A Game of Thrones

Book 1 of A Song of Ice and Fire

By: George R.R. Martin

Narrated by: Roy Dotrice

Length: 33 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

One of The Times’ 25 Best Audiobooks.

HBO’s hit series A Game of Thrones is based on George R. R. Martin’s internationally best-selling series A Song of Ice and Fire, the greatest fantasy epic of the modern age. A Game of Thrones is the first volume in the series.

Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun.

It will stretch from the south, where heat breeds plot, lusts and intrigues, to the vast and savage eastern lands, all the way to the frozen north, where an 800-foot wall of ice protects the kingdom from the dark forces that lie beyond. Kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars, lords and honest men...all will play the Game of Thrones.

Winter is coming....

©2011 George R. R. Martin (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

" A Game of Thrones grabs hold and won’t let go. It’s brilliant." (Robert Jordan)

"Colossal, staggering... Martin captures all the intoxicating complexity of the Wars of the Roses or Imperial Rome in his imaginary world...one of the greats of fantasy literature." ( SFX)

"Fantasy literature has never shied away from grandeur, but the sheer-mind-boggling scope of this epic has sent other fantasy writers away shaking their heads… Its ambition: to construct the Twelve Caesars of fantasy fiction, with characters so venomous they could eat the Borgias." ( Guardian)

Great Narrating

Great narrating, definitely adds context to the TV series, filling in blanks, and giving emotion to actions...

Legendary

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

The voice acting is very good and it is a lot more convenient than a paper copy (Even though I have it on Kindle!)

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jon Snow, you cannot say no to an under-dog

What does Roy Dotrice bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He has a very listen-able voice and very good diction

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

YES, but it would take me 32 hours of no sleep and lots of coffee

Any additional comments?

I am a bit of a fanboy, sorry

Brought to life!

Any additional comments?

Really enjoying this read.

Roy Dotrice's voice and vision add so much depth to what is one of the greatest epic fantasy series to date. Having originally enjoyed the novels and wanting to approach from a different angle, this revisit is putting new flavour to my recollections and I'm discovering nuances previously unnoticed.

My only disappointment is a small one. Roy is not consistent with the accents he uses. It may simply be a technique he uses to make a character stand out however family groupings and sovereign peoples generally speak the same-ish. Only a small point though.

If you are looking to dive head first into the worlds of George RR then wait no further. If you haven’t read the books don’t let that worry you. If you are like me and simply want to revisit an old friend, then you won’t regret it.*

(*usual disclaimers apply).

An intriguing story full of sub plots and adgendas

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

It is in the top half

Who was your favorite character and why?

Tyrrien - He is an intelligent character who seems to have a good moral compass and he also provides a lot of comic relief

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

No

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No

Any additional comments?

This story has not yet reached any great heights, there are a lot of long conversations and plots to follow. It is not action packed, but has enough to keep me interested

Best story, levels and layers of brilliance.

Takes a bit of getting used to the slurry speech and rithm, but one must acknowledge the absolutely brilliant acting and delivery. Engaging and intense. Amazing how someone can create so many voices

Satisfying

A Song of Ice and Fire has always been one of my favorite book series. After reading the books so many times and the TV series by HBO, it is actually a novel experience to revel in this epic story by listening to an audible. It is even more satisfying than the TV series. The presenter is fantastic, the tone and husky voice reminiscent of a grandfather telling a story to grandchildren. Despite the mature content (which is a trademark of A Song of Ice and Fire) and the very suggestive “unabridged” on the cover, the aura is... solemn. Chaste and unhurried. A great work.

Just awesome....

One of the best books ever, a must for every game of thrones fan. You will love it.

Overall great but some issue with the narration

I have read all the books and wanted to explore them again and figured it would be easier to listen to the audiobook. The audiobook has proven to be a good choice for my return to Westeros.

The narrator does a good job for the most part. It took me a while to get used to his voice and and the way he narrates. My biggest issue is that there are often inconsistencies in his pronunciation of names and the voices for some of the characters change as well.
He has also referred to "the King's landing" instead of "King's landing" and called Joffrey, "Jeffrey" a few times.

In the end the audiobook served it's purpose well and I would recommend it to anyone who has already read the books or those who watched the show but can't find time to read the novels.

The narrator takes time to get used to

The narrator uses strange accents for characters you now know from the TV series. Since when did Tyrion Lannister have a Welsh accent?

A different story and perspective to the TV show

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

One of the best - good voice acting and a story to go with it! The story is similar to the TV show but approaches some things differently, so if you enjoy one, you'll like the other and it won't be like doubling up!

What did you like best about this story?

So different to other books, each chapter is from someone else's point of view.
While it is in a fantasy world, it stays on the border of realism, with only thin strands of fantasy woven into it to make the story much more intricate and compelling without being overwhelming.

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

Ned Stark as the ultimate good guy and Tyrion Lanister were excellent. Varys was a little unexpected but amusing.