A Song of Ice and Fire Books in Order
A Song of Ice and Fire follows the great noble houses of Westeros, the Starks, the Lannisters and the exiled Targaryens, through a brutal struggle for the Iron Throne, while beyond the great Wall in the north an ancient threat gathers. The story is told through the eyes of many characters, and the series inspired the television show Game of Thrones.
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Series facts
- Books
- 5
- Published
- 1996 to 2011
- First book
- A Game of Thrones
- Latest
- A Dance with Dragons (2011)
- Setting
- Set in Westeros
The reading order
Every A Song of Ice and Fire book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
- 1A Game of Thrones1996With Eddard Stark and Catelyn StarkLord 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.Buy on Amazon
- 2A Clash of Kings1998With Catelyn Stark and Jon SnowA comet blazes across the sky, and five kings claim the Seven Kingdoms, as war spreads across Westeros.Buy on Amazon
- 3A Storm of Swords2000With Catelyn Stark and Jon SnowThe war of the five kings rages on, the wildlings gather beyond the Wall, and across the sea Daenerys grows in power.Buy on Amazon
- 4A Feast for Crows2005With Arya Stark and Sansa StarkIn the aftermath of war, the survivors in the south of Westeros struggle for power, from King’s Landing to the Iron Islands and Dorne.Buy on Amazon
- 5A Dance with Dragons2011With Jon Snow and Daenerys TargaryenIn the north, Jon Snow faces hard choices at the Wall, while across the sea, Daenerys struggles to rule a city, and many travel to find her.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with A Game of Thrones. A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons take place at the same time, each following different characters. The series is unfinished.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Arya Stark | Jon Snow | Daenerys Targaryen | Tyrion Lannister | Sansa Stark | Bran Stark | Jaime Lannister | Catelyn Stark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 A Game of Thrones | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | MMajor | LLead |
| 2 A Clash of Kings | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | ·Minor | LLead |
| 3 A Storm of Swords | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead |
| 4 A Feast for Crows | LLead | LLead | LLead | |||||
| 5 A Dance with Dragons | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead | LLead |
Characters in the A Song of Ice and Fire books
15 characters from George R. R. Martin’s chart, with the number of A Song of Ice and Fire books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Arya StarkEddard's younger daughter | 5 | A Game of Thrones 1996 |
| Jon SnowEddard's bastard son, sworn to the Night's Watch | 4 | A Game of Thrones 1996 |
| Daenerys TargaryenExiled princess who hatches dragons | 4 | A Game of Thrones 1996 |
| Tyrion LannisterWitty dwarf son of Tywin Lannister | 4 | A Game of Thrones 1996 |
| Sansa StarkEddard's elder daughter | 4 | A Game of Thrones 1996 |
| Bran StarkEddard's second son | 4 | A Game of Thrones 1996 |
| Jaime LannisterKingsguard knight, Cersei's twin | 5 | A Game of Thrones 1996 |
| Catelyn StarkEddard's wife | 3 | A Game of Thrones 1996 |
| Davos SeaworthThe Onion Knight, Stannis's adviser | 3 | A Clash of Kings 1998 |
| Cersei LannisterQueen of the Seven Kingdoms | 5 | A Game of Thrones 1996 |
| Samwell TarlyJon's friend in the Night's Watch | 4 | A Game of Thrones 1996 |
| Theon GreyjoyEddard's ward | 3 | A Game of Thrones 1996 |
| Brienne of TarthWoman knight sworn to Catelyn | 4 | A Clash of Kings 1998 |
| Eddard StarkLord of Winterfell and Hand of the King | 1 | A Game of Thrones 1996 |
| Stannis BaratheonKing Robert's brother and rival claimant | 3 | A Clash of Kings 1998 |