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)

Perfect!

What a story. So cruel, so savage. I really enjoyed all the twists and turns. It's like nothing I've read before.

Martin's Midpart Masterpiece

Martin is a Master storyteller. His multi-layered plotting stays tight despite dozens of characters. Recommended!

An Absolute Masterpiece!

Honestly, everything about this book and it's production was amazing and I wish I could read a thousand more just like it!

OMG is an understatement!!

The events in this book left me at the edge of my seat from start to finish. I was shocked, disgusted, horrified, thrilled, laughing and crying from the minute I started to the minute I got to the last word on the book! Took me a while to finish the book due to my busy schedule, but every chance I got I couldn't wait to read on either by listening to it or reading on my kindle! The introduction of the paranormal instances in this book added an element of mystery that made the story more interesting. The characters were always rich but in this book they got deeper and more complex. It has become harder to distinguish the right and the wrong as the story progresses but that is what makes this so much more thrilling and interesting. Cherry on the cake is the narration by Roy Dotrice! I look forward to reading the fourth book soon.

Fabulous!!!

I love these books. My only regret is that I didn't start reading them earlier. I haven't watched the shows and I probably won't. Martin is a fabulous writer and there is no way TV can capture his true genius. Roy Dotrice is a great narrator. This is a must read/listen book!!

Gripping to the end.

It's sometimes difficult to follow all the characters, so complex is the multi-threaded plot line. A visual companion book might help you get the most out of this truly epic story. Can't wait to listen to the next book.

Amazing narration!!!

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

Hooked on this ...love it!! The narration is the best I have ever listened to. Roy Dotrice is amazing. I have listened to books for over twenty years and no one compares!

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

I love all of the Diana Gabaldon Outlander series. When you find a good series to listen to, it is agonizing to wait for the next book to come out.

Best book in the series so far.

Loved it, very eventful, practically two whole seasons of the show in one book. Lots of shocking moments and a great ending that differs from the show.

Great Book, Great AudioBook!

Would you listen to A Storm of Swords again? Why?

I would probably not go through the 45 hours again...as it is a bit long, but I've very much enjoyed the book. Roy Dotrice is truly able to bring A Song of Ice and Fire to life and I enjoy every minute of this book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Daenerys Targaryen - Because she's AWESOME!

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

This was the first, and i really enjoyed this. Already purchased the next book in the series and made sure it was Roy Dotrice's narroration...

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

Laugh a bit (especially Jamie Lanistar's sarcasm), and a few dramatic parts (don't want to spoil for anyone)

long but awesome

Loved the story except for few parts where I think the show was better or both could have done better. Two parts where the show was better was: 1) passion between Tyrion and Shea that was totally absent in the book; 2) fight between viper and the mountain which could have been described more vividly than it was given it was one of those trademark scenes of the shows'/series' violence. Just to balance I would like to mention one part where the show could have done better. I think it would have been more poignant if the show had included Jaime's confession thatTyrion's first wife had in fact not been a whore. This might have justified why a reasonable Tyrion although already dejected and hurrying to escape became doubly motivated to kill his father. The part where both the book and show could have done better was the manner in which Danny snatched Astorpor from the masters. It is not believable that the masters would have sold the entire unsullied army to Danny without having a backup battalion for their own security. Enjoyed the narration.