A Game of Thrones Audiobook – Book 1 [Free Download by Trial]

A Game of Thrones: Book 1 of A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin

The readers can download A Game of Thrones: Book 1 of A Song of Ice and Fire Audiobook for free via Audible Free Trial.

Summary

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin audiobook is the first book out of seven of the ongoing book series Game of Thrones Audiobooks. A Game of Thrones is set long time ago, after a supernatural event alternated seasons. Now, in the land where the story takes place, summers last decades and winters last a lifetime. After a long period time of enforced peace, troubles are starting to appear again, as the cold is returning and in the north of Winterfell, on the outsides of the kingdom’s protective wall, some preternatural forces are massing.



The axis of the conflict is the strong and powerful family of the Starks of Winterfell. Going from the North, in a land with freezing temperatures, to a distant kingdom with epicurean plenty, A Game of Thrones is a tale of soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, lords and ladies, life and death, science and magic, which mix in a time of unforeseeable future.

In this tale, a band of warriors bear swords with inhuman metal; a tribe of savages drives men into madness; a dragon prince trades her sister with the objective of winning back his throne; a brave woman goes on a treacherous journey. Between loyalty and betrayal, victory and terror, plots and counterplots, the future of the Starks, their allies and enemies is at risk while each of them tries to win the deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

“Here is the first volume in George R. R. Martin’s magnificent cycle of novels. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced”.

Review

The story of A Song of Ice and Fire starts with A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin audiobook where recurrent characters are introduced and the main conflicts of the story are presented.

In A Game Thrones, events are told from different points of view. This way, the author can introduce the plot-lines of the noble houses of Westeros, the Wall, and the Targaryens and the reader gets to know each area of the land from the perspective of different characters. On this occasion, the story develops through the eyes of the minor character Will, a man of the Night's Watch, in the prologue; and through the eyes of the following main characters during the rest of the audiobook: Lord Eddard "Ned" Stark, Lady Catelyn Stark, Sansa Stark, Arya Stark, Bran Stark, Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister and Princess Daenerys Targaryen. Because of this, preferring a character and a narrative over other ones is unavoidable.

As this is the introduction of the series, many people and places are mentioned, and this can feel a little overwhelming at first, as there are too many names to remember. However, this shouldn’t be an aspect to worry about yet, because over time the more relevant ones will appear more frequently.

We can notice that the author has been influenced by other writers. The audiobook is full of great descriptions so we can picture places in our minds, it has epic battles and it has great dialogues that emphasize the personality of each character and make the story more fun. And talking about the characters, they are one of the greatest assets of the story. You will either hate them or love them but none of them will leave you indifferent.

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin is great epic tale that will leave you wanting to know a lot more about all the characters and their unsolved conflicts, and the surprising ending will make you run to start the next one.

Questions

Should I read the “A Song of Ice and Fire” book series before watching the HBO series “Game of Thrones”?

It depends, both could have downsides. If you go with the books first, you will notice all the differences between them and the series, especially after season 4, and that usually annoys most people. If you go with the TV series first, it could help you understand everything better because the books have a lot of information but you could also be confused by the big amount of differences and plot holes.

Is reading the A Game of Thrones and the following books better than watching the TV series Game of Thrones?

Again, it depends. In general, it is, as the books are more detailed, have more explanations and more characters, especially if we talk about the first three books. However, the stories start to have lots of differences in season 5 and 6, special effects of the TV series are getting more and more spectacular, and there are books that have not come out yet, which make it hard to answer the question.

In what order should I read the Game of Thrones books, including the novellas?

Reading the books in the order they were published is just fine, but if you are planning to read the tales Dunk and Egg and other novellas, you should at least have finished the first volume, A Game of Thrones.

Are the Game of Thrones books really as confusing as the TV show?

Once more, the answer of this question depends on what you think that is confusing. If you find yourself watching the TV series, especially the last two seasons, and there are events that you don’t fully understand, it makes sense because a lot of things were omitted while filming the series and everything is explained in details in the books/audiobooks. However, the story of the books can be overwhelming as there is a ton of characters, places and events to remember.