A Dance with Dragons

Book 5 of A Song of Ice and Fire

By: George R.R. Martin

Narrated by: Roy Dotrice

HBO’s hit series A GAME OF THRONES is based on George R R Martin’s internationally bestselling series A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE, the greatest fantasy epic of the modern age. A DANCE WITH DRAGONS is the fifth volume in the series.

The future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance.

In the east, Daenerys, last scion of House Targaryen, her dragons grown to terrifying maturity, rules as queen of a city built on dust and death, beset by enemies.

Now that her whereabouts are known many are seeking Daenerys and her dragons. Among them the dwarf, Tyrion Lannister, who has escaped King’s Landing with a price on his head, wrongfully condemned to death for the murder of his nephew, King Joffrey. But not before killing his hated father, Lord Tywin.

To the north lies the great Wall of ice and stone – a structure only as strong as those guarding it. Eddard Stark's bastard son Jon Snow has been elected the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, but he has enemies both in the Watch and beyond the Wall, where the wildling armies are massing for an assault.

On all sides bitter conflicts are reigniting, played out by a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves. The tides of destiny will inevitably lead to the greatest dance of all…

©2011 George R. R. Martin (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"In the grand epic fantasy tradition, Martin is by far the best...tense, surging, insomnia-inflicting." (Time magazine)

"An absorbing, exciting read.... Martin's style is so vivid that you will be hooked within a few pages." (The Times)

"The sheer mind-boggling scope of this epic has sent other fantasy writers away shaking their heads.... Its ambition: to construct the Twelve Caesars of fantasy fiction, with characters so venomous they could eat the Borgias." (Guardian)

So what will happen next

I was priviledged to listen to the whole "A Song of Ice and Fire" series this year. George R.R. Martin is a tremendous storyteller dishing up a very complex story. While winter has been coming in the previous books in Westeros, it is here in "A Dance with Dragons." The players in the game of thrones have changed, favourites have fallen and new one have risen. Be warned - don't get to attached to a character in this fantasy epic, you will most probably come to regret it at some or other time. Georg R.R. Martin is telling a story of epic proportions where individuals are just like bricks in a large tower.

It is of utmost importance that you start listening from book 1 "A Game of Thrones" otherwise you will not grasp the positive uproar to the series. Book 2 is called "A Clash of Kings", 3 "A Storm of Swords" (broken by the publisher into an A & B part) and 4 "A feast for Crows." (Unfortunately book 4 is currently available at Audible except to USA listeners. It is the only book not read by Roy Dotrice. Its read by John Lee. So you will have to make a plan.)

Roy Dotrice is an excellent voice artist and has become synonymous with "A Song of Ice and Fire." While you might struggle to listen to him in the beginning, you will want no-one else to read this magnificent story by book 5.

So put some time aside. Take a deep breath and start to listen to the 21st century's "Lord of the Rings." But don't expect anything "Lordish" or "Ringish."

Roy Dotrice does not do the work justice

I loved the book however the Narration was awful I cannot stand to give the book a bad review but the Narration is so bad I would strongly recommend reading the book and spending your audible credit elsewhere.

Roy Dotrice does not do the work justice. The female characters all sound like old North Country serving women from some low rent historical drama. With younger women this is particularly jarring, Daenerys sounds like she is 103. I will avoid any audio book read by Roy Dotrice in the future.

only a slight niggle

Such an amazing series and I love Roy Dotrice's narration. The only thing which bugs me is that he changes the accents of some of the main characters from book to book.

Must read!

I absolutely loved it and I can't wait for the next book to be released

Is Dany a Pikey?

Same narrator but several voices were changed from the previous novel plus many others share the same voice. I’m sure it’s very difficult with so many characters to play, but Dany sounds like a Pikey!! 😂😫😢