George R.R. Martinis perhaps the preeminent titan of contemporary fantasy. HisA Song of Ice and Firebooks captured the world’s imagination like nothing since the heyday ofHarry Potter. Despite the lackluster conclusion to theGame of Thronesshow,House of the Dragonis still very popular, and HBO is currently developinga host of spinoffs. People can’t get enough of Martin’s grittier, bloodier, more morally gray take on the genre’s beloved tropes.
He’s certainly earned this success. Martin is a terrific writer, with a talent for sprawling fantasy worlds, vivid characters, political intrigue, and snappy dialogue. This extends beyondASOIAFto the many other novels, novellas, and short stories he has published since he got started in the early ’70s. This means there’s a wealth of Martin goodness for fans to dive into. Here are his ten strongest works, according to the users of the book review site Goodreads.
10’Fevre Dream' (1982)
Rating: 3.90/5
“Sometimes I think the humanity of him is all hollow, a mask…“Fevre Dreamis Martin’s take on a vampire story but with his own distinctive twist. For example, all the action places on a steamboat chugging along the Mississippi River. The book has been memorably described asBram StokermeetsMark Twain. The story follows Abner Marsh, a struggling steamboat captain, who is offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to command the most magnificent steamboat ever built, the Fevre Dream.
However, his mysterious benefactor, Joshua York, is later revealed to be an immortal bloodsucker. This is an inherently tense premise, with Marsh trapped on the ship with the vampires. It makes for an enjoyable book, if a rather slight one, lacking the depth of theGame of Thronesbooks. On the plus side,York is at least a far more complex vampire than the genre usually serves up. His motives are mostly altruistic, and he’s far from a stock villain.
9’Fire & Blood' (2018)
Rating: 4.02/5
“Thrones are won with swords, not quills.” Many fans were disappointed when it was announced that Martin’s latest book in theASOIAFuniverse would be a fictional history rather than the long-waitedWinds of Water, but there’s no denyingFire and Blood’s impressive scope. It delves deep into the rich history of House Targaryen, spanning from the arrival of Aegon the Conqueror to the early days of King Aegon III’s reign. It clocks in at almost 1000 pages.
The book is very meta and is presented as if it were written by a scholar from the Citadel in Oldtown. The fact thatit’s meant to be a historical textrather than a novel means it’s obviously a lot drier and less absorbing than theGame of Thronesnovels. This meansit’s sure to delightGoTsuperfans, though it may be a little inaccessible to more casual readers.On the bright side, the book does at least contain source material for many more HBO spinoff shows.
8’The Sworn Sword' (2003)
Rating: 4.11/5
“A broken oath tarnishes a knight’s honor forever.“Game of Thronesfans who have read every book in the main series and are craving more should definitely check out theTales of Dunk and Eggseries, following the knight Ser Duncan the Tall and his young squire, Egg, who is secretly Aegon Targaryen. Set nearly a century before the events ofA Game of Thrones, the plot of this novella centers on Dunk’s service to Ser Eustace Osgrey during a drought in the Reach.
All of theDunk and Eggstories are enjoyable.The plots are smaller in scope and more political, like the early seasons of GoT, and that’s also their charm.However, the characters do cross paths with a few important historical figures, like the Bloodraven and Daemon Blackfyre. An HBO show based on the novellasis currently in development. If done right,it has the potential to be great.
7’A Feast for Crows' (2005)
Rating: 4.16/5
“Silence is a prince’s friend.” The fourthASOIAFbook shifts its focus to the aftermath of the War of the Five Kings. With the death of King Joffrey and the crowning of Tommen, the power struggles within King’s Landing intensify. Cersei Lannister grapples with her newfound authority, facing threats from within and outside the capital. Meanwhile, Brienne of Tarth embarks on a perilous quest to find Sansa Stark, who is hiding in the Vale under Littlefinger’s protection.
A Feast for Crowsis notable for not featuring primary viewpoint characters like Jon Snow, Daenerys, and Tyrion. Instead, the main characters here are Cersei, Brienne, Sam, and Jaime, while Sansa and Arya each receive three chapters. This is both the book’s blessing and curse. The absence of Jon and Tyrion is keenly felt, butit’s also fascinating to spend more time seeing things from the perspective of Cersei, Brienne, and Sam.For this reason,A Feast for Crowsis sure to remain one of Martin’s most divisive books.
6’Sandkings' (1979)
Rating: 4.22/5
“I detest cute animals.” This sci-fi novella tells the eerie tale of Simon Kress, a wealthy and callous collector of exotic pets. Kress acquires a terrarium filled with sandkings, insect-like creatures with a hive mentality that build elaborate castles and engage in war. Fascinated by their behavior, Kress begins to manipulate the sandkings, pitting them against each other in increasingly cruel experiments. When he loses control of the critters, all hell breaks loose.
