A Game of Thrones

A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1

By: George R.R. Martin

Narrated by: Roy Dotrice

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)

A gripping epic, and a must read!

It is true the first few chapters seem confusing, but I simply did not try to understand who was who, trusting the author to work his magic. It is an epic adventure, well told, with unique and remarkable characters. I loved it!

chill with the voices.

the dude reading is all over the place with the accents and voices. and most did not fit the characters. idk where the Irish accents come from. takes me out of it. then there's anybody who's older than fifty or comes from anywhere but the north they talk without the ability to feel their lips. just a stupid idea for an accent. bad. the show does the accents perfectly. but the material in the books is better.

Maybe I'm just spoiled by TV

Like many, I decided to finally read George R.R. Martin's epic novels after being drawn in by the HBO TV series based on the books. But perhaps the awesome visuals and great cast of actors spoiled me, because I couldn't get in to the audiobooks. I found the narrator's pace plodding and his accents irritating...again, this could just be because I already had voices for the characters in mind. In any case, I finally just bought the series for my Kindle and am reading them the old-fashioned way.

The VERY BEST epic fantasy series ever written.

A Song of Ice and Fire by GRRM is the VERY BEST epic fantasy series I have ever experienced! This series delivers at all levels. The author skillfully hypnotizes the listener with a deep and complex plot, rich characters, detailed histories, ruthless betrayals, forbidden loves, and plenty of vial treachery.

The narrator, Roy Dotrice, is incredibly talented! He consistently represents over 30 main characters with distinct and accurate voices; complete with slurs, stammers, lisps, and drama. Roy Dotrice is every bit as gifted as other Grand Master readers such as Scott Brick and Frank Muller.

Be sure to listen to the entire series in order: Book (1) "A Game of Thrones", Book (2) "A Clash of Kings", and Book (3) "A Storm of Swords". Book (4) "A Feast for Crows" will be available on Audible.com in August 2004].

Excellent Story, Great Narrator

I was already familiar with the book, and was delighted to find it on Audible complete and unabridged. Whoo Hoo! I think Roy Dotrice does an admirable job with the narration. A formidable task with Martin's complex story and myriad characters. For those of you who are not familiar with the next two volumes in the Song of Ice and Fire series, you are in for a treat, it just gets better and better. Martin keeps you on your toes, if you think you know who you can trust, just wait.

Amazing story, wonderful narrator

This book is fantastic. Very enthralling - I find myself actually looking forward to my two hour commute each day! the story is complex and full of twists and turns, and you will be engrossed in the character's lives. I highly recommend it.

Be ready for an amazing ride

This is one of the best series of the genre. I have been in this world of kings, knights, treachery, intrigue and suspense for months! The person who said that Roy Dotrice's vocal stylings were hard to get used to must have been listening to something else. The man has to voice dozens of different people, and he does so in a way that makes each character instantly recognizable, and fits the books atmosphere perfectly. I find it difficult now to listen to anything without his reading. I'm not usually a fawner, but these books are what happens when you get an expert writer together with an expert reader. I can't say enough good things about the author, narrator and story. The only thing I'm bummed about is that the next book in the series wont be released until August. If you like the genre, you'll love these books, and the books lengths are well worth the points/money. This is truly what fantasy should be. (Start with A Game of Thrones, then A Clash of Kings, then A Storm of Swords, then eventually, when it comes out.....A Feast for Crows)

One of the all time best

This is one of the best stories I have ever had the pleasure to read and now listen to. It's very fun to come back to this book after reading it two years ago and to have a solid narrartor give voice to characters that even years after I love and hate. The thing about Martin that makes him so appealing is that the good guys/gals don't always and early on don't often prevail. I've never hated fictional characters like I have in this series of books, but it doesn't detract from the pure enjoyment of this compelling story. This might be a tough book to come to as an audio listener because there are dozens and dozens of main characters and hundreds of others that have small roles, it can be hard to keep them straight, as it was difficult to when actually reading the book. Still, once you start, you'll have a hard time leaving. I'm glad to see the other two books are now available as well.

Possibly the Best Books Ever

This book and its two sequels, A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords, were simply the best audio books I have heard in three years as an Audible member. The writing is incredible, the characters real and well-realized, the narration brilliant. At over 36 hours a book unabridged, they were a feast for the ears and the imagination. It is not too much to say that George R.R. Martin could teach J.R.R. Tolkein a thing or two about epic fantasy.

The books are so good I went out and bought them in large-format paperback just to own them, because I wanted the author to have more of my money. I will listen to these again.

Best book ever written

Book 1 of Game of Thrones is the best book I have ever listened to, the only other book that comes close is "Dawn of Wonder" The characters come alive in your mind and you can see their happiness, their struggles and pain. I have listened to this book at least 10 times now, and it was just as good the 10th time as it was the first. I would and do recommend this book and "Dawn of Wonder" to everyone I talk too about books. I would give this book 10 stars if possible. An absolutely perfect Audiobook and Roy reads this and all other Game of Thrones books better than any other performer I have ever heard.