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)

Great book!

What a great book that the reader was able to understand the characters and the different voices each character had. Loved thia book and all the stories. Little longer than the average book read but great non the less.

Excellent!

I came to the audiobook after watching the television series and absolutely loving it. The audiobook is outstanding and lived up to my lofty expectations. Great story and a wonderful performance.

Could not put it down!!!

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

His voice captures you in time... it is TOTALLY AWESOME

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Game of Thrones?

The second I started to listen... and from there on

Which scene was your favorite?

Every one. Each character is so well depicted, the whole story is so engrossing.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It almost cost me a Divorce... was so enthralled, my husband got jealous....LOL

Any additional comments?

I have purchased and listened to, A game of thrones, A clash of kings and I am on A storm of swords and cannot wait to get on to the next one. I purchased A game of thrones to listen to on vacation. I was instantly addicted. I have purchased season one and season two of the DVD's of the HBO series and have pre ordered season three which comes out in February of 2014.... cannot wait

So Hooked

I am glad that this is available as an audio book. I listen to it while I'm driving to work. It would be hard to get through it for me as a book because of all the names of this and that person. I'm amazed by the diversity of the characters that Roy Dotrice can produce! I'm so hooked on this story. I don't know what I'll do when it's over. Thank goodness I'm only on book three.

My husband is always saying I need to read fiction every now and then, because I mostly read non-fiction. This is one series that I have throughoughly enjoyed and am addicted too! What a great and amazing story! Thank you George R.R Martin for this wonderful story that you have given us!

great book

Great book but the sexual descriptions were unnecessary. they were too graphic. could do without them.

Great book...

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

I rank the series in with Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. I admit I had to go back and listen to the beginning again just to get characters and descriptions fimly set in my mind. But I've done the same thing with Wheel of Time. I can firmly place myself in the fantasy world Martin describes. I have now read all of the series so far and can recommend it to other lovers of epic fantasies or to any reader that enjoys getting to know characters and following them in a series.

Soo good for working and working out

Roy was great narrator with voices to each character and it Pro trays their characters attitude.

Gives a lot of intimate knowledge of the character

The book gives a much more intimate understanding of the characters that the tvshow didn't

Narrator brings story to life

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

I have never read the print version. I've only seen the TV series

Who was your favorite character and why?

All of the characters are narrated in a personal way that it makes you feel like you're listening to different people speaking. The story really comes alive.

Have you listened to any of Roy Dotrice’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't listened to any other of his stories but because of my experience here, I'm looking forward to getting more in the series.

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

It's already a hit TV series so I fail to see the point of adding a tag line

Any additional comments?

I was very impressed with this experience. I took the free trial and decided to use my free credit on a story that I already knew well in case I wouldn't be able to follow along or get lost between 'reading' breaks. However the story was so well narrated that I couldn't stop listening. It's one thing to have a great story but having a great reader in Roy Dotrice is what makes it worth it. Each character has their own personality beyond the text because of the different voices and cadence he uses. Listening to this book was like listening to someone actually telling me a story.

Vivid! Beautifully written!

A fan of the HBO series Game Of Thrones. This book is better than the series could dream of being! It is great to know what the characters are actually thinking. The narrator isn't bad at all. I liked all the voices for characters. about to Start Clash Of Kings!