Preview
  • 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 (146,159 ratings)

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A Game of Thrones

By: George R.R. Martin
Narrated by: Roy Dotrice
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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.
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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 >

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)

Featured Article: The Best Audiobook Series of All Time by Genre


What makes a good audiobook series? There are as many answers to this question as there are listeners. For some, it might be epic battles. For others, it might be ongoing romantic twists and tensions. For still others, it might be elongated character studies or an in-depth analysis of a particular time and place. But the universal element of a truly great series is that it sticks with you long after the last word. These are our favorites from every major genre.

What listeners say about A Game of Thrones

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Great book. Great performance.

It has been several years since I read A Game of Thrones, this was a great refresher before the hopefully soon new release

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Amazing

The narrator was utterly amazing with so many different voices. The storyline is brilliant. Highly recommended

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can't wait for the next book.

really enjoyed this book , hard at first to remember all the names but after a while you get it

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    4 out of 5 stars

Dramatic Medieval Fantasy

Every line in this audio book is delivered perfectly. The story teller brings every character to life in your mind and gives great emotion into every bit of telling. The story itself focuses on the story of the lives of the characters and much less about battles (although the Battle of the minds is a much more in depth game than the battle of swords). This book brings a great start to a series. I shall read the 2nd book myself and return for the third book to better compare the reading and imagining of the characters. If you don't mind light graphic images of sex and some mention of magic, dragons, beheadings, and all around gore filled deaths. Then this read is for you. There is so much depth to these stories and I hope the other books (as their reputation had lead me to believe)do this first book justice. Thank you.

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Is my review of game or thrones necessary?

is this review really going to change your mind? It's amazing. of course it's amazing

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Great Listen

Better than the show story wise. Voices are only ok. Overall great book and narration.

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Love the book, hate the narrator

What did you love best about A Game of Thrones?

Great story

What did you like best about this story?

the depth of the characters and how unpredictable it is

What three words best describe Roy Dotrice’s voice?

hard-to understand; makes me feel uncomfortable; annoying role-playing attempts that fail to accomplish anything

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

no.. it's way too long for that! took me forever to get through this book

Any additional comments?

Audible apps don't do a good job of helping you pick up where you left off across multiple devices, so try to use this on only one device if you don't want to end up lost and having to search through 40some hours for where you were!

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Enjoy

The book Is a fantastic read. I was hooked from the beginning. I also really enjoyed Mr Dotrice. A must have for you library

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worth the time

The very best 33 hours of my life. Their was never a dull moment in the books and the narrator is amazing.

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Great book!

Was a joy listening to this narrator! Very pleasant voice for 30+ hours. Look forward to listening to the rest of the series!

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