How many words are in A Game of Thrones?

by George R.R. Martin · 1996 · Fantasy

298,000
Word count
20 hr 52 min
Reading time
1,192
Est. pages
1996
Published

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin is approximately 298,000 wordslong. At an average reading speed of 238 words per minute, that's about 20 hr 52 min of reading spread across several sittings. First published in 1996, it sits in the Fantasy category.

Typical fantasy novels run 70,000150,000 words, with a sweet spot around 90,000–120,000. At 298,000 words, A Game of Thrones runs longer than the typical range, in epic territory.

Source: Reedsy word count database; Bantam Books edition · referenceVerified 2026-06-19

Fantasy novels of similar length

TitleAuthorWord count
The Name of the WindPatrick Rothfuss259,221
Harry Potter and the Order of the PhoenixJ.K. Rowling257,045
The Way of KingsBrandon Sanderson387,000
The Fellowship of the RingJ.R.R. Tolkien187,790
EragonChristopher Paolini157,220
The HobbitJ.R.R. Tolkien95,356