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Song of Ice and Fire Book Order

George R.R. MartinOngoing7 books

Song of Ice and Fire is best read in publication order: all 7 Song of Ice and Fire books so far, from A Game of Thrones (1996) to Fire & Blood (2018). Open A Game of Thrones and keep going. Feast and Dance run in parallel; Dunk and Egg and Fire & Blood wait until after the five.

Updated August 2026

Best read in publication order

  1. Main novels
  2. Cover of A Game of Thrones

    A Game of Thrones

    1996

    Noble houses maneuver for power after the death of the Hand of the King in Westeros.

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  3. Cover of A Clash of Kings

    A Clash of Kings

    1998

    War engulfs the realm as rival kings claim the throne and dragons stir in the east.

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  4. Cover of A Storm of Swords

    A Storm of Swords

    2000

    The War of the Five Kings reaches brutal turning points across the continent.

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  5. Parallel volumes
  6. Cover of A Feast for Crows

    A Feast for Crows

    2005

    Southern Westeros after the war's turning points. Parallel with A Dance with Dragons.

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  7. Cover of A Dance with Dragons

    A Dance with Dragons

    2011

    Northern and eastern arcs advance in parallel with Feast. Jon, Tyrion, and Dany return here.

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  8. Companions
  9. Cover of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

    A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

    2015

    Omnibus of Dunk and Egg novellas. Optional history set generations before the main saga.

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  10. Cover of Fire & Blood

    Fire & Blood

    2018

    Targaryen history from Aegon's conquest. Optional; source for House of the Dragon.

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How Song of Ice and Fire is structured

Before you start

A Song of Ice and Fire is George R.R. Martin's unfinished epic of the Seven Kingdoms: noble houses, exiles, and claimants clawing at the Iron Throne while worse things gather in the north and east. Five novels have been out since 1996. The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring are the planned remaining novels; neither is out.

Stick to the five main novels for your first pass. A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons run in parallel on the same timeline, split by geography; do not interleave chapters on a first read. Dunk and Egg novellas and Fire & Blood are companions for after the five, not your on-ramp. The Game of Thrones show diverges hard after season five.

Publication order only. Martin plants payoffs across volumes, and the rotating viewpoints work because you meet each reveal when he meant you to. There is no clever reorder that improves a first read. Just know you are starting an unfinished series, and that waiting for the next book is part of the experience for everyone still in it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Song of Ice and Fire books are there?

Five novels so far. Seven planned: The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring are still unpublished.

Why do Feast and Dance feel broken?

They run in parallel on the same timeline, split by geography. POVs like Jon, Tyrion, and Dany mostly return in Dance.

When do I read Dunk and Egg?

After the five main novels, or after A Storm of Swords as a breather. Not before A Game of Thrones.

Does the Game of Thrones ending spoil the books?

Martin has said the remaining books diverge. The show is not a transcript of Winds or Dream.

Should I read Fire & Blood first?

No. Separate Targaryen history. New readers want the main five novels.

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