A Clash of Kings

A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 2

By: George R.R. Martin

Narrated by: Roy Dotrice

Length: 37 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. And from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war.

It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.

©1999 George R.R. Martin (P)2004 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

Locus Award, 1999

"A truly epic fantasy.... The novel is notable particularly for the lived-in quality of its world, created through abundant detail...for the comparatively modest role of magic...and for its magnificent action-filled climax.... [Martin] provides a banquet for fantasy lovers with large appetites." (Publishers Weekly)

"Fans of epic fantasy should appreciate this lavishly detailed sequel to A Game of Thrones." (Library Journal)

"Dotrice's range of vocal tones, from gravelly and commanding to silkenly dangerous, creates a mood of insistence that holds the listener captive throughout the epic story." (AudioFile)

"Grabs hold and won't let go. It's brilliant." (Robert Jordan)

Better than the first audio book

What did you love best about A Clash of Kings?

The way he write ( instead of putting chapters, he's putting character name..) is so complex and God be Good we have the appendix of kings and their courts at the end of the book. It's not a déjà vu book. Many tales come from him and no other author have put this in books. It is PURE... A story of corruption and power. Every people who like fantasy will fall in love with this series...

What did you like best about this story?

The book leaves much to interpretation. Being character driven, you will love some characters, and you will hate some. The beauty is that, much as in real life, the choices are left up to you. There is no real "good guy/bad guy" here. I find that within the same houses there are family members that I truly love, and those that so anger me I can almost experience them tangibly.

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

Martin's grasp of human nature gives a real feel to the drama and politics of the world he has created and his sagacious use of magic is just the right touch to keep the mysterious and the improbable within reach.

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

Yes

Any additional comments?

The author makes you feel like he was actually there witnessing these events and this is simply his biography. The characters are interesting, and are portrayed in more than just black and white - good or evil... Instead they are in shades of grey. This is a grand tale that I simply don't want to end and waiting for the next book will be torture but I will read them all and savor them....

Phenomenal

The books and performance are incredible. These books make me want to stay on the road. Very engaging story and very well performed.

Great story, average editing

Loved the book, liked Roy Doltrice reading it, but the editing is average at best, lines re-read, poor edit between paragraph sloppy editing compared to Clash of Kings (well part 1 of it)

narrator is amazing

the narrator's voice and pacing is amazing and he truly immerses you in the book

Of course it's good

It feels like the show gives you deleted scenes from the book, and the show also veers from the book in regards to the way an event happened.

Interesting and Entertaining

What did you love best about A Clash of Kings?

The author has a wild and vivid imagination

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

Excellent narration! gives each character a voice, great accents and speech befitting the times.

A Clash of Kings

If you could sum up A Clash of Kings in three words, what would they be?

A little lacking.

What other book might you compare A Clash of Kings to and why?

No real comparison to other books, just compared to the first and third of this series, I got a little distracted with some of the detail. I like detail but it just didn't flow as well in this one.

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

I have not listened to any of his performances before. As a narrator I do not like Dotrice at all, however these books are so well written, which in my opinion is Dotrice's salvation in this series.
I do not think his voice range for different characters has enough contrast. Many of the characters sound so alike it can be a bit confusing.

Amazing

I love these books. they are amazing to listen to when you are at work or on vacation. 10/10

So far so good!

So far the story is enthralling and Roy is doing awesome with the voice acting! I am happy to notice that the books are way better than the series.

Great voice, great quality, great story

Although I did notice a few skips and there were a few places where I did not notice that the book had gone to a new chapter, like some other reviews I've read. These could (and probably were, my own fault) 10/10 will defiantly listen too again.