George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire is one of the most influential book series of recent decades, carving a new path for medieval fantasy with its Game of Thrones TV adaption. Primarily set in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros as well as Essos, this grimdark epic fantasy follows dynastic struggles of the Kingdoms' most powerful families, and the inner battles of the human heart.
While fans await the final two installments in the series, the existing five Game of Thrones books are a constant source of pleasure to return to, with a level of depth that is unparalleled in the literary world. The delay in publication of the next books has also given fans plenty of time to debate over which are the best A Song of Ice and Fire books.
5 A Feast For Crows
A Feast for Crows is the fourth A Song of Ice and Fire book. It features several new POV characters who are predominantly centered in the southern half of Westeros. Among the characters who receive their own chapters, the most insightful is Cersei Lannister. Even as one of Game of Thrones' most ruthless characters, Martin is able to make readers care about and even sympathize with her.
Other new POV characters include Brienne of Tarth, Victarion Greyjoy, and a number of characters down in Dorne where plots within plots are unraveling. The cost of having all these new faces, however, is that there was no room for more mainstay members of the cast, whose stories are instead told in the first half of A Dance With Dragons. This is perhaps why, although A Feast for Crows is still an undeniably great book, it is not the best Game of Thrones book.
4 A Dance With Dragons
The first half or so of A Dance With Dragons takes place simultaneously to the events depicted in A Feast for Crows. Characters such as Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, and Daenerys Targaryen, who were not seen in the previous book, make a return. It then continues beyond AFFC, featuring POV characters from both books.
The ending of A Dance With Dragons is arguably one of the best in the series. Daenerys is reunited with familiar faces, and winter finally arrives in King's Landing along with an unlikely killer.
3 A Clash Of Kings
A Clash of Kings is the second book in the series, and depicts the War of the Five Kings at its height. Tyrion Lannister, with his newfound purpose as acting Hand of the King, take center stage in this book, which reaches a climax with the Battle of the Blackwater. His countless scenes with the powers that be in King's Landing, namely Varys, Littlefinger, and his sister Cersei, are some of the best in the series. Theon Greyjoy, one of the most morally gray and tragic characters, is also introduced as a POV character in this book.
One of the things that the Game of Thrones TV show arguably did better than the books, and that George R.R. Martin is said to regret not doing, is having Robb Stark as a POV character. In the books, his battles and his actions are often heard about after the fact or instead seen through the eyes of his mother, Catelyn. Although a different path could have produced even greater results, Robb Stark is nonetheless portrayed brilliantly in the book.
2 A Game Of Thrones
The first A Song of Ice and Fire book, the HBO series gets its name from A Game of Thrones. Even decades after publication, it remains one of the best in the franchise. The book mostly follows the members of House Stark, along with fan favorites such as Tyrion Lannister and Daenerys Targaryen.
Honorable but naive Ned Stark serves as the perfect introductory character for the inner workings of the nest of vipers which is King's Landing. Packed with intrigue and detail, the book is both a great story in and of itself, while also perfectly setting up the rest of the series.
1 A Storm Of Swords
A Storm of Swords, the third installment in the series, is widely accepted as one of the best Game of Thrones books for a myriad of reasons. Many of the most iconic scenes from the series take place in this mammoth of a book, from the aptly named Red and Purple Weddings to the Battle of Castle Black, and of course, the infamous duel between The Mountain and The Viper. All of these moments pull at the heartstrings and get the blood pumping.
Furthermore, the inner struggles, for which the A Song of Ice and Fire is known, are at their best in A Storm of Swords. Jon Snow's story in particular is one of the best in this book, as his new-found love for Ygritte and respect for the wildlings as a whole chafe against his vows. Jaime Lannister, previously seen as an arrogant villain, is also given his own POV chapters in ASOS, allowing fans to see the unjust world of Westeros through his eyes for the first time. This is also the book in which Daenerys becomes the Breaker of Chains, as she sidelines her dream of home in favor of freeing the people of Slaver's Bay.