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)

GOT Book 1

Love GoT, however Roy Dotrice pretty much puts on the same raspy voice for every male character and I just can't take it seriously. Shout out to the guy for reading 33 hours of a book but come on man, don't make the characters sound so limp.

Also story wise, GRRM makes the sexual undertones sound like something your uncle wrote in your grandma's basement rather than truly sensual. Storyline is good, but if you're reading the books post watching the tv adaptation, you might be thrown a bit by this audiobook and its execution.

Amazing

Really makes you feel like you are watching the game of thrones tv show, perfect narration!

Incredible story and narrator

I've listened to hundreds of audio books, and this narrator is hands down the best. He does dozens of different voices for different characters which makes it easier to follow. Awesome story as you probably already know.

An excellent audio book

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

I loved the character inflections the narrator introduced. It helped distinguish the characters and added flavor to the story. I cannot say that it was better than the print version but in terms of the narrator and how this audio book fit perfectly into my schedule I would say this worked out far better for me. I had tried to read the book but simply did not have the time.

Engaging Story/Awesome Narrator

I found Mr. Dotrice's narration to be excellent. I'm not sure why others did not. Based on what others said I was reluctant to give it a listen. Thankfully I had seen some of Mr. Dotrice's acting work and knew what he sounded like. I'm sure glad I gave it a shot! I found his multitude of voices to be enjoyable and really added to the story.

Loved It

I watched the shows before I read the book. I am in love with The Game of Thrones. At first I thought I wouldn't like the narrator but I he grew on me and I love it.

Great read, never dull, would listen to it again.

lived the book, Lauren to it after watching the series on HBO. it's just as intriguing.

amazing telling of an amazing tale.

I have been interested in reading the Game of Thrones series for several years now but don't really have the time. listening to them seemed like the most viable option. the narrator was wonderful. he did voices very well. I could tell who was speaking before the paragraph revealed it. it was wonderful.

If you can get past the narrator's voice

I started listening to this after becoming hooked on the show. The book offers more insight than the show and provide details of things that slipped past me in the show. While it differs in some ways, I found it very interesting.
I suppose my critique of the narrator is primarily because I am familiar with the on-screen characters. I wasn't overly enthusiastic with some of the impressions... and there were a few mis-pronunciations.

So much better than the show.

Thus is my second time listening through the series. It gets better every time. I seem to catch something new each time.