Editorial

All the Game of Thrones books written by George R. R. Martin

Published

1 year ago

March 3, 2023

George R.R. Martin began writing the Ice and Fire series as a collection of novellas published in various magazines. As the books became increasingly popular, the universe of Westeros expanded further. With the author exploring its history in greater depth, many of these books will now become television series. This article covers every Game of Thrones books written by George R. R. Martin.

All the books in “A Song Of Ice and Fire” series

A Song Of Ice and Fire is the basis of the Game of Thrones show, and it is still ongoing, with The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring yet to be released.

A Game of Thrones

A Game of Thrones, written by George R.R. Martin, is the first book in the Song of Ice and Fire series. It established the signature formula of the Song of Ice and Fire series. Each chapter is through the perspective of a different character. The first chapter is from Bran Stark’s perspective. This is oddly fitting, as Bran eventually became the heir to the Seven Kingdoms at the end of the series.

The first book was most closely followed in the TV show adaptation of the series. It ended with Ned Stark’s beheading and the start of the War of the Five Kings. Though published in 1996, it wasn’t until 2001 that it became a New York Times bestseller. Furthermore, the novella Blood of the Dragon comprises the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel. It won the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Novella.

Buy: A Game of Thrones

A Clash of Kings

A Clash of Kings is the second of the novels in A Song of Ice and Fire, first published in 1998. In May 2005, Meisha Merlin released a much-delayed limited edition of the novel, fully illustrated by John Howe. Picking up the story where A Game of Thrones left off, A Clash of Kings follows the Seven Kingdoms plagued by civil war. The Night’s Watch mounts a reconnaissance force north of the Wall.

Daenerys Targaryen continues her quest to return to the Seven Kingdoms and claim her birthright. The civil war gets worse when the Greyjoys make their entrance. The novel won the Locus Award for Best Novel (Fantasy) in 1999, adapted for television by HBO as the second season of its successful adaptation.

Buy: A Clash of Kings

A Storm of Swords

A Storm of Swords is the third novel in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. It follows the struggles of the Stark family as they fight to survive the civil war that has erupted in Westeros. Its publication was preceded by a novella called Path of the Dragon. It collects some of the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel into a single book. At the time of its publication, A Storm of Swords was the longest novel in the series.

Due to its length, its paperback edition was split in half and published as Steel and Snow in June 2001 and Blood and Gold in August 2001. A Storm of Swords won the 2001 Locus Award and the 2002 Geffen Award for Best Novel and was nominated for the 2001 Nebula Award for Best Novel. The infamous Red Wedding that shocked so many viewers of the show occurred in this book.

Buy: A Storm of Swords

A Feast for Crows

A Feast for Crows is the fourth n by George R. R. Martin. Due to the size of the manuscript, Martin and his publishers decided to split the narrative into two books. A Feast for Crows focuses mainly on southern Westeros. Rather than dividing the text chronologically, the material was split by plot location. It resulted in two novels taking place simultaneously with different casts of characters.

A Feast for Crows was the first novel in the series to debut at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list. This achievement was only previously achieved by Robert Jordan and Neil Gaiman.

Buy: A Feast for Crows

A Dance with Dragons

A Dance with Dragons is the fifth novel of seven in the series A Song of Ice and Fire. In some areas, the paperback edition was published in two parts, titled Dreams and Dust and After the Feast. This novel was unique in that it was the only one in the series to be published during the eight-season run of the HBO adaptation of the series.

Buy: A Dance with Dragons

Tales of Dunk and Egg

Tales of Dunk and Egg is a series of fantasy novellas by George R. R. Martin, set in the world of his A Song of Ice and Fire novels.

The Hedge Knight

The stories follow the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall, known as Dunk, and his squire, Aegon V Targaryen, nicknamed Egg. The series takes place some 90 years before the events of the Song of Ice and Fire novels. It begins with the death of a nomadic hedge knight, Ser Arlan of Pennytree.

Dunk takes up his armor, equipment, three horses, and the remaining money to win more gold at the town of Ashford. On his journey, Dunk finds a young boy, Egg, and takes him on as his own squire, unaware that Egg is actually a prince of the realm.

Buy: The Hedge Knight

The Sworn Sword

The Sworn Sword is the second installment in George R. R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk & Egg series. It follows the story of the hedge knight Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg. It featured in the Legends II anthology series, with short stories from renowned authors such as Orson Scott Card and Neil Gaiman.

The novella focuses on the difficult path of chivalry in the Seven Kingdoms. Here, taking part in petty feuds and casual injustices is a part of what it means to be a sworn man.

The story occurs a year and a half after The Hedge Knight. It is during a time of great hardship in the Seven Kingdoms due to severe summer drought and the Great Spring Sickness. Dunk has sworn his sword to Ser Eustace Osgrey of Standfast in the Reach, an old knight who is still grieving the loss of his family and its ancient honors. The book references the historical event known as the Blackfyre Rebellion.

