Below is the complete list of George R.R. Martin’s Game Of Thrones books in order. For this series, the chronological reading order is the same as the order of publication.
Publication Order of A Song Of Ice and Fire Books
Publication Order of Game Of Thrones Collection Books
Publication Order of Game Of Thrones Graphic Novels Books
Publication Order of Game Of Thrones Non-Fiction Books
About Game Of Thrones
George R.R. Martin’s Game Of Thrones series is more properly known as A Song of Ice and Fire, though many readers use the title of the first book, A Game of Thrones, as shorthand for the entire saga. The published main sequence begins with A Game of Thrones, followed by A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. Together, these novels form one of the most influential modern fantasy series, known for political intrigue, shifting loyalties, moral ambiguity, and a vast cast of characters spread across Westeros and Essos.
The first book, A Game of Thrones, introduces the major houses and conflicts that shape the series. House Stark of Winterfell, House Lannister of Casterly Rock, House Baratheon of the royal line, and the exiled House Targaryen all become central to a story where family loyalty and political survival are often impossible to separate. Eddard Stark’s move from the North to King’s Landing places him inside a court ruled by secrets, ambition, and danger, while Daenerys Targaryen’s story begins far away, in exile, before growing into one of the saga’s most important arcs.
A Clash of Kings expands the conflict into civil war. After the death of King Robert Baratheon, rival claimants fight for the Iron Throne, and the Seven Kingdoms begin to fracture. The book deepens the military and political scope of the series, following battles, alliances, betrayals, and the growing importance of characters such as Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow, Arya Stark, Sansa Stark, and Stannis Baratheon. Martin’s world becomes larger and more unstable with each competing vision of power.
A Storm of Swords is often regarded as one of the strongest and most devastating books in the series. It brings major turning points in the War of the Five Kings and delivers some of the saga’s most memorable shocks. The novel shows Martin’s willingness to overturn fantasy expectations: noble intentions do not guarantee survival, revenge does not always bring justice, and political mistakes can echo through entire families.
A Feast for Crows changes the structure by focusing on selected regions and characters after the worst of the war’s immediate destruction. The book spends more time with King’s Landing, the Riverlands, the Iron Islands, Dorne, and Brienne of Tarth’s search through a broken landscape. Its slower, more reflective tone shows the cost of war after the banners have moved on: ruined villages, displaced people, religious unrest, and power vacuums filled by opportunists.
A Dance with Dragons runs partly alongside A Feast for Crows and brings back major points of view such as Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, and Tyrion Lannister. The book broadens the eastern storylines while also deepening the crisis at the Wall. Daenerys struggles to rule Meereen, Jon faces impossible choices as Lord Commander, and Tyrion’s journey takes him far from Westeros while keeping him tied to the series’ larger struggle for power.
The Game Of Thrones books are not simply about who will sit on the Iron Throne. Their deeper force comes from the way Martin examines legitimacy, honor, propaganda, religion, inheritance, and survival. Magic exists, but it returns gradually and uneasily, while politics remains brutal and immediate. Dragons, direwolves, the Others, and prophecy all matter, yet the series is just as concerned with food supplies, marriages, debts, rumors, and the fragile bargains that hold kingdoms together.
The published series remains unfinished, with The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring planned as the final two main volumes. Even in its incomplete form, A Song of Ice and Fire has reshaped epic fantasy by making consequence its central law. Every victory carries a cost, every oath can become a trap, and every character lives inside a history much larger than themselves.