The Game of Thrones Books in Order

The last time we talked about Game of Thrones, it was all about how much we hated the ending. Thankfully, the books the television show is based on isn’t finished yet, but author George R. R. Martin already knows it won’t be anything like the one we all saw on HBO.

For anyone still interested in returning to the world of Westeros on the small screen, though, you’re in luck. Back in 2019, HBO announced a prequel series called House of the Dragon, which will follow the rise of the Targaryen family. Starring Matt Smith and others, the show is set to premiere in August 2022.

In the meantime, why not dig into the source material for one of HBO’s biggest fantasy shows? There’s more characters, plotlines, settings, and history than a television show can present. Plus, once you become a Westeros expert, you’ll have fun spotting all the easter eggs in the prequel series, calling back to little tidbits the books probably have pages and pages of context on. There’s a whole world of Game of Thrones content out there, you just have to pick up a book to see it.

So where do you start? There’s currently five (five!) main Game of Thrones books out right now, and two more are on the way. Plus, there’s a prequel book, which is what House of Dragon is based on. Each book is a doorstopper (seriously, book five is over 1,000 pages), so you’ll want to clear your schedule to get through them all. Scroll down below for all the Game of Thrones books currently out, the order to read them in, and information about what each book covers.