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)

Spellbinding!

Would you listen to A Game of Thrones again? Why?

Yes! I am sure I missed things of significance by rushing through to find out what happens next.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Daenrys was my favorite character. I loved her transformation and growth from a scared little girl into a woman who knows and owns her own power.

What about Roy Dotrice’s performance did you like?

I liked that he attempted to give each character a distinctive voice. I don't think he succeeded, but the attempt was valiant. After a while, I could almost tell which character was supposed to be speaking in a conversation, just by his voice.

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

When you play A Game of Thrones, you win ... or ... you die.

Mr. Dotrice gave life to the book!

Great interpretation!

I have already bought the second book

Excelente interpretação. Recomendo muito! Já comprei o segundo livro.

Make the TV show come alive

Feel the need to call this a true page turner but that just doesn't seem right

Wonderful

I watched the HBO series first but I wanted more. Plus, I wanted the chance to compare the book versus the television show. Honestly, I loved them both. Now I'll be moving onto book 2 later on in July.

Amazing Voice Acting by Roy Dotrice

Although I can't say I agreed with all of his choices of accents.
If you liked the show, you will LOVE the book.

Excellent

I enjoyed everything about it! Watching the series left so much out. Good listen or read for anyone.

Love the book!

I finally got to listen to the first book. LOVE!!! It really makes the HBO series make sense. Take the time to listen to the books if you can.

Roy Dotrice does a fantastic job reading. He has an awesome range of voices!

loved it!

a great reading of an awesome book. the narrator did wonderful voices to help keep the many many people's names separate. I'm buying book two now

No soul here

Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful, and if so, how does he achieve this?

I began reading these books midway through the first season of the fantastic HBO series. HBO had done such a spectacular job that I wanted to know more. The books, although entertaining, miss the mark in one major area: the writing has no soul. If not for Roy Dotrice, who set a world record for the number of characters narrated in this series, I doubt I would have continued past book two. His narration is superb!

I say the writing has no soul because it's mainly just a description of events, settings, and personalities. I grew up on classical mythology -- Greek, Roman, Scandinavian -- and I read everything I could find. I thoroughly enjoyed each of the stories and I truly imagined myself being there. Not so this series. I find the writing to be somewhat flat when compared to the classics. It reads as if the series was intended for a theatrical production. Compare the writing in "A Song of Ice and Fire" to "The Pillars of the Earth", written by Ken Follet, and the difference is crystal clear. Follet takes you on a journey that sucks you in and keeps your attention. George Martin's writing can be tedious and laborious at times. I know that a crow caws, but is it necessary to repeat it a half dozen times in the same sentence? I wanted to yank off the headphones and scream! I have other objections but I don't want to spoil the book.

How closely does the HBO series follow the books? Let's just say that you won't be missing much by not reading this series. Sure, you'll miss a few things but not enough to really get upset about. Of course this is due to GOT being a series instead of a 2-hour movie.

So, if you want the full backstory to the HBO series and want to listen to superb narration, then you've come to the right place. But if your looking for writing that truly captivates, I recommend taking a pass here and reading instead "The Pillars of the Earth" and "World Without End" by Ken Follet. They're narrated by the equally excellent John Lee.

Third Time And Still WOW

Third reread...er relisten of the first Game of Thrones book. Gets better every time!