A Game of Thrones (Part Two): Book 1 of A Song of Ice and Fire

I just finished listening to this one and I can't wait to hear the rest of the series... Roy Dotrice's Performance is superb.

What a great book. Can't wait for the next book. Love the way that George RR Martin puts his chapters into different characters names. You soon love or hate certain characters. Roy Dotrice is there any voice the man can't do. Look if you want a great book to listen to this would be a great one. Lanuage is a bit strong, so you might not want to listen to this on and Ipod dock.

I seriously wanted to enjoy this, but a number of hours into the first book I had to put it down. Firstly the narrator is incapable of varying his voice beyond a monotone, provide any sense of engagement in the story line or make the characters sound different enough that you aren't left guessing who is talking at the time. When you've come from listening to Stephen Pacey you'll understand.

This really killed it for me.

Secondly, I find Martin's writing style to be verging on the childish. Character thoughts and actions don't string together well. Stupidly unnecessary sexual references and a distinct lack of real connection to some characters makes it very difficult to feel involved in the story line. There is so much chopping changing from one scene/characters to the next, I felt totally confused.

Fortunately, this excellent plot series is rescued by the screen drama, which despite losing some of the detail makes the whole series very enjoyable. This book is like a draft for a television drama. Tortuous to read or listen to, but with creative guidance it makes for top viewing.

I certainly won't be listening to anything further by Martin or anything narrated by Dotrice, but I'll gladly buy the GoT series on DVD.

My recommendation: skip the book, watch the series.

The voice acting is amazing, and very well read. Alongside a great story this makes it a must-listen.

How each character is rich with their own history and personality.

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).

Great story line. Will be reading more of this wonderful series. Keep them coming. :)

Amongst the top of my list of Audios.

The telling of this story as it unfolds.

Raw, Gravelly,sometimes sounding monotone in his telling, and sometimes he sounds as though he is just reading the text.

No. I had to take breaks from listening

The whole series of this Authors story is fantastic to read. The film version outdoes both the read of the story and the listening of it. The whole of it ---A very creative and imaginative series. Throughly enjoyable.

I have not read the print version

There are so many great characters. It is too difficult to choose just one. One of the most amazing things about this author is that he treats the characters realistically. As a result, it is very difficult to predict what will happen to them.

He was good with them all.

Though prone to a bit of rambling here and there, and certainly capable of writing the odd dull character here and there, this is simply a classic book. The only thing that could improve would be if the narrator was some kind of vocal magician, able to cast a huge cast and somehow give them all a uniquely identifiable voice. Step forward Mr Dotrice who does a faultless, flawless job.

I'm not really much of a dragons and knights fantasy reader, but the TV series turned me to these books and I burned through all of them in rapid succession. If only he wrote faster...