The Game of Thrones books are a series of epic fantasy novels by American novelist and screenwriterGeorge R. R. Martin. To fully grasp the plot, it’s advisable to read the Game of Thrones books in order.
This is a complete list of the Game of Thrones series in chronological order.
Game of Thrones Books in Order
This list contains the main novels in the series as well as prequels and companion books.
A Song of Ice & Fire
- A Game of Thrones (1996)
- A Clash of Kings (1998)
- A Storm of Swords (2000)
- A Feast for Crows (2005)
- A Dance with Dragons (2011)
- The Winds of Winter (Forthcoming)
- A Dream of Spring (Forthcoming)
Game of Thrones Prequels/Companion Books
- Fire and Blood (2018)
Tales of Dunk and Egg
- The Hedge Knight (1998)
- The Sworn Sword
- The Mystery Knight
- A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
What are the Game of Thrones books about?
The Games of Thrones books collectively go by the name A Song of Ice and Fire. The novels were the inspiration behind the hugely successful HBO tv show Game of Thrones.
The story is set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos and features a large ensemble cast of characters. The primary plot revolves around the power struggles and conflicts among noble families as they vie for control of the Iron Throne and rule over the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Additionally, there are other significant plotlines involving the threat of the White Walkers, the mysterious creatures beyond the Wall in the North.
The series is known for its complex characters, intricate political plots, and unpredictable twists. It combines elements of medieval history, fantasy, and political intrigue, creating a rich and immersive world.
While it did follow the Game of Thrones books in order, the tv series was known for having a disappointing end conclusion. George R.R. Martin is yet to finish writing the final books, leaving fans wondering if the final episodes would have been more satisfying had Martin himself written the ending.
How many Game of Thrones books are there?
George R.R. Martin has released five out of a planned seven Game of Thrones books and is currently writing the sixth novel,The Winds of Winter. A seventh novel,A Dream of Spring, is planned. While there are technically five books that have been released, both A Storm of Swords and A Dance of Dragons have been split into two separate novels as it has a whopping 1056 pages in total!
Which books was House of Dragon tv series based on?
While Game of Thrones is based on the ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’series, House of the Dragon is based on his history book,Fire & Blood. Fire & Blood serves as a companion and prequel to the ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ series. Fire & Blood focuses on the history of House Targaryen, a noble house known for its dragons, and covers events that took place in the world of Westeros centuries before the events of the main series.
What are the Dunk and Egg stories?
The Dunk and Egg stories, written by George R.R. Martin, are a series of ongoing novellas set in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire. Serving as prequels to the main novels, the stories follow the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall, a hedge knight who later becomes a legendary member of the Kingsguard, and his squire Egg, who eventually becomes King Aegon V Targaryen of Westeros. The stories begin with their meeting eighty-nine years before the events of the main novels.
Game of Thrones Books in Order: Descriptions
Game of Thrones
Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun.
As Warden of the north, Lord Eddard Stark counts it a curse when King Robert bestows on him the office of the Hand. His honour weighs him down at court where a true man does what he will, not what he must … and a dead enemy is a thing of beauty.
The old gods have no power in the south, Stark’s family is split and there is treachery at court. Worse, the vengeance-mad heir of the deposed Dragon King has grown to maturity in exile in the Free Cities. He claims the Iron Throne.
A Clash of Kings
Throughout Westeros, the cold winds are rising.
From the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding lands of Winterfell, chaos reigns as pretenders to the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms stake their claims through tempest, turmoil and war.
As a prophecy of doom cuts across the sky – a comet the colour of blood and flame – five factions struggle for control of a divided land. Brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night.
Against a backdrop of incest, fratricide, alchemy and murder, the price of glory is measured in blood.
A Storm of Swords 1 – Steel and Snow
A STORM OF SWORDS: STEEL AND SNOW is the FIRST part of the third volume in the series.
Winter approaches Westeros like an angry beast.
The Seven Kingdoms are divided by revolt and blood feud. In the northern wastes, a horde of hungry, savage people steeped in the dark magic of the wilderness is poised to invade the Kingdom of the North where Robb Stark wears his new-forged crown. And Robb’s defences are ranged against the South, the land of the cunning and cruel Lannisters, who have his younger sisters in their power.
Throughout Westeros, the war for the Iron Throne rages more fiercely than ever, but if the Wall is breached, no king will live to claim it.
A Storm of Swords 2 – Blood and Gold
A STORM OF SWORDS: BLOOD AND GOLD is the SECOND part of the third volume in the series.
The Starks are scattered.
Robb Stark may be King in the North, but he must bend to the will of the old tyrant Walder Frey if he is to hold his crown. And while his youngest sister, Arya, has escaped the clutches of the depraved Cersei Lannister and her son, the capricious boy-king Joffrey, Sansa Stark remains their captive.
Meanwhile, across the ocean, Daenerys Stormborn, the last heir of the Dragon King, delivers death to the slave-trading cities of Astapor and Yunkai as she approaches Westeros with vengeance in her heart.
A Feast For Crows
The Lannisters are in power on the Iron Throne.
The war in the Seven Kingdoms has burned itself out, but in its bitter aftermath new conflicts spark to life. The Martells of Dorne and the Starks of Winterfell seek vengeance for their dead. Euron Crow’s Eye, as black a pirate as ever raised a sail, returns from the smoking ruins of Valyria to claim the Iron Isles.
From the icy north, where Others threaten the Wall, apprentice Maester Samwell Tarly brings a mysterious babe in arms to the Citadel. As plots, intrigue and battle threaten to engulf Westeros, victory will go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel and the coldest hearts.
A Dance with Dragon 1: Dreams and Dust
In the aftermath of a colossal battle, new threats are emerging from every direction.
Tyrion Lannister, having killed his father, and wrongfully accused of killing his nephew, King Joffrey, has escaped from King’s Landing with a price on his head.
To the north lies the great Wall of ice and stone – a structure only as strong as those guarding it. Eddard Stark’s bastard son Jon Snow has been elected 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. But Jon has enemies both inside and beyond the Wall. And in the east Daenerys Targaryen struggles to hold a city built on dreams and dust.
A Dance with Dragon 2: After the Feast
The future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance.
In King’s Landing the Queen Regent, Cersei Lannister, awaits trial. She has been abandoned by all those she trusted; while in the eastern city of Yunkai her brother Tyrion has been sold as a slave. From the Wall, having left his wife and the Red Priestess Melisandre under the protection of Jon Snow, Stannis Baratheon marches south to confront the Boltons at Winterfell. But beyond the Wall the wildling armies are massing for an assault…
On all sides bitter conflicts are reigniting, played out by a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves. The tides of destiny will inevitably lead to the greatest dance of all.
Summary
This is the complete list of Game of Thrones books in order. As I mentioned earlier, there are two more books in the pipeline. I’m hoping George R R Martin manages to complete them so fans will be able to read his vision for how the series should have ended.
I’ll keep this post updated as and when new books are released.
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