Below is the complete list of George R.R. Martin’s Targaryen History books in order. For this series, the chronological reading order is the same as the order of publication.
Publication Order of Targaryen History Books
About Targaryen History
George R.R. Martin’s Targaryen History books are not traditional novels in the same style as A Song of Ice and Fire. They are companion histories that explore the rise, rule, decline, civil wars, and mythmaking of House Targaryen before the events of A Game of Thrones. The central work is Fire & Blood, described by Martin’s publisher as the first volume of a two-part Targaryen history, while The Rise of the Dragon presents much of the same early dynastic material in a more visual, illustrated format.
Fire & Blood is the main starting point for readers who want the fullest version of Targaryen history. Written as an in-world chronicle by Archmaester Gyldayn, it covers the dynasty from Aegon the Conqueror’s invasion of Westeros through later generations of Targaryen rule, including Maegor the Cruel, Jaehaerys the Conciliator, Queen Alysanne, the Dance of the Dragons, and the regency of Aegon III. Martin has described it as an “imaginary history” rather than a standard novel, which is the key to reading it properly.
The book’s historical style is part of its appeal. Instead of following one hero through a single plot, Fire & Blood presents conflicting accounts, court rumors, political interpretations, scandals, marriages, betrayals, and dragon warfare as though they were being pieced together by a scholar long after the events. That makes the Targaryens feel less like a simple fantasy royal family and more like a dynasty remembered through propaganda, gossip, grief, and selective recordkeeping.
Aegon’s Conquest gives the history its foundation. Aegon I, Visenya, and Rhaenys use dragons to transform Westeros from separate kingdoms into a realm ruled from the Iron Throne. From there, the book becomes a long study of what happens after conquest: succession disputes, religious conflict, weak heirs, strong rulers, family rivalries, and the constant problem of a monarchy whose greatest weapon is also its greatest danger.
The Dance of the Dragons is the most famous section of Targaryen history, largely because it became the source material for HBO’s House of the Dragon. This civil war pits rival Targaryen factions against each other and shows the dynasty turning its own dragons, bloodlines, and claims of legitimacy inward. It is one of Martin’s clearest examples of power destroying itself from within: a family built on dragons nearly ruins both the realm and its own future by using them against one another.
The Rise of the Dragon is best understood as a companion presentation of Targaryen history rather than a sequel to Fire & Blood. Co-written with Elio M. García Jr. and Linda Antonsson, it is a lavish visual history with more than 180 illustrations and a more encyclopedic style. It is especially useful for readers who want a clearer, more accessible overview of House Targaryen from Aegon’s Conquest through the Dance of the Dragons.
Readers may also encounter related Targaryen-history material in The World of Ice & Fire, which offers a broader history of Westeros and includes important background on Valyria, the Targaryens, and the Seven Kingdoms. Earlier pieces such as “The Princess and the Queen,” “The Rogue Prince,” and “The Sons of the Dragon” also fed into the larger Targaryen historical project, though Fire & Blood is the more complete form.
The Targaryen History books matter because they deepen the entire world of Westeros. They explain how dragons shaped politics, why Targaryen rule became both magnificent and unstable, and how the past casts long shadows over Daenerys Targaryen and the main series. At their best, these books are not just background lore. They are Martin’s study of dynasty, memory, succession, and the dangerous belief that blood alone can justify power.