Best George R.R. Martin Books
George R.R. Martin shattered the rules of epic fantasy with A Song of Ice and Fire — a series where no character is safe, no victory is clean, and political machination carries the same weight as dragon fire. His prose is dense and deliberate, unspooling dozens of viewpoints across a continent where history bleeds into the present and every family carries centuries of grievance. A Game of Thrones and A Storm of Swords remain landmarks of the genre precisely because Martin refuses to let goodness guarantee survival. Beyond Westeros, Fire & Blood demonstrates his gift for chronicle-style worldbuilding, constructing a dynasty's rise and fall with the texture of genuine history. Martin rewards readers who pay attention and punishes those who expect comfort. If you want fantasy that takes power, consequence, and moral ambiguity seriously — and can tolerate an agonizing wait between books — he's essential.
Where to Start with George R.R. Martin
- Best entry point → A Game of Thrones
- Best standalone → Fevre Dream by George R
- Start The Tales of Dunk and Egg #1-3 series → A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
- What readers keep coming back to → A Clash of Kings
- Highest rated by readers → A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire #3)
Best George R.R. Martin Books
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A Storm of Swords
A Song of Ice and Fire • Book 3
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Martin's third book delivers the series' most devastating betrayals, including weddings that end in massacre and kings who fall to poison.
★ 4.55 Goodreads (851.9K ratings) - 2
A Game of Thrones
A Song of Ice and Fire • Book 1
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Noble families fight for the Iron Throne while an ancient evil awakens beyond the Wall in a world where winters last for years. Martin subverts fantasy tropes with political complexity and shocking character deaths.
★ 4.45 Goodreads (2.8M ratings) - 3
A Clash of Kings
A Song of Ice and Fire • Book 2
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Five kings wage war while winter approaches and ancient magic stirs beyond the Wall. Martin weaves political intrigue with supernatural dread as characters you've grown to love face impossible choices.
★ 4.42 Goodreads (1.0M ratings) - 4
A Dance with Dragons
A Song of Ice and Fire • Book 5
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Dragons rule over former slaves while Westeros bleeds through endless war, as Martin weaves multiple storylines across two continents in this sprawling fantasy epic.
★ 4.34 Goodreads (743.1K ratings) - 5
A Feast for Crows
A Song of Ice and Fire • Book 4
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War's aftermath brings new conflicts as Cersei struggles with power, the Iron Islands rise, and Dorne seeks vengeance. Martin's most character-driven installment explores the cost of victory.
★ 4.17 Goodreads (797.4K ratings) - 6
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
The Tales of Dunk and Egg #1-3
by George R.R. Martin, Gary Gianni
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Ser Duncan the Tall and his mysterious boy squire Egg travel through Westeros during Targaryen rule, finding trouble and adventure. Three novellas showcase Martin's world-building on an intimate scale, full of humor and heart.
★ 4.27 Goodreads (136.3K ratings) - 7
Fire & Blood
A Targaryen History • Book 1
by George R.R. Martin, Doug Wheatley
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Before the War of the Five Kings came the Dance of the Dragons—Martin chronicles three centuries of Targaryen rule through brutal civil wars, scheming lords, and the rise and fall of dragonriders.
★ 4.05 Goodreads (147.1K ratings) - 8
Fevre Dream by George R
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Martin reimagines vampires on the antebellum Mississippi River, where desperate riverboat captain Abner Marsh accepts a partnership with the pale, steel-eyed Joshua York despite sensing supernatural danger.
★ 3.91 Goodreads (32.9K ratings) - 9
Rogues
Ancient World
by George R.R. Martin, Gardner Dozois, Joe Abercrombie, Gillian Flynn, Matthew Hughes, Joe R. Lansdale, Michael Swanwick, David Ball, Carrie Vaughn, Scott Lynch, Bradley Denton, Cherie Priest, Daniel Abraham, Paul Cornell, Steven Saylor, Garth Nix, Walter Jon Williams, Phyllis Eisenstein, Lisa Tuttle, Neil Gaiman, Connie Willis, Patrick Rothfuss
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Thieves, con artists, and morally flexible heroes populate these original stories from genre heavyweights like Neil Gaiman and Patrick Rothfuss. The anthology celebrates characters who operate in ethical gray areas.
