The 10 Best Game of Thrones Books
This wiki has been updated 26 times since it was first published in February of 2018. George R.R. Martin was already an established science fiction and fantasy author when he published "A Game of Thrones" in 1996, the first volume in his epic series "A Song of Ice and Fire." It wasn't until HBO debuted the TV show named after the first book, though, that it became a global phenomenon, as iconic as J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy had been for an earlier generation. When users buy our independently chosen editorial choices, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
1. A Game of Thrones
2. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
3. A Storm of Swords
Editor's Notes
April 01, 2020:
Game of Thrones has evolved from a set of obscure high fantasy books to a fully-blown franchise that encompasses a critically-acclaimed HBO show, television and book spin-offs, prequel novels, games, cosplay, fashion, and much more.
Keeping that in mind, we wanted to go further than simply including the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, although you will find all five of the currently written installments on this list. But to take a deeper dive into the characterization of now-iconic figures from the books we brought on The Art of Game of Thrones and Game of Thrones: The Costumes. Each of these volumes look at aspects of the HBO series, but in doing so reveal plenty of details, trivia, and little-known information that only add to a reader's understanding of George R. R. Martin's wide-spanning world. They have the added benefit of showcasing little-known facts about television production and design and can serve as inspiration for budding set and costume designers as well as artists.
To make room for these two additions we removed The Official Coloring Book and Inside Seasons 1 & 2, which we feel didn't go far enough in helping to flesh out Westeros and the GoT universe for voracious fans, although each is still worth adding to your arsenal if you cannot get enough of the series.
Special Honors
George R. R. Martin Official Fans waiting on the final installments of the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, as well as those interested in the short story collections, children's novels, anthologies, and other works by George R. R. Martin will find his official website useful. There you can peruse his oft updated blog, which contains plenty of interesting fun facts, sign up for a newsletter for updates, explore interviews, and read about medieval trivia. georgerrmartin.com
4. A Clash of Kings
5. A Dance with Dragons
6. The World of Ice & Fire
7. Game of Thrones: The Costumes
8. A Feast for Crows
9. A Feast of Ice and Fire
10. The Art of Game of Thrones
Born in Arizona, Gia is a writer and autodidact who fled the heat of the desert for California, where she enjoys drinking beer, overanalyzing the minutiae of life, and channeling Rick Steves. After arriving in Los Angeles a decade ago, she quickly nabbed a copywriting job at a major clothing company and derived years of editing and proofreading experience from her tenure there, all while sharpening her skills further with myriad freelance projects. In her spare time, she teaches herself French and Italian, has earned an ESL teaching certificate, traveled extensively throughout Europe and the United States, and unashamedly devours television shows and books. The result of these pursuits is expertise in fashion, travel, beauty, literature, textbooks, and pop culture, in addition to whatever obsession consumes her next.