A Song of Ice and Fire book 1 · 1996
A Game of Thrones
Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell is summoned south by his old friend King Robert to serve as Hand of the King, and finds a court full of secrets. Across the sea, the exiled Daenerys Targaryen is married to a warlord, and in the far north, something stirs beyond the Wall.
Spoiler-free summary written for The Recurring Cast.
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Book facts
- Author
- George R. R. Martin
- Series
- A Song of Ice and Fire, book 1 of 5
- Published
- 1996
- Setting
- Set in Westeros
- Characters charted
- 12
- Chart confidence
- High
A Game of Thrones on screen
- Game of Thrones (2011–2019, series, HBO). Noble houses fight for the Iron Throne of Westeros while an ancient threat gathers beyond the Wall.
Who is in A Game of Thrones
12 recurring or key characters from George R. R. Martin’s chart. Introduces Eddard Stark, Catelyn Stark, Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen and 8 more.
Lead 8
- Eddard StarkFirst appearanceLord of Winterfell and Hand of the King
- Catelyn StarkFirst appearanceEddard's wife
- Jon SnowFirst appearanceEddard's bastard son, sworn to the Night's Watch
- Daenerys TargaryenFirst appearanceExiled princess who hatches dragons
- Tyrion LannisterFirst appearanceWitty dwarf son of Tywin Lannister
- Arya StarkFirst appearanceEddard's younger daughter
- Sansa StarkFirst appearanceEddard's elder daughter
- Bran StarkFirst appearanceEddard's second son
Major 2
- Cersei LannisterFirst appearanceQueen of the Seven Kingdoms
- Jaime LannisterFirst appearanceKingsguard knight, Cersei's twin
Minor and cameo 2
- Samwell TarlyFirst appearanceJon's friend in the Night's Watch
- Theon GreyjoyFirst appearanceEddard's ward
Also featuring these characters
Other George R. R. Martin books that share the most characters with A Game of Thrones.
- A Storm of Swords2000 · A Song of Ice and Fire · 10 shared charactersBuy on Amazon
- A Dance with Dragons2011 · A Song of Ice and Fire · 8 shared charactersBuy on Amazon
- A Feast for Crows2005 · A Song of Ice and Fire · 5 shared charactersBuy on Amazon