WINTER IS EXPENSIVE: THE FOLIO SOCIETY UNLEASHES THE ULTIMATE A GAME OF THRONES 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Limited to Only 1,000 Copies, This George R.R. Martin-Signed Masterpiece Features “Dragon-Leather” Binding, Jonathan Burton’s Original Artwork, Real Gold Detailing and a Hidden Compartment Holding a Rolled Linen Map

 Thirty years after readers first entered Westeros, The Folio Society is celebrating the anniversary of George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones with a limited edition so lavish it looks like somebody robbed the Citadel, escaped on dragonback and delivered the treasure directly to your bookshelf.

The independent publisher has revealed what it calls the ultimate illustrated edition of Martin’s fantasy landmark: an enormous, handcrafted 872-page volume featuring Jonathan Burton’s original artwork, an introduction by acclaimed fantasy author Joe Abercrombie, a personal signature from George R.R. Martin and enough premium details to make even a Lannister check the family bank account. Only 1,000 individually numbered copies will be produced worldwide, making this less of a traditional book release and more of a full-blown collector event.

The centerpiece is a single-volume edition bound in specially created “dragon-leather” over chamfered boards, complete with gilding across all three page edges. Each copy is handmade by Ludlow Bookbinders and signed by Martin on a limitation label stamped in real gold. Yeah, they went all the way with this one. No shortcuts, no cheap cardboard slipcase and definitely no “premium edition” sticker slapped onto the same book you already own.

The volume arrives inside an elaborate clamshell presentation box featuring gold and silver blocking, a luxurious suedelux interior and custom hand-lettering by Stephen Raw. Hidden within the box is a separate compartment containing a rolled linen map—because apparently folding the map like regular people would have been disrespectful to the Seven Kingdoms.

“This volume is so stunning it could have been taken directly from the Citadel library itself,” said Folio Society Editor James Rose.

“We have been incredibly fortunate to work with the finest British craftspeople on this special 30th anniversary version: from the leather makers who created our incredible dragonskin leather, to the James Cropper paper mill who made our bespoke endpapers, to Ludlow Bookbinders who are binding each volume with care.”

“With a limitation page blocked in real gold, a rolled map and a stunning box—and each copy personally signed by George R. R. Martin himself—this is truly a limited edition worthy of the Iron Throne that absolutely every fan of the series needs in their library.”

Inside, the full text is printed in two colors and accompanied by Burton’s striking illustrations, which are individually tipped onto the pages within decorative borders. The production also includes handmade endpapers featuring a bespoke watermark, leather head and tailbands and premium materials created specifically for this anniversary release. Translation: this thing was not produced. It was forged.

The original A Game of Thrones was published in 1996 and introduced readers to a world where summers can last for decades, winters can swallow entire generations and trusting the wrong person usually ends with somebody losing a kingdom or their head. At the center of the story are the Starks of Winterfell, a proud family dragged into a brutal political struggle involving rival houses, assassins, warriors, exiles, ancient magic and supernatural forces gathering beyond the Wall.

What begins as a tense conflict over honor, loyalty and succession quickly expands into a sprawling saga of betrayal, warfare and survival. Every alliance comes with a price. Every promise carries a blade behind its back. And everybody believes they deserve a seat on the Iron Throne—even when common sense is screaming that the chair is made of swords for a reason.

Martin’s novel became the foundation of the massively successful A Song of Ice and Fire series and inspired HBO’s eight-season television adaptation, which transformed the story into a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has since expanded through television spinoffs, games, merchandise and enough online debate to keep the ravens working overtime.

This anniversary edition is designed to honor the novel before the television spectacle returning the spotlight to Martin’s original text and the dark, politically charged fantasy world that changed modern genre storytelling.

The Folio Society’s deluxe A Game of Thrones release joins an impressive fantasy library that includes premium editions of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, Ursula K. Le Guin’s Books of Earthsea, Michael Ende’s The Neverending Story, Diana Wynne Jones’s Howl’s Moving Castle collection, Madeline Miller’s Circe and Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus.

The limited edition is available beginning July 14, 2026, exclusively through The Folio Society. The handcrafted volume is priced at £1,725, with reports placing the U.S. cost at approximately $2,000.

Look, nobody is pretending this is an impulse purchase. At that price, this book better whisper prophecies, warm the house during winter and personally notify George R.R. Martin that fans are still waiting for The Winds of Winter. But as a handcrafted piece of literary art celebrating one of fantasy’s most influential novels, this is undeniably spectacular. From the dragon-inspired binding and real-gold detailing to the hidden linen map and Martin’s signature, every element has been created to make the edition feel like an artifact pulled directly from Westeros. Only 1,000 collectors will claim one.

The rest of us can admire the photos, protect our rent money and remind ourselves that owning the Iron Throne probably comes with terrible lumbar support anyway.