Is there an audiobook of A Game of Thrones?

Yes. A Game of Thrones has an Audible audiobook edition, narrated by Roy Dotrice.

How long is the A Game of Thrones audiobook?

The A Game of Thrones audiobook runs 33 hr 46 min.

Is A Game of Thrones on Kindle Unlimited?

No. A Game of Thrones was not included with Kindle Unlimited when we last checked on July 29, 2026.

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin book cover for the Book of the Day fantasy book review

Our score

4.5/ 5

Outstanding

Listen to A Game of Thrones free with an Audible trial Narrator, runtime & our audio review

Buy on Amazon

Goodreads

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EDITION PUBLISHEDJanuary 2003

PublisherHARPER COLLINS PUBLISHERS

Genres

Fiction Fantasy War

Themes

Honor versus survivalThe cost of powerLoyalty and betrayal within familyLooming threat ignored by the powerful

A Game of Thrones

Name: A Game of Thrones
Price: 6.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Author: George R. R. Martin

George R. R. Martin

George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones launches the Song of Ice and Fire saga with a brutal, intricately plotted fantasy where honor gets people killed and the real threat is gathering while everyone fights over a chair. A landmark of grown-up epic fantasy for readers who want politics with teeth.

The Review

Our take

What makes A Game of Thrones still feel sharp decades on isn't the dragons or the wall of ice in the North, though both linger in the mind. It's that Martin builds a world running on consequence. Decisions have weight. A man who keeps his vows in a court full of liars isn't rewarded for it, and the book never lets you forget that the rules of honor and the rules of survival are not the same rules. That tension — between who you should be and who you have to be to live — is the engine underneath all the scheming.

The structure is the cleverest thing here. Martin rotates point of view chapter by chapter, handing each section to a different member of the Stark family and a few others scattered across the map. It means you're never far from someone you care about, and it lets him show the same world from radically different vantage points: the frozen, fatalistic North; the gilded rot of the capital; an exiled girl on the far side of the sea learning that being a bargaining chip and being a queen can blur together. The viewpoints don't just decorate the story, they argue with each other. You see a character one way through their own eyes, then watch someone else misread them entirely, and the gap is where the dread lives.

Martin's worldbuilding earns its reputation because it has rules and history rather than just atmosphere. Seasons that last for years. A great cold returning while the powerful squabble over a throne. Old houses with grudges that predate anyone living. He doses out lore through people who have stakes in it, so the backstory feels load-bearing instead of ornamental. The internal logic holds: power costs something, geography matters, winter is not a metaphor that gets waved away. When threats arrive, they arrive because the system made room for them.

The prose is functional and clear more than lyrical, which suits the scope — this is a book that wants to keep a dozen plates spinning, and it does. The pacing builds rather than sprints. Early chapters lay careful groundwork, and the back third tightens like a fist. If you came expecting a tidy good-versus-evil quest, this isn't that. People you assume are protected by genre convention are not protected at all, and that willingness to break the contract with the reader is precisely why the stakes feel genuine. Few fantasy novels make you so genuinely afraid for the characters.

Why you should read

Readers who love political intrigue with real consequences over standard quest fantasy
Fans of large casts, rotating viewpoints, and slow-building tension
Anyone wanting epic fantasy that takes its world's rules and history seriously

What to expect

The cast is enormous and the violence and cruelty are unflinching; readers who want a more hopeful, lower-body-count fantasy may find it bleak
It's the opening book of a long, still-unfinished series — start it knowing you're signing on for a much bigger journey

As the opening movement of a still-unfinished series, this stands on its own better than most first volumes, delivering a complete arc while seeding a much larger story. Readers who want grit, intrigue, and a world that refuses to flatter anyone will find it deeply rewarding. Those who prefer hope to be reliably rewarded should know going in that Martin plays a harder game.

Reviewed by Rowan · How our reviews are written

Our verdict

4.5/ 5

Outstanding

Listen to A Game of Thrones free with an Audible trial Narrator, runtime & our audio review

Buy on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Prices may vary.

Where to read or listen

Is there an audiobook of A Game of Thrones?: Yes. A Game of Thrones has an Audible audiobook edition, narrated by Roy Dotrice.
Listen to A Game of Thrones free with an Audible trial
We earn from qualifying Amazon purchases.
How long is the A Game of Thrones audiobook?: The A Game of Thrones audiobook runs 33 hr 46 min.
Is A Game of Thrones on Kindle Unlimited?: No. A Game of Thrones was not included with Kindle Unlimited when we last checked on July 29, 2026.
How much does A Game of Thrones cost?: On Amazon: Kindle $6.99, Paperback $9.50, Hardcover $17.23. Prices as of August 28, 2026 at 3:20 AM EDT and may change.

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Common questions

What is A Game of Thrones about?: What makes A Game of Thrones still feel sharp decades on isn't the dragons or the wall of ice in the North, though both linger in the mind. It's that Martin builds a world running on consequence. Decisions have weight. A man who keeps his vows in a court full of liars isn't rewarded for it, and…
Is A Game of Thrones worth reading?: We scored A Game of Thrones 4.5 out of 5. George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones launches the Song of Ice and Fire saga with a brutal, intricately plotted fantasy where honor gets people killed and the real threat is gathering while everyone fights over a chair. A landmark of grown-up epic fantasy for readers who want…