Books That Take You Deeper Inside the World of Game of Thrones

A Dance with Dragons, by George R.R. Martin
If you haven’t read the books because you’ve been following the show, now is the time to jump in. The fifth season of the HBO series is ostensibly based on A Dance with Dragons, the fifth entry in George R.R. Martin’s epic A Song of Ice and Fire. Most major plot points match up: Tyrion Lannister is on the run and wanted for murder, young Arya Stark sheds the last of her childhood innocence as she trains to be a ruthless assassin, Jon Snow holds wavering command over the men of the Night’s Watch at the Wall, and across the sea, Daenerys sits uneasily upon the throne in the newly freed slave city of Meereen. But more than ever before, the show has started to depart from (and even move beyond) the novels. If you want to experience everything, you really need to experience both.

The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros, by George R.R. Martin, Elio Garcia, and Linda Antonsson
On screen and on the page, Martin’s fictional world is darkly beautiful, intricate, and deep. In this lavish compendium, the author cranks up the backstory to 11, providing the most comprehensive (and illustrated) view yet of the history of the Seven Kingdoms. Produced with the founders of the fan site Westeros.org, this is the battle-filled, rivalry-stuffed, usurper-heavy hardcover your coffee table has been waiting for, revealing secrets that can’t be found in the books or on the show.

The Lands of Ice & Fire, by George R.R. Martin
With a story that spans the Seven Kingdoms and multiple other continents besides, A Song of Ice and Fire puts the “epic” in “epic fantasy.” This collection of lavishly illustrated maps goes way beyond the famous 3-D cartography of the opening sequence of the HBO adaptation, and will help readers and viewers alike orient themselves in a rich invented world. From tundra to desert, the lands of Westeros (and beyond) are vast, and here is a passport to it all.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, by George R.R. Martin and Gary Gianni (illustrator)
So you’ve caught up on the show and read through five fat novels. What next? This collection of three novellas, set 100 years before the start of the series, is exactly what you’re looking for. In following the adventures of knight-for-hire Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire (and unlikely future king) Aegon V “Egg” Targaryen traipsing through the Westeros countryside, Martin provides a glimpse at a (slightly) happier time in the history of the war-torn nation, while doling out essential revelations that remind us, yes,winter is coming. This new edition collects all three stories for the first time, along with over 160 new illustrations.
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