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)

Third Time And Still WOW

Third reread...er relisten of the first Game of Thrones book. Gets better every time!

One of the finest oratory performances!

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

An epic and stunning masterpiece.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Daenery's Targaryen is a strong, determined woman who comes to understand her title and power at a very young age.

Which scene was your favorite?

Tyrion slaps Prince Joffrey after he refuses to call upon Lady Stark when Bran fell from the tower.

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

Yes

Any additional comments?

I cannot wait to listen to the next in the series!

Captivating!

An easy, but captivating read! Perfect sprinkling of fantasy in a fictional period piece. Excellent

perfect.

Amazing voice & performance. I hope he does all of the books in the series!

A great listen!

The narrator what awesome and the book was exciting to boot. Can't wait to read the rest.

My new favorite series

George Martin is my favorite author and Roy Dotrice is the best narrator. Very engaging story with beautiful crafted characters. Mr Martin is a genius and the narrator provided one of the best narration ever. If you havent read this series, read it. I was a little intimated from other reviews but I finally decided to go for the first book in the series before watching the HBO series. It is completely worth the 2 credits. I am hooked for the next 4 books in the series.

Starting Clash of Kings tonight.

narrator

needs new narrator. he's quite boring and doesn't seem to inflict his words. there's not a lot of shape he gives to the story

The perfect format for an epic story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would highly recommend this book in audio format. So much of the story is descriptive in nature and if you are at all a fast reader, you will skip sections. Driving in the car or sitting around, you won't hit the fast forward, where your eyes would definitely skim ahead to the the action bits!! I tried the books three times, then settled on listening to the series. Epic improvement!!! :)

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Game of Thrones?

When someone I expected to be around to the end was dispatched with extreme prejudice...

Which scene was your favorite?

Pretty much any scene with John Snow...

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The book is epic in scope... it hits all the emotions at one time or another!!!

Any additional comments?

This book/series has already become part of our culture... If you read/listen - and if a bit of rough language or action do not offend you - you should definitely have this in your collection. After all... Winter is coming!!!

All the best,

Jay

Needs a Better Narrator

Would you consider the audio edition of A Game of Thrones to be better than the print version?

No, I read the book & loved the voices that I imagined for myself for each character. The Narrator's version of the characters voices is completely annoying at times.

Who was your favorite character and why?

In the first book my favorite character is Dany. It best describes her rags to riches tale of duty, courage, strength & love.

How could the performance have been better?

The Narrator's voice is too old & harsh for a lot of the character's parts that he read. Tons of female voices & he tried his best to make the younger men/boys voice a bit feminine but instead it just came out sounding creepy & awkward.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The author truly made you feel the maternal love that a mother can have for a son. The author's portrayal of Catelyn's role at Bran's bedside couldn't have been more accurate.

Any additional comments?

Not sure how feasible it would be to have maybe 2 narrators or a narrator with a more diverse appeal to his voices when he speaks for the characters in the book. It's needed!

Loved it! !!

since I am an avid watcher of the HBO series, listening to the books helps give you a better background into the characters and what is going through their heads.