The Game of Thrones Books Ranked – Spoiler Free
A Song of Ice and Fire might not be completed yet, but that won’t stop me from ranking the books! George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy series is one of the best that has ever been written, and its influence is even greater.
This list is only the 5 books in the main A Song of Ice and Fire series, and does not include the Targaryen history or other additional books that have been released.
Why You Should Read ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’
#5 – A Feast For Crows
I made it clear in my review for A Feast For Crows that I didn’t hate this book, but it’s the weakest of the lot. However, we do see some fantastic character work with Cersi, who is an amazing character to follow.
There was a part of me that missed all the other characters, who’s stories we follow in the next book, A Dance With Dragons. Maybe I would have preferred it if the two books were combined into one, but they are big enough as it is, so I understand why the decision was made.
#4 – A Dance With Dragons
Pretend the last few seasons of Game of Thrones never happened and read this book instead! A Dance With Dragons follows closely behind A Feast For Crows in this ranking of the Game of Thrones books, but it’s still better.
Again, this is a personal preference with the character we get to follow, such as Daenerys and Tyrion. Also, the side plots that were removed for the TV series are incredible. We get a new character who could be someone very important (no spoilers, I promise!) and it was such a shame not to see this in the show.
Or, perhaps the TV series leaving out some great things from this book is a good thing – it means we don’t have any negative feelings towards the story line!
#3 – A Storm of Swords
The top three books in ‘The Game of Thrones books ranked’ were so close! But A Storm of Swords had to come third. This is the last book we received that was properly epic, with battles, politics, mysteries and more.
The ending of book 2, A Clash of Kings sets up a powerful story with losses on all sides. This makes A Storm of Swords a huge book but fast-paced read.
# 2 – A Game of Thrones
A Game of Thrones – the book that started it all! I’m sure a lot of people would have put this first on the list, but for me, while it’s an incredible book that I have reread so many times, it’s not quite the best.
We are introduced to so many characters, a sprawling world of complex politics and fraying alliances. This is a quiet book, for the most part, with a lot of the action taking place in the shadows. It’s a fantastic, political fantasy and no one has done it better.
Joe Abercrombie came close with The Blade Itself, though – you can feel the huge influence A Game of Thrones had on that book.
#1 – A Clash of Kings
That leaves book 2 in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, A Clash of Kings as the victor. This book is in my top 10, maybe even top 5 epic fantasy series (depending on the day!).
This book is where all the sneaking around, backstabbing and careful planning that occurs in A Game of Thrones comes to a head. We have so many men naming themselves ‘King’ – it’s just an exciting read!
When reading A Clash of King, I get the feeling that this is the story George R. R. Martin had in mind when he started A Game of Thrones (and even if it’s not – that’s how it feels). This is easily one of the best fantasy books ever written and it’s my favourite of every book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series.
Final Thoughts on the ‘Game of Thrones’ Books Ranked
There is my ranking for the ‘Game of Thrones’ books! Do you agree with my list, or would you have done the complete opposite? Let me know down in the comments or join us on Discord for a discussion.
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