Within the last decade, Game of Thrones achieved what many series can only aspire to do: become a cultural juggernaut, forever imprinted into society’s collective memory.

But before Emilia Clark’s expressive face became synonymous with the silver-haired Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons’ features only existed in the imagination of George R.R. Martin and the millions of fans of the A Song of Ice and Fire book series.

If you’re eager to dip your toes in the pages of this fantastic book series or have wondered how many Game of Thrones books there are, rest assured—it is much more straightforward than it seems.