All 5 Game of Thrones books ranked from worst to best

1. A Storm of Swords

Year Published: 2000 

A Storm of Swords is the third book of A Song of Ice and Fire. It was published in 2000, two years after A Clash of Kings. There’s no doubt that A Storm of Swords is the best of the Game of Thrones books. It’s close, as mentioned, but there are so many great elements and parts of this epic that come to head in A Storm of Swords. Thousands of pages of story and setup is paid off in A Storm of Swords, and it’s incredible what Martin is able to accomplish in this book.

A Storm of Swords continues and largely concludes the War of the Five Kings, but there’s so much more going on in this story. We get The Red Wedding, King Joffrey’s death, Daenerys conquering cities, and Jon Snow’s quest beyond the Wall. It’s easily the most exciting and action-packed of the series so far, and I don’t think that’s going to change any time soon. There are so many likable characters doing important things in this part of the story, and that makes for a great book.

It feels like more important moments happen in A Storm of Swords than in any of the other books. It definitely paves the way for what’s to come in the future of the series, too, and I think that’s really important. After A Storm of Swords, the board is basically reset, and it’s a big challenge for Martin to connect all these characters in a meaningful way in A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons. 

So, that’s the ranking of the best of the Game of Thrones books. If you watched the shows but haven’t watched the movie, it’s the perfect time to dive and read these books before The Winds of Winter is released.