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)

absolutely amazing!!

I have seen the show but the book so far has added so much to the story! FANTASTIC!!

Great book!

The narrator was great. And the story of course was great too. The audiobook was actually better than the book to be honest.

Amazing

in the beginning, I grew a bit tired of the bigotry and sexualization of all women. however, it was well worth the wait because of character development and story arc is amazing. The last half of the book had me listening every second of the day I was able to.

Let the Games Begin

I really love this book. I watch the TV series before the books and it helps me picture and understand the lore even better. The Houses, Battles, and History come alive. A must for GOT fans.

Highly Recommend if you enjoyed the series

I basically got this to spend good quality time with my son. We watched the series on TV together and as everyone knows books are better than movies. The characters are believable and interesting. The storyline guides you and pulls you in. This fantasy book is so in depth and amazing. This book is not for the meek, there is sex, gore, foul language, and just plain violence. This book could not be what it is without the sex and violence. I liked the clothing descriptions. He doesn't over dramatize the world, his characters are just plain raw at times. There are three main groups, The Others, who live in the frigid snowlands. The Dothrakiwho resemble American Plains Indians and The Kingdomsof the Westeros who resemble medieval Europe traditions and cultures are detailed so you get the feeling of real people. He develops his characters and storylines to go off into different stories. The characters are varied. You have made up words to add to the theme of the book. You have incest and rape. This ook has so many stories woven tigether. Main characters are killed, no one is safe with new concepts introduced. This is my favorite series.

Loved everything about it!

I am a fan of the show so fully expected to love the books and was not disappointed. Gives some good additional insight into the individual characters and ties really well to the HBO series. Really, what is there not to love?

incredible

I loved this book. I'm a big fan of the series game of thrones but the book is even better. I can't wait to get into book 2.

Excellent Book, Divisive Narration

Much has been said of Roy Dotrice's performance in these books. It's true that he occasionally mispronounces names and has young characters sound like grizzled old men or wizened crones. But he has a wonderful voice and his various accents are fun to listen to, no matter how improbable. It feels like curling up by the fireplace and listening to your grandfather read you a story. That obviously is not for everyone. The book itself is excellent and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

great book mediocre performance

the narrator does some voices great but for others females especially you will hate every second

If you like the shows

Listen to this to get the full perspective of Westeros!
Well read and worth the time.