How to read George R.R. Martin’s books in order

George R.R. Martin is one of the most popular fantasy writers today, and he is famous for the A Song of Ice and Fire series. Many people drew parallels between Martin and Tolkien.

Exploring George R.R. Martin’s writings

George Raymond Richard Martin is an American writer and he was born in 1948 in Bayonne, New Jersey. He is known for his epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, which inspired the popular TV series Game of Thrones.

But GRRM also has written numerous other stories, and he explored numerous genres, including science fiction. You will get a chance to learn more about the Lord Commander Jon Snow, Arya Stark, Iron Throne, Cersei, Joffrey, King’s Landing, Sansa, Night’s Watch, Winterfell, Daenerys Targaryen, Essos, and everything else involving these iconic characters.

George R.R. Martin book series

GRRM worked on numerous series, and there are additional spin-off books inspired by the A Song of Ice and Fire series, and if you are looking to learn more, you should check out the list.

A Song of Ice and Fire series

A Song of Ice and Fire is a series that gained Martin international popularity, and people from all over the world love the books. The story of the series is set in a fictional world filled with magic, dragons, and unique creatures and characters. And you might be aware of it thanks to the HBO TV show Game of Thrones.

Dreamsongs series

Dreamsongs is a series of short stories, novellas, and screenplays, and it covers the majority of Martin’s career. The full name of the collection is Dreamsongs: A RRetrospective, but people also know it as GRRM: A RRetrospective. It was published in 2003.

Hedge Knight series

The Hedge Knight series is in fact, a part of Tales of Dunk and Egg, and it is set in the same world as A Song of Ice and Fire. There are three stories you can find, and the first one that started it is named The Hedge Knight.

The entire series is available in the collection called A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

Wild Cards series

G.R.R. Martin worked as an editor on the famous Wild Cards series, and he also has written numerous stories that appeared in these anthologies. Of course, he is not the only author, and the majority of stories in Wild Cards are written by other people.

Wild Cards: USA Triad series

The American Triad is a collection of three anthologies from the Wild Card series, and Martin was the editor for all three anthologies.

In what order should you read George RR Martin books?

If you are interested in learning more about GRRM’s books, incredible worlds, and unique stories, you will need to know about the proper reading order.

Song Of Ice and Fire books order

A Song of Ice and Fire consists of five published novels and two that are yet to be released.

• A Game of Thrones (1996)
• A Clash of Kings (1998)
• A Storm of Swords (2000)
• A Feast for Crows (2005)
• A Dance with Dragons (2011)
• The Winds of Winter (TBA)
• A Dream of Spring (TBA)

There are no release dates for the last two books, and every fan is patiently waiting for an update.

Game of Thrones collection books order

Since A Song of Ice and Fire became so popular, Martin has written numerous books that are set in the same series, and they are often available in collections.

• The Princess and the Queen (2013)
• The Wit & Wisdom of Tyrion Lannister (2013)
• The Rogue Prince (2014)
• The World of Ice and Fire (2014)
• King’s Brother (2014)
• The Sons of the Dragon (2017)
• The Rise of the Dragon (2022)

The Hedge Knight and Fire & Blood are also part of the series, but they are considered to be a sub-series instead. The companion books were written with Linda Antonsson and Elio M. Garcia Jr.

Game of Thrones graphic novels order

The comic book series is a bit shorter compared to the original five novels, and the order is a bit different.

• A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume One (2012)
• A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume Two (2013)
• A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume Three (2014)
• A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume Four (2015)
• A Clash of Kings: The Graphic Novel: Volume One (2018)
• A Clash of Kings: The Graphic Novel: Volume Two (2019)
• A Clash of Kings: The Graphic Novel: Volume Three (2021)
• A Clash of Kings: The Graphic Novel: Volume Four (2022)

It remains to be seen how many novels will receive the adaptation and whether the graphic novel series will continue.

Game of Thrones non-fiction books order

In some way, companion books can be considered non-fiction since they are focused on providing additional details about the world in A Song of Ice and Fire.

History of House Targaryen of Westeros books order

Fire and Blood is also known as the History of House Targaryen of Westeros, and it covers events that happened 300 years before Game of Thrones. The book was published in 2018, and it has been adapted into another successful series on HBO called House of the Dragon.

Targaryen History books order

The story of the Targaryen dynasty started with Fire and Blood in 2018, and it will continue in the upcoming book.

• Fire & Blood (2018)
• Blood & Fire (TBA)

There is no release date yet for Blood & Fire.

Wild Cards books order

GRRM worked as an editor on the Wild Cards series, and he has written a few stories in it as well.