This isGremlinson steroids.Sandkingsis dark, gory, and gruesome; Martin at his most unrestrained. Readers who appreciate this aspect of his work are likely to enjoy it. The highlight is the fascinating description of the sandkings. Each colony consists of hordes of ‘mobiles’ along with a single queen, or ‘maw’, which cannot move but controls the others through telepathy. They’re also capable of evolving and adapting to their environment, gaining in intelligence and ability. They’re like mini versions ofStarcraft’s Zerg.
5’The Hedge Knight' (1998)
Rating: 4.27/5
“Other knights serve the lords who keep them […] but we serve where we will, for men whose causes we believe in.“The Hedge Knightis the first entry in theDunk and Eggseries. The story begins with Dunk’s journey to Ashford Meadow, where he hopes to prove his worth in a tournament. As Dunk competes in the tournament, he becomes embroiled in a conflict between noble houses. Along the way, he also encounters Egg, who becomes his squire.
TheDunk and Eggnovellas are light and lean; this one is just 160 pages long.The characters are likable and the writing is clear and engaging throughout.The plot is simple but hooks the reader’s interest, proving that Martin’s books don’t need White Walkers or epic quests to save humanity to be compelling. It builds up to a satisfying conclusion, while also planting the seeds of future adventures. Indeed, Martin is said to be planning more installments in the series.
4’A Dance with Dragons' (2011)
Rating: 4.34/5
“Kill the boy and let the man be born.“A Dance with Dragonspicks up whereA Storm of Swordsended and runs concurrently withA Feast for Crows. However, it focuses on the major characters, like Jon, Daenerys, and Tyrion. In the North, Jon struggles with his role as Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. Across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys grapples with ruling Meereen. Finally, Tyrion Lannister, on the run after murdering his father, navigates the treacherous political landscape of Essos.
The book is great, loaded with tense scenes and significant plot developments, including several that were cut from the show. However,A Dance with Dragonsis also a little frustrating in that it builds up so well and leaves the reader wanting more. All these storylines are meant to continue inThe Winds of Winter, butit’s unclear when that book will materialize. Martin has admitted to “struggling” with the sprawling text, something that must only be exacerbated by the high expectations fans have for it.
3’A Clash of Kings' (1998)
Rating: 4.42/5
“The brightest flame casts the darkest shadow.“A Clash of Kings, the secondASOIAFbook, plunges readers into the chaos that follows the death of King Robert Baratheon. With the Iron Throne up for grabs, multiple factions vie for power. In King’s Landing, young King Joffrey’s reign is threatened by his uncles, Stannis and Renly Baratheon, who each claim the throne. In the North, Robb Stark is declared king and seeks vengeance. Daenerys, likewise, plots her return to Westeros from across the Narrow Sea.
A Clash of Kingsimpressively avoids the sophomore slump, if anything, raising the stakes established in the preceding book. Martin also greatly expands the canvas of his fantasy world: there are more characters, more locations, and more mysteries, from the rising White Walkers to the shadow magic of Melisandre. In terms of viewpoint characters, this book also introduces fan favorites Theon Greyjoy and Ser Davos Seaworth.
2’A Game of Thrones' (1996)
Rating: 4.44/5
“If you would take a man’s life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words.” Martin’s magnum opus begins simply enough, with Ned Stark, Lord of Winterfell, being summoned to King’s Landing to serve as Hand of the King to his old friend, King Robert Baratheon. From there, it quickly expands in scope and ambition, adding in Shakespearean levels of noble drama and shocking plot twists. The infamous beheading of hero Ned remains one of the most hard-hitting moments in the entire series.
The book is just so finely constructed. The dialogue is great, the scheming is addictive, and the battle scenes are intense.A Game of Thronesis also dark and harsh from the get-go, with characters meeting grisly fates like being covered in semi-molten gold.Practically every chapter ends on a cliffhanger, propelling the reader onward and making its 700-odd pages fly by.
1’A Storm of Swords' (2000)
Rating: 4.54/5
“Fear cuts deeper than swords.” Martin’s highest-rated book on Goodreads is the third entry inASOIAF. In this one, the War of the Five Kings rages on, with Robb, Joffrey, Stannis, Balon Greyjoy, and Renly all vying for the throne. Betrayal and treachery abound, leading to shocking and pivotal moments such as the infamous Red Wedding and Joffrey’s assassination. Jon and Daenerys also have monument storylines: the former goes beyond the Wall, while the latter amasses an army in Essos.
A Storm of Swordsis a whopper of a novel, almost 1000 pages long, but it never drags or feels like a slog. It’s the perfect blend of fantasy thrills - dragons, knights, magic, battles, mysterious beasts - and rich characterization, with figures like Daenery and Jaime revealing themselves to be complex and often contradictory. This may be the central strength of the series: thatit avoids simplistic binaries and instead looks at everything in shades of gray.
