25 Years Ago, One of the Best Fantasy Stories Ever Released (& It Led to Two 10/10 Seasons of TV)

One of the best fantasy stories ever made came out 25 years ago, and it resulted in two perfect seasons of television — an impressive feat. Many incredible fantasy projects have released over the last few decades, spanning books, movies and TV. From YA offerings like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson to The Lord of the Rings movies and HBO’s Game of Thrones, there’s no shortage of exciting narratives for fans of the genre to fall into. And the success of Game of Thrones has only prompted studios and streamers to invest more heavily in the category.

It’s also kept George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series at the front of people’s minds, despite the fact that The Winds of Winter missed its first deadline a decade ago and remains delayed for the foreseeable future. Regardless of Game of Thrones‘ divisive ending and the source material being in limbo, the franchise continues to boast a strong reputation. In part, that stems from the new additions to it, like House of the Dragon and the upcoming Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. But it’s also because Game of Thrones’ strongest chapters are just that good. We have one book to thank for that, and it celebrated an anniversary this year.

A Storm of Swords Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary in 2025

A Storm of Swords, the third book in Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, celebrated a big anniversary in 2025. Specifically, the book turned 25 (in August for its UK release, and in November for the US). And more than two decades later, it’s still the greatest novel the author has published. Considering how many incredible releases he has under his belt — from the other ASOIAF books, to supplementary works like Fire & Blood, to unrelated stories — that’s saying something. And A Storm of Swords goes beyond being the strongest addition to Martin’s repertoire. It’s also cemented itself as one of the greatest fantasy stories ever released.

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One could say that about A Song of Ice and Fire more generally, but A Storm of Swords stands out, even by Martin’s standards. The third book is where readers start to see the payoff of the storylines the author unravels throughout A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings. The conflict between the Starks and Lannisters boils over with multiple deadly weddings, Daenerys Targaryen’s liberation of Slaver’s Bay begins in earnest, and multiple deaths result in political upheaval. The twists are non-stop, with the story progressing at a breakneck pace despite A Storm of Swords’ 900+ pages.

Although there are exciting moments in A Feast for Crows and A Dance With Dragons, A Storm of Swords is the most pivotal addition to Martin’s story so far. With so much happening, it was broken up into two seasons when Game of Thrones adapted it. It’s a testament to the book’s quality that those wound up being the strongest chapters of the HBO series. Each of them delivered 10/10 storytelling, which the adaptation never topped.

The Third A Song of Ice & Fire Book Led to Two Perfect Seasons of Game of Thrones

The events of A Storm of Swords are brought to life in Game of Thrones Seasons 3 and 4 — the two outings that, arguably, transformed the series from a high-quality hit with a dedicated audience to a viral phenomenon. The show was strong from the beginning, and Ned Stark’s (Sean Bean) Season 1 death got viewers’ attention. However, incidents like Daenerys Targaryen’s (Emilia Clarke) conquest in Astapor and the Red Wedding helped get mainstream audiences fully on board.

Even after the Red Wedding took the world by storm, Game of Thrones Season 4 managed to surpass it by adapting the end of A Storm of Swords. Because, no, Robb (Richard Madden) and Catelyn Stark’s (Michelle Fairley) untimely deaths weren’t even the conclusion of the third ASOIAF book. After their betrayal at the hands of the Freys and Boltons, Martin still found time to kill Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson), put Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) on trial, get rid of Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance), and have Petyr Baelish (Aidan Gillan) shove his new wife out of the Moon Door. It’s no wonder A Storm of Swords made for two stunning seasons of television. Unfortunately, this had a downside.

A Storm of Swords Created a Challenge for Game of Thrones’ Future

With A Storm of Swords containing more major developments than many fantasy series have in their entire runs, Game of Thrones Seasons 3 and 4 were set up for success. However, Martin’s later books — and the subsequent outings of the TV series — now had a lot to live up to. Topping those outings was always going to be a challenge, and it’s one the series never quite overcame, at least not at the season level. Individual episodes like “Hardhome” and “Battle of the Bastards” had the same appeal, but Seasons 5 to 8 had their fair share of pitfalls, especially after leaving the books behind. Fortunately, Seasons 3 and 4 had already attracted a massive viewership, and much of that is due to A Storm of Swords’ success.

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