Buy: The Sworn Sword

The Mystery Knight

The Mystery Knight is the third in the “Dunk and Egg” stories, set in the year 212 AC. It was published in 2010 as part of the Warriors anthology, edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois.

The story follows Ser Duncan the Tall and Egg as they travel through the Riverlands on their way to the north to take up service with Lord Beron Stark. Along the way, they encounter a lord’s train led by Lord Gormon Peake of Starpike. The story follows their adventures as they attempt to fulfill their mission.

Buy: The Mystery Knight

You can also purchase A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms as it is a compilation of the above 3 novellas from the Tales of Dunk and Egg series.

Books Related to the Targaryen Dynasty

The Princess and the Queen

When King Viserys I Targaryen dies, his second wife, Queen Alicent, conspires to have their eldest son Prince Aegon crowned king. Viserys’ daughter and only surviving child, Crown Princess Rhaenyra, cannot inherit the Iron Throne. Despite being the king’s oldest child and heir apparent, Queen Alicent and her supporters declare Rhaenyra unfit to rule.

Due to her recent stillbirth, as well as her gender, they argue that she should be placed after Alicent’s male children in the line of succession. It was later expanded further in the 2018 novel Fire & Blood, as well as the television series House of the Dragon in 2022.

Buy: Dangerous Women

The Rogue Prince

Also known as A King’s Brother, it is a novelette written by George R. R. Martin and published in the 2014 Bantam Spectra anthology Rogues. Set in the continent of Westeros in Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, it is set hundreds of years before the events of A Game of Thrones (1996).

At the end of King Jaehaerys I’s long reign, a succession crisis arises when his second son Baelon dies, leaving behind a daughter named Rhaenys. Despite the law that the elder brother’s children should come first, Viserys wins by twenty votes to one and becomes the rightful heir. On the old king’s death two years later, Viserys succeeds him on the Iron Throne.

Buy Rogues

The Sons of the Dragon

The Sons of the Dragon takes place 270 years before the start of A Game of Thrones and follows the death of Aegon the Conqueror and his two sons. It details the conflicts between the two sons as they vie for the throne, and culminates in the death of Maegor. The story follows the life of Maegor’s successor and nephew, Jaehaerys, who reigned for 55 years as the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.

Buy: The Book of Swords

The Rise of the Dragon

The Rise of the Dragon: An Illustrated History of the Targaryen Dynasty, Volume One is a deluxe reference book about the history of House Targaryen, perfect for fans steeped in the lore of Westeros, as well as those meeting the Targaryens for the first time in the HBO series House of the Dragon. Written by George R. R. Martin in collaboration with Elio García and Linda Antonsson, the book features over 180 completely new illustrations.

It covers the same material as the first volume of Fire & Blood but rewritten in a more encyclopedic style, similar to The World of Ice & Fire. For readers familiar with Fire & Blood, The Rise of the Dragon is primarily an art book. However, some new visual details are part of the canon, such as the colors of the Targaryen dragons.

Buy: The Rise of the Dragon

Fire & Blood

fire-and-blood-book-cover

Fire & Blood takes the form of a scholarly treatise about the Targaryen dynasty. It is written by a historian in A Song of Ice and Fire, Archmaester Gyldayn. It contains illustrations by Doug Wheatley. The book tells the history of House Targaryen, the dynasty that ruled the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Gyldayn cites various fictional primary sources for the historical events he describes. The accounts sometimes conflict, reflecting medieval historiography, thus making Gyldayn an unreliable narrator.

The Rise of the Dragon is a companion book by George R. R. Martin, Elio M. García Jr., and Linda Antonsson, which was released on October 25, 2022. It provides an in-depth look at the history of House Targaryen, from Aegon Targaryen’s conquest of Westeros to the Dance of the Dragons’ civil war. In contrast to Fire & Blood, Martin described The Rise of the Dragon as being written in a more encyclopedic style similar to The World of Ice & Fire. This book is sure to be a must-have for any fan of the Targaryen dynasty.

Buy: Fire & Blood

Companion books

The Wit and Wisdom of Tyrion Lannister

The Wit and Wisdom of Tyrion Lannister is a collection of wicked one-liners from the Imp of Casterly Rock, illustrated by Jonty Clark. Tyrion Lannister often referred to as Halfman, has a sharp wit and golden tongue, which have saved him from many precarious situations. This unique illustrated volume preserves his most essential knowledge for future generations. It features time-tested guidance on such varied subjects as politics, love, and more.

Buy: The Wit and Wisdom of Tyrion Lannister

The World of Ice & Fire

The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones is a companion book for George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series. Published by Bantam, the 326-page volume is an illustrated compendium of Martin’s fictional world. Written from the perspective of an in-world Maester, it features newly written material and artwork.

The format of The World of Ice & Fire is designed to replicate a “real history book” in which sources can contradict each other. Martin worked closely with the artists to render the characters and locales as he himself imagined them. It is opposed to how they may be portrayed in HBO’s Game of Thrones series and other media, such as comic books and games. Martin, Elio M. García Jr, and Linda Antonsson wrote the book.

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Buy: The World of Ice & Fire