George R.R. Martin Books in Order: A Song of Ice and Fire and Beyond
The author who made the world safe for killing main characters — and set a generation of fantasy writers free from the obligation of heroic endings.
About George R.R. Martin
George R.R. Martin spent decades as a science fiction and television writer before A Game of Thrones turned him into the most famous fantasy novelist alive. What he brought to the genre was simple and devastating: the recognition that fantasy could be morally serious. Heroes die. Good intentions produce catastrophe. Political institutions corrupt everyone who touches them. The world of Westeros operates by history's rules, not genre convention, and readers responded to that shock of recognition with a devotion that transformed how publishers and filmmakers thought about fantasy. The HBO adaptation made him a cultural figure on a scale that no other living fantasy author has approached. Five of the planned seven ASOIAF novels have been published; The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring remain unwritten as of 2025. While readers wait, Martin has expanded the universe through companion books, novellas, and the Fire & Blood history that became the basis for House of the Dragon.
A Song of Ice and Fire Reading Order
- 1
A Game of Thrones
A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1
The Stark family is drawn into the treacherous politics of the Iron Throne as winter approaches and ancient threats stir beyond the Wall. One of the most influential fantasy novels ever published.
Note: Best starting point. The show's first season closely follows this book.
- 2
A Clash of Kings
A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 2
Five kings claim the throne and the realm tears itself apart. The scope of the conflict expands massively as new POVs reveal how the war looks from every side.
- 3
A Storm of Swords
A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3
Widely considered the best book in the series. Contains some of the most devastating plot events in fantasy history — Martin makes clear that no one is safe.
- 4
A Feast for Crows
A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 4
Published alongside the events of A Dance with Dragons, A Feast for Crows follows the southern storylines as the war's aftermath is felt across the Seven Kingdoms.
- 5
A Dance with Dragons
A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 5
Covers the same time period as A Feast for Crows but follows Daenerys, Jon, and Tyrion in the east and north. The story converges toward a cliffhanger that has kept readers waiting since 2011.
Upcoming — Not Yet Published
- The Winds of Winter (Book 6) — In progress. No publication date announced.
- A Dream of Spring (Book 7) — Not yet written. Planned as the series conclusion.
Companion Books & Short Fiction
These expand the world but are not required to follow the main series.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Tales of Dunk and Egg
Three novellas collected in one volume, set 90 years before A Game of Thrones and following hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg. A lighter, more swashbuckling take on Westeros.
Note: Can be read any time after A Game of Thrones.
Buy on AmazonFire & Blood
Targaryen History
A history of House Targaryen from Aegon the Conqueror through the Dance of Dragons. Structured as in-universe history rather than a novel — most rewarding for dedicated fans who want maximum Westeros lore.
Note: Best read after A Dance with Dragons.
Hardcover — no paperback edition available.
Buy on AmazonThe World of Ice and Fire
Companion Book
An illustrated encyclopedia of the known world of Westeros and beyond. Not a narrative — a reference guide with full-color illustrations and lore for every region of the world.
Note: Reference book — not required reading.
Hardcover coffee table book — no paperback edition available.
Buy on AmazonOther Novels
Martin's standalone fiction — both published before ASOIAF.
Fevre Dream
Standalone Novel
A steamboat captain on the Mississippi River forms an unlikely partnership with a mysterious vampire. Martin's best standalone novel — atmospheric, morally complex, and utterly un-put-downable.
Buy on AmazonThe Armageddon Rag
Standalone Novel
A mystery involving the death of a rock band's manager leads a journalist into a dark supernatural conspiracy involving the ghosts of 1960s counterculture. Cult favourite among Martin devotees.
Buy on AmazonIf You Like George R.R. Martin, Try:
If ASOIAF's moral complexity and willingness to kill beloved characters appeals, Abercrombie's First Law trilogy is the natural next read.
A very different style — cleaner prose, faster pace, completed series — but a similarly grand scope. The antidote to waiting for Winds of Winter.
Red Rising matches ASOIAF's propulsive pacing and willingness to betray reader expectations, compressed into a tighter, more plot-driven form.
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