A DANCE WITH DRAGONS A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 5

After skipping Book 4, Roy Dotrice has returned to perform this installment in Martin’s gripping series. The spellbinding fantasy continues to enchant as the Seven Kingdoms teeter on the edge of destruction, but, surprisingly, Dotrice's performance disappoints. Although his characters' dialogue is full of expression, clever accents, and humor, the mythic narrative falls flat. First of all, Dotrice’s pacing is uneven. And, while he performs elderly voices beautifully, as well as those of sovereigns with weighty power (and even talking ravens), his women’s and children’s voices are grating. This weakness diminishes his portrayal of young Queen Daenerys Targaryen, in particular. Still, vocal performance aside, Martin's dark tale of battles and political destiny engages with its grand scale. A.W. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2011]