Now that House of the Dragon has wrapped up its first season, fans of the epic fantasy series are desperate for more from the world of Game of Thrones. While we know House of the Dragon Season 2 is in production, delving into the source material for this prequel, as well as the original Game of Thrones series, is a great idea for anybody looking to enjoy the works of author George R. R. Martin. Here is how to read the Game of Thrones books in order, including the history of House Targaryen as shown in House of the Dragon…
House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones books in order
- Fire & Blood (Volume 1)
- A Game of Thrones
- A Clash of Kings
- A Storm of Swords
- A Feast for Crows
- A Dance with Dragons
- The Winds of Winter (unreleased)
- A Dream of Spring (unreleased)
If you’ve enjoyed House of the Dragon, the first book you will want to pick up is Fire & Blood. Rather than your typical fantasy novel, the book is written from the point of view of a fictional historian within the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, called Archmaester Gyldayn. It tells the story of the Targaryen dynasty, and is even clearly biased in some parts, due to Gyldayn’s own opinions. It is the first of two proposed volumes, the second of which has not yet been released.
Once you’ve brushed up on the fiery history of House Targaryen, you can move onto the events which we saw take place throughout Game of Thrones. There are even parts, especially later on in the books, that diverge away from the HBO series. The first book in the series is aptly titled A Game of Thrones, and was originally released back in 1996. It’s followed by 1998 novel, A Clash of Kings, then 2000’s A Storm of Swords. The fourth novel in this particular series, A Feast for Crows, dropped in 2005, before the latest installment, A Dance with Dragons, was released in 2011.
Martin has been working on his penultimate entry to this series, The Winds of Winter, for over a decade now. He started the novel in 2010, but has been unable to find the time to complete it. There is still no official release date for the book, which will be followed by A Dream of Spring.
