The eagerly awaited sixth installment in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, "The Winds of Winter," remains one of the most anticipated works in the realm of fantasy fiction. Since the release of the fifth book, "A Dance with Dragons," in 2011, fans have been eagerly waiting for the continuation of the saga that inspired HBO's blockbuster series, Game of Thrones. In the 13 years that have passed, HBO has completed Seasons 2-8 of Game of Thrones and aired Seasons 1 and 2 of its spinoff, House of the Dragon.
As George R.R. Martin diligently works on this next volume, we've gathered all the latest details about "The Winds of Winter," including insights into its length, expected release timeline, and the key differences between the book and 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
There is no official release date or window for "The Winds of Winter." Initially, Martin and his publishers hoped to complete the manuscript by the end of October 2015, aiming for a release in March 2016 ahead of Game of Thrones: Season 6. This deadline shifted to the end of 2015, but the manuscript remained unfinished. In January 2017, Martin expressed optimism about a release before the end of that year, and in 2020, he set his sights on finishing the initial work by 2021, which did not happen. The last public estimation for the book's completion came in October 2022, when Martin stated he was about 75% done with the manuscript. However, by November 2023, he reported having completed 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 around 1,500 pages. As of November 2023, Martin had written approximately 1,100 pages and indicated that he had "hundreds more pages to go." He has also mentioned 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 the current record holder, "A Dance with Dragons," which was just over 1,000 pages in its original hardcover release.
Winds of Winter Story
There are no spoilers in this section, save 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. Speaking with Smarter Travel in 2012, Martin promised an explosive start to the book: “There were a lot of cliffhangers at the end of A Dance with Dragons. Those will be resolved very early. I’m going to open with the two big battles that I was building up to, the battle in the ice [between the forces of Stannis Baratheon and Roose Bolton in and around Winterfell] and the battle at Meereen — the battle of Slaver’s Bay [between the forces of Daenerys Targaryen and the slavers of Yunkai across the Narrow Sea].”
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Martin told Entertainment Weekly in 2014 that Daenerys Targaryen and Tyrion Lannister’s paths would finally intersect "in a way," but they would remain apart for much of the book. Both characters will play significant roles, with Tyrion seeking to survive the battles around him and Daenerys embracing her Targaryen heritage. Martin also confirmed the return of the Dothraki "in a big way" and hinted at significant developments at The Wall. Additionally, he teased an "interesting take on unicorns" for the book.
Martin has warned that the story will take a dark turn, stating at the Guadalajara International Book Fair in 2016, "It is called The Winds of Winter, and I’ve been telling you for 20 years that winter was coming. Winter is the time when things die, and cold and ice and darkness fill the world, so this is not going to be the happy feel-good that people may be hoping for. Some of the characters [are] in very dark places."
Winds of Winter Characters
As of 2016, Martin had no plans to introduce new point-of-view characters in "The Winds of Winter." The following characters are confirmed to have chapters told from their perspectives, based on Martin's released 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, Daenerys Targaryen is expected to return 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 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 the Game of Thrones TV series due to the broader scope and larger cast of the book series. Martin has revealed that some characters who died on the show will live in the books, and vice versa. New characters will also be introduced, playing crucial roles in the unfolding narrative.
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 noted the complexity of the novels compared to the series, mentioning characters like Victarion Greyjoy, Arianne Martell, and others who were never featured on the show but will impact the story significantly. He also highlighted differences in character portrayals, such as Yara and Euron Greyjoy, and teased the introduction of new characters and significant plot divergences.
Martin assured fans that the ending of his series will be distinct from the TV show, promising a blend of bittersweet and happy elements. He also hinted at a major twist in "The Winds of Winter" that couldn't be included in the show, involving characters, one of whom was dead by the end of Season 5 on the show but remains alive in the books.
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 anticipated to be at least 1,500 pages long. Martin has hinted at a bittersweet conclusion to the series, though no release timeline has been provided.
In addition to "The Winds of Winter" and "A Dream of Spring," 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 is being adapted into HBO's "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, check out our guide on how to read the Game of Thrones books in order.
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