"Winds of Winter: Latest Updates on Next Game of Thrones Book"

The Winds of Winter, the highly anticipated sixth installment in George R.R. Martin's epic A Song of Ice and Fire series, has fans eagerly awaiting its release. Since the release of the fifth book, A Dance with Dragons, in 2011, the fantasy saga that inspired HBO's Game of Thrones has seen significant developments, including the airing of Seasons 2-8 of Game of Thrones and Seasons 1 and 2 of the spinoff, House of the Dragon. As Martin continues to craft this next chapter, here’s a comprehensive look at what we know about The Winds of Winter, from its expected length and release timeline to the characters and narrative divergences from the TV series.

Jump to:

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

A Song of Ice and Fire Box Set

50Contains the set of 5 books.$85.00 save 46%$46.00 at Amazon

Winds of Winter Release Date

As of now, 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 March 2016 release before Game of Thrones Season 6. However, that deadline was pushed back to the end of 2015, and then to the end of 2016, neither of which were met. In 2020, Martin hoped to finish the initial draft by 2021, but that timeline also slipped. By October 2022, he reported being about 75% done with the manuscript. However, in November 2023, he mentioned having completed 1,100 pages, the same figure he cited in a December 2022 interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In a December 2024 interview, Martin expressed uncertainty about completing the book within 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 indicated there were "hundreds more pages to go." The final two books of the series are projected to exceed 3,000 pages in total. If The Winds of Winter reaches 1,500 pages, it will be the longest book in the A Song of Ice and Fire 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, continuing the parallel narratives of these books. Martin has promised a dramatic opening, resolving the cliffhangers from A Dance with Dragons with two major battles: one between Stannis Baratheon and Roose Bolton near Winterfell, and another in Meereen involving Daenerys Targaryen and the slavers of Yunkai.

Martin has hinted at significant developments for key characters. Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister will finally cross paths, though their journeys will keep them apart for much of the book. The Dothraki will play a significant role, and events at The Wall will be pivotal. Martin also teased an "interesting take on unicorns." He warned fans to expect a darker tone, consistent with the book's title, suggesting that things will "get worse before they get better."

Winds of Winter Characters

As of 2016, Martin confirmed there would be no new point-of-view (POV) characters in The Winds of Winter. Here are the confirmed POV characters:

• 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, Daenerys Targaryen is expected to return as a POV character. Other potential POVs include Davos Seaworth, Samwell Tarly, and Melisandre. The prologue will feature Robb Stark's wife, Jeyne Westerling, though it's unclear if it will be from her perspective.

House of the Dragon Season 2 First Look Images

7 Images

Winds of Winter: Book vs. TV Show

The Winds of Winter will diverge significantly from the Game of Thrones TV series due to its larger cast and more complex narrative. Martin has stated that characters who died on the show may live in the books, and vice versa. New characters and those absent from the TV series will have important roles. In a 2022 blog post, Martin elaborated on these differences, noting that his "gardening" approach to writing has led the books in a different direction from the show. He mentioned several characters unique to the books, including Victarion Greyjoy, Arianne Martell, and Jon Connington, and highlighted the differences between book and show versions of characters like Euron Greyjoy. Martin also teased a major twist involving characters, one of whom was dead by the end of Season 5 of the show but remains alive in the books.

A Dream of Spring and Other Future Works

A Dream of Spring, the planned seventh and final book in the series, is expected to be at least 1,500 pages long. Martin has hinted at a bittersweet ending. No release date has been set for this book.

Beyond A Song of Ice and Fire, Martin is working on a second volume of his Targaryen history, potentially titled Blood & Fire, and more stories in his Tales of Dunk and Egg series, which will be adapted into HBO's Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. He 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.