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  • 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
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (145,917 ratings)

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A Game of Thrones

By: George R.R. Martin
Narrated by: Roy Dotrice
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Editorial review


By Seth Hartman, Audible Editor

A GAME OF THRONES IS A MASTERFUL START TO AN EPIC DARK FANTASY

I wasn’t properly introduced to A Song of Ice and Fire until my freshman year in college. My roommate at the time was a bona fide superfan of the series—when I told him that I hadn’t yet given it a try, he could barely contain his excitement. A week after this discovery, I had already watched the first season of the television series and was hungry for more. Instead of binging the remaining seasons, I elected to crack open the first book in order to get the "definitive" experience. Even at the time, I could already tell that this series would leave a strong impact on me.

A Game of Thrones mostly follows House Stark, a noble family controlling the northern portion of the great kingdom of Westeros. Ned, the Lord of House Stark, is asked to join his old friend King Robert Baratheon in court as his new right-hand man. Shortly after arriving in the royal capital, Ned begins to unravel a conspiracy involving Queen Cersei Lannister and her family. Far to the North, Ned’s bastard son Jon Snow joins the Night’s Watch, a group of banished soldiers tasked with defending The Wall, a massive chunk of ice that keeps the mysterious White Walkers confined. To the East, a young girl named Daenerys Targaryen, the last of her line and heir to the previous regime, begins her bid for the throne with little more than a couple of dragon eggs.

While this series becomes increasingly complex book to book, the first entry is delightfully streamlined. Rather than introducing a million characters and locations, A Game of Thrones focuses on the three major families in the series, devoting a lot of time to fleshing out the main cast. On my first read, I was struck by the subversive nature of Thrones. Despite its setting, this is not a triumphant tale of knights and dragons. Rather, George R.R. Martin has created a world of betrayals and backstabs, one that values information and subterfuge far more than swords and shining armor. Veteran voice actor Roy Dotrice brings his highly adaptable voice to the audiobook, giving even more color to Martin's writing.

Continue reading Seth's review >

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)

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What listeners say about A Game of Thrones

Average customer ratings
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  • 5 out of 5 stars
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    123,231
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    5 out of 5 stars

Medieval era from an old man's perspective

These books are amazing. They're long, detailed, and exhaustively character driven. I found almost every bit of it fascinating and I couldn't wait to hear more. That being said, this narrator has some major flaws. His meandering British accent is fine for the prose, but the dialogue is absolutely horrible whenever a woman is speaking. His voice for Daenerys is like an old woman talking about puberty. And the sex scenes. Don't even get me started on how painful the sex scenes are. Narration can make or break an audiobook, and this is no exception. I personally managed to get past the narrator and delve into the story and still love it, but if poor narration would make that impossible for you, read these books in print.

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Great story

I'm sure you have watched the HBO series, but if that's all you know you miss a great part of this story. It very well weaved story with more twist and turns then you could think possible. The narrator is amazing. GET THIS BOOK!!!

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Flawless!!

This got me into audiobooks. It keeps your attention no matter what you are doing. Makes you drift off into the world of Game of Thrones in seconds

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awesome reading!

can't wait to listen to the second book. then the next and the next. what an amazing series

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Azmazing. very good narration. easy to listen to.

I loved the story and the narrator does a great job of keeping you engaged

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Great book!

Loved Roy Dotrice's voice. Fit the story well. Overall great story. Unabridged version is recommended.

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Loved it

The performance was amazing!

I had watched season one of game of thrones before listening to this and it help me appreciate the series even more I can't wait to start the second book

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Accidental Love

I stumbled on Games of Thrones by happy accident. Prior to the HBO series I found George RR Martin while looking for a great storyteller with good long books. Others have told me that they do not enjoy his books because of the large number of characters. I think that the audiobooks resolve this issue for me. It is easier to identify with the large number of characters by listening to Roy Dotrice read.

Just dive in and give it a try. You will not be sorry.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Roy Dotrice brings the Seven Kingdoms to life.

a favorite to listen to on the drive to and from work. It has become my secret addiction.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Better than the show

What about Roy Dotrice’s performance did you like?

He sounds just like the grand maester on the show! lol.

Any additional comments?

One thing that annoyed me was the repeated sentences due to bad editing. Come on folks, if you're going to charge us $$$ for these books, at least do a proper editing job!

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