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

The eagerly awaited sixth installment of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, *The Winds of Winter*, remains one of the most anticipated works of fiction. Since the release of the fifth book, *A Dance with Dragons*, in 2011, fans have been eagerly awaiting the continuation of the saga that inspired HBO's *Game of Thrones*. In the 13 years since, HBO has aired Seasons 2-8 of *Game of Thrones* and the first two seasons of its spinoff, *House of the Dragon*.

As George R.R. Martin continues to craft the next chapter in the A Song of Ice and Fire saga, we've gathered all the latest information on *The Winds of Winter*. This includes insights into the book's expected length, anticipated release timeline, story details, and how it will differ from the television series.

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 no confirmed release date or window for The Winds of Winter. Initially, Martin and his publishers aimed to complete the manuscript by October 2015 for a release the following March, ahead of Game of Thrones: Season 6. However, this deadline slipped to the end of 2015, and then to the end of 2016, neither of which were met. In January 2017, Martin expressed hope that the book would be released by the end of that year, but this did not happen. By 2020, he aimed to finish the initial draft by 2021, but this timeline also did not materialize. The last public estimation from Martin on the book's completion was in October 2022, when he reported being about 75% done with the manuscript. However, by November 2023, he had completed 1,100 pages, the same figure he mentioned in December 2022 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 be around 1,500 pages long. As of November 2023, Martin had written approximately 1,100 pages and noted that he had "hundreds more pages to go." He has also stated that the final two books in the A Song of Ice and Fire series will collectively exceed 3,000 pages. If The Winds of Winter reaches 1,500 pages, it will be the longest book in the series, surpassing A Dance with Dragons, which was just over 1,000 pages in its original hardcover edition.

Winds of Winter Story

This section contains no spoilers beyond the names of characters expected to 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. These books, which followed different characters but ran parallel in narrative time, set the stage for the events in The Winds of Winter. Martin has promised a thrilling start, stating in a 2012 interview with Smarter Travel that the book will open 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.

In a 2014 interview with EW, Martin hinted at the convergence of Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister's paths, though they will remain apart for much of the book. Both characters will have significant roles, with Tyrion determined to survive and Daenerys embracing her Targaryen heritage. Martin also confirmed the return of the Dothraki "in a big way" and noted that "a lot of stuff is happening at The Wall." Additionally, he teased an "interesting take on unicorns." Overall, Martin has warned that the book will be dark, reflecting the theme of winter as a time of death and darkness.

Winds of Winter Characters

As of 2016, Martin planned not to introduce new point-of-view characters in The Winds of Winter. The confirmed characters with chapters from their perspective 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 is highly likely that Daenerys Targaryen will also have chapters from her perspective. Other potential point-of-view characters include Davos Seaworth, Samwell Tarly, and Melisandre. Additionally, Jeyne Westerling, Robb Stark's wife in the books (replaced by Talisa Maegyr in the TV series), will appear in the prologue, though it is unclear if the section will be from her perspective.

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Winds of Winter: Book vs. TV Show

The Winds of Winter will diverge significantly from Game of Thrones due to the larger cast and broader scope of the book series. Martin has confirmed that some characters who died in the TV series will survive in the books, and vice versa. New characters will be introduced, and those not seen on screen will play crucial roles. In a 2022 blog post, Martin elaborated on these differences:

What I have noticed more and more of late, however, is my gardening is taking me further and further away from the television series. Yes, some of the things you saw on HBO in Game of Thrones you will also see in The Winds of Winter (though maybe not in quite the same ways)… but much of the rest will be quite different.

Martin highlighted the complexity and size of the novels compared to the TV series, mentioning characters like Victarion Greyjoy, Arianne Martell, and Jon Connington, who are not in the show but will have significant roles in the books. He also noted that some characters, like Euron Greyjoy, will be quite different from their TV counterparts. Martin teased that not all characters who survived the TV series will survive the books, and vice versa, and that there will be a major twist involving characters not featured in the show.

A Dream of Spring and Other Future Works

A Dream of Spring, the seventh and final book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, is also expected to be around 1,500 pages or more. Martin has hinted that the ending will be bittersweet. There is no release timetable for this book.

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 additional stories in his Tales of Dunk and Egg series, which will be the basis for HBO's upcoming Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Martin also continues to edit the Wild Cards series and serves as a producer for 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.