How to read the Game of Thrones books in order

On Sunday night the final episode of the first season of the Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, will air. Both series are based on the iconic fantasy novels of George R. R. Martin, first published in 1996.

While the Game of Thrones series was based on the original run of A Song of Ice and Fire novels, he has also written a number of other Westeros-related works. He is currently working on The Winds of Winter, which will be the sixth in the series.

The show House of the Dragon is based on the 2018 book Fire & Blood, which specifically tracks the history of the Targaryen family who play such a prominent role in the Game of Throne series.

If you want to read the seven books that form the basis of the plot of the Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon television series, here’s how you can do so in chronological order:

Having not published a book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series since 2011, the television series Game of Thrones surpassed the plot of the books and the creators wrote their own ending for the fantasy series.

However Martin has confirmed that he is planning to conclude the story with two further books The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring.

When will The Winds of Winter be published?

It has been more than a decade since loyal fans of the A Song of Ice and Fire books had a new instalment of the series, but there is hope that its publication is drawing near. Rumours circulating online suggest that Martin is aiming for a November 2023 publication date, but fans will be sceptical after so long a wait.

Writing on his blog earlier this year, Martin confirmed: “The Winds of Winter is going to be a big book.”

He added that it “could be bigger than A Storm of Swords or A Dance With Dragons, the longest books in the series to date. I do usually cut and trim once I finish, but I need to finish first.”

For now, expectant fans will just have to watch and wait.