When we first got a glimpse of the Folio Society‘s special illustrated edition of George R.R. Martin‘s A Game of Thrones, we admired the luxurious presentation—note the “dragon leather” binding—but gasped at the price. Even a Lannister would have a hard time coughing up $2,200 for this one, even if it is handmade, signed by Martin, and being released in honor of the book’s 30th anniversary.
However, one should never underestimate the legions of Westeros collectors out there. After going on sale earlier today, all 1,000 copies of A Game of Thrones have since been spoken for.
Luckily, those who were slow on the uptake (or don’t have a couple thousand bucks to spend on reading material) can admire these photos instead.
Here are some more details on what you and I will never hold in our grubby hands. The special release features “all of the original artwork by Jonathan Burton in a fantastic new presentation, including a clamshell box, ‘dragon-leather’ binding, a rolled map, writer George R.R. Martin’s signature, and much more,” according to the Folio Society.
To give even more details, “the 872-page single-volume book is housed in a specially designed box with a blocked suedelux interior, a hidden map compartment, and a blocked exterior featuring hand-lettering by Stephen Raw. The map is made of linen and rolled to fit the compartment. The full text, accompanied by an introduction from Joe Abercrombie, is presented in an incredible volume bound in dragon-skin leather over chamfered boards with gilding on all three edges.”
Plus, as mentioned, Martin signed every copy “on a limitation label blocked in real gold.”
We hope applying all those signatures didn’t interfere too much with his Winds of Winter writing schedule, but we’d also take more Tales of Dunk and Egg if he’s thinking about releasing new stories from the Seven Kingdoms anytime soon. In the meantime, for those who prefer watching TV to reading dragon-leather-bound books, House of the Dragon season three is currently going strong on HBO.
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