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 top 100 fantasy listens of all time


When compiling our list of the best fantasy listening out there, we immediately came up against the age-old question: Is this fantasy or science fiction? The distinction is not as clear as you may think. Dragons, elves, and wizards are definitely fantasy, but what about wizards that also fly space ships? (Looking at you, Star Wars.) For the sake of fantasy purity, the top 100 fantasy listens include the best audio works in all manner of fantasy subgenres.

What listeners say about A Game of Thrones

Average customer ratings
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AWESOME!

George RR Martin is such a talented writer!
little wonder why they turned these books into a TV show

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    5 out of 5 stars
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His voice was calming

it was great! after watching the show the book was a treat with more details that really made my imagination work. I had faces to the characters and the reader did a fantastic job with voices!

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Expected it to be good, but it is amazing

An intriguing story is made to come alive by exceptional and captivating narration! I'm one of the few totally unfamiliar with game of thrones as I've never seen the TV show. Because of that the story was a bit difficult for me to follow and keep straight at first, but I'm so glad I stuck with it! Roy Dotrice is by far one of the best narrators I've ever listened to! Get it, stick with it, and you will be glad you did!

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The start of an amazing journey!

Roy does an amazing job bringing this book to life! The characters are memorable ,and the story addicting.

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Enjoyed the story

Enjoyed the story as well as the video series.

The narrator was less enjoyable. He would sometimes continue the character voice even after the character dialogue had ended which made the dialogue flow poorly.

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Great story and we'll read

I enjoyed the show. I had to listen to the book, well read. thank you

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Pop My Cherry!!!

This is Literally the first book I fully read and finish well not read but listen too and I must said Roy Dotrice made an excelente job bringing me to the world of Westeros his different tones of voices given to each character’s made me enjoy it a lot more. Thanks To George R. R. Martin for making this great story and I am honor to become a fan of your amazing work you have earn your self a loyal fan

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just epic!!!!

great characters story need i say else. martin is a genius on to the next

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Disappointing

I love the TV show and wanted to read the books but haven't had the time to read, so thought i'd listen to the books as I work. It's great but I am not a fan of the way it's read. Chapter 21 Tyrion, whilst at Castle Black seems to transition from a northerner to a welshman. The accents for most characters are completely wrong - in the show, the accents tie in with the where the characters are from but they're all over the place in this audiobook. Why would Tyrion have a northern and a welsh accent when the rest of his family don't? Might seem like a small thing but it's jarring me every time Tyrion speaks.

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Great listen

Loved the first book as much as I loved the show, my only con is the performance nothing against Roy Dotrice im sure many people like his work but I personally did not love the the voice. Overall great book.

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