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)

Good story, crappy narration

Martin does a good job filling out the characters and the world he has created. I must say though that I did not like the narration. Why?
1. He gives many of the upper crust characters "cockney" accents. I'm sorry, maybe its just me, but a knight just should not sound like that. A whore, yeah that makes sense, but a knight? Com'on!
2. Several of the characters have such over the top accents that it's laughable. You know that British butler accent? Well two prominent characters have that. Ridiculous! It doesn't end there. There is also a character with a bad French accent. On top of all this he decided to give a couple of the characters pirate accents! That would be okay if they were sea captains or sailors, but they are not. They're just normal characters. Its like he randomly assigned how each character should sound with no regard to where they fall in the social pecking order.
3. Lastly, too many of the characters sound like they're old. The reason for this isn't so much because of the sound of his voice as much as it is the wierd "old person" accent he gives most of the characters. There was several times he made teenagers sound like old men or women and it isnt until several paragraphs later that you find out that the person is only supposed to be 13 years old.

I really can't believe that more people are not turned off by the narration. Just because the guy acts out all the characters doesn't make him a good narrator. The voices need to fit the story and too many times they just don't.


I like the story, so I am gong to get the next one in the series, but I really wish it had a different narrator.

it just goes on forever...

Would you listen to A Game of Thrones again? Why?

No. Here's the thing. The story never ends. It just goes on and on and on. There's no pay off.

Would you recommend A Game of Thrones to your friends? Why or why not?

Doubtful. The story is okay, but he never wraps anything up.

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

Roy is great with male voices, but struggles with female voices. I might have suggested 2 actors, one for each gender, otherwise, he's very good.

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

Good grief no. It's 30 hours long.

Any additional comments?

You might spend your time more efficiently reading a 3 or 4 page summary of each book.

An expensive song of politics and power.

This is neither "The Oddesy", "LOTR" nor is it "Harry Potter" This is good old political intrigue. There is no hero. There is the story.

Characters one really cares for die. Characters one wants to like do truly horrible things. There is incest. There is cold blooded murder. There is war. Parents should read (listen) to this with their teens. (Note: a previous reviewer objected to the multitude of sexual perversions described. Well, I don't remember much of that: certainly there is nothing to compare to Diana Gabaldon.) I would recommend "Eragon" or "Harry Potter" for most younger children. Children may like this book because there are seven and ten year olds in it, but I think most will find this a tough book. It is written for adults.

Also, because there is no hero, there is little to make me want to read the sequels. I may, but at 2 credits per book there are many other things to read. Maybe they'll drop the price.

A Game of Thrones

I am hurredly downloading the next book.
Roy Dotrice is a fabulous reader, making the book reading come across like a BBC radio play.
The story is well written, the plot nicely laced with interesting characters.
Well done.

Absolutely incredible

This is one of the best series of books I have had the pleasure of reading. It is entirely riveting and engaging, masterfully plotted, and the narration is fantastic. I cannot remember the last time I was so engrossed in a book and so caught up in the lives of the characters in the story. The author's ability to tell a real story with real consequences rather than feel-good fairy tales is both refreshing and utterly astonishing.

There are not enough superlatives for these books. They are glorious.

Excellent storytelling. Superb narration.

Being fairly new to Audible, I trusted the reviews that were out there for this one, and they were spot on. I had not read Game of Thrones before listening to the Audible version, but Roy Dotrice does such an excellent job as narrator, that I had no issues following the story or keeping track of the characters. This book has not only helped me pass 1 and 1/2 hours a day of commute time but has actually made me look forward to the commute. I would highly recommend it to any, especially those with even a slight interest in the genre.

Incredible, Heart-pounding, Masterpiece

Roy Detrice has a captivating voice and his execution of this brilliant work is top notch. I've already read all the books published so far, and evening knowing exactly what is about to happen I still find myself with heart racing, biting my nails on the edge of my seat. This is a character driven story and the depth and feeling I've developed for them is incredible. My heart breaks and soars chapter by chapter for House Stark.

Excellent

Believable characters that are well developed. No cardboard good vs evil. Excellent plot, good pacing, and no character is safe. This is not your predictable medieval fantasy epic. I also enjoyed the reader and thought he did a fine job. If the rest of the series matches this first book, I will be very pleased.

A great beginning to an epic in the making

While I had already read this book 2x in the past, the listening was far better still. George R R Martin is the best of this genre, especially for those who prefer a grittier, slightly more real portrayal of people.

Is there magic? Yes there is...but it is no more fantastic than the rich
storyline and detailed character development.

Worth all the hype!!!

I Loved everything about this book. I swapped back and forth between reading and listening. Great fun just don't get too attached to anyone character. Delving into the next one now!