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)

impressions

why does the narrator give every man an octogenarian voice and every girl a 40 year old voice, I get he's an older man but his impressions don't match match any of the descriptions. unless the character is his supposed age.

Great audio book

I'll keep this short and sweet.... it's exactly what you would expect. It's a well spoken and performed version of the book. My only complaint is that the performer pronounces the same name differently for seemingly no reason at points. Other than that it's an enjoyable listen.

Narrator Needs to Change

The book is great but the narrator need to be changed. He is not that great with voices and he makes every man sound like they are old & dying. I had other family members (3) start listening to the book & the first thing mentioned was how horrible the narrator & stopped listening to it as well within 10 minutes. Please change the narrator.

A Journey

The game of thrones series is one of The very few books that I enjoy fully. The story is very good and you really get to know The characters in a different way than The HBO serie.

One minus though is Roy dotrice. Some of the characters sound good but The others are a catastrophy. The women sound like toothless old women. And Varys sound like a drunkard rather than The master of whispers.

But overall a good listen

Narration drove me crazy

He’s got a good voice for a few characters but everyone sounds 100 years old. It really put me off. And secondary women characters we’re comically bad. A few men sound like cliche pirates.

Great book

The book is well written and performed very well. I like the voices of the characters. My only complaint is sometimes there is too much detail that’s unnecessary.

excellent narration

this audio book was read very well and was very entertaining. the story is a classic

An amazing series

an amazing series with the perfect narrator looking forward to the rest of the series.

Masterclass in storytelling; needs new narrator

After going down the list of 10 of the best fantasy series out there (Stormlight, First Law, kingkiller, etc) I can say this earned its spot easily. An immersive world that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Gone is the safety in knowing certain characters are safe from harm, something even The First Law didn't really give me! But despite all love to Roy Detrice (RIP) I think a new recording with Pacey would fit perfectly for the series. It's the only thing holding it back, besides the author taking his time (so long as he gets it right, he can take all the time he needs imo!)

constant mispronounciation

the narrator has a great voice but consistently changes the pronunciation of names of characters. it gets really confusing and frustrating. I wish they would make a new version