AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: A Game of Thrones
Title: A Game of Thrones
Author: George R. R. Martin
Audiobook Narrator: Roy Dotrice
Series: A Song of Ice and Fire
For the past year or so, I've felt as if my geek card had been revoked. Despite the hundreds of sci-fi and fantasy books that sit on my shelves, my growing collection of comics, my geektastic DVD haul, and my familiarity with a twenty-sided die (among others), I just wasn't cutting it. The reason? I had never read A Game of Thrones.
A Game of Thrones is the first book in the fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire, which focuses on the struggles (both in politics and war) of several powerful families in their “game of thrones.” A Game of Thrones is a prime example of epic fantasy as everything here exists on a grand scale. The book itself is long, the cast of characters is expansive, the story spans multiple countries, and the stakes are very high. What I found really pulled me into A Game of Thrones was not necessarily it's vastness, but Martin's talent for created nuanced and memorable characters. I have a soft spot in particular for a lot of the young characters: the child bride Daenerys Targaryen, the unwanted bastard John Snow and the headstrong Arya Stark. Even the characters that aren't always all that likable come off as very well rounded (Sansa Stark for example annoyed me at first, but I ultimately ended up feeling a lot of sympathy for her). It's important to note that although Martin can create fantastic characters that the world they inhabit is treacherous. Sometimes awful things happen to people who really don't deserve it.
Part of the reason I took so long to pick up A Game of Thrones if the fact that it's such a lengthy volume. With all of the great looking books out there, a 700+ page tome has to be really worth it in order for me to devote my time to it. I'm proud to report that A Game of Thrones is really worth the time investment. The book doesn't feel long, and never drags. There's enough going on in the story to keep the pages moving vast, but not to the point where you're completely overwhelmed. I also really enjoyed the world building. Although A Game of Thrones is clearly a fantasy book and embraces a lot of classic tropes (such as a Conan-esque Barbarian race), the fantasy elements are really under emphasized, which makes it read like a historical fiction novel at times. When fantasy elements do occur (perhaps because they're so rare) they really pack a punch.
Thoughts on the Audiobook: Roy Dotrice does a solid performance with his narration, although sometimes I couldn't help but feel that he was miscast. He does a fantastic job in crafting various voices for the adult characters, but struggles with the kids, who often end up sounding too old or too alike each other. I think that casting someone with a better grip on children's voices (perhaps a female narrator?) would have been a better choice.
Final Thoughts: A Game of Thrones is epic fantasy at it's finest. Reading this long novel is a timely investment, but thanks to its fantastic cast, event-packed storyline, and memorable worldbuilding, it's worth every moment. Five Stars
Next I will be Reviewing Erstwhile by Gina Biggs Louisa Roy and Elle Skinner
Author: George R. R. Martin
Audiobook Narrator: Roy Dotrice
Series: A Song of Ice and Fire
For the past year or so, I've felt as if my geek card had been revoked. Despite the hundreds of sci-fi and fantasy books that sit on my shelves, my growing collection of comics, my geektastic DVD haul, and my familiarity with a twenty-sided die (among others), I just wasn't cutting it. The reason? I had never read A Game of Thrones.
A Game of Thrones is the first book in the fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire, which focuses on the struggles (both in politics and war) of several powerful families in their “game of thrones.” A Game of Thrones is a prime example of epic fantasy as everything here exists on a grand scale. The book itself is long, the cast of characters is expansive, the story spans multiple countries, and the stakes are very high. What I found really pulled me into A Game of Thrones was not necessarily it's vastness, but Martin's talent for created nuanced and memorable characters. I have a soft spot in particular for a lot of the young characters: the child bride Daenerys Targaryen, the unwanted bastard John Snow and the headstrong Arya Stark. Even the characters that aren't always all that likable come off as very well rounded (Sansa Stark for example annoyed me at first, but I ultimately ended up feeling a lot of sympathy for her). It's important to note that although Martin can create fantastic characters that the world they inhabit is treacherous. Sometimes awful things happen to people who really don't deserve it.
Part of the reason I took so long to pick up A Game of Thrones if the fact that it's such a lengthy volume. With all of the great looking books out there, a 700+ page tome has to be really worth it in order for me to devote my time to it. I'm proud to report that A Game of Thrones is really worth the time investment. The book doesn't feel long, and never drags. There's enough going on in the story to keep the pages moving vast, but not to the point where you're completely overwhelmed. I also really enjoyed the world building. Although A Game of Thrones is clearly a fantasy book and embraces a lot of classic tropes (such as a Conan-esque Barbarian race), the fantasy elements are really under emphasized, which makes it read like a historical fiction novel at times. When fantasy elements do occur (perhaps because they're so rare) they really pack a punch.
Thoughts on the Audiobook: Roy Dotrice does a solid performance with his narration, although sometimes I couldn't help but feel that he was miscast. He does a fantastic job in crafting various voices for the adult characters, but struggles with the kids, who often end up sounding too old or too alike each other. I think that casting someone with a better grip on children's voices (perhaps a female narrator?) would have been a better choice.
Final Thoughts: A Game of Thrones is epic fantasy at it's finest. Reading this long novel is a timely investment, but thanks to its fantastic cast, event-packed storyline, and memorable worldbuilding, it's worth every moment. Five Stars
Next I will be Reviewing Erstwhile by Gina Biggs Louisa Roy and Elle Skinner