Game of Thrones Books in Order
Start with A Game of Thrones and continue through A Dance with Dragons. Read A Feast for Crows whole before A Dance with Dragons. The prequel collection and chapter-by-chapter fan orders are optional paths, not missing steps.
The spoiler-safe first-read order
Read A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, then A Dance with Dragons.
That is the full published main-novel path. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is optional after Book 5, or after Book 3 if you knowingly want a prequel break.
Read these in this order
Keep the five numbered novels together. The only required choice is to read Book 4 before Book 5.
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Start here
A Game of Thrones
This opens the Stark, Wall, court, and Daenerys threads that the later books build on.
It is the only main-story starting point.
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Continue the same story
A Clash of Kings
The fight for the throne widens into more factions and more points of view.
It continues directly from Book 1 and adds more names to track.
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Stay on the main path
A Storm of Swords
The wars and character lines built in the first two books reach major turns here.
This is the last book before the cast divides across Books 4 and 5.
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Read Book 4 whole
A Feast for Crows
This follows one part of the cast and the political aftermath of the earlier wars.
Some ongoing characters are absent by design, and the shape is quieter after Book 3.
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Read Book 5 and stop for now
A Dance with Dragons
This returns to other major threads, overlaps Book 4 in time, and then moves later.
It is the current end of the published main path, not the planned end of the story.
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Optional prequel collection
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Three shorter Dunk and Egg tales show an earlier, smaller-scale Westeros.
It follows different characters nearly a century before A Game of Thrones.
The choices that can change the order
Books 4 and 5 form a deliberate split
A Feast for Crows and much of A Dance with Dragons cover the same stretch of time through different groups of characters. That change can feel sharp after A Storm of Swords. It is the structure Martin published, not a missing volume or a bad edition.
The combined order is a fan project
Sean T. Collins created the Boiled Leather schedule to weave chapters from A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons together. His new-reader version still requires frequent book switches and two jumps out of chapter order. Use it only if that sounds more fun than reading one book at a time.
The prequel slot is your choice
Putting A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms after A Dance with Dragons keeps the five main novels together. Two linked r/asoiaf discussions include both after-Storm and after-Dance preferences. Those community discussions are not an official rule or a broad vote.
The published main path stops at Book 5
George R. R. Martin’s current bibliography lists The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring as forthcoming, without publication dates. A Dance with Dragons is a stopping point, not a series ending.
Keep your place in the series
Mark books as you finish them. Progress stays private in this browser and does not require an account.
Sources for the published order and optional paths
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Penguin Random House series page
The publisher numbers the five main novels from A Game of Thrones through A Dance with Dragons.
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George R. R. Martin bibliography
The author’s site lists five published main novels, then The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring as forthcoming without dates.
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Martin on the Feast and Dance split
The author describes A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons as parallel books created by dividing the manuscript.
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Sean T. Collins’s Boiled Leather schedule
The creator presents a fan-made combined order, names its book switching and chapter jumps, and says he also recommends the published books as they are.
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Penguin Random House prequel collection page
The publisher identifies A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms as three prequel novellas set nearly a century before A Game of Thrones.
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One r/asoiaf discussion of the prequel slot
This single community thread includes both after-Storm and after-Dance preferences. It is evidence of disagreement, not a vote or consensus.
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A second r/asoiaf discussion of the prequel slot
This older no-spoilers thread also contains competing placements. Together the two threads remain platform-limited evidence.
A few practical questions
What order should I read the Game of Thrones books in?
Read A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and A Dance with Dragons in that order. Those are the five published main novels.
Should I read A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons together?
Read A Feast for Crows whole and then A Dance with Dragons if you want the simplest first read. A combined fan schedule such as Boiled Leather is optional and requires many switches plus a few chapter jumps.
When should I read A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?
Read A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms after A Dance with Dragons if you want to keep the five main novels together. The linked r/asoiaf discussions also include an after-Storm placement, but that community advice is not an official or universal rule.
Are the Game of Thrones books finished?
No. A Dance with Dragons is the fifth and latest published main novel. George R. R. Martin’s current bibliography lists The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring as forthcoming without publication dates.
Do I need to read Fire & Blood first?
No. Fire & Blood is a Targaryen history, not the first main novel. Start the main story with A Game of Thrones.
Can I start with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?
You can, but it is not the clearest door into the main story. It follows different characters in an earlier Westeros and does not replace A Game of Thrones.