazing love the book and the narrator! Can't wait to get to the next books ten out of ten awesome