The Winds of Winter, the much-anticipated sixth installment in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, has fans eagerly waiting. Since the release of the fifth book, A Dance with Dragons, in 2011, HBO has aired Seasons 2-8 of Game of Thrones and Seasons 1 and 2 of the spinoff series, House of the Dragon. As Martin continues to work on this next novel, here's a comprehensive overview of what we know about The Winds of Winter, including insights into its length, expected release timeline, story details, and the differences from the TV 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
Currently, there is no confirmed release date or window for The Winds of Winter. Initially, Martin and his publishers aimed to have the manuscript ready by the end of October 2015, with a release planned for March 2016 ahead of Game of Thrones: Season 6. This deadline was later pushed to the end of 2015, but that also passed without a finished manuscript. By January 2017, Martin expressed hope for a release before the year's end, and in 2020, he set a target to complete the initial work by 2021, which did not happen. The most recent update came in October 2022, when Martin stated he was about 75% done with the manuscript. However, progress slowed, as by November 2023, he reported having completed 1,100 pages, the same figure mentioned during a December 2022 appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In a December 2024 interview, Martin acknowledged the possibility that he might not finish The Winds of Winter in his lifetime.
Winds of Winter Length
The Winds of Winter is expected to be approximately 1,500 pages long. As of November 2023, Martin had written around 1,100 pages and mentioned having "hundreds more pages to go." The final two books in the A Song of Ice and Fire series are projected 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
This section is free of spoilers, except for the mention 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 followed different sets of characters but ran parallel in time. Martin has promised a dramatic opening, resolving the cliffhangers from A Dance with Dragons by starting with two major battles: one in the ice between the forces of Stannis Baratheon and Roose Bolton near Winterfell, and the other at Meereen, dubbed the battle of Slaver's Bay, involving Daenerys Targaryen and the slavers of Yunkai.
Martin has also 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 now determined to survive and Daenerys embracing her Targaryen heritage. The Dothraki will return prominently, and significant events are expected at The Wall. Additionally, Martin has teased an "interesting take on unicorns." Overall, Martin warns that the story will get darker before it improves, aligning with the ominous title, The Winds of Winter.
Winds of Winter Characters
As of 2016, Martin did not plan to introduce new point-of-view characters in The Winds of Winter. Confirmed POV characters 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 also be 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.
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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 cast. Martin has confirmed that some characters who died in the show will live in the books, and vice versa. New characters will be introduced, and those who never appeared 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 highlighted the presence of book-exclusive POV characters like Victarion Greyjoy and Arianne Martell, and secondary characters such as Lady Stoneheart and Young Griff, who will impact the story. Martin also teased 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 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 be around 1,500 pages or more. Martin has hinted at a bittersweet ending. There is no set release date 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, potentially titled Blood & Fire, and more stories in his Tales of Dunk and Egg series, which will be adapted into HBO's upcoming series, 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.