• Wild Cards (1987)
• Wild Cards II: Aces High (1987)
• Wild Cards III: Jokers Wild (1987)
• Wild Cards IV: Aces Abroad (1988)
• Wild Cards V: Down & Dirty (1988)
• Wild Cards VI: Ace in the Hole (1990)
• Wild Cards VII: Dead Man’s Hand (1990)
• Wild Cards VIII: One-Eyed Jacks (1991)
• Wild Cards IX: Jokertown Shuffle (1991)
• Wild Cards X: Double Solitaire (1992)
• Wild Cards XI: Dealer’s Choice (1992)
• Wild Cards XII: Turn of the Cards (1993)
• Wild Cards XIII: Card Sharks (1993)
• Wild Cards XIV: Marked Cards (1994)
• Wild Cards XV: Black Trump (1995)
• Wild Cards XVI: Deuces Down (2002)
• Wild Cards XVII: Death Draws Five (2006)
• Wild Cards XVIII: Inside Straight (2008)
• Wild Cards XIX: Busted Flush (2008)
• Wild Cards XX: Suicide Kings (2009)
• Wild Cards XXI: Fort Freak (2011)
• Wild Cards XXII: Lowball (2014)
• Wild Cards XXIII: High Stakes (2016)
• Wild Cards XXIV: Mississippi Roll (2017)
• Wild Cards XXV: Low Chicago (2018)
• Wild Cards XXVI: Texas Hold’em (2018)
• Wild Cards XXVII: Knaves Over Queens (2019)
• Wild Cards XXVIII: Three Kings (2020)
• Wild Cards XXIX: Joker Moon (2021)
• Wild Cards XXX: Full House (2022)
• Wild Cards XXXI: Pairing Up (TBA)

Wild Cards: USA Triad books order

Wild Cards American Triad is a collection of three novels from the series.

• Wild Cards XXIV: Mississippi Roll (2017)
• Wild Cards XXV: Low Chicago (2018)
• Wild Cards XXVI: Texas Hold’em (2018)

But these stories are already a part of the Wild Cards series.

Dreamsongs books order

Dreamsongs: A RRetrospective is a collection of short works by GRRM, and it was published in 2006.

• Dreamsongs: A RRetrospective (2006)

Standalone novels order

Martin has written a number of standalone novels.

• Dying of the Light (1977)
• Windhaven (1981)
• Fevre Dream (1982)
• The Armageddon Rag (1983)
• Tuf Voyaging (1986)
• Hunter’s Run (2007)

Short stories/novellas order

Additionally, you can check out Martin’s collections of short stories and novellas, and there are several options you can get.

• A Song for Lya (1976)
• Songs of Stars and Shadows (1977)
• Sandkings (1981)
• Song the Dead Men Sing (1983)
• Nightflyers (1985)
• Portraits of His Children (1987)
• Quartet (2001)
• Dreamsongs: A RRetrospective (2003)

Short story collections order

As for the reading order, you can read any of GRRM’s short stories or novellas in any order you want. There are no rules, and the collections are not connected. You can read them independently, so pick whichever seems fun for you.

Martin also has written multiple anthologies, including Dangerous Women, Rogue, and many others.

Other graphic novels order

Martin also worked on a series of graphic novels, some of which are in the world of Game of Thrones.

• The Hedge Knight: The Graphic Novel (2013)
• The Sworn Sword: The Graphic Novel (2014)
• The Mystery Knight: A Graphic Novel (2017)

In addition to these, there is a collection of graphic novels based on A Song of Ice and Fire.

Hedge Knight graphic novel books order

The Hedge Knight is the first story in the Tales of Dunk and Egg, and all three stories have been adapted into graphic novels, as you can see in the previous list.

Dangerous Women anthologies order

The Dangerous Women anthology was published in 2013, and it is a collection of short stories and novellas. GRRM worked as an editor of the anthology, and he wrote The Princess and the Queen story, also known as The Blacks and the Greens.

The story is set in Westeros.

Wild Cards Mosaic: New Cycle Anthologies order

A New Cycle is another triad of Wild Cards, and this time, the stories included are Card Sharks, Marked Cards, and Black Trump.

Television series of Game of Thrones books

Game of Thrones started in 2011, and the first season mostly covered events from the first book. The series went until 2019, and the creators of the show had to adapt two unpublished books as well.

The prequel series started in 2022 called House of the Dragon.

Audiobooks collection of George R.R. Martin books

Since George R.R. Martin has a rich bibliography, you might want to start listening to audiobooks instead of reading them. This will save you so much time, and you will be able to explore any story you want.

Speechify Audiobooks

Speechify is one of the most popular audiobook platforms, it’s versatile, and it offers a rich digital library filled with the latest audiobooks. If you like listening to fantasy stories, you will be delighted to know that the platform features many fantasy novels that are just as thrilling as George R.R. Martin’s work as well as over 70,000 titles across various other genres.

The app is also available on any device, it’s easy to use, and the quality is perfect, so sign up today and give Speechify Audiobooks a try for free.

FAQ

How many Game of Thrones books are there in order?

A Game of Thrones is the first book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, and there are four other books. Martin plans for the entire series to have seven novels, but the final two are not yet published.

Can I read Fire and Blood first?

Yes. Fire and Blood is a prequel story, and you can read it before you start reading A Game of Thrones.

What is the first book in the Game of Thrones series?

The first book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series is A Game of Thrones.