The highly anticipated sixth installment in George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy series, *A Song of Ice and Fire*, titled *The Winds of Winter*, has fans eagerly waiting. Since the release of the fifth book, *A Dance with Dragons*, in 2011, the saga that inspired HBO's *Game of Thrones* has kept readers on the edge of their seats. In the intervening years, HBO has not only completed *Game of Thrones* with seasons 2-8 but also launched its spinoff series, *House of the Dragon*, with seasons 1 and 2.
While Martin diligently works on The Winds of Winter, here's a comprehensive look at everything we know so far, including updates on its length, expected release timeline, story details, and how it will differ from the TV 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
Currently, there is no confirmed release date for The Winds of Winter. Initially, Martin and his publishers aimed to have the manuscript ready by October 2015 for a release the following March, ahead of Game of Thrones: Season 6. However, this deadline, along with subsequent targets at the end of 2015 and by the end of 2017, passed without a finished manuscript. In 2020, Martin hoped to complete the initial draft by 2021, but that timeline also slipped by. The most recent update came in October 2022 when Martin reported being about 75% done. By November 2023, he had completed 1,100 pages, a figure unchanged from his mention on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in December 2022. In a December 2024 interview, Martin acknowledged the possibility that he might never finish The Winds of Winter in his lifetime.
Winds of Winter Length
Martin has indicated that The Winds of Winter will be around 1,500 pages long. As of November 2023, he had written approximately 1,100 pages, with "hundreds more pages to go." The final two books of the series, The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring, are expected to exceed 3,000 pages combined. If The Winds of Winter reaches 1,500 pages, it will surpass the current longest book in the series, A Dance with Dragons, which was just over 1,000 pages in its original hardcover edition.
Winds of Winter Story
The following section contains no spoilers, only the names of characters expected to appear in The Winds of Winter.
The Winds of Winter will pick up where the fourth and fifth books, A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons, left off. These books ran parallel to each other but followed different sets of characters. Martin has promised a dramatic start, resolving the cliffhangers from A Dance with Dragons early on. He plans to open with two major battles: one in the ice between Stannis Baratheon and Roose Bolton near Winterfell, and the other at Meereen, known as the battle of Slaver’s Bay, involving Daenerys Targaryen and the slavers of Yunkai.
Martin has confirmed that Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister will cross paths "in a way," but they will be apart for much of the book. Both characters will play significant roles, with Tyrion focusing on survival amidst the chaos and Daenerys embracing her Targaryen heritage. The Dothraki will return prominently, and significant events will unfold at The Wall. Martin has also teased an "interesting take on unicorns." He warns readers to expect a darker tone, aligning with the series' theme that "winter is the time when things die, and cold and ice and darkness fill the world."
Winds of Winter Characters
As of 2016, Martin confirmed no new point-of-view (POV) characters will be introduced in The Winds of Winter. Here’s a list of characters confirmed to have POV chapters, based on preview chapters, blog posts, and public readings:
- 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 Daenerys Targaryen will continue as a POV character. Other potential POVs include Davos Seaworth, Samwell Tarly, and Melisandre. Additionally, Robb Stark's wife, Jeyne Westerling, will appear in the prologue, though it's unclear if it will be from her perspective.
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Winds of Winter: Book vs. TV Show
The Winds of Winter will diverge significantly from the Game of Thrones TV series due to the books' larger scope and more extensive cast. Martin has noted that characters who died in the show will live in the books, and vice versa. New characters will be introduced, and some who never appeared on screen will play crucial roles. In a 2022 blog post, Martin elaborated on these differences, emphasizing the complexity of his narrative and the impact of characters like Victarion Greyjoy, Arianne Martell, and others not seen in the TV series. He also teased a major twist 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 seventh and final book in A Song of Ice and Fire, is also expected to be around 1,500 pages or more. Martin hinted at a bittersweet ending during the Guadalajara International Book Fair in 2016, but there is no set release date. In addition to The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring, Martin is working on a second volume of his Targaryen history, possibly titled Blood & Fire, and more stories in the Tales of Dunk and Egg series, which will serve as the basis for HBO's upcoming Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. He continues to edit the Wild Cards series and is a producer for House of the Dragon and AMC's Dark Winds.
For more on A Song of Ice and Fire, check out our guide on how to read the Game of Thrones books in order.