★ 3.87 Goodreads (24.6K ratings) - 10
Jokers Wild (Reissue)
Wild Cards • Book 3
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The third Wild Cards anthology explores Martin's alternate history where alien viruses created superhumans and grotesque mutations. Multiple storylines weave through this complex shared universe.
★ 3.91 Goodreads (3.7K ratings) - 11
The Ice Dragon
by George R.R. Martin, Anne Yvonne Gilbert
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Winter child Adara bonds with a creature of legend — the ice dragon that freezes everything in its path. Martin's haunting fairy tale explores themes that would later surface in his epic fantasy, wrapped in a story about belonging and sacrifice.
★ 3.74 Goodreads (27.2K ratings) - 12
Songs of Love and Death: All-Original Tales of Star-Crossed Love
Guardians #3.6 - The Demon Dancer
by George R.R. Martin, Gardner Dozois, Daniel Abraham, Jacqueline Carey, Lisa Tuttle, Linnea Sinclair, Mary Jo Putney, Tanith Lee, Peter S. Beagle, Yasmine Galenorn, Diana Gabaldon, Jo Beverley, Carrie Vaughn, M.L.N. Hanover, Cecelia Holland, Melinda M. Snodgrass, Robin Hobb, Neil Gaiman, Marjorie M. Liu, Jim Butcher
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Love that defies gods, kings, and death itself—fantasy's biggest names craft original stories where passion and doom intertwine across impossible worlds.
★ 3.76 Goodreads (4.3K ratings) - 13
Dangerous Women
The Dresden Files #13.1 - Bombshells
by George R.R. Martin, Gardner Dozois, Carrie Vaughn, Lev Gossman, Joe R. Lansdale, Megan Lindholm, Lawrence Block, Brandon Sanderson, Sharon Kay Penman, Lev Grossman, Nancy Kress, Diana Rowland, Diana Gabaldon, S.M. Stirling, Sam Sykes, Pat Cadigan, Caroline Spector, Joe Abercrombie, Megan Abbott, Cecelia Holland, Jim Butcher, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Melinda M. Snodgrass
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Fantasy heavyweights and crime writers unite to explore women who kill, scheme, and survive, including a new Dresden Files adventure and tales from Westeros.
★ 3.67 Goodreads (13.2K ratings) - 14
The Book of Magic
Spiritwalker #Bloom
by Gardner Dozois, K.J. Parker, Megan Lindholm, John Crowley, Matthew Hughes, Ysabeau S. Wilce, Rachel Pollack, Eleanor Arnason, Tim Powers, Liz Williams, Garth Nix, Elizabeth Bear, Lavie Tidhar, Greg Van Eekhout, George R.R. Martin, Andy Duncan, Kate Elliott, Scott Lynch
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Magic wielders embody both salvation and destruction across eighteen stories from masters like George R.R. Martin and Kate Elliott. Each tale examines power's price, from wise mentors to corrupt sorcerers, creating a comprehensive exploration of fantasy's most essential element.
★ 3.70 Goodreads (839 ratings) - 15
The Book of Swords
Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz #7 - A Long, Cold Trail
by Gardner Dozois, K.J. Parker, Robin Hobb, Ken Liu, Matthew Hughes, Kate Elliott, Walter Jon Williams, Daniel Abraham, C.J. Cherryh, Garth Nix, Ellen Kushner, Scott Lynch, Rich Larson, Elizabeth Bear, Lavie Tidhar, Cecelia Holland, George R.R. Martin
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Seventeen fantasy luminaries including George R.R. Martin and Robin Hobb craft new sword-and-sorcery tales inspired by Conan and Elric. Each story channels the classic pulp spirit while showcasing contemporary fantasy's evolution.
★ 3.67 Goodreads (2.2K ratings) - 16
Old Venus
by George R.R. Martin, Gardner Dozois, Ian McDonald, Garth Nix, Joe Haldeman, Gwyneth Jones, Matthew Hughes, Paul McAuley, Lavie Tidhar, Allen M. Steele, Stephen Leigh, Eleanor Arnason, David Brin, Michael Cassutt, Tobias S. Buckell, Elizabeth Bear, Joe R. Lansdale, Mike Resnick
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Sixteen authors resurrect the steamy, dangerous Venus of pulp fiction—complete with dripping jungles, strange creatures, and the adventurous spirit of classic sci-fi.
★ 3.57 Goodreads (734 ratings)