Read the ‘Game of Thrones’ books in order
The HBO revival and the upcoming Knight of the Seven Kingdoms series have sent new viewers looking for the Game of Thrones books in order. Most readers want the core saga first, then the optional side stories, and they want clear guidance on what is finished and what is still missing.
Main series start
A Game of Thrones appeared in 1996 and introduced the Stark family, King’s Landing politics, and the exiled Targaryens. The novel establishes the tone and the cast that the HBO series followed most closely in its early seasons.
Readers meet Ned, Catelyn, and their children at Winterfell before the action moves south. The book ends with a clear cliffhanger that pulls directly into the next volume.
Its central quote about swords and whetstones signals the story’s focus on knowledge as power, a theme that continues through the rest of the series.
War breaks out
A Clash of Kings arrived in 1999 and widens the conflict after Robert’s death. New kings appear, each claiming the Iron Throne, and the realm fractures along several fronts.
The novel introduces the Greyjoys, expands Stannis’s role, and tracks Daenerys’s first steps in the east. These threads run alongside the original cast, keeping the pace brisk.
Publication order keeps the escalating stakes clear and mirrors the early seasons of the show that many current readers already know.
Peak twists
A Storm of Swords followed in 2000 and remains the longest published volume. It delivers the largest battles and the sharpest reversals in a single book.
Key character arcs reach turning points that the show adapted early, giving readers a chance to compare the printed scenes with what they watched.
Fans and guides often cite this installment as the high point of momentum before the timeline splits in the next two volumes.
Parallel storytelling
A Feast for Crows came out in 2005 and covers only southern and western storylines. Martin chose separate POVs instead of merging every thread in one book.
The structure follows his original plan and avoids the confusion that chapter-by-chapter interleaving can create for first-time readers.
Show viewers meet expanded arcs for Brienne, Jaime, and Cersei that set up later plot lines without jumping ahead.
Northern and eastern threads
A Dance with Dragons appeared in 2011 and picks up the remaining POVs during the same period as the previous novel. It brings the published main series to a close for now.
The book ends on several cliffhangers that still lack resolution, marking the point where the HBO series began to diverge most sharply from the text.
Readers who finish here understand exactly where the story stands and why new material has been so long in coming.
Long wait for book six
The Winds of Winter remains unpublished. As of October 2026 Martin has written roughly eleven hundred manuscript pages, yet the novel still needs substantial work.
The delay since A Dance with Dragons now exceeds the time it took to publish the first five books combined. Martin has stated he will not hand the series to another writer.
Recent blog posts and podcast remarks keep fans updated, but no release date has been scheduled.
Optional prequel tales
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms collects three novellas about hedge knight Duncan and his squire Egg, set ninety years before the main saga. The 2015 omnibus gathers The Hedge Knight, The Sworn Sword, and The Mystery Knight.
These stories offer a lighter tone and introduce Targaryen history that later becomes central to House of the Dragon. Most guides suggest reading them after the main series.
The upcoming HBO adaptation has renewed interest in the collection and gives new readers a clear entry point into the broader world.
Targaryen history
Fire & Blood appeared in 2018 and presents a fictional history of House Targaryen from Aegon’s Conquest onward. Written as an in-world chronicle, it supplies background for House of the Dragon.
The book includes material that overlaps with earlier Dunk and Egg tales, rewarding readers who want deeper context without altering the main plot order.
A second volume is reportedly in progress, though no publication date has been confirmed.
Book seven outlook
A Dream of Spring is listed as the planned seventh and final novel. No manuscript pages have been released, and Martin has given no timetable beyond finishing The Winds of Winter first.
Readers tracking both remaining books know the series cannot conclude until the sixth installment is complete.
Current spin-off series may keep the setting alive, yet the original story’s ending stays in Martin’s hands alone.
Where readers stand
Following the Game of Thrones books in order gives the clearest path through the published saga and its companion volumes. The structure respects Martin’s choices while accounting for renewed interest from new television projects. Readers who finish the five main novels can decide whether to explore the optional tales or simply wait for the next installment.
