Series · fantasy
A Song of Ice and Fire
A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin has 7 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Blood of the Dragon (1996).
- Books
- 11 novels + 2 novellas
- First published
- 1996
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: Blood of the Dragon (1996) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Blood of the Dragon
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Blood of the Dragon - Book 2:
A Game of Thrones
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Game of Thrones - Book 3:
A Clash of Kings
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Clash of Kings - Book 4:
A Storm of Swords
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Storm of Swords - Book 5:
A Feast for Crows
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Feast for Crows - Book 6:
A Dance with Dragons
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Dance with Dragons - Book 7:
The Princess and the Queen
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Princess and the Queen - Book 8:
The World of Ice & Fire
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The World of Ice & Fire - Book 9:
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms - Book 10:
Fire & Blood
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Fire & Blood - Book 11:
The Rise of the Dragon
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Rise of the Dragon - Book 12:
The Winds of Winter
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Winds of Winter - Book 13:
A Dream of Spring
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Dream of Spring
Our shelf-tested path for first-time readers.
- Book 1:
A Game of Thrones
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Game of Thrones - Book 2:
A Clash of Kings
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Clash of Kings - Book 3:
A Storm of Swords
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Storm of Swords - Book 4:
A Feast for Crows
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Feast for Crows - Book 5:
A Dance with Dragons
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Dance with Dragons - Book 6:
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms - Book 7:
Fire & Blood
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Fire & Blood
About A Song of Ice and Fire
A Song of Ice and Fire is George R. R. Martin's sprawling epic of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, a land where summers last years, winters can last a generation, and the death of a king sets great houses tearing at one another for the Iron Throne. It opens with A Game of Thrones (1996), in which the honourable Lord Eddard Stark is summoned south to serve a king he once helped crown — and discovers that in the capital, honour is a fatal handicap.
Martin writes through dozens of point-of-view characters on every side of the war: scheming queens, exiled princesses raising dragons, a dwarf whose wit is his only armour, and the sworn brothers of the Night's Watch, who guard a wall of ice against a threat the squabbling south refuses to believe in. The series is famous for its moral complexity and its willingness to kill anyone — no character is safe because of their billing — and it redefined modern epic fantasy, inspiring HBO's Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon.
Five of a planned seven novels have been published, from A Game of Thrones to A Dance with Dragons (2011). The story is unfinished: The Winds of Winter remains in progress. Around the main sequence sit the Dunk & Egg novellas (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms) and the Targaryen history Fire & Blood, set generations earlier.
How to read this series
Read the five published novels in publication order: A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, A Dance with Dragons. Note that books four and five run in parallel — A Feast for Crows follows half the cast, A Dance with Dragons the other half — so push on through Feast even if favourite characters are missing; they return in Dance.
The prequels are optional and spoiler-light: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms collects the warm, self-contained Dunk & Egg novellas (ninety years before the series), and Fire & Blood is a chronicle-style history of the Targaryen dynasty — the source for House of the Dragon. Both read well either before or after the main novels. The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring will complete the saga; neither has a publication date.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in A Song of Ice and Fire?
The series is planned as seven novels. Five have been published: A Game of Thrones (1996), A Clash of Kings (1998), A Storm of Swords (2000), A Feast for Crows (2005) and A Dance with Dragons (2011). The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring remain unpublished.
What order should I read A Song of Ice and Fire in?
Publication order: A Game of Thrones through A Dance with Dragons. Books four and five cover the same time period with different characters, so read them as published. Prequels like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and Fire & Blood can be read at any point.
Will The Winds of Winter ever come out?
Unknown. George R. R. Martin continues to say he is working on it — reportedly over a thousand manuscript pages exist — but as of 2026 neither he nor his publishers have announced a completion or release date, and periodic online rumours of one have been denied. Treat any date you see as speculation until it appears from Martin or his publisher directly.
Is Fire & Blood part of A Song of Ice and Fire?
It's a companion, not a numbered volume: a fictional history of the Targaryen kings set roughly 300 years before A Game of Thrones, and the basis for HBO's House of the Dragon. You don't need it to follow the main novels.
Do I need to read the books if I watched Game of Thrones?
The show followed the books closely for its first four seasons, then overtook and diverged from them. The novels offer far more point-of-view depth, and their eventual ending is expected to differ from the television conclusion in significant ways.
Reading order last verified .