Fans were recently introduced to brand-new artwork from the A Song of Ice and Fire book series through the cover of an upcoming calendar. The A Song of Ice and Fire books are beloved in the fantasy world, and were so impactful that they led to one of the most successful adaptations of all time — HBO's Game of Thrones. Throughout the years since the books were originally released, fans have been treated to illustrated special versions of each book, as well as other editions that depict official artwork.
Publishing conglomerate Penguin Random House (PRH) recently unveiled a 2027 calendar themed to A Song of Ice and Fire. Although the year 2027 is still many months away, PRH went ahead and showcased the official cover for the calendar, which features official, never-before-seen art from the world of A Song of Ice and Fire.
Coming from artist Tyler Jacobson, the cover for the calendar features an armored soldier holding a flaming sword in the air. It appears as though the soldier is in the midst of a major battle. He is also sporting armor that features stars and purple lightning on it.
A Song of Ice and Fire fans will know that the character being showcased on the calendar's cover is none other than Beric Dondarrion. In both the novels and the TV series, Beric was known for his flaming sword, which was due to his service to the Lord of Light. Beric is also easily identifiable because of his armor and shield. House Dondarrion's sigil is forked purple lightning on a black sky speckled with four-pointed stars.
It is worth noting that the calendar's official listing revealed that it will include 13 distinct pieces of artwork. Of course, 12 of those will be for the months of the year, but buyers will also be receiving a special poster as well.
According to PRH, the calendar will include pieces of art that focus on certain characters, families, and battles throughout Westeros' history:
"Here are some of the most iconic denizens of Westeros as envisioned by artist Tyler Jacobson. Discover reimagined images of beloved series players, as well as some never seen before. From their intimate moments to great battles, from family portraits and found family to bitter enmity, here are some of the people who have shaped Westeros into the unforgettable land we all know and love."
The special A Song of Ice and Fire calendar (which will coincidentally be released in the same year as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and House of the Dragon Season 3) will be made available on July 21, 2026.
A Song of Ice and Fire's Special Artwork Through the Years
A Song of Ice and Fire was extremely popular in the fantasy world before Game of Thrones. However, the show grew into a cultural titan and caused George R.R. Martin's book series to become a juggernaut in the world of fiction literature. Due to how popular the series has become, especially over the past decade, many special editions of the unfinished book series have been released in the past, all with their own works of art.
For instance, in 2024, a special box set of A Song of Ice and Fire was released, with the first five books in the series represented together. Each book had its own unique design, with A Game of Thrones having a direwolf on the cover.
The spines of the books echoed their respective covers. For instance, A Clash of Kings featured the roaring mouth of a lion (the Lannister's sigil), A Storm of Swords showcased a stag (House Baratheon's sigil), A Feast for Crows included a crow, and then A Dance With Dragons focused on a dragon's eye.
When multiple books are a part of an entire series, a lot of publishers will create a box set that completes a larger image when all of the books are put together. A Song of Ice and Fire is no different, as one of its most prestigious sets includes six books instead of five (Fire & Blood, which is the book House of the Dragon is based on, was included with the five books of the main series), and, when put together, the spines spell out "A Song of Ice and Fire." The spines also make a cohesive image when put together.
The covers of each book feature the exact same artwork, but the titles are changed depending on which novel it is. The set was meant to be more of a collector's item than actual reading material, as it was priced at $389.99 USD when it was released by Juniper Books. It is also worth noting that Juniper limited the number of sets to 50, so it is an extremely exclusive set.
Another special edition set from The Folio Society featured different covers that focused on popular imagery from the books. Like some of the other examples mentioned, different books in that set featured a direwolf, a stag, etc. The spines, however, were gray with gold lettering.
It is also worth noting that that particular set also included multiple volumes for each novel with exclusive illustrations throughout its pages.
Of course, the more common editions of each novel still feature artwork from A Song of Ice and Fire, but they are not as detailed and don't appear as impressive as the special editions.
Most of the time, they simply showcase the book's title, Martin's name, and a general background with some sort of symbol on the cover.
