The Winds of Winter: Latest Updates on the Next Game of Thrones Book

The Winds of Winter, the eagerly anticipated sixth installment in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, has been a topic of fervent discussion among fans and literary enthusiasts alike. Since the release of the fifth book, A Dance with Dragons, in 2011, the fantasy saga that inspired HBO's Game of Thrones has left readers eagerly awaiting the next chapter. In the intervening 13 years, HBO has aired Seasons 2-8 of Game of Thrones and Seasons 1 and 2 of its first spinoff series, House of the Dragon.

While Martin continues to craft the next volume in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, we've gathered a comprehensive overview of everything known about The Winds of Winter. This includes Martin's insights on the book's length and expected publication timeline, as well as details about the story's characters and the divergences from the television adaptation.

Jump to:

• When will it come out?
• How long will it be?
• Story details
• Book vs. TV series

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Winds of Winter Release Date

There is currently no set release date or window for The Winds of Winter. Martin and his publishers initially hoped to have the manuscript completed by the end of October 2015, aiming for a release the following March before the premiere of Game of Thrones: Season 6. However, this deadline passed without completion. Subsequent targets, such as the end of 2015 and the end of 2016, also went unmet. By 2020, Martin had set a goal to finish the initial draft by 2021, but this did not materialize. The latest public update from Martin came in October 2022, when he reported being about 75% done with the manuscript. As of November 2023, the manuscript stood at 1,100 pages, the same figure mentioned in a December 2022 appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In a December 2024 interview, Martin acknowledged the possibility that he may never finish The Winds of Winter in his lifetime.

Winds of Winter Length

The Winds of Winter is expected to span approximately 1,500 pages. As of November 2023, Martin had written around 1,100 pages and indicated there were "hundreds more pages to go." The final two books in the A Song of Ice and Fire series are projected to total over 3,000 pages. If The Winds of Winter indeed reaches 1,500 pages, it will be the longest book in the series to date, surpassing A Dance with Dragons, which was just over 1,000 pages in its original hardcover format.

Winds of Winter Story

There are no spoilers in this section, except for the names of characters who will appear in The Winds of Winter.

The Winds of Winter will pick up where A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons left off, continuing the intertwined narratives of these fourth and fifth books. Martin has teased that the book will open with the resolution of cliffhangers from A Dance with Dragons, beginning with two significant battles: the battle in the ice between Stannis Baratheon and Roose Bolton near Winterfell, and the battle at Meereen between Daenerys Targaryen and the slavers of Yunkai.

Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister's paths will converge "in a way," Martin revealed, though they will remain largely separate for much of the book. Both characters will have substantial roles, with Tyrion now focused on survival and Daenerys embracing her Targaryen heritage. The Dothraki will make a significant return, and significant developments will occur at The Wall. Martin also hinted at introducing his unique take on unicorns. He has warned readers to expect a darker narrative, in keeping with the ominous title, The Winds of Winter, and the series' overarching theme of impending doom.

Winds of Winter Characters

As of 2016, Martin planned no new point-of-view characters for The Winds of Winter. The confirmed characters with chapters told from their perspectives include:

• Tyrion Lannister
• Cersei Lannister
• Jaime Lannister and/or Brienne of Tarth
• Arya Stark
• Sansa Stark
• Bran Stark
• Theon Greyjoy
• Asha Greyjoy
• Victarion Greyjoy
• Aeron Greyjoy/Damphair
• Barristan Selmy
• Arianne Martell
• Areo Hotah
• Jon Connington

While not officially confirmed, it's highly likely that Daenerys Targaryen will continue as a point-of-view character. Other potential POV characters include Davos Seaworth, Samwell Tarly, and Melisandre. Additionally, Robb Stark’s wife, Jeyne Westerling, will appear in the prologue, though it's unclear if she will serve as a POV character.

Winds of Winter: Book vs. TV Show

The Winds of Winter will diverge significantly from the Game of Thrones television series due to the books' broader scope and larger cast. Martin has indicated that some characters who died in the show will survive in the books, and vice versa. New characters will be introduced, and those who did not appear on-screen will play crucial roles.

In a 2022 blog post, Martin elaborated on these differences, noting that his "gardening" approach to writing has led the book series further from the TV adaptation. He mentioned numerous characters and plot points unique to the books, such as Victarion Greyjoy, Arianne Martell, and the significant differences between book and show versions of characters like Euron Greyjoy. Martin also teased a major twist in The Winds of Winter involving characters, one of whom was dead by the end of Season 5 in the show but not in the books.

A Dream of Spring and Other Future Works

A Dream of Spring, the planned seventh and final book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, is also expected to exceed 1,500 pages. Martin has described the ending as likely to be "bittersweet" rather than purely happy. There is currently no timetable for its release.

In addition to The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring, Martin is working on a second volume of his Targaryen history, tentatively titled Blood & Fire, and further entries in his Tales of Dunk and Egg series, which will serve as the basis for HBO's upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff, Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Martin also remains involved with the Wild Cards shared-universe sci-fi series and serves as a producer for two TV series: House of the Dragon and AMC’s Dark Winds.

For more on A Song of Ice and Fire, explore our guide on how to read the Game of Thrones books in order.