A Storm of Swords

A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3

By: George R.R. Martin

Narrated by: Roy Dotrice

Length: 47 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as violently as ever, as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey, of House Lannister, sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the land of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, the victim of the jealous sorceress who holds him in her evil thrall. But young Robb, of House Stark, still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Robb plots against his despised Lannister enemies, even as they hold his sister hostage at King's Landing, the seat of the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world....

But as opposing forces maneuver for the final titanic showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost line of civilization. In their vanguard is a horde of mythical Others, a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords....

©2000 George R.R. Martin (P)2004 Books On Tape, Inc., published in arrangement with Random House Audio Group, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Locus Award, 2001

"A riveting continuation of a series whose brilliance continues to dazzle." (The Patriot News)

"I always expect the best from George R. R. Martin, and he always delivers." (Robert Jordan)

Difficult to put it down once you start ...

Not my usually genre, but I was hooked by the HBO series and decided not to wait for season three. I have found this to be a spectacular listen.

The narration is first rate and does a great job of giving the primary characters their own distinct voices.

The story is a roller coaster of ups and downs - so much so, that I almost stopped mid-way in surprised disgust at some of the turns it takes .... but alas I could not stop and I continued until the end ... and I look forward to beginning book 4 when I finish writing this review.

Very well Done

I have read the books and listening to them is much more enjoyable for me. The narrator does a great job. I enjoy this platform much more then the HBO series.

Better than advertised

So I have been a show watcher for years and with the time between season 6 and 7 I decided to read the books. I was told Storm of Swords was the dullest of the books, but I have to say I have enjoyed it very much. It is no Empire, but it added to the story in a fantastic way.

Asoiaf is a great series

this is the best book get and it deserves all the phrase it gets and more

best book of the series

Roy Dotrice is the bee's knees. The second half of this book may be the best stretch of writing by any author.

A real compliment to the series and genre!

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

Exciting, engrossing, and satisfying.

What did you like best about this story?

Martin really knows how to not just illustrate fantastic places with depth but characters as well.

What about Roy Dotrice’s performance did you like?

Dotrice is animated and does a good job with all the numerous and varied characters and personalities.

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

As powerful as a book can get, I imagine. This book capitalizes on the lengthy storylines that began in the first of the series... Giving the turns in this book great impact!

Any additional comments?

If you have read the first in the series I encourage you to read through the second and at least this third book.

This one really wraps up much of the plots that had begun in the first and will leave you satisfied. But you must continue through this third in order to complete much of what has happened previously.

You will not be pissed off, left in a cliffhanger at the end here. You will be praising Martins talent as a storyteller.

Gotta love GOT

Great storyline keeps you intrigued. Roy Dotrice narrates wonderfully! I'm excited for the next one.

Roy Dotrice shines in his narration

Without question, A Song of Ice and Fire is my favorite book series. I have read through all the available books multiple times. The shining aspect of listening to the series however is the world class narration of Roy Dotrice. He wraps you into the story with consistent unique voices for the characters and his raspy welcoming tone makes you feel like you’re being told a true oral history.

10/10 would recommend any fan of the show or the series to listen to the audio books.

epic story

Best one yet. Really love the epilogue and prologues. gives soo much more insight than the show

Addictive story & great character voices

Would you consider the audio edition of A Storm of Swords to be better than the print version?

It is more entertaining to listen to the audio edition due to the character voices and makes my commute go by faster. It is alo easier to finish such a long book when you can listen while doing other tasks. I do like that it syncs to my kindle so that I can pick up reading where I left off.

What other book might you compare A Storm of Swords to and why?

The books in the Game of Thrones series. Same story & same reader.

Which character – as performed by Roy Dotrice – was your favorite?

Tyrion the Imp

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

Not possible